“They get to hang out with us. They don’t know how lucky they are.” Ruthanne grinned with a dreamy-eyed expression.

  Kate, the tallest of the Pearly Girls, joined in. “Oh, lots of opportunities for us to run into them.” Turning to Aileen, she added, “A fruit basket, Aileen? These are hard-living, whisky-drinking, bar-fighting kind of guys. It should be a beer and bourbon basket if anything. Next thing you know, we’ll be baking them cookies.”

  “Cookies are nice,” Ruthanne said. “Everyone likes fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies or brownies. That would be a lovely gift.”

  Roxie rolled her eyes. “If you want them to think you’re a grandma. I don’t bake cookies.”

  Kate waved her hand dismissively. “Cassidy, everything else going okay here? You don’t need us to do anything, do you?”

  Cassidy shook her head. “We’re all set. The festival people are taking care of the concerts and equipment. And security’s in place. We’re good to go.”

  “Oh, goodie.” Ruthanne clapped. “And we’ll definitely have all kinds of access. You never know how many times I may conveniently run into them on my walkabouts. If you had told me about being this close to the band in my teen years, I never would have believed it would be possible. Up close and personal with the Weathermen…I can’t wait!” Ruthanne’s silver curls bobbed as she wriggled her whole body and waved her arms in an arc.

  “We better dig out some cigarette lighters for the concert. Not sure if I still have any. I threw a bunch of them out when I quit smoking,” Roxie said.

  “Nobody uses lighters anymore.” Aileen snickered. “They wave their phones at concerts now. You know, with the lights on.”

  Ruthanne raised a finger. “Maybe we should get some glow sticks.”

  “Less of a hazard,” Kate agreed, nodding.

  “But not as cool.” Roxie wrinkled her nose. “What are we waiting for? I rushed over here to see those heartthrobs. Let’s get a move on before we—or they—get any older. I hope I’m not disappointed.”

  Cassidy pocketed her phone and snapped Elvis’s leash on his collar. “Come on, baby. Let’s go meet these rockers the gals are so enchanted with.” She locked the front door, and the tiny group marched out the back and past the barn to the gardens surrounding the rocky grotto. Cassidy slowed her pace a bit when she realized not all the ladies were power walkers.

  “I’m coming,” Ruth huffed. “I should have worn my Chucks this morning. These sandals are definitely not for hiking. But they do show off my new shade of va-va-voom red from my pedicure. That could always come in handy.”

  “Hey, Cassidy, the lilies and lotus in the koi pond are doing well. What’s that?” Kate pointed to the black netting draped artistically over the water feature.

  “Levi helped me hang those. We had a little bit of a bird problem. A couple of hawks thought this was a new fish buffet.”

  Ruthanne wrinkled her nose. “Poor goldfish. Levi has such a tender heart. I’m glad he found a solution to protect the fish besides his pellet gun. We had to take it away from him last spring when that woodpecker kept tapping on the side of his house.”

  “We had to do some restocking, but so far, the netting seems to work. Levi’s been keeping an eye on it. He does a daily inventory of the fish.” Cassidy slowed as Elvis decided to smell every blade of grass on the path.

  “Levi always knows how to fix everything. He was Evelyn’s right-hand man. After the saloon burned, he was the foreman who oversaw all the construction on this place,” Kate said.

  “Levi is a miracle worker. He saved my Christmas cactus last year, and he recommended the right light for my orchid that was on its way to the plant graveyard. He’s a jack-of-all-trades,” Ruthanne agreed.

  Levi, who was about the same age as the Pearly Girls, was a fixture around the property and was always willing to take on any new project. His clever remedy at the pond had solved the problem of the disappearing koi. Cassidy called him the Lawn Ranger because mowing the acres of grass and tending the facility’s gardens were his favorite things to do.

  The women and the adventurous dog made their way along the wooded path to the meadow area. A shriek echoed across the grassy field and bounced off the trees. The five women and the Chihuahua froze in their tracks.

  “What is wrong with you? Did you see a snake again?” Roxie asked Ruthanne, who was gasping and pointing to the area on the other side of the tree line.

  “Did you turn your ankle?” Kate rushed forward to help.

