by Nina Croft
“Not next week, sweetheart. You’re going to Australia with your Gran and Grandpa and Hannah.”
“Darcy come to Stralia?”
“Not right now. But soon. I promise.” It would be another year before she would be allowed to leave the country. But maybe it was best not to tell Lulu that, though her niece had very little concept of time.
The only person absent was Matt. He’d said he had a meeting at the barracks. More likely, he just couldn’t face her or Lulu. She knew he was hurting. The other night had demonstrated how much. Her perfect Matt, drunk and in a bar brawl. And for a good cause. She must tell him that the woman he’d been defending had turned up at the gym the following day and signed up for Darcy’s self-defense class.
He had promised to make it to the airport. He wouldn’t be such a coward as to miss that.
It was nearly time to go.
“Come on, let’s say your good-byes to everyone.”
“Don’t want to go.”
“Of course you do.”
“Where’s Matt?” Lulu was starting to look mutinous. She had a strange idea that Lulu hadn’t cottoned on that Matt wouldn’t be going with her to her new life. Another thing that was probably best not to go into. “Lulu want Matt.”
“He’ll be at the airport. You’ll see him soon.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Now say good-bye to Regan.” She handed her over to Regan, who gave her a hug and a kiss, then handed her on to Summer. Lulu made the rounds of the room and finally got back to Darcy. She hugged the little girl close, and everything hurt. Just a couple more hours, and she could have a nice, quiet breakdown, all alone. Then she could put herself back together. Again.
Matt’s mom came over. “The taxi is here.”
She nodded. “We’re coming. Go load your luggage.”
She took a deep breath as she watched them leave the room. Regan came up beside her. “It will be all right.”
“I know.” But she didn’t believe it. She had a horrible feeling she had totally messed up, and it was too late to ever put things right. She shifted Lulu in her arms. “Time to go.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Christ, he hoped he hadn’t left it too late.
He was still in uniform. He’d had a meeting and hadn’t had time to change. And he’d left his cap in the taxi. His hands had been full of other things. Now he stopped and searched the departure lounge. They couldn’t have gone through security yet. If they had, he’d have to find a way to go after them. He’d just have to talk his way through. He could say it was official army business, probably putting everyone in a panic. He didn’t care. And anyway, Darcy would still be this side. She wasn’t flying.
Finally, he saw them, and the breath left him. He closed his eyes for a second. They were still there when he opened them.
His mom and dad were both wheeling trolleys with luggage. Hannah walked beside them, Darcy on the other side, with Lulu in her arms. Lulu was chattering. Darcy looked pale but had a smile on her face. She wouldn’t want to upset Lulu.
Would she say yes?
He didn’t know, and there was that churning in his gut again.
He tightened his grip on the squirmy thing in his arms and moved toward them.
When he was about ten feet away, Lulu caught sight of him and screamed. “Matt!”
She banged her little fist on Darcy’s shoulder, and she halted and turned slowly. Darcy was expecting him—he’d promised to be here. All the same, her eyes widened when she saw him. She’d once said that he was Mr. Perfect, but he was guessing he looked a little ruffled around now. And probably shit-scared as well. Her gaze dropped down over him, and she frowned.
Then Lulu wriggled, and she put the little girl down on the floor. She ran to Matt and stopped in front of him, eyes wide as she stared up. “Puppy? For Lulu?” she asked.
“Yeah, princess. For you.”
She stretched up and put out a tentative hand. The puppy licked her fingers and she giggled. “Woof.”
Whichever way this thing went with Darcy, he knew he couldn’t give Lulu up. They might not be the perfect family, but he’d do his best for her. He just hoped he’d have Darcy at his side to help him. Would she forgive him for being an ass? For not seeing what was in front of him sooner? For that matter, would she be able to overcome her own fears? Could he convince her that it was safe to love him and Lulu?
His mom and dad had also come to a halt, with Hannah beside them. She grinned at him.
“Look after that,” he said, and dumped the squirming puppy into his sister’s arms, then took hold of Lulu’s outstretched hand, squeezed.
“You got a puppy?” Darcy said. She sounded dazed.
