Page 105 of Tracking Wolfe

Every song I’ve ever written was for you. They’ve all been for you.

And then, All my love, Your Wolfe

Those weren’t the words of a man having doubts. Those were the words of a man who’d decided to take some kind of action, like me last night, even if it meant asking forgiveness rather than permission.

So I’d do what my Wolfe had asked: I’d trust him.

I’d trust that what we had was real and that he meant it when he’d said he loved me.

And I’d show him that I was committed to our future together… which meant I had something important I needed to do, too.

Then I’d meet him at home.

It took me about twenty minutes to shower, dress, and arrange to store the van in the campground parking lot until we could have someone retrieve it. I let Brennan know that Wolfe had to leave temporarily, and he promised to let the others know.

Then I hopped in my rental and drove it to the Montrose airport, paying out the nose for a last-minute flight to San Francisco.

A few hours later, I was standing on Jude and Derek’s doorstep, running sweaty palms over my jeans.

Jude threw open the door while looking back over his shoulder to shout something at Derek about getting his headphones off the charger in the kitchen. “We’re going to be late!”

Derek’s voice sounded calmer. “No such thing as late when you own the plane, Bluebell.”

Jude turned back toward me, and his eyes widened in surprise. “Trace! What are you doing in San Francisco?”

“I was hoping to talk to you. You and Derek, I mean. You have a few minutes?”

Jude’s forehead crinkled. “No, not really. We were supposed to fly to Legacy last night, but there was an issue with the crew. We want to be there when the Spring Sling opens tonight since we’re a sponsor.”

I’d forgotten about the town’s music and arts festival, so I assumed Wolfe would have, too.

Derek walked up with a pair of over-ear headphones in one hand and a charging cable in the other. “Trace? Everything okay? I thought you were in Colorado.”

Jude’s eyes tightened with worry. “Colorado? I thought you’d headed home to Montana already. Is Wolfe okay?”

“Yeah. He’s fine.” I frowned. “Wait, you haven’t seen him? I thought… Isn’t he here? In San Francisco?”

“Here?” Jude and Derek exchanged a look. “Why would he be? He’s still out adventuring, we thought.”

“His note said— Never mind.” I shook my head, suddenly interpreting the note differently. “I must’ve gotten it wrong.”

Derek tilted his head and looked at me. “I think you’d better explain.”

I huffed out a laugh and rubbed the back of my neck. “I think you’re right. Can I maybe hitch a ride with you so we can talk on the plane?”

They waved me into the house while they finished grabbing their bags and loaded up a dark SUV in the garage. We made small talk on the drive to the airport, then boarded the sleek jet waiting on the tarmac.

I tried to act totally casual, but I must’ve failed miserably because as soon as we were in the air, Derek met my eyes from the seats facing mine. “I take it this is serious.”

Jude’s worry returned, and he reached across the seat to grab his husband’s hand and hold it tight. “Are you sure Wolfe’s okay? We still haven’t heard from him.”

I nodded, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my thighs. “He’s okay. But he is the reason I wanted to talk to you both.”

My stomach swirled with nerves. I knew what I wanted, and I knew I wouldn’t let Jude or Derek stop me from having it.

But these men were my family. They were important to me.

And if I didn’t plead my case convincingly, that could potentially cause trouble for Wolfe, too.