“What?” Izzy slapped her hand on the bar, then lowered her voice. “The orgasm gods were listening! This is amazing. I want all the details. How did he ask? When are you going? Where’s he taking you?”

Tracey told her everything. “But I have no idea what to wear to a place like that.”

“Something sexy but not sleazy. You can borrow one of my outfits, but it might be more fun to go shopping and splurge on something new. After all, this is your first date since Dennis. It’s a big occasion, and it’s with the hottest doctor around.”

Tracey wanted to say her first date had been with Diesel when they’d gone for pizza, but that wasn’t a date, and why the heck was she letting Diesel ruin this for her, anyway? “Yeah, I think I’ll do that. I have tomorrow afternoon off, and I’m not babysitting Hail until seven. Are you free? Do you want to come? I’ll ask Josie, too.”

“I have to work, but definitely text me pics before you buy anything.”

Izzy’s excitement pumped up Tracey even more. If only it could quell the dull ache in her chest that Damon wasn’t Diesel.

BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON Diesel felt like a wild animal ready to charge. The last few days had been worse than hell. He knew he was doing the right thing by putting space between himself and Tracey, but he fucking missed everything about her. He’d thought they’d still be able to work together civilly, but she’d been giving him the cold shoulder since Monday night, rarely even looking at him. When he did catch her eye, she looked like she wanted to murder him. He missed her sass and the sweet and sinful way she used to look at him that twisted him up inside. Even the way she used to bitch at him was better than being treated like he didn’t fucking exist.

Why the hell couldn’t he let her go? Moon was coordinating the drive-bys at her place, but Diesel still found himself driving over there in the middle of the night, needing to see that all was quiet with his own eyes. The worst part of it wasn’t even that trying to let her go was like driving ice picks beneath his fingernails. It was knowing he’d caused her to go from sweet and sassy to cold and tough, and that drove those damn ice picks directly into his heart.

Finlay came out of the kitchen and set a plate with two sandwiches and chips on the bar. How’d she know he’d forgotten to eat? “Thanks.”

She followed his gaze to Tracey, who was talking with customers by the pool tables. “You’re going to bore a hole through her if you keep staring like that.”