“Now I know where you get your honesty from.” Tracey kissed him. “You know, it’s okay to be mad at your mom and mad at him. Whatever you’re feeling is okay. This’ll take time to process, but at least now you know the truth, and you don’t have to deal with it alone. You have me, and I don’t know the Whiskeys who live here, but I know you have the support from the Whiskeys in Peaceful Harbor and the rest of our friends there.”

He nodded, eyes serious.

She looked around the room, her heart swelling with love and aching for him, too. “Your mom did so much for you, Diesel, but she forgot to teach you one very important thing.”

“What’s that?”

“You said we were partners. Where I go, you go.”

“We are,” he said firmly.

“Don’t give me that, Mr. One-Sided. You took off alone to do something really hard, like you didn’t trust me to be there for you, and that hurt—and pissed me off.”

“Trace, I didn’t want to bring you down.”

“Don’t give me that crap. That’s what relationships are. It means we’re there for each other no matter what. You were there for me through awful things, and I want to be there for you, too.”

“You don’t get it. This was different. How could I be the man you need if I didn’t know who I was?”

She took his face between her hands, holding his stubborn gaze. “You always knew who you were. You’re Desmond ‘Diesel’ Black, son of Ruthie Black, a mother who adored you. You’re a Dark Knight, a good man who helps others, a bounty hunter, bartender, lover, and friend. And now you know you’re a true Whiskey, joining the ranks of more of my favorite people.” She paused to let that sink in. “And you’re mine, Diesel. And I’m yours. But if you want it to stay that way, you can’t leave me behind because you want to protect me, or because you think you’re strong enough to weather any storm. You’re the strongest, most resilient man I know, and I know you can weather really bad storms.” She looked around the room. “Hell, Diesel, you are the storm.” Bringing her eyes back to his, she softened her tone. “But even badass bikers need someone to lean on sometimes, and when you love someone, you’re there for them no matter what. I’m here for you, Diesel. When it’s hard, when it’s easy, and every time in between. Do you want that? Do you want me to stick around for a while?”