  “No. Look. It’s them. Not sure my heart can take it, but if I have a heart attack and die, at least there will be a smile on my face. Come on, girls. Let’s go meet the Weathermen.” Ruthanne led the charge to the three buses parked in a C shape in the grassy meadow.

  It hadn’t taken the band and its entourage long to settle in. They had established a camp next to the mammoth buses with patio awnings, lawn chairs, a grill, a meat smoker, and a row of coolers. A tailgate party had already begun.

  “Hello, y’all,” Roxie drawled as she waved at the men seated in fancy stadium chairs under the awnings fluttering in the breeze.

  The manager rose as she sashayed over. “Hello, ladies. I’m Beau. The Weathermen are just getting settled in. The guys are working on some snacks before their sound check and tour of the facilities this afternoon. Can we get you anything? Ice-cold drinks? An adult beverage?” He bowed toward Roxie and held the hand she offered long after he was done shaking it.

  Ruthanne and Aileen giggled. “We’re fine.” Roxie spoke before anyone else. “We at Celebrations at Ivy Springs wanted to stop by and welcome you all. You know Cassidy, the owner. This is Ruthanne, Aileen, and Kate, some of your biggest fans. And I am Roxie Matthews.”

  Beau smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. The guys always love to talk to their fans.”

  All heads turned to the doorway of the nearest bus as Johnny Storm climbed down the steps with a can of beer in his hand. He wore an open red silk kimono and a pair of black leather pants. Despite the gray hair, he still had six-pack abs. Not bad for a seventy-something rocker. Ruthanne gasped. Cassidy glanced over in her direction to see if she needed to grab her elbow to steady her.

  “Somebody make sure I’m not dreaming,” Ruthanne whispered. “And if I am, don’t wake me. I want to see where this goes.”

  “Ladies,” Beau said, “this is the one and only Johnny Storm.”

  Johnny belched and took a swig from the can. “Good afternoon. Where are we by the way?” He squinted around at the blueish-green mountains in the distance.

  “You’re in Ivy Springs, Virginia,” Kate volunteered.

  “It’s between Roanoke and Staunton.” Aileen eyed the newcomer.

  “Where?” The singer’s nose scrunched up in apparent confusion.

  “On the East Coast near DC. Don’t worry about it. Just smile and do your thing.” Beau patted him on the shoulder. “And this is the rest of the band, Karl Schultz, Dirk Lawrence, and last but not least, Jack Simon.”

  “I’m always last,” Jack muttered under his breath.

  “It’s because you’re last alphabetically by real names.” Karl smirked.

  Ignoring the peanut gallery, Ruthanne said, “We are so thrilled to meet you. Can we get some pictures? I’m going to want to remember this day forever.”

  “Here. I’ll take them,” Beau offered, extending his hand for the phone. “You all get in close around the chairs. Johnny, make sure you’re in the shot. You need to be front and center. Ladies, gather around him. Everybody look sexy.”

  All the women handed Beau their phones, while Roxie maneuvered next to Johnny Storm.

  “Say ‘lots of money,’” Beau said.

  A chorus of voices rang out as he snapped photos with the different phones. “Stay still. I’m almost done. Okay, last one. Here you go, ladies. Make sure you tell all your friends. We want all the shows packed while we’re here. The Weathermen came a long way to see you all.”

  “Finally,” Dirk muttered as he rose. “That’s enough for a while. I’ve got things to do.”

  “What makes you so special? We’re all busy and have things to do.” Jack glared at him.

  Dirk returned the glare and stepped closer to Jack.

  Jack raised both hands and flashed a fake smile. “But right now, I’m going to chill after that freakin’ long ride and enjoy the sunshine and really nice view of the mountains over there. You could use some downtime, Dirk. You seem a little tense. Maybe some meditation or yoga. Something eating at you?”

  Dirk lunged forward and shoved Jack, who stumbled backward and fell, almost hitting his head on the ground.

  Beau stepped in between them. “Enough. I suggest you two take a break from each other. But don’t go too far. We meet with the show’s promoter at two. We will do a mandatory sound check and rehearsal to measure the outdoor acoustics. And that means all of you will be there and on time.” He extended a hand to Jack and pulled him to his feet. “Got it?”

