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Cameron called him over, struggling with a pole on one of the floats, and Henry dashed to help.
Bennet caught Lyon looking smugly at the floats and headed toward him. Lyon shrank back toward the greenhouse, laughing.
“You know something, don’t you? What’s going on? Tell me.”
Lyon crossed his arms and shrugged, like it was no big deal. “We once said if Queen Bingley didn’t help us, we’d proposition Darcy.”
“You propositioned Darcy?” I have to race back to Port Ratapu to help someone I care about.
Lyon smirked. “You ruined my greenhouse surprise, so I wanted to give you another. Are you? Surprised?”
Intense, throat constricting appreciation overcame him and he shut his eyes. “You took Darcy outside, that’s why he disappeared.”
“I was texting him to meet me the moment you finished serenading him.”
Another swallow, a pause. “Would we really call it serenading?”
“Dude.”
Bennet laughed softly through his utter bewilderment. “Fine. You came up with this idea?”
“I asked him to maybe pitch in setting up, convince people to come and stuff. Gathering this crowd was all his idea.” Lyon gazed across the grass toward Henry, and sighed. “I’m super happy about it.”
“He has a boyfriend, Lyon.”
“And he’s too old for me, yeah, I get it.” He pouted. “Still gonna think of him in the shower later.”
Bennet rolled his eyes and lightly thwacked him upside the head. Fingers in his hair, he steered his brother against his chest and hugged him tightly.
Darcy appeared through the gap in the pines looking crisp in jeans and a white shirt, sleeves rolled up to the elbows, collar open. His dark sneakers sank into long grass with every sure step.
Their eyes snagged and held, and a wild concoction thrummed through Bennet. Buzzing nervousness, soothing gratitude, ever-mounting hope.
“This is the best surprise of my life.”
Lyon, following Bennet’s gaze, scoffed, giggled, and slunk away with a weak excuse to check on something.
Darcy stopped before him, the grass between them tickling Bennet’s ankles. “Bennet.”
The most welcome spindly shiver came at his softly spoken name. It rolled off Darcy’s tongue, and immediately the cacophony around them became a cocoon. “Darcy.”
Bennet couldn’t stop smiling. Yet questions simmered between them, and Bennet needed the answers.
“What are—”
A heavy thump hit his shoulder and suddenly Charlie was there, grinning between them, a rainbow flag draped over his back. “Can I drive the jazzed up library?”
“Is it time?”
“Almost twelve. We’re all here. Fifty-three of us. Olivia did a stunning job with costumes. Great idea to invite the Ask Austen crowd! Both floats are ready to go.”
“That was quick.” It was all quick.
Bennet peeked out toward the street. One float had a large rainbow and people dressed in PRIDE letters underneath, and another had balloons spelling out LOVE IS LOVE.
“No fussing about here,” Charlie said. “Plus, a lot of the villagers are curious . . .”
Darcy gestured through gaps in the pines. “Georgie is driving that one. Cameron, the other. I thought, the rest of us could march between them?”
“My thoughts exactly. I’ll chat to them on the way to the caravan.”
“Wow, this is all happening.” Bennet handed Charlie the caravan keys. “Let’s get this show on the road.
“Oh, here,” Charlie added, taking off his flag and handing it to Darcy. “No one will see it in the caravan.”
Bennet stilled, waiting for Darcy’s reaction.
After a slight hesitation, Darcy thanked him and took the offered material.
“On my beeps, we begin!”
Charlie headed for the road, and they had about a minute before they’d be parading.
Fingering the silky material, Darcy stared at the rainbow in his hands.
Bennet cleared his throat. “You don’t have to.”
A softly pinched expression met his. Bennet recalled that time in his kitchen. He wasn’t the man to drape himself in a rainbow flag and parade through town, he’d said.
“We have a lot of straight supporters. It doesn’t have to mean you’re coming out.”
Darcy hummed, and whipped the flag around his shoulders. He cinched the clasp at his neck. “I hope it does.”
Pride and respect rushed through Bennet, and he stepped closer.
Horns blared, ending one beautiful moment and starting another.
A rush of movement and music leapt around them, ushering them toward the street.
“Ready?” Darcy asked, and Bennet knew the paint on his face was cracking under his vibrant smile.
The delicious aroma of barbecued meats and grilled vegetables filled the air. Scattered over the grass outside the greenhouse, people picnicked or sat drinking and laughing on the floats. With a gentle touch to his elbow that promised he’d be back later, Darcy left him to the constant stream of villagers crowding Bennet with questions and conversations.
After a while, Charlie slipped a sausage into his hand and reminded him to eat. The warmth soothed some of the adrenalin racing through him. “Thanks, Charlie.”
“Sustenance is important, eh.”
“No, I mean, thanks for being here. For always supporting me.”
The silver fern ink under Charlie’s skin shimmered as he bashfully folded his arms. “I reckon it goes both ways. I hope you come up to Port Ratapu whenever you can. There might come a point I start freaking out about becoming a dad.”
