Tracey glanced out the window at him, talking on his phone as he paced by the truck. As if he sensed her eyes on him, he looked over, lifting his chin in acknowledgment. “I do, and he is fiercely protective of me. But I’ve learned there’s a big difference between protective and controlling. Diesel never tries to tell me where to go, how to act, or what to wear.” Although sometimes he’d warn her that certain outfits might lead to him dragging her into the back room at work. She took careful notes and wore those outfits strategically, like the other night when she’d worn the red-and-black plaid miniskirt he loved and they hadn’t even made it up to his room in the clubhouse before doing deliciously dirty things. It turned out she loved being bent over a pool table by him. Who was she kidding? She loved every sexy thing they did.

But this was not the time to think about those things.

“Diesel told me you have a new husband and two teenage stepdaughters. Are you happy? Is he good to you? How did you meet him? I want to know everything.”

Her mother smiled. “He’s wonderful, and so are the girls. I was at work at the garden center a few months after I moved. Tony and his girls, Anna and Malia, came in to get supplies to start a garden. They had no idea what they were doing, and I helped them figure it out. They came back the next day, and the next, and gosh, Trace, the way he was with his girls just melted my heart. They came in the next weekend, and the girls, who were eleven and thirteen at the time, asked if I would come by their house and make sure they were doing it right.”

“Were they matchmaking?”

“Yes, they were.” Her mother laughed. “And I’m so glad they did. Tony has been raising them since they were five and seven. He’s a wonderful, patient, loving father. He jokes a lot. He’s not that funny, but he thinks he is, and the girls are sweet. I keep waiting for the rebellious years to hit, but they haven’t yet. Anna is a little mouthy at times, but she’s fifteen, so that’s to be expected, and Malia, who’s thirteen, gets on her about it. It’s really cute. You won’t believe this, but they both play soccer, just like you did. Tony coached their teams when they were younger.”

“I’m so happy for you, Mom.” She had to ask the burning question. “Do they know about me?”

“Of course they know about you. Everyone in my life knows about you. You are the only reason I kept your father’s last name. I thought you were done with me, but I never gave up hope.”