He gets some coffee, sits with Preach and me and says, “Vanessa talked with her and with Sonia.”

He then takes a big breath and I know nothin’ good can come after that.

It doesn’t.

“She’s seein’ someone, brother,” Shawn says. “Apparently it’s gettin’ serious. She knows it’ll be a thing with the press if she shows, and she’s worked hard to get past there bein’ a thing with her and the press. She’s got anonymity now, mostly. She doesn’t wanna go back there and she doesn’t want what goin’ back there might do to this guy she’s seein’.”

Preacher just sits there, staring at Shawn, not sayin’ a word.

But he doesn’t have to speak.

The vibe wafting off him tells a whole story.

Shawn reaches out, clamps Preach on the shoulder, and goes on, “Sonia says she’s happy, Preach. She practically begged Vanessa to get me to get you to stand down.”

His voice gets low and he finishes it.

“China says she’s glad you’re back. She’s glad the band is back together. She’s glad we’re makin’ music again. But she just can’t.”

I feel this for Preach.

I really do.

And to be selfish, I feel it for all of us.

You can never go back again.

I know that.

I’m older and smarter, and at that time, closer to findin’ Natalie, so I don’t wanna go back again.

[Smiles sadly]

But I really wanted that for Preacher.

I wanted him to have his girl.

When Preach doesn’t say anything to Shawn, Shawn asks, “You good?”

“I’m alright,” Preach tells him, though we both can tell he’s not.

“You gonna stand down?” I ask, partly hoping he does, mostly hopin’ he’s gonna fight for her.

And he says, “She’s happy.”

And that’s when I know, that’s all he wants for her, and she’s got that.

So…

[Breathes deeply]

Yeah.

We were rusty.

Shawn and Dave are makin’ music, and Timmy and me weren’t entirely away from it, but I cannot sit here and tell you the Roadmasters got back together and it was like we’d never been apart.

It was not.

The thing is, we were not only out of practice as a band, we had to find our new groove.

We had to find out who we were together with all that had come in between.

We had to do somethin’ we knew how to do.

Work hard at it.

[Smiles largely]

And we found it.

[Off tape]

Follow Your Star not only never received any flak about the sugar-sweetness of the title, it went on to achieve overarching critical acclaim. When it was released, it was widely heralded as your best work to that date.