Page 97 of Trapped in Retribution Bay
“OK, good. I’ll join you in a minute.” She went to see what Natasha’s mother would demand this time.
By the time she’d spoken to all the parents, it was getting dark. Neither Lara nor Darcy had returned, but both horses had been loaded into the float.
Where were they?
Concern filled her. Had something happened? She scanned the stables, noticing a light shining from a stall behind the horse float. She strode forward, rounding the float, and frowned. Since when did the stalls have fairy lights?
The door of the end stall was open and light spilled out. “Darcy?”
“She’s here!” Lara whispered loudly.
“In here,” Darcy called.
A smile crept onto Faith’s face. “What’s going—” Her words caught in her throat. Darcy and Lara stood in the centre of a sparkling horse stall. Lara had changed out of her jodhpurs and into a dress covered in red flowers and instead of the red checked shirt he’d been wearing earlier, Darcy now wore a white buttoned shirt, black suit jacket and fitted jeans. Lara beamed at her, hopping from foot to foot, and Darcy wore a sexy smirk. Fairy lights hung all around the edges and in the middle stood a table with a white tablecloth and three covered plates on it.
Darcy stepped forward and held out his hand. “Lara and I have something we wanted to ask you.”
She allowed him to pull her forward, her heart racing in her chest.
“Lara?” Darcy prompted.
She cleared her throat. “We both think you’re pretty great and we’d like to cor… cordy… officially invite you to join our family.”
Faith sniffed, and her eyes watered. Darcy got down on one knee and held up a beautiful ring. “Will you marry us?”
She stared down at his beautiful blue-grey eyes, and then across to Lara, who held both hands against her chest as if in prayer. She nodded, trying to find her voice. “Yes. Absolutely. I would love to marry you.”
Lara shrieked, and Darcy swept her into his arms, and then his lips were on hers, and everything was right with the world.
Lara’s laughter sank in and Faith pulled away. “Do I get my ring?” She held out her left hand and Darcy slid it on. “It’s beautiful. Where did you get it?”
He couldn’t possibly have had it sent up from Perth in time.
He smiled. “It was Mum’s. Lara thought she’d want you to have it.”
This time a single tear escaped. Beth had been a lovely woman. “Thank you.” She opened her arms and Lara hugged her.
“It’s an eternity ring, which means you’re trapped with us for eternity now,” Lara said.
Faith laughed. “There’s no one else I’d want to be trapped for eternity with, pumpkin.” She kissed Darcy.
He tugged her over to the table. “Let’s eat before it gets too cold. Lara suggested the same meals as our first date.” He uncovered the plates to reveal burgers and chips from the country-music themed restaurant in town.
“Perfect.” Before she sat, she said, “I also have news to share.”
Darcy looked up, interested. “Spill.”
“Stonefish contacted me.” At his frown, she hurried to continue. “They want to make a deal about the cattle.”
His mouth dropped open. “We get our money back?”
She nodded. “At least some, but I’ll push for all. The email made no reference to Lara’s kidnapping, but with Roger talking, they probably want to distance themselves from the whole event.” Faith hoped this would be the end of their troubles.
“Does this mean we won’t lose the station?” Lara asked, eyes wide.
“It does,” Darcy confirmed. He swept them both up in a hug and his cheer was full of triumph and relief.
Faith hugged them back, brimming with love and happiness. It was funny what a difference a couple of weeks could make. She no longer felt trapped in Retribution Bay.
It was home.
