Page 66 of Rock Chick Bonus Tracks

A five-month-old German shepherd crashed into his shins.

He bent down to give his girl a head rub, agreeing with Sadie.

He missed her floppy ears.

But she was still their gorgeous girl.

“Hola,mi perrita tan hermosa,” he murmured.

Gretl licked his wrist.

“Ralphie, calm down,” they heard Sadie demand.

“Midnight blue andice?” Ralphie asked. “Iceisn’t even a color.”

“Yes, it is!” Tod declared irately. “Look, right there.” They heard some pounding, likely on the dining room table. “I only haveseventeen swatches of it.”

“Hermano,” Eddie said low, still grinning. “I told you, put her in a plane, marry her in Vegas, and skip the wedding planning.”

Sadie had her ring.

Sadie also had her last induction ceremony into the Rock Chicks.

Tod started a wedding planner book for her approximately a nanosecond after they announced they were engaged. And he could do this because he’d already bought a blank one for them. Not only that, but Sadie told him Tod had already added some “preliminary concepts” in it.

Apparently, he and Eddie had walked in while they were engaged in a Rock Chick Gathering, nailing down those concepts.

Hector and Eddie, with Gretl circling around Hector’s legs, walked into the kitchen, and Hector saw through the doorway that led to the front of the house that the gang was all there, crowded around the dining room table. So many of them, they’d had to take the stools from the kitchen and still, some asses were sharing seats.

But only Ralphie and Tod were facing off.

“Sadie veritablyscreamspink,” Ralphie proclaimed as Hector and his brother made the room and took the only positions they could since the room was so crowded.

They leaned against a wall.

“We already did pink for Indy,” Tod sniffed.

“Indy doesn’townthe color pink,” Ralphie returned. “There’s ballet pink. And bubblegum pink. And watermelon. And blush. Rose. Mulberry. Carnation. Powder puff. Seashell. Flamingo. Fuchsia.Oh my God!” Ralphie shouted, turning to Sadie. “Fuchsia and cobalt blue!”

“Jumpin’ Jehoshsphats,hot pinkwould be just plainhawt,” Annette put in.

“There’s also Barbie pink,” Roxie said, and Hector hoped like fuck she was joking.

“Wait, isn’t Barbie and hot pink the same?” Stella asked.

“Nuances, girl,” Indy answered.

“Strawberry!” Daisy shouted out like it was a game to name all the shades of pink. “You could do one of those chocolate fountains, sugar, and have lots and lots of strawberries.”

“Whatever it is, it’s gotta go with my ’fro,” Shirleen decreed. “By that I mean, have a glitter spray that complements it. Though fortunately, with my skin, all shades of pink deliver.”

“Hot pink and Prince purple rain. Done. And sofa-kingphat!” Annette threw up the devil’s horns. “Totally rock ’n’ roll!”

“Kill me, love of my life,” Tod begged Stevie. “Plunge a knife in my heart and end my misery.”

“Oh please. Can anyone saydrama?” Ralphie asked.

“Cobalt blue andfuchsia?” Tod shot back.

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