“I did. I wanted to get a rescue one. But they had to do house checks, and all sorts, and I needed one now. It means we’ll end up with two dogs, as I’d already said yes to the rescue and—” He broke off. He was babbling. Christ, he’d never been this nervous.
“Why?”
“In a moment.” First, he had an apology to make. He turned to his parents. “I’m sorry, Mom, Dad.”
His mom looked sad but resigned. “I sort of thought you might have a change of heart. I just didn’t think you would leave it this late.”
“Sorry,” he said again with a shrug.
“For what it’s worth—I think you’re making the right decision. Lulu already sees you as her father. Now, I’m guessing you’d like to talk to Darcy alone.”
He nodded. A knot formed in his throat and he swallowed. “Go pat your new puppy,” he said to Lulu and handed her to his mother.
Darcy hadn’t moved. “You got Lulu a puppy? She’s not going to be able to take it on the plane.”
“She’s not going on the plane.”
“She’s not?”
“Lulu belongs with me. Actually, she belongs with us.”
Something flickered in her expression. “What happened to ‘she’s better off with a real family.’”
He shrugged. “I’m her family. But I’m hoping that I can give her a real family. Complete with a dog.”
“Or two.”
“Yes.” Then something occurred to him. “Christ, tell me you like dogs.”
“I love dogs.”
Thank God. He took a deep breath. “Marry me.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“I love you. This is nothing to do with Lulu. Just you and me.”
“I…” She bit her lip. Was she thinking of everyone she had lost? Did she think a soldier was a bad bet?
When she didn’t speak, he hurried on. “I had to go into work—that’s why I was late. I told them I was turning down the position as second in command. I asked for a desk job.”
“But you’ve been working toward that job for years. You said so. It was all you wanted.”
“It was too dangerous. I have responsibilities now. I’ll still be working with the unit, but training and liaison here in the UK. I didn’t want you worrying all the time. I didn’t want Lulu to lose her father.”
“You shouldn’t have given up your dream for me.”
“I’ve new dreams now. Look, I know you’re scared. But give us a chance. I can’t promise that I won’t be taken from you. No one knows what the future will bring, but I’ll do everything in my power to be there for you. Forever, if you’ll have me.” He reached out and cupped her cheek. “Marry me. Please.”
She swallowed and gave an almost imperceptible nod, and the tight band around his heart loosened. But he needed to hear the words. “Say it.”
“I love you.” Her lashes fluttered closed for a second, then she opened her eyes and stared straight into his. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever said.”
“You can’t take it back.”
“I don’t want to. I never want to take it back.”
“And the rest. I want everything. Marry me?”
She grinned. “Hell, we’ve already got a daughter and a dog—two dogs. I guess
I’ll have to make an honest man of you.”
“Say it.”
“I will.”
Epilogue
It was a year to the day she’d been released from prison.
And who better to celebrate it with than Summer and Regan, who had been through so much with her? She’d booked a private room at the Ritz, where she had come with Summer on the day of her release. The place had happy memories for her. Her grandmother used to bring her and Emma here for afternoon tea when they were children. Emma had enjoyed dressing up, and she’d loved all the fancy china and pretty things. They’d been so different. Darcy could think of Emma now without bitterness, and remember the good times, though thoughts of Matt’s brother still made her want to punch something hard. So she tried not to think about him.
How could everything change so totally in a year? She’d been such a mixed-up mess when she came out of prison. Now her life was everything she could have ever dreamed of. Except she’d never dreamed of soldiers or babies, and now she had both, and she wouldn’t change anything for the world.
Sometimes being in love scared her, as though she still couldn’t believe she deserved to be so happy. In those moments, she felt like she stood on the edge of a precipice… But Regan and Summer were always there to talk her down. They still met each week for lunch or dinner. She could imagine them still meeting when they were little old ladies. But there was a lot of living to do before then.
She raised her glass of champagne. “To new lives,” she said.
“To staying on the straight and narrow.” Regan clinked her glass with Darcy’s.
“To giving up our freedom for a good cause,” Summer said, joining in the toast. “Well, three good causes.” Summer was drinking sparkling water instead of champagne—she was four months pregnant and glowing.
“How’s the baby?” Darcy asked, waving a hand at Summer’s expanding belly.
