She turned into his arms to give him a hug. “It may take Eddie a while to warm up to this, but I’m glad. For Mandy and for you. You’ve both been alone for too long.” “Thanks.” Joe smiled when she kissed his cheek. At least Carly welcomed him into the family, but Eddie’s reaction really stung because he hadn’t expected it. He’d told Mandy that he thought Eddie might want to beat the crap outta him, but he hadn’t really believed it. From the minute they’d met when Joe walked in to audition, he and Eddie had been friends. They clicked in a way he never had with any other musician. Eddie had become like an older brother or a surrogate father because of their age difference. In tune because of their kinship through the guitar. Eddie taught him rock-music history and Joe taught Eddie rock-music future. Joe’s audition with The Pack had been a blast as he traded guitar riffs with Eddie. It turned into a game of cutting heads—back and forth for almost an hour. Testing each other to see who played better.
