long as you’ll have me. I love you, Tiger.” He catches a tear rolling down my cheek. “I have something for you.”
A trickle of panic races down my spine. I love him more than I can say, but I’m not ready to get married. “Oh, Cash, no, not a ring.”
He laughs. “It’s not a ring, yet, Kitty Cat.”
“Um … okay.” I’d be embarrassed, but I’m relieved that we’re taking it slow.
Gently he pulls me to his side and slides his arm around my shoulder. He turns me to face the billboard. Instead of finding my image larger than life, I see another billboard covered in a tarp and squeezed in between the two that are already there—and this one covers the one Brad erected.
Two fingers slip into his mouth and he whistles. The work truck begins to roll forward, pulling the tarp away and revealing a huge photo of downtown Ryder on the sign. Above it are the words
Ryder, Texas
Family, Community, Unity
I blink several times trying to make sense of what I’m seeing. Once it registers what is in front of my eyes, my two-stepping heart does a hitch kick in my chest. “You did this?”
“I had to, or there’s no telling what you might do to the other one and really get yourself into trouble.”
I gasp. “How long have you known?”
“For awhile.”
“I thought I was being so sneaky.”
He laughs. “You were, but I know you.” He traces his finger from my temple to my jaw. “I’ve made a career of knowing your faces.”
“Cash. You take my breath—”
“I’ve also noticed black paint on your body more than once.”
I laugh and kiss his face. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You know Brad will fight you on this.”
“Let him.” He widens his stance and pulls me to him. “Truth or Dare, Tiger?”
I loop my arms around his neck. “Truth.”
“Do you love me?”
“I do love you. So much.”
His calloused fingers slide to my face until he’s holding my head like I’m the most precious thing he’s ever seen. The first time our mouths touch it’s only a brief and tender meeting of our lips, not nearly long enough. My heart rattles the bones in my chest as he studies me like he’s deciding the best way to devour me. Then he pulls me to him again, and this isn’t a peck. This time his tongue teases and plays with mine in a slow, possessive kiss. When it ends, we both know what our hearts have always known. We belong to each other.
A small turn and my arm slips around his waist. I rest my head on his shoulder and admire my surprise. “I can’t believe you got me a billboard.”
He leans his head onto mine. “Call it a homecoming gift.”
“A homecoming gift from my homecoming King.” I hold him tighter and nuzzle his neck. “Perfect.”
Epilogue
Twenty-One Months Later
Cash
Homecoming is still stupid as hell.
Yet, here I am, anticipating the names of the homecoming king and queen being announced.
I don’t care who gets the title. It’s the former homecoming queen announcing the winners that I can’t wait to hold in my arms.
Not long now. Then I’ll have the woman I can’t get out of my head, the one I think about when I’m running camps at the rec center, pouring over grant applications for my foundation, or doing Elva’s bidding. The one who fills my days and nights with more love than I ever thought possible.
I think back two years, and my life was so one-dimensional. But not anymore, and a big part of that is because of the woman standing on that stage.
Thwap, thwap, thwap. The principal, Mr. Rickman, taps on the mic. “Is this thing on?”
“Yes!” the student body yells at once.
“Fantastic.” He adjusts his tie and glances over at Tiger, who’s standing off to the side. “This year, we’re fortunate to have a previous homecoming queen, a former Miss Texas, USA, and our current mayor here to announce the homecoming king and queen tonight.”
That’s right. Tiger is the new mayor of Ryder, Texas. She won the election last November, and this town’s never been better. It was a tight race—Brad had a lot of supporters—but Tiger had Ryder East on her side. She also had one of the best campaign managers around—my mom. And it was my mom who talked her into running.
It was satisfying as hell to see Brad lose. His biggest mistake was underestimating Tiger. By the time he realized she was a threat, she’d already won the hearts of