  Jack, the guitar player and backup singer, dusted himself off. Without saying a word, he walked toward the bus parked behind them.

  “Well, too bad I don’t get to stay with you all here at the lovely facility. I’m hopeful the show’s promoter will take me to my accommodations at the Ivy Springs Motel and Resort after our meeting. If not, I’ll have to find a taxi.” Beau flashed a smile at the ladies.

  Roxie wrinkled her nose at the mention of the motel. The owner, Sid Proctor, made it look and sound way better than the broken-down old roadside motel on the outskirts of town that it really was. “If you don’t catch a ride, I’ll be glad to take you. Taxi service is slow around here, like everything else. Everything in the south is slower, but hotter,” she cooed.

  Beau winked and reached for her hand, making a production of kissing it. “Thank you for the offer. I may take you up on it. It’s always great to be rescued by a pretty lady.”

  Ruthanne let a giggle slip and clasped her hands together, drawing them toward her like she was trying to contain herself.

  “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m going back to bed. Someone wake me before rehearsal. This is way too early for me.” Johnny Storm belched and stumbled toward the bus.

  Not quite the dreamy rock stars I imagined. Maybe they will be more charming on stage. So far, I don’t see why everyone is so crazy about the Weathermen, Cassidy thought as she scanned the faces of the starstruck Pearly Girls. None of them seemed fazed by any of the band members’ real-life behavior.

  FRIDAY MORNING

  Aileen sat at the conference table between Kate and Ruthanne and reached for a coaster to place beneath her mug. Her silver bob with today’s teal highlights shimmered from the glow of the penlights dangling above the oval table. Aileen changed her hair color almost as often as other people changed their minds.

  “Nice blouse,” Ruthanne said. “Where’d you get it?”

  “Thanks.” Aileen grinned. “My niece gave it to me for my birthday. I don’t wear lavender that often, but it goes with these.” She raised a strand of purple and black pearls.

  The front door swung open. Roxie waltzed in with Levi on her heels. Cassidy entered, bearing a tray of bagels and spreads, which she placed on the end of the conference table. “Good morning, all. I swung by Bake It to the Limit last night, and I couldn’t resist fresh bagels. They smelled so good. Help yourselves. Anyone need coffee?” When the crowd around the table shook their heads, she settled in at the end of the table and opened her portfolio.

  Elvis scampered in to check out the snacks and greet everyone before he curled up at Cassidy’s feet.

  “So, did our favorite rockers behave last night?” Roxie settled herself in the seat beside Levi.

  “Not a peep out of them, and the contract security had no reports of any problems or oddities.” Levi reached for a bagel and the cinnamon and brown sugar–flavored spread.

  “That’s good. Knowing their bad-boy reputations, I was expecting a rip-roaring party,” Roxie said. “And at least one police visit. We’ll have to make sure we get an invitation if they do have one of their famous shindigs.”

  “It’s early.” Kate shook her head. “I’m sure they won’t disappoint as the week goes on. Maybe they’re getting situated and catching up on some much-needed rest. It sounded like they’re on the road a lot.”

  “It’s nice to have some free spirits around here. This town gets a little stuffy at times.” Aileen grabbed an asiago bagel from the platter.

  “Glad the first night went well.” Cassidy checked her agenda. “Thanks everyone for coming in early to go over the schedule. It’s going to be a busy few weeks around here. Are y’all ready for Groovin’ through the Decades? This is our first multi-weekend event, and I’m both excited and nervous. I’m really hopeful that the ticket sales will make it worthwhile and we become a stop for other shows.”

  Ruthanne let out a “woo hoo!” and clapped. “Can’t wait. It’s going to be great.”

  “Y’all have copies of the schedules in front of you. We don’t have much to do in the front office except to provide support and answer questions that pop up. All the planning and marketing are done. The promoter and his assistant are stopping by this afternoon to make sure we’ve covered all the open tasks. Most everything is now on the security and grounds teams. Levi, that’s you. You ready?” She looked at the lone male at the table.

