The Devil's Storm

by Lorelai Watson

  She smiled and smoothed out the strands of hair plastered to his forehead. “Nothing. Just thought y’all would be more comfortable in bed."

  Adrian groaned, but lifted himself up and over Madeleine, long limbs reaching over without waking her up. He hooked his arms around Madeleine and hoisted her up. She stirred but settled comfortably in his arms.

  “You gonna carry her all the way up the stairs?” Maggie Beth scoffed.

  “Um, yeah,” Adrian whispered. “I’m not waking her up in the middle of the night. Sleeping Beauty here doesn’t like her rest interrupted.”

  “Sounds like someone else I know.”

  Adrian grinned. “I’ll be back down. I can’t get back to sleep once I’m awake.”

  Maggie Beth put on a pot of coffee and prepped plenty of sugar and creamer. It would be a long day. The pot had just finished brewing when Adrian ambled into the kitchen.

  “Did you get her in bed alright?” Maggie Beth asked.

  “Yeah, she’s fine.” He plopped down in the chair in front of her and yawned. “I’m worried about tomorrow though. She’s already worried enough about the house and everything, but add that on to four days without meds… It might be a rough day for her.”

  Maggie Beth poured two cups of coffee and delivered one to Adrian. “Might I make a couple of suggestions?”

  “Shoot.”

  “Number one, she just needs a doctor’s prescription right? Why don’t you have her old doctor prescribe her some? What was his name?”

  “Doctor Moore,” Adrian said. “We’ll call him up in the morning. Maybe there’s something he can do.”

  “Right. And in the meantime, offer a distraction.”

  Adrian raised a brow. “A distraction, huh?”

  “Make her a spa appointment, take her out somewhere fun. Get her mind off everything.”

  “I may have an idea.”

  “Yeah? What is it?”

  Maggie Beth watched as her son pursed his lips together and started digging in the pocket of his pajama pants. She gave a gasp when he placed a black, velvet box on the kitchen table and pushed it towards her. Maggie Beth timidly took the box in hand and opened it up. “Oh, my…that is gorgeous.”

  “Thanks. Made it myself.”

  Maggie Beth’s jaw dropped as she stared at the beautiful ring in her hand. “You did not!”

  “I certainly did. Took six months to make. I figured if I can micro weld, making a ring shouldn’t be so hard. Boy was I wrong,” he huffed.

  Solemness washed over the room. Maggie Beth took the ring out of the box, inspecting it closely. It was beautiful, and her son had made it himself. What a labor of love.

  Maggie Beth swallowed the great lump forming in her throat. “So this is it? You’re sure you want to marry her?”

  Adrian’s lips spread into a soft smile. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

  She took a sharp breath. “Adrian, your father—”

  “Already knows. He doesn’t want it, but I do know that he wants me to be happy.”

  Maggie Beth took another long look at it. The ring in her hand meant so many things— even happier days for Adrian, and a big blow to Lee. It meant a marriage long overdue, and if they were lucky, maybe even a child. But Lee would suffer. And her boys’ relationship would be gone forever. For herself and Richard, they would spend every birthday or Christmas or Easter with one child and never the other. She didn’t know if her heart could take it, but she knew Adrian’s happiness depended on it.

  She narrowed her eyes at her son. “Do you have an actual plan this time or are you gonna just hope it pans out again?”

  “Well, I was kinda hoping you could help me out with that. I had all this planned out for Savannah, not Atlanta, but I think I can still make it work if you can pull a couple strings for me.”

  Maggie Beth smiled. She would never say no when her son needed her. “Tell me what you need, baby. We’re gonna make this the best proposal Atlanta’s ever seen.”

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  As the limousine pulled up to the entrance of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Madeleine’s heart began to dance in a syncopated beat. This was happening. Every event Adrian had set up was culminating into the important moment of her life. The entire day was a blur of one surprise event after the other.

  The morning began with an ivory, parchment envelope with her name sprawled across the front in his best, but still messy, cursive. Maggie Beth had given her the envelope as soon as Madeleine’s feet hit the threshold of the kitchen that morning. A grin spread wide across her face, crows’ feet wrinkling at the corners of her smiling eyes. Madeleine hated to question it, but was Adrian leaving her? Was that why Maggie Beth was so excited? Had he decided that breaking his family’s hearts had gone on long enough? Was this a long, drawn-out explanation of “it’s not you; it’s me”?

