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CHAPTER ONE

“Are you ready to rock and roll!?”

Melanie’s voice booht frolow raised her head back in annoyance and gave hty Arabian horse, she was never too impressed with Mel’s approach

“I’ down Moonglow as she stood uneasily in the crossties, her weight shifting fro to the other

In seconds, a boisterous Mel appeared beside me, a thin sheen of sweat on her dark brown forehead

“How the hell could you even be riding in this weather?” she asked, words popping with energy She was returning Moongloild-eyed look and I couldn’t help but snicker at their exchange It was Mel versus horse and Mel usually won

“I have to practice,” I re the sweat from my face I probably deposited a h Mel was obviously bothered by the oppressive heat that swamped the Kittitas Valley in late July, she still looked insanely hip and bitchin’ (as she liked to say) Me, on the other hand, well let’s just say I looked like I belonged in a stable

“I know you have to practice,” she said, tearing her eyes offunder the crossties, “but the concert starts in an hour and…you’re…”

She trailed off and gave me an uni to finish her sentence by plucking a few strands of hay out of my unruly hair

I snatched the them onto the concrete floor

“I’low a fewto put her away slightly sweaty which was never good, but Mel was right I was a mess and I had a concert to cover I’d alwaysas natural and professional as possible at shows just so people wouldn’t think I was so covered in sweat and horse hair wasn’t a good look either, even for rock and roll

“If you say so,” she said and crossed her arms The movement pushed up her breasts in her low-cut scarf top Mel was totally tight with the whole groupie ter to make a career for herself in the music industry She just loved rock—and its men—as much as I did and made one hell of a fine partner in crime for live shows

I gave her a dis her in just as a ruround

“It’s a bit early in the season for thunderstorms,” I noted as we made our way out of my father’s small barn The air was ripe with electricity, and ahorizon, spilling down the brown hills like dust bunnies

She patted at her s as it doesn’t ht?”

I lived a bit outside of Ellensburg on a small cattle ranch, turned hay farm, turned waste of space, and a symbol of lost money I never had a car and hbor’s fence earlier in the year, so it was eitheraround Or Mel, when she ed to snatch her older brother’s car keys

We called it the Du paint, and it constantly son, based on the rotation of chicks her brother picked up in Seattle when he was there for school So there for college in the fall, the idea made me feel sick to my stomach

Mel ht the look onasphalt to the Gremlin, because her brows furrowed

“Is Eric home?” she asked Her voice always sounded small when she said his name

I shookfarht It was Friday andup suo, so I hoped he found so out with them after class As for my dad, he was out at the bar At least I knehere he was

Mel stopped and put her hands on irl, 5’9”, and she was a tiny little thing I tried not to let many people boss me around, but she had a way about her She leaned in close and peered into my eyes

“Dawn, tell it to ht Are you okay? You don’t look okay”

I gave her a quick smile My lips tasted like sweat

“I guess I’ overwhelmed,” I admitted

She gave me a nod, reached into the openof the Gremlin’s back seat, and pulled out a flask She tossed it to ht it with ease

“Drink that,” she said “Shut off your brain”

I opened my mouth to protest but kneould be useless I tipped the flask back into ot a burst of hiskey as it poured intonot to cough