Page 54 of Rock Chick Bonus Tracks

“But this is the journey, Mace. You can’t avoid stops on the journey. You do, they’ll haunt you. You got enough haunting you, brother. Don’t you think?”

Mace lifted the glass and downed the rest of the bourbon.

He then jerked up his chin to the bartender for a refill.

The bartender complied.

Through this, Mace nor Hugo said anything.

Only after Mace took his next sip did Hugo speak.

“She’s there all alone, brother.”

Mace felt those words twist in his gut, and that feeling made him send a murderous look to the man at his side.

“She’s not there.”

Hugo shook his head. “She’s there, Mace. And she’s wondering why her brother hasn’t visited her.”

Mace dropped his head, clipping, “Fuck.”

Hugo downed his cognac, clapped him on the back and slid off his stool.

“I’ll leave you with that, man, ’cause I know you’ll do the right thing…” His pause was meaningful, then he landed his last velvet blow, “For your sister.”

He felt Hugo’s hand on his shoulder. There was a firm squeeze, then the man was gone, leaving Mace with his bourbon and his memories.

When he got back to their bungalow, Stella was again at the table. No coffee this time and sitting in the dark.

“Did you talk to him?” he asked after he shut the door behind him.

“No,” she answered. “Which one was it?”

There it was.

She didn’t talk to Hugo. She didn’t talk to any of them.

“Floyd?” she went on, her tone knowing, love threading through it, Floyd being the only real dad she’d ever had.

“Hugo.”

He could sense her surprise.

Mace moved to the couch and folded into it.

She came to him and climbed on to sit astride his lap.

She said no words. She just rested her chest to his, shoved her forehead in his neck and pushed her hands in at his back so she was holding him.

Mace didn’t touch her.

“Do you believe in life after death?” he asked.

He felt her body tense, knowing she worried about giving him the wrong answer, prodding that wound that would never heal, causing him pain.

Mace knew she forced herself to relax when she replied, “I haven’t landed on my decision on that, but I’d like to think yes.”

“I think it’s no,” he shared. “I think once you quit breathing, that’s the end. And when the last person who remembers you dies, that’s when you cease to exist.”

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