  “Maddie? Aren’t you going to open it?” Maggie Beth asked.

  Madeleine peered at her (ex—future? Maybe not. Ex it was) mother-in-law. “Where’s Adrian?”

  Maggie Beth just shrugged with a smile. “I guess you’ll have to read the letter."

  Behind her, Evelyn sighed with a grin. “Well, you knew he’d break your heart at some point. Let’s get it over with, shall we? Rip the bandage right off?”

  Madeleine sighed, slit the envelope with her index finger and wrested out the letter. Written on the same heavy parchment paper, it exuded expense, but Madeleine could appreciate good paper. “At least he’s ending it on fancy stationery, I guess,” she muttered.

  “What?” Maggie Beth asked, confused. Then she gave a short laugh. “He’s not ending anything. In fact he’s—well, go on, just read it.”

  My darling future wife,

  Madeleine stopped reading and breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh thank God.”

  “Keep reading,” Maggie Beth encouraged.

  Storms, literal and figurative, are inevitable parts of life. Right now, we seem to be getting hit by both. It isn’t easy being uncertain of what tomorrow may bring, but you’re my constant through it all. Instead of spending another night worrying about things beyond our control, I propose that we spend it celebrating the fact we’ve got each other to cling to in the middle of all the storms life will throw at us. I know you packed light, and that you hate shopping for yourself, but you did say you wanted to look pretty when this happened—

  “Oh my God,” Madeleine whispered. She glanced up to Maggie Beth. “Is he really going to propose?”

  Maggie Beth smiled and shrugged in response. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see. He’s got an entire day planned out for you,” she gushed.

  And she wasn’t exaggerating. At exactly 10 a.m. a sleek, black limousine pulled up outside the front door of Richard’s house to take her on all the different stops that Adrian had planned out. Madeleine’s first stop was to the private office of Claire Kelley, a personal shopper. In her white skinny pants, sheer blouse and blazer, complete with a metallic gold belt, Claire looked like a modern-day goddess. Madeleine looked down at her own chino shorts and a t-shirt she was sure was actually Adrian’s. She paled in comparison, but if Claire thought she had her work cut out for her, she never gave the slightest hint. “Now Mr. Atwood only made one request as to your outfit suggestion,” Claire explained as two ladies she assumed were her assistants wheeled in two rolling racks of elegant clothing, all in luxurious tones of emerald.

  “Let me guess, he wants something in green?” Madeleine quipped.

  “Emerald green was the exact request,” Claire answered.

  “Did he maybe mention why?”

  Claire shook her head. “He didn’t mention it. Maybe he just thinks you look beautiful in green?”

  Then it occurred to Madeleine. “Swan House Ball. I wore an emerald green dress to the last one we went to. He always says he liked that one.”

  “Should we choose a dress then?” Claire suggested as she turned toward Madeleine and held up her arms to better inspect he
r body. “Size ten, right?”

  “Um, yeah. Good eye.”

  “Mr. Atwood actually knew your size,” she laughed. “I’m

  surprised. Most men don’t have a clue.”

  Madeleine smiled. “Adrian’s not your average guy.”

  “And this isn’t going to be your average evening out I hear,” Claire responded with a gleam in her eye. If Adrian wanted this proposal to be a surprise, he had failed. Then again, maybe he understood that being ninety-six hours without anxiety medication would render even the most pleasant of surprises stressful.

  Knowing Adrian, the latter was true.

  She ended up selecting a gorgeous cap-sleeved dress in silk with a lace overlay in a delicate pattern of star-constellations. It showed a more thigh than she’d normally care to show off, but it wasn’t every day a girl got engaged to the most perfect man in the world. Flashing Adrian a little extra thigh couldn’t hurt. Claire made quick work of choosing a pair of strappy sandals and accessories that Madeleine loved.

  After leaving Claire’s office was a day spent at her favorite spa in town, being completely pampered for hours on end. Massages, a facial, a much-needed hair appointment and a complete mani-pedi was exactly what she needed to get her mind off the hurricane and the Atwoods. Her favorite stop though occurred just before reaching their final destination—a quick trip into her favorite bookstore in town and specialized in carrying first-edition books. Adrian knew her all too well. She left with armfuls, unsure if Adrian would be surprised or not when he got his credit card statement later.

