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Tildi saw red. She’d been through a lot to finally find the Daddy of her dreams. She wasn’t about to have him lured away by this bottom feeding catfish.

“And what would you know about being a real woman? You’ve got more fake parts than a 3-D printed kewpie doll, Lucretia Morehead,” Kenzie said to Ms. Lipstick.

“It’s Lucinda,” the woman snapped.

Kenzie shrugged. “Whatever. You and your pathetic, wannabe cougar friend need to turn around and get gone. The meter ran out on your walker as I came in.”

“Why you twisted little freak! Do you think I don’t know what happens out there at that ranch? Everyone knows the sick—eeeek!”

Tildi stared in shock as a screaming Kenzie launched herself at Lucinda. She grabbed and yanked, but instead of twisting the woman’s hair, her wig came off in her hand.

The woman covered her head with her hands as best she could and dropped to the floor, hiding behind the ripe bananas display.

Kenzie stared in horror at the wig in her hand then tossed it at Tildi. Boone reached out and caught the hair before Tildi could touch it.

“Sev!” Boone roared.

“I’ve got her,” Sev answered. Catching Kenzie by the waist, he scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

“Put me down!” she yelled.

“No,” Sevin growled back. “I’m not taking a chance on where you’d bounce next, Little Tigger. You need a keeper.”

Tildi lost their conversation when Boone grabbed her wrist. “We’ll have to make do with what we have at home.” Crossing tothe still crouching Cindy, he handed her hair to her and said, “It was good to see you again, Cindy. Sorry about the hair.”

Then he pulled Tildi toward the door. “Sorry about the ruckus, Henry. Put the cost of any damages on my tab. I’ll be in to pay it off next week.”

“Are you kidding? That was the best show I’ve seen since Tatum’s bull got loose in the heifer pen at the cattle auction.”

Boone didn’t slow down until they got back to the car. Loading everyone up, Boone headed home.

Silence reigned until Sev burst out laughing. “I can see why you were so eager to get back to the ranch. It’s quite the adventure you’re living here.”

Tildi couldn’t be sure, but she was almost positive her Daddy’s lips bore the ghost of a smile. “Sev?”

Controlling his amusement, Sev managed to say, “Yes, Boone?”

“Shut the fuck up.”

CHAPTER 16

On the ride back to the ranch, Boone tuned the radio to a local station, and Tildi danced and sang along with Gavin Adcock’sRun Your Mouth. It seemed fitting. Kenzie’s knee bopped up and down double time to the music.

“That Cindy Morehead has some nerve!” Kenzie burst out as the song ended. “She’s such a bitch!”

Boone scowled in the rearview mirror at his sister. “Language, Tiger. I think you more than made your point.”

Kenzie crossed her arms and stared out the window.

“I thought she was very brave,” Tildi said, doing her best to sound blasé.

Sev nodded. “I thought so, too. While we have a limited audience, I need to bring you up to speed as much as I can.”

Boone glanced in the rearview mirror again, this time at Tildi. She smiled at him and pushed down the anxiety those words caused.

Her Daddy was protective. If he thought what Sev said would upset her, he’d make his friend wait until the two of them could speak alone. She loved that side of him normally. But right now, she wanted to know what was going on.

Last night, she had grabbed hold of a forever future with Boone. No more secrets. No more holding back for fear of being rejected. He deserved better than that, and so did she.