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Where had she come from? What was she doing here?
“Finn,” she cried. “Is it you? Is it really you?” She pressed her sweet body tight against his and he didn’t care anymore how much his cuts and bruises stung. He hauled her to him.
The sound of her voice made his chest expand until he felt like it might burst.
She was here. With him. Safe.
They were both safe.
Indy’s fingers curled into the hair at the back of his neck and she pulled him to her, clinging as if he were a life-raft and she was afraid of drowning. Not kissing him, but staring into his eyes, as if she couldn’t believe he was real. Protective. Yet terribly vulnerable at the same time.
“You were dead,” she sobbed. “When that house exploded, I knew you were dead.” Fine tremors ran through her body, and he enfolded her with his arms.
“I’m not dead, baby,” he soothed, burying his face in her hair, letting her unique scent, her very essence, sink into his soul.
But she wouldn’t let him go. And he didn’t mind that one bit. Not even caring that the swell of emotion brought tears to his eyes. Let everyone stare if they wanted. He had the woman he loved back in his arms, and that was where he intended to keep her from now on.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
THE GRAVEL DRIVEWAY curved through one last stand of trees and Stormcloud Lodge came into view through the trunks of two large eucalyptus. The sight of the lodge made a sudden knot swell in Indy’s throat.Home.She was coming home. It was an odd thought, because she’d never thought of Stormcloud as home before, not truly. But after the last few weeks, the trauma of the past few days, this place was like a balm to her soul. At last, she might’ve finally found a place where she belonged.
A grin tickled her lips as she watched a number of the small luxury cabins surrounding the billabong emerge from the bush. Her horses. And her dogs. She couldn’t wait to see all of them. Dale had promised that Gypsy was back safely by Beethoven’s side, and Digger and Barbie were getting fat and possibly a little bored, tied up with Steve’s dogs. It was one of the first questions out of Indy’s mouth when she’d seen Dale the morning after the explosion. Was someone looking after her dogs? Did they have enough water? Had they been fed? But she needn’t have worried, Dale told her Bindi had adopted them almost as her own.
“Happy to be back?” Dale asked, watching her smile.
She glanced over at him in the driver’s seat, big hands confident on the wheel, handsome face a touch pensive as he studied her.
“I mean… I just want to make sure you’re okay.” The frown lines between his eyes deepened.
Dale, Steve, and Mack had driven straight to Cairns when they’d first heard the news that she and Finn have been foundalive. After many hours talking to the police, and Mike Rogers in particular, Steve and Mack had been persuaded to return to the stock camp, to help finish dismantling it and return everything to the station. But Dale had stayed, determined to be by her side until she was ready to come home. And he’d been apologizing profusely over and over, ever since, as if it’d been his fault she’d been taken from the camp. Which it hadn’t, there wasn’t anything he could’ve done. It was her own stupid fault for falling for Garrett’s tricks.
After a visit to the hospital the night of the bombing—where they’d dressed Finn’s larger wounds and given her the once-over to make sure she had no major damage—it’d taken three days of talking until her throat hurt, endless interviews with endless different detectives, going back to the crime scene at least three times to clarify points where the cops hadn’t believed her, signing countless forms and sitting in countless offices, waiting, until she’d finally been allowed to come home.
During that whole time, she had only seen Finn twice. For a blissful few hours at the hospital, where she and Finn had huddled close on a hospital bed because he wouldn’t let her go. Or was it because she wouldn’t let him go? Then the clamoring voices demanding their statements to the cops had become too loud, and Finn had finally given in, his strong sense of duty driving him to agree to answer their questions. Telling her to do the same, he’d promised they’d be back together soon. The second, and last time, she’d seen him, had been this morning at the Cairns District Police Headquarters, where Mike Rogers had set up a temporary task force. Finn had pulled her aside into an empty office and she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her ear against his chest, listening to the comforting, solid thud of his heart. Then he’d told her he needed more time. Just a few more days, that was all.
Finn wasn’t allowed to reveal much. All she knew was that Detective Sergeant Rogers and his team were about to carry out raids across various cities and towns in the north of Australia. And Finn had asked to be included. It was important to him, she understood that. Important for him to help capture and bring down the chief figures from the drug gang he’d been hunting. A form of closure for him, and a huge coup for his team. It was part of why she loved him, his dedication to his job, his fierce bravery, his determination to make the streets a little safer by destroying that drug supply line. He’d waved away her concern about his injuries, saying they wouldn’t hamper him, and he needed to do this.
