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She could hardly believe it’d been a little over six months since the whole drug bust. It felt like just yesterday. But then it also felt like a dream, something that’d happened to someone else. A lot of things had changed since then.
Finn came up from behind, and wrapped his arms around Indy’s middle, sneaking a kiss to the side of her cheek as he lay his chin on her shoulder. “Watcha doing?” he whispered.
She rested against his firm chest, tipping her head back, so she was cheek-to-cheek with him. “Not a lot,” she replied. “Just appreciating the beauty of this place.”
“Mmm, it is divine,” he agreed. “But not as divine as you are in this dress.” He ran a hand surreptitiously over her hip and cupped her bottom through the silky fabric. “Allows me much easier access than those jeans you usually wear.” His fingers trickled down the back of her thigh until they were playing with the hem, lifting it slowly up her leg.
“Finn, don’t.” She playfully slapped his hand away and checked to make sure no one had seen them.
He’d already shown his appreciation of her summery dress earlier this evening, when she’d first emerged from the bedroom and his eyes had gone as round as saucers. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her—and to be fair it was only the second time he’d ever seen her in a dress, the first time had been on their inaugural date because Finn had wanted to make their dating an official thing—running his hands up her legs beneath the short hem and then finding the lace of her new underwear she’d bought especially for tonight. It was a shimmery, pale-green dress that she’d let Bindi talk her into buying online, and now she was glad she had. Finn had promptly swung her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, soon quieting any protests she might’ve had with his clever mouth and nimble hands. They’d ended up being ten minutes late arriving at the party, but Indy didn’t think anyone had noticed her slightly flushed cheeks or Finn’s audacious grin.
She and Finn were leasing a little property on the outskirts of Dimbulah. It was a small cottage, with a large, airy veranda running around three sides, and a set of old, but very comfortable, cane chairs out front. Where Indy loved to sit with Finn after a long day and sip a beer, watch the world go by, and talk about their different days at work. The cottage camewith a few acres of land out the back, where she could keep Gypsy and Beethoven. Both her horses were currently stabled at Stormcloud, but she’d bring them home over Christmas, when Stormcloud shut down during the height of the wet season. Finn had built Digger and Barbie a comfy kennel each by the back door, and they loved the freedom of their huge backyard to roam free.
“Shh,” she said, turning in his arms at the sound of someone tapping on a champagne flute. “It’s time for the speeches.”
Finn gave a low groan, but moved to her side and captured her hand with his, raising his beer to his lips with the other, and taking a big slug. He was looking handsome and relaxed in black trousers, and a dark-blue, button-up, short-sleeve shirt that showed off his biceps nicely. Indy itched to run her fingers over his freshly shaved jaw, but had to content herself with merely a glance, instead. By silent agreement, they decided to stay where they were, out on the veranda and watch from the back of the crowd.
Everyone turned to look at the enormous stone fireplace at the center of the great-room, where the two families were gathering on the raised, stone hearth so they could be seen by everyone in the room. Indy was glad of her heels tonight, which allowed her to see over the heads of all the guests threading into the room through the wide-open French doors.
First up to speak was Daniella, who looked surprisingly relaxed in a floor-length indigo dress that suited her svelte figure perfectly, Steve standing at her shoulder, trying not to look uncomfortable in his pressed white shirt. Daniella looked fit to burst as she motioned Skylar and Nash up to stand next to her. She waited until a hush fell over the room, then she spoke loud enough so even Indy could hear out on the veranda.
“Welcome to Stormcloud, everyone. Thanks for coming to help us share this wonderful event of Nash and Skylar’sengagement.” Daniella had to stop, as the catcalls and whistles of encouragement from the crowd became too loud. But she wasn’t bothered, and as soon as the noise died down, she went on. “I’m Daniella, and this is Steve, and we’re the parents of the bride-to-be, just in case any of you didn’t already know.” More whistles and loud comments, which only made Daniella smile. “And please let me introduce Nash’s mother, Cheryl, and his three sisters.” Daniella made room for Cheryl to join them on the raised platform, and together they introduced Aimee, Ashley, and Cody, who were gathered below the step with happy smiles on their faces.
Dale, Daisy, Julie, and Aaron stood next to the sisters, also watching their own sister and brother-in-law-to-be, and grinning delightedly at their embarrassment as Daniella began to gush about how talented Skylar was as a chef, and how much Nash had come to mean to them as a family. Indy could see where Nash got his surfer curls from. While his mother’s hair was greying now, Indy could see how striking her hair might’ve once been, echoed in her offspring’s glorious curls. Nash’s sisters were just as spectacularly good-looking as he was; the family was blessed with great genes.
Then Steve took over, with a few anecdotes about Skylar as a child growing up and getting into all sorts of trouble, often involving food—combining new and interesting ingredients that didn’t always go together—and adding a few stories about Nash in the time after he’d joined their family circle, not forgetting to mention how lucky Nash and Skylar were to have survived the helicopter crash that ultimately brought the two together.
It was a typical engagement speech by doting parents of the bride, full of love and joy at the union, and Indy couldn’t help the large smile that lit up her face at the shared deep affection throughout the room. She tuned out the voices, preferring to watch people’s faces and capture their emotions, as they smiledat the young couple, wishing them well in their life together. Friends and work colleagues, as well as locals from in town. Nash was well known and liked in the town of Dimbulah, and everybody wanted to see him and Skylar happy. All the families from both sides, Skylar and Dale’s two half-brothers, were there, and of course, all the Stormcloud staff.
