Tracey closed her eyes against a rush of tears. “He is, but I don’t think he’s thinking straight right now. He’s been lied to and hurt before. His mother is the only person he ever counted on to be honest, and she might have lied to him about his father. I know it sounds like I’m blowing you off for a guy who doesn’t want to be with me because he took off, but that’s not what this is. Diesel loves me.” The words came out too fast for her to stop them. He’d never said that, but she felt his love, as real and viscerally as she knew he needed her with him while he faced this trying time. “He’s been alone forever, and now everything he thought he knew might be turned upside down. He was there for me when I needed him most, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him suffer alone. I’m sorry, Mom, but I have to try to find him. Please don’t hate me.”

“I could never hate you, sweetheart. And now I understand why you’re going. Diesel told Tony that before you, he hadn’t had anyone special in his life since his mother passed away. He said he didn’t know how to be a good partner, but he’d learn.”

Fresh tears fell, and Tracey couldn’t choke out a single word.

“Even big, strong bikers need a little help sometimes, honey. Go. I’ll tell the girls we had a schedule conflict, and we’ll do it when things are settled. I love you, Tracey, and I’m proud of you. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

Relief engulfed her as she ended the call, and she sank to the edge of the bed to try to regain control.

Izzy sat beside her. “You’re all set. I texted you the flight details. It’s a nonstop flight. You’ll be there by six o’clock Colorado time. I have to go to work, so I ordered you an Uber to take you to the airport. They’ll be here in ten minutes. What should we pack?”

“It doesn’t matter what I bring.” Reality weighed on her like a lead coat. “If she lied to him, it’ll break him.”

“Then it’s a damn good thing you’ll be there to put him back together.”

DIESEL SPENT TOO many hours on that damn plane, dwelling on questions for which he had no answers and trying to shut out the gnawing in his gut over Tracey, who didn’t need to be dragged down by his shit. By the time his boots hit the ground in Colorado, he was fit to be tied.