He’d kissed her then, deep and powerful, letting his mouth tell her what his words couldn’t. Leaving her with his promise on her lips and in her heart. She’d felt hopeful, slightly dizzy, and a recognition of something big. But also, terror. An irrational fear. But of what exactly, she couldn’t put a finger on. Afraid that he might not feel the same way? Afraid this thing between them was too unstable to last? She didn’t say the words again. Didn’t tell him she loved him. That single word might rip her fragile heart apart. For those few moments when she’d thought he was dead, she’d suffered such devastating emptiness. It made her realize just how deep her love for him went. But she needed to know if he felt the same. And she couldn’t tell him all these things in the middle of a sterile office at the Cairns police department.
She’d stared into eyes the color of blue topaz so beautiful it hurt, and she’d let him go.
She hated not knowing where he was. What he was doing. Of course, he’d given her his word he’d come visit her as soon as he possibly could. But…she wasn’t sure what that meant, exactly. Would he even come? Of course, he would, she was being silly. The two opposing thoughts warred back and forth in her mind all day.
And then there was Garrett. He was still in a coma in the hospital. The doctors were unsure as to when, or even if, he’d wake up. The twins’ mother was by his side, but Finn wouldn’t talk about how he felt about his brother. About his involvement in the drug gang. About whether he cared if Garrett lived or died. A knot of worry twisted in her guts every time she thought of Garrett. It was her fault he was in the hospital. But she had no idea how Finn felt about that, either.
Dale was still frowning at her, awaiting an answer.
“What? Oh, yes,” she said lightly. “I’m fine.” And she was fine, physically. Or at least, would be soon. She’d sustained superficial cuts and bruises, most of them while she’d been fighting with Swampy. But they were already healing. “And yes, I’m happy to be home.”
“Good, because everyone is desperate to see you. Look, there’s Bindi, standing on the top of the steps, waiting.” Dale pointed and Indy saw the dark, diminutive figure of her friend. Mack came out to stand behind her, the sound of the car clearly drawing him outside. Soon, there were other figures waiting for the vehicle to pull up in the parking lot. Skylar and Sasha had joined them, Sasha waving joyfully in welcome. Daniella, Julie, and Daisy had also emerged, followed by Alex and a few curious guests. The small crowd clapped as she got out of the car. Indy hung her head, unsure of this hero’s welcome. She was no hero, she’d just done what needed to be done, like any of the rest of them would have.
Hesitating, half out the car door, she felt Dale’s hand on her shoulder. “Come on,” he encouraged. “They’ve got a bit of a celebration organized for you. And you deserve it. If what Nash told me is true, you and Finn possibly helped to bring down one of the largest drug cartels operating in Australia. Take your fifteen minutes of glory,” he added. “Because, before you know it, I’ll have you back out there working your butt off.” Hegrinned, white teeth flashing. “You’re one of the family now, in more ways than you understand. A lot of us have been through a few nightmare scenarios of our own, and now you’ve joined the club. We joke about it here. But it’s almost like a badge of honor, the way Stormcloud men and women have to fight to get the love they deserve.”
“Oh… Wow.” Indy wasn’t sure what to say. It was the most profound thing Dale had ever said to her. She’d always viewed him as her boss first, and her friend second. But she could see she’d got it wrong. To Dale, she was as much part of his family as the rest of his staff.
Indy had heard all the stories of how Dale and Daisy had bonded after he’d rescued her from a flooded creek, and Skylar and Nash had survived a helicopter crash. And Julie and Aaron, the most unlikely pair Indy had ever seen, had to fight off a crazed stalker to get their happily-ever-after. Mack and Bindi, too, had come through an attempt on Mack’s life—even though he didn’t like to talk about the scar on his left hand. It was true, she was joining the ranks of men and women who’d been through hell and back. With one major exception. She wasn’t sure where she and Finn stood; where their relationship was headed. It left a hollow ache behind her breastbone every time she thought about him.
“So, are you coming?” Dale was still standing with his hand on her arm, as she wavered, half in and half out of the vehicle.
