She took his hand. “Honey, I can see how this is tearing you up. You need to remember that your mother was just a kid herself when you were born, younger than Birdie is right now.” Birdie was twenty-five. “You know how it is at that age, all those hormones runnin’ wild. You meet someone and hit it off and ride the high as long as it’ll carry you. But I cannot impress upon you enough that your mama had made peace with whatever the situation was with your father, and she didn’t come out the other side a broken girl. She came out stronger, with a beautiful baby boy to love, and she loved you with everything she had. Your mother had no regrets at the end. Not a single one.”

Swamped with too many emotions to deal with, he needed an escape. “Thanks. I’ll get out of your hair.”

“Stay,” Wynnie pleaded. “Let’s catch up. It’s been too long. Red told me you have a girlfriend now, and I’d love to hear about her, and how you’re doing.”

“With all due respect, Wynnie, another time would be better.”

“Okay, but you have to let me…” She moved in for a hug, and this time he hugged her back. “We love you, baby.”

He was too choked up to speak.

“Son, before you go, I want you to know two things. Regardless of whether Axel was your father or not, he was messed up for a lot of years, but he was a good, kindhearted man who suffered from a tortured soul.”

Diesel could relate to that and nodded in understanding.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about whose sperm made you. As far as I’m concerned, you are and always have been family. Now I’m going to hug you, and you’re going to deal with it.” Tiny hauled him into a tight embrace, speaking low, like he did when Diesel was a kid. “You might be solid muscle, but I’ll still squash you like a peanut.”

Diesel smiled despite his heartache.

“Where’re you heading?” Tiny asked as he released him.

“The cabin.” To look for answers. He couldn’t say home, because nothing felt like home without Tracey.

“Don’t you leave town without coming back to say goodbye, you hear me?” Tiny said sternly. “You’ve got family here, boy, and they want to see you.”

“I’m not good company right now,” Diesel warned.

Tiny threw his shoulders back, looming over him like a mountain. “They don’t give a damn if you’re mad, sad, or sittin’ on cloud nine. Times like these are what family is for. You got that?”

He answered with a curt nod.

Tiny didn’t even blink. “I don’t think Wynnie heard your answer, son.”

Wynnie winked at Diesel. “He’s our Diesel. Of course I did. Loud and clear.”

Chapter Eighteen