“He hasn’t won a race in twenty-three weeks,” Hunter told her.
“Oh.” That didn’t sound good, but again, what did she know exactly about the sport? She was trying, desperately, but she had a lot of ground to cover to understand the how, the why, and the what of stock car racing. “So this is really exciting, then.”
“Yes.” Hunter was up on her feet, as was the crowd, all screaming and cheering and waving their arms in the air.
Imogen surged to her feet along with everyone else when Pete gave her a grin and tugged her arm to get her up. She smiled back at him. “Think he’s going to win?” she yelled to Pete over the roar.
“He just did!” Pete yelled back, pointing at the track as the crowd went wild.
The announcer came over, “That’s Ty McCordle in the number sixty car for his first win in twenty-three races!”
An amazing amount of pride rushed through Imogen, and she wanted to stand on her seat and tell everyone around her, “That’s my boyfriend! He’s number one and I’ve given him o**l s*x.”
Fortunately, she controlled the urge.
“Let’s go!” Hunter demanded, grabbing Imogen’s hand and tugging her toward the stairs.
“Where? What’s the hurry?”
“Victory Lane.”
“Victory Lane?” Imogen halted in her flats as her handbag fell off her shoulder. “I don’t think we’re allowed there, are we?”
“We have passes,” Hunter said, holding out her badge.
“And you’re Ty’s girlfriend,” Pete said.
She could give him a cookie for saying that unprompted. “But . . .”
“And we’re related to half the top finishers,” Pete added.
“Victory Lane is the most awesome-ist place ever,” Hunter said. “We have to go or I’ll die.”
Imogen’s logical mind couldn’t come up with a legitimate argument for not going, and all three of them wanted to, including herself, so she just shrugged. “Okay, let’s go. Lead the way.”
“Whoop, whoop!” was Hunter’s opinion as she dragged Imogen and her brother down the stairs at a speed to rival the racing itself.
TY climbed out of his car and pumped his fist in the air. Hell, yeah. Winning had never felt so goddamn good in his life. He’d been having a good season and was in the Chase, but it had still been a long time since he’d passed under that checkered flag, and nothing beat that excitement. Add to the win the fact that his girlfriend, his first, honest-to-God, “I love this woman with all my heart” girlfriend was there to witness it.
The only thing better would be if she were standing there in Victory Lane with him, but they had never discussed anything like that, and Ty knew Tammy would never suggest it to Imogen, not wanting to interfere.
His crew congratulated him and there were handshakes and back pats all around as he offered his thanks to them, his team, and his sponsor. Slapping his sponsor ball cap on his head, he climbed onto the hood of his car and got doused with beer as confetti rained down on him.
God, there was nothing like it.
Glancing out at the crowd gathered around, he almost slipped when he caught sight of Imogen standing there watching him with a gigantic smile on her face, her hands on Hunter’s shoulders. She was wearing jeans and the sweatshirt she had borrowed from him on their camping trip. With a grin so wide he about split his skin, Ty gestured for her to step forward.
She made a return gesture with her hand, eyes wide, as if she were confirming he really wanted her to come toward him.
“Yes!” he yelled. “Get over here.”
There was no sign of Tammy, which struck Ty as odd, but maybe she was off planting one on Elec. Imogen shuffled the kids forward and Ty hopped down to meet them. Hunter gave him a hug and Pete a high-five.
“Awesome race!” Hunter declared.
“Thanks, punk.” Ty smiled at Imogen. “Hey.”
“Congratulations,” she said. “It was an awesome race.”
“Thank you. And I’m glad I can share it with you, Engine.”
“I am, too,” she said. “I’m so proud of you.”
Ty stroked his hand down her cheek and looked into her beautiful blue eyes.
In them he saw everything he ever wanted—an intelligent woman who respected and loved him with her whole self. He suddenly knew that if he was being offered everything he ever wanted all in one package, he should hold on to it, right and tight. There was one way to do that, and he knew with absolute certainty that was what he wanted.
“I love you,” he murmured, giving her a soft kiss.
Then, needing her to know, to understand, needing permanency, a commitment, a forever with the woman of his dreams, he backed up a step, took her hand in his, and went down on one knee. “Imogen Ann Wilson, will you marry me?”
Those beautiful eyes went huge behind her glasses. Her jaw dropped open. Her cheeks went lily white.
Ty was aware there were flashbulbs going off all around him, and he could feel the stare of the television cameras. Maybe he shouldn’t have done this in such a public place, but hell, he had felt like he wanted nothing more than to make her his wife, and why should a man wait when he knew something so enormous and important?
Vaguely aware Hunter was jumping up and down yelling to his right, Ty stared up under the brim of his ball cap at the woman he loved and felt elation start to sink as she said nothing. “Well?” he finally asked her.
“Are you serious?” she asked, her voice shrill, her hand clutching the neck of her sweatshirt.
“Hell, yes, I’m serious,” he said. “Do you think I would be asking in front of hundreds of people if I wasn’t dead serious?” He gestured to the crowd gathered around them, all blatantly staring, capturing every minute on film and video.
Imogen glanced around and her cheeks went from stark white to beet red. “Oh, my.”
“So, anyway, now that you know I’m for real . . .” Ty squeezed her hand. “You going to answer me? I asked you once if you were the marrying kind and you told me that you hadn’t met any man you wanted to marry yet. I’m hoping I am that man. I know this is soon, but Emma Jean, I’ve waited my whole life to meet a woman like you, and I love you. Will you marry me?”
Her head started bobbing up and down before he was even finished speaking. “Yes. Yes. I will marry you.” Her eyes filled with tears and she gave him a watery laugh. “I’m trying to think of a witty quote about marriage from Beatrice or Benedick, but my mind is completely blank.”