Letting her gaze rest tenderly on Mary, Tess said, "Momma, won't you please stand up so these people can honor you?"

Mary made one false attempt to rise, but her hips were a little stiff, then Kenny graciously took her arm and helped her to her feet. She never even straightened entirely, but raised one hand and flapped it while sitting down again quickly-as if to say, All this fuss over an old woman. The audience caught her wry unconcern over being spotlighted, and a ripple of laughter brought a down-home feeling to the fading applause. Then Tess confided in the audience, "Momma's got two new hips so the plane ride here wasn't too easy fot her. Thanks for coming, Momma."

She let a beat pass.

"And beside her is someone else from my hometown who is also special to me. He's the proud father of Casey Kronek, and an old classmate of mine. Kenny… so glad you're here." To the audience she said, "Both Kenny and Momma know the genesis of this next song. They heard it performed for the first time in Momma's living room last spring, the very week that Casey and I wrote it. It's got a new verse written especially for tonight that they're never heard before… comes straight from the heart. It's the title cut I just told you about, and this is our first time performing in public. It's called 'Small Town Girl.' "

There had been special moments in Tess's career, songs that meant more than others. But singing this one in public for the first time truly was the emotional high of her life. The words seemed to run a thread through her and Casey and Momma and Kenny that bound them, inexorably, forever. Not another soul in the place mattered during the course of that song.

One-way traffic crawlin' 'round the small town square,

Eighteen years've passed since she's been there,

Been around the world, now she's coming back,

Wider-eyed and noting what this small town lacks,

Can't return,

Too much learned.

Mama's in the home place, never changed a lick,

House as worn and tattered as a derelict,

Same old clock a-tickin' on the faded kitchen wall.

Mama won't replace anything at all.

Mama's fine,

Can't change her mind.

How we change

As we grow,

Rearrange

What we know.

Heard a lot of talk about the boy next door,

He's a part of yesteryear I see no more.

Circumstances took us eighteen years apart,

Took him just one night to soften up my heart.

and told him, "Watch over Momma just one more time, then I'll be back. Thirty minutes max."

"Hurry," he said as their hands reluctantly slid apart.

There were people she simply had to pay attention to-the executives from the record label were at the top of the list; the mayor of Anaheim; the top brass from Wrangler, her sponsor; syndicated columnists and concert reviewers; Tanya Tucker was there, and Clint Black with his wife, Lisa Hartman Black; Emmylou Harris; Kevin Costner; the members of her own stage band who'd made tonight such a big success. In the midst of all these well-wishers, she would look up and find Kenny watching her, and their gazes would lock and they'd exchange that same unspoken message: Later. Tonight. And it would be difficult to look away and pay attention to what someone was saying.

But after the backstage obligations were fulfilled, there were still the fans.

It was her custom to allow all active members of her fan clubs to remain in the auditorium after each concert for a private greeting from her. These women and men were the heart of her support structure, and they deserved every minute she gave them. She took Casey along to show her how this aspect of business was handled. But part of Tess's reason for having Casey along was selfish: leaving Kenny, even for only half an hour, was a sacrifice. With Casey beside her it seemed less of an imposition.

It was just past midnight before Tess's obligations had been fulfilled and they finally walked out the stage door and got into the waiting stretch limousine. It was upholstered in leather, and the seat felt wholly welcome as Tess sank down beside her mother, facing front, while the other two sat opposite, facing backwards.

The driver had left the courtesy lights on. They formed a dotted line around the perimeter of the interior while champagne, bottled water and canned soft drinks waited in the coolers on the doors. Tumblers and stem glasses stood securely in their rosewood holders as the car pulled smoothly away, heading north.

Casey was still wound up. She jabbered, making every-one laugh, and Kenny put an arm around her while they rode. Mary, having sampled the champagne, was soon nodding. Tess, welcoming the quiet, mostly let Casey do the talking, indulging herself in her absorption with Kenny and the fact that they could, at long last, look at each other. He stretched out one long leg and his black tuxedo cuff deliberately touched her ankle. She rubbed against it like a cat preening, then rested her head back against the leather seat and closed her eyes, still connected to him by that tenuous link.