  “I’m good to go. Mateo and his security guys have the schedule, and he’s got guys staffed round the clock.” Levi wiped a dab of the spread off his chin with a napkin.

  “Good.” Cassidy made a check mark on her agenda. “And we’ve contracted with the sheriff’s office to have a police presence during the concerts and to handle traffic. Now we wait to see how things go. Please mingle at these concerts and be great ambassadors for the property. Hopefully, folks will see our wonderful facilities and amenities and want to book other events with us. We could use a few more in the fall to round out our calendar.” After a long pause during which her mind wandered to what else she could plan to bring guests to the property, she added, “Anything else we should cover? It seems like we’re not doing much, but all the planning you all put into this has really paid off. Let’s hope this event is memorable. And take lots of pictures for our social sites and the newsletter.”

  The front door banged open, and everyone turned to see who had arrived. Elvis jumped immediately to DEFCON 3 and scurried for the door. Karl Schultz, the stocky bass player, stomped in and looked around. “Uh, good morning. I’m Karl. I’m with the band. I was wondering if there was a place in town to get bass strings. You know, guitar strings? I can’t find my stash…of extra strings.” He blinked several times like he wasn’t used to being out in the daylight.

  “You may try Russell’s on the far side of town,” Aileen volunteered. “It’s where all the kids go to rent instruments for band class. I’m sure someone there can help you.”

  “Uh, Russell’s. Thanks. I’ll get one of the drivers to check it out.” He paused and ran his hands through his wavy brown hair that was graying at the temples and roots. “Cool. Thanks.” He turned and disappeared as quickly as he had arrived.

  “Anything else you guys want to talk about?” Cassidy asked as her team started shifting in their chairs.

  “That was Karl Schultz,” Ruthanne whispered, waving both hands in front of her face.

  “I’m going to hang out here and work on some design combinations for the wedding coming up,” Aileen piped up. “I had some ideas last night I want to explore. I saw some cute braided ivy garlands that would work on the trellis and the pergola.”

  “I’ll be here, too,” Ruthanne nodded. “I’ve got to finish some monthly admin tasks. Maybe we can take a walk later.” Her eyes darted to where Karl had stood just a moment ago.

  “And spy on the band.” Roxie winked. “I’ve got a lunch date, so I’m going to do my spying now. Anybody up for a healthy jaunt that might swing by the buses? Though I thought musicians always slept until at least noon. Karl must be the exception.”

  “I’m meeting my book club in town for lunch.” Kate frowned, obviously perturbed at the prospect of missing out on more band member sightings. “I’ve got to run home and get the book. I forgot it this morning.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it,” Roxie said. “Most of my book club meetings are about wine and gossip. It’s rare if we actually get around to talking about what we were supposed to have read.” She turned and finger-waved over her shoulder as she headed out the back door. “See you all later. I’ll let you know if anything interesting happens.”

  Levi stood. “I’m going to check on the grass at the amphitheater. But I won’t rev up Ole Betsy or the blowers until after lunch. Don’t want to disturb any late sleepers with mowing and leaf removal. Those’ll be my after-lunch activities.”

  “Well, thank you again for all the hard work. Y’all take the bagels with you. Don’t leave them for Elvis and me.”

  Aileen helped Cassidy tidy up, and Kate carried the tray back to the kitchen.

  “Why don’t you take some of these for you and your book club later?” Cassidy encouraged her friend.

  She shook her head. “We’re good. There’s always plenty of food and wine, or mimosas if it’s before noon. I’ll put the bagels in the fridge in case anyone wants one later. Anything else you need?”

  “I don’t think so. Keep your phone handy in case there are any surprises. Who knows what the guys might need besides bass strings? And y’all might have to rescue the band from Roxie.”

  Aileen laughed. “She’s certainly a force to be reckoned with. Johnny Storm may not stand a chance against her Southern hospitality and feminine wiles.”

  “I don’t think his standards are sky-high,” Kate muttered. “It probably won’t take much to charm him. The Southern drawl usually does it.”

  “Roxie is definitely fierce when she sets her eyes on something. My money’s on her,” Aileen added. “Those naive rock stars won’t stand a chance against any of us.”