“Babies,” Summer replied. “We found out today—we’re expecting twins.”
“Wow.” Regan sounded a little envious. She and Nate had decided to put off having a family for a few years while they built up their business. But they were young, there was time. And the business was already doing well. Clearly, the whole idea of “use a thief to catch a thief” was taking off.
Darcy—with Matt’s help—was trying hard for a baby, which was fun. They wanted to give Lulu a little brother or sister, or two…or three.
“Identical twins.” Summer patted her stomach. “If they’re girls, I’m going to call them Regan and Darcy.”
“Aw.” Darcy sniffed, her eyes pricking. “I’m so glad we all found one another. I never would have made it without you two.”
“None of us would,” Summer said. “And look at us now.”
They’d all come such a long way.
She’d married Matt almost straight after he proposed. She had a vague notion that he thought she might wriggle out of it if he didn’t get the ring on her finger fast. But she’d had no intention of letting him go. Yeah, she was still scared. More so. She had so much to lose now. Sometimes, she’d creep into Lulu’s room at night and just watch her sleeping.
Summer and Regan had been maids of honor at the wedding. Surprisingly, so had Angie, who had become a friend after finally admitting that maybe Darcy was good enough for Matt. Lulu and Hannah had been bridesmaids. Matt’s parents had stayed around for the wedding. They were back in Australia now, but Darcy suspected that it wouldn’t be for long, that they would return for good in the not too distant future. His mom had confided in Darcy that they wanted to be part of their grandchild’s life. Not only that, but she wanted to find a way to get closer to Matt. She had a lot of guilt about his childhood.
The door opened at that moment, and there he was. He was flanked by Nate and Nik, and she heard a collective sigh of appreciation from around the table. They were all stunning, but Matt was hers. Her heart gave a little flutter. He was in uniform and handsome enough to stop her breathing.
“They are something, aren’t they?” Regan said from beside her.
“Did you ever think we’d be so happy?” Summer asked. Her tone was wistful and a little disbelieving.
“Never.”
Prison had been hard for all of them. But the truth was, they had all done wrong and they had paid the price. And they’d found one another. Together, they’d learned a valuable lesson—how to forgive themselves and move on.
She lifted her glass again. “To us,” she said, “And to happy ever after.”
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Acknowledgments
First of all, I’d like to thank all the bad girls I met in prison who were an inspiration… Only kidding, I’ve never been in prison, though I did spend a night in the police cells once…but that’s another story.
I would like to thank my editor at Entangled, Brenda, whom I’m sure must be feeling a little overwhelmed at this point—thank you for taking me on and for the fabulous edits!
I’d also like to thank the lovely ladies at Passionate Critters, who keep me on the straight and narrow, motivate me, and tell me exactly what they think and where I go wrong.
And finally, of course, my husband, Rob—without him, none of this would be possible—my hero!
About the Author
Growing up, Nina Croft spent her time dreaming of faraway sunnier places and ponies. When she discovered both, and much more, could be found between the covers of a book, her life changed forever.
Later, she headed south, picked up a husband on the way, and together they discovered a love of travel and a dislike of 9-5 work. Eventually they stumbled upon the small almond farm in Spain they now call home.
Nina spends her days reading, writing, and riding under the blue Spanish skies—sunshine and ponies. Proof that dreams can come true if you want them enough.
If you’d like to learn about new releases, sign up for Nina’s newsletter here.
www.ninacroft.com
Discover the Cutting Loose series
Falling for the Bad Girl
Blackmailing the Bad Girl
The Order series
Bittersweet Blood
Bittersweet Magic
Bittersweet Darkness
Bittersweet Christmas
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Deadly Pursuit
Death Defying
Temporal Shift
Blood and Metal
Flying Through Fire
the Beyond Human series
Unthinkable
Unspeakable
the Things to Do Before You Die series
His Fantasy Girl
Her Fantasy Husband
His Fantasy Bride
the Babysitting a Billionaire series
Losing Control
Out of Control
Taking Control
the Melville Sisters series
Operation Saving Daniel
Betting on Julia
Blackmailed by the Italian Billionaire
The Descartes Legacy
The Spaniard’s Kiss
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