When they pulled up between the buildings at the Regent Beverly Wilshire it was after one o'clock in the morning, the place quiet, deserted, the doormen gloved and gracious. Mary, aroused from sleep, toddled up the steps on Kenny's arm, with Tess at her other elbow. She groaned a little, and said, "Oh, thank you, kids. Land, but I'm tired."

They walked through the lobby, past the silent restaurant, between the brightly lit windows where gems and clothing were artfully displayed by the upscale shops on nearby Rodeo Drive, and took the elevator up to the fourth floor where they unlocked Mary's room.

"Are you on this floor?" Mary asked Tess.

"No, Casey and I are up on the sixth."

"And I'm right here across the hall from Mary," Kenny said. "But I'll walk you ladies up."

They bade Mary good night and when her door closed the three of them rode the elevator to the sixth floor, where they reached Tess's door first. Kenny kissed her cheek in brotherly fashion and thanked her, and she thanked him for bringing Mary. Next came a heartfelt hug from Casey, who said, "As long as I live I'll never forget this night. I never thought I'd do anything like this in my life. Thank you again, Mac."

Tess told her, "You're going to be a star in your own right someday, Casey, I just know it. And don't forget, bringing you into the music business has been fun for me, too. See you in the morning, hon." She put her key card in the slot, and added, "Good night, Kenny."

"Good night." over her lips, hooked a silk scarf beneath her jacket collar, and said, "All ready to meet your public."

There were only two members of her public in whom Tess was interested tonight, and when she emerged from her private dressing room her eyes sought them out immediately. Mary was seated on one of the white sofas, surrounded by reporters who were asking her questions. Kenny was handing her a glass of champagne while Casey was standing by with two plates of food. She gave one to Mary, then sat down beside her while Kenny remained standing, drinking champagne.

Tess went straight to them.

"Hey, Momma," she greeted, and leaned over to kiss her mother first.

"Oh, honey, here you are. Say, that was some concert. I'm sure glad Kenny made me come."

"So'm I." She slipped her arm around Kenny's waist and smiled up at him.

He looked into her eyes and said quietly, "I'm awestruck," in a way that excluded everyone else in the room. His low-key compliment was all she needed to gild the moment. That and the arm he dropped casually around her shoulder.

But obligations still waited, so she told him privately, "I've got things I have to do, but we're all riding back to the city in the same limo, so don't go away."

"I won't."

Later, his eyes promised.

Hurry the hour, hers replied.

Louder, for the benefit of the press as well as the girl, Tess said, "Casey, honey, you were sensational," and leaned over and kissed her, too. "Promise you won't sign any record contracts till I get back, okay?" Then, holding Casey's face, she asked softly, "You happy, sugar?"

"Oh, Mac, you just can't know."

"Me, too." And after a pause, "Gotta talk to some of these people, then I have to do the usual fan thing out front. If you want to come out there with me you can. I'll keep it short tonight though." She caught Kenny's hand again,

Say good-bye,

Mustn't cry.

Home-town girl departing on a one-way flight,

Something deep inside her somehow set a-right,

Runs her tearful eyes across the faded kitchen wall,

Whispers, Mama, please don't change at all.

Must return,

There's more to learn.

One-way traffic crawling' 'round a small town square…

When the song ended, there were tears in Tess's eyes and a great fist seemed to have seized her heart.

The audience response was thunderous. With a flourish of her hand Tess guided the sweeping spot to Casey at rear stage, so she could accept her share of the applause. Casey smiled and bowed, experiencing the most heady moment of her life, and Tess wondered when-if ever-she herself had experienced a moment this perfect.

The remainder of the concert seemed almost anticlimactic. Though the program included louder songs, faster songs, songs that had built her career and that were more familiar to the audience, none had the impact of the new ballad that showed where her heart was.