Indy tuned back into the speeches when Nash cleared his throat.
“I’m not big on words,” he said, suddenly awkward in front of the large group of people. “And I don’t always say clearly how much Skylar means to me. But I’m sure she knows I couldn’t live without her. I don’t need her to marry me, to know how much she means to me. We made an unbreakable commitment a long time ago, and I’ll always honor that commitment, piece of paper, or not.” Nash took Skylar’s hand and raised it to his lips. “You and me against the world,” he said, clear blue eyes fixed on hers. “Nothing can break us when we’re together.”
“Nothing can break us,” Skylar repeated softly, staring back at Nash, looking for all the world as if she were lost in his eyes, as if the rest of the room no longer existed.
A lump formed in Indy’s throat. Nash always came across as calm, in control, and easygoing. But the intensity with which he was staring at Skylar right now had Indy’s heart beating fast. It was almost as if Nash were putting into words the exact way she felt about Finn. And it was the strength of that love that’d see them through. Through all the thick and the thin bits.
She and Finn had had an unconventional beginning, but because of the fear and the danger and the angst, it’d brought them together so much more quickly than a normal love affair might’ve done. A bit like Nash and Skylar, actually. Indy watched Nash kiss Skylar with no reservations, as if no one were watching and she was the center of his universe. Indy squeezed Finn’s hand so tight, she felt his knuckles crack together.
Everyone clapped and cheered until the engaged couple finally quit their kissing to grin at the whole room.
“Oh, before everyone goes back to enjoying their night,” Nash said, standing on tiptoe so the people at the back of the room could hear him. “This might also be a good time to welcome Finn Carmody to our team.” Nash tilted his glass in Finn’s direction and more than one pair of curious eyes turned in his direction. “As most of you probably already know, Dimbulah police station is going through an expansion. The powers on high have decided that with all the crime going on in this little neck of the woods, we need more manpower out here.”
Everyone raised their glasses and saluted Finn, who returned their acknowledgments with a serious smile. But Indy was close enough to see the slight color rising up his neck; he hated being the center of attention, which Nash already knew, and was now raising a wickedly challenging eyebrow in his direction.
The new police station was a result of a few factors. Nearby Ravensthorpe Station was closing. The town had dwindled in size—as often happened in these smaller outback towns—and there was less call for a permanent station to be housed there. Two more constables were being sent to Dimbulah station and would start in January. And Finn was the local, regional detective, liaising with the main Cairns station, starting four weeks ago. It meant that Nash was now responsible for a larger area, and had three more staff to supervise. Which’d made Skylar so happy that Nash was finally getting the recognition he deserved, along with a nice promotion.
Another reason HQ was beefing up the Dimbulah station was an alarming uptick in crime in the region. It was a little ironic, because a lot of the increased crime they were referring to had come as a direct result of goings on at Stormcloud Station. Indy sent a fervent prayer skyward that there be no more trouble from here on in. No more drug traffickers, no more stalkers, or crazygunmen shooting helicopters out of the sky. Stormcloud had seen enough drama and tragedy to last a lifetime.
Indy tried to listen to what else Daniella was saying, but her gaze kept sliding to Finn, standing tall and handsome beside her. She could hardly believe their dream had come true. She hadn’t had to give up her lifestyle, or her love of the land. Instead, Finn had found the perfect job, so that he could join her. She was worried he might resent her, that he was taking a step away from the ladder of becoming a Detective Sergeant himself one day. But he’d assured her this was what he wanted. He hadn’t known how much he missed his former days spent as a jackaroo and how it made him feel more connected to the country and to himself. It’d been Finn’s idea to apply for the job at Dimbulah, and Nash had been only too happy to work alongside him; they’d developed a deep respect for each other during Finn’s undercover work.
Before the job had come up, they’d continued a long distance relationship, with Finn coming to Cairns whenever he could, and her visiting him in Sydney on long weekends. But they’d both known it wasn’t going to be sustainable. They needed a solution, and they’d got one, almost as if they’d been handed a miracle. They’d only been living together for one month, but it already felt right. Easy. They kept no secrets from each other.
Well, okay, perhaps just one.
Indy had decided never to tell Finn about Garrett’s attempt to rape her. She knew it may not be completely fair, but she’d managed to fight Garrett off, and she knew if Finn found out, he wouldneverforgive his bother. And Indy believed Finn needed to forgive him if he was ever to completely move on from that situation. Even if he never spoke to his brother again, that forgiveness was still key to Finn being able to move on. Forgive but not forget. Indy, on the other hand, couldn’t forgive Garrett. Not for what he did to her, but also for what he’d done toFinn. But that was different. Perhaps with time and distance, she might come to see him as more of a pathetic soul who deserved her absolution, but not right now.
Garrett had been charged with Ronaldo’s murder, which was shocking, but not surprising. He was already going to spend at least the next ten years in jail for the attempted abduction of herself and Finn. And there were more charges being laid for dealing and transporting illicit substances. Once the murder trial was over in a few months—and she felt sure he’d be convicted—he’d probably end up with a life sentence. Finn told her they suspected that Swampy had commanded Garrett to put an end to Ronaldo after he killed Wombat in a fit of rage, against Swampy’s explicit orders. But Garrett was admitting to nothing, and neither was Swampy, even though the evidence was piling up against them both.
