CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Ainsley

The first person we told about our engagement was Aunt Jay.

“Oh!” she beamed and sat down heavily on the comfy chair at the kitchen table. “Oh! My dears! You are so secretive! You didn't tell me!”

She was laughing and red-faced and I felt a little nervous that she might actually pass out. I looked at Drake but he seemed unconcerned.

“Thank you, aunt,” he said fondly, kissing her on the cheek. “I'm so glad we could share the good news with you.”

“Oh!” She said again. “Now I'm going to tell everyone... Emma and Amelia and Arthur and...” She was so excited.

“I've only told Harper and my mom,” Drake said. I felt warm inside. He'd kept it a big secret. Trust him to plan everything so well at such short notice. Aside from the most romantic proposal ever, he'd even chosen a ring that fit me.

“I need to tell a few people too,” I said shakily. I sat down. It was all so sudden and so remarkable. We were getting married.

We made plans. We would wait for a month before deciding whether we were going to have the wedding here in the UK or if we would be able to go back to the USA. Whatever we did, we promised we were taking Aunt Jay with us. She had to be part of the process.

“She already is, after all,” Drake said.

“Yes.”

“We might have to wait a month,” Drake repeated. “I have this plan and I don't know if...I don't know when we'll know for sure when we can go back home.”

“That's okay,” I demurred. “We'll find out.”

It was two weeks later when we were upstairs that the call came through. It was nine at night and we were just getting ready for bed.

“Oh, for...” Drake turned from where he'd been kissing me. “Sorry. This could be urgent.”

“Sure,” I said gently. “Answer it, please.”

He answered it.

“Yes? Oh! Hi. Hi, Liam.”

I heard the tension in his voice and I winced. What was this all about? He had been kind of secretive with me about this whole process and I wasn't sure what the nature of this important phone call would be.

“You did it. And... They what? No way! You're kidding.” he was laughing now. I felt his happiness and felt my own heart lighten inside my chest. “You mean... Oh. Hell. Liam. This is the best news. Great. I can't believe it! Wow...”

He was still smiling when they finished chatting and he put down the phone then came to join me on the bed. He looked dazed.

“What? I asked.

“That was a call from a... a friend of mine. Called Liam. He worked with me on the undercover stuff. He's a computer-guy. Anyway. He and I had this plan to try and make this case go away...”

He told me what they'd done. I sat there, listening with amazement. He had asked Liam to dress like him – in a suit, wearing a beanie and shades to cover his own identity – and take the bus from his apartment to mine. He had walked from the stop, two blocks away, and into the building and repeated it every day, twice.

He had repeated the action until he picked up there was someone following him. Then he had recorded it. He'd taken pictures of the car in the street from my building and from Drake's. Using the pictures with the registration he had managed to trace the car to a firm in the industrial area of Miami. Then he'd managed to get a copy of the email conversation between the company and Steelcore out of the owner for a bribe.

“So you can prove the company had you followed.” I was awed.

“Yes.” Drake was nodding slowly now. “When we confronted them with that, they were forced to admit they were on shaky ground. I don't think a court would like the thought of them intimidating me. They agreed to a settlement out of court.”

I stared at him.

“So you're not a fugitive from the law?” I gaped.

“Unfortunately not,” he said with a grin. “My dear, you make it sound so glamorous. I almost wish I was.”

We both laughed.

“I also made them agree to some terms,” he said shyly.

The terms were that they review their policies and make active changes to their business in Brazil. They were going to commit to helping the people on the mines. No more underage work, better conditions, better wages. I felt tears wet my cheeks.

“So it worked out.” He looked happy.

“It did,” I said, trying not to sob. “I'm so pleased.”

Then, with my heart soaring, I realized what that meant. We were free. We could go home. We could have the wedding in our hometown and my mom and Chett could attend, and his family too. We were free. Our baby would be born surrounded by loved ones. I was so happy.

“Drake,” I murmured. “That is so, so wonderful.”

“It is, rather.”

I stared at him. “You know what?”

“What?”

“You sound really proper. This place has had its effect on you.”

We both laughed. Then we collapsed on the bed together.

We made love and I fell asleep with a heart full of bliss.

We were going home. We were getting married.