  Dressed to the nines, Madeleine was as prepared as she ever would be. She took a deep breath and placed her hand on the door handle about the time it opened. Madeleine smiled as soon as she saw Adrian, dressed in a well-fitted light gray suit with a white oxford and, of course, an emerald green tie.

  “About time you got here,” Adrian said with a smile. He offered his hand to help her out of the car and Madeleine felt like she’d come home. The home she’d been so anxious about in Savannah was just a dwelling. The man in front of her was home. She placed her hand in his and smiled as she stepped up out of the limousine. “Good Lord you look gorgeous. Are you trying to put the entire place to shame?”

  And then she stumbled over the curb. Madeleine braced herself

  to hit the pavement, but Adrian scooped her up in his arms instead. She looked into his eyes, feeling both grateful and embarrassed. “I’ve got you,” he said in a calm reassurance. “You okay?”

  “Well that is not how I expected tonight to start,” she muttered as she regained her footing and straightened to full height.

  Adrian sputtered a nervous laugh. “Tell me about it. I’m winging it now. I was supposed to be in there, waiting on you to come through the gardens to this perfect spot, and… well, anyway, it didn’t quite go to plan.”

  “Why not?”

  A blush rose to his cheeks, and he bit the inside of his lip. “Because I’ve not seen you since last night. I couldn’t wait another ten, fifteen minutes to be with you again.”

  Was every word that poured out of this mouth swoon-worthy? “You know, you could ask me right here on the sidewalk and I’d be just as happy,” she breathed as she wrapped her hand through his.

  “Ask you what? I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” he laughed just before he raised her hand in his and pressed a kiss just above her knuckles. Madeleine rolled her eyes but smiled regardless. “Listen, I’ve already screwed this up more than I wanted, just because I was too impatient to see you. Can you at least pretend you have no idea what’s going on?”

  “Huh? What are you talking about?”

  “Good girl,” he grinned as he led her through the entrance. Madeleine was sure he’d bought the place out; it must have come with a rather hefty price tag and either a miracle or a favor called in. But this was Adrian; he could charm a snake with a smile and conversation.

  Madeleine felt nervous as they made their way through the visitor center and struck out on the paths through the gardens. Blooms exploded in full color along the paths, and the shade of the trees lengthened as the sun sank a bit lower into the sky. Cicadas and the frogs in the lily ponds sang in time with the constant babble of fountains they passed on the way.

  When would he ask? What would she say in response? A simple “yes” wasn’t good enough. He needed to know she was every bit as crazy about him as he was her. What kind of man went through all this trouble to propose? Or knew her dress size, favorite spa, and bookstore? She couldn’t have created a more perfect-for-her man herself. Whatever she said in response would have to be good.

  “Remember when we went to Paris, and we saw proposals literally everywhere?” Adrian asked.

  “Ugh, Paris proposals. So cliche,” she said sarcastically. “The one at the opera house at Versailles was the best though.”

  “That one was pretty good,” Adrian admitted. “I mean if you sing opera for a living, what better place to get engaged?”

  “At the Atlanta Botanical Gardens?”

  He laughed. “It’s where everyone in Atlanta gets engaged.”

  “That’s not true,” Madeleine denied.

  “It’s a popular spot either way, and I know how much you hate cliches,” he argued. “This isn’t exactly what I planned.”

  Madeleine squeezed his hand. “It’s perfect.”

  “But it was supposed to be so much more.”

  Madeleine spun around and stepped up on tiptoe to silence him with a kiss. She felt his heart beating through her palms. For once, Adrian was more nervous than her. “You have never expected me to be perfect. In fact, I think you like when I’m a little broken just so you can put me back together. This might not be what you had planned, but it’s beautiful, and this entire day has been amazing.”

  Adrian wrapped his arms around her and pressed a delicious kiss to her lips. It grew and intensified in the summer heat, until Madeleine began to feel lightheaded. A low groan came from her throat as he tightened his arms around her waist and heat flared between their bodies. “That’s why I’m gonna marry you,” he said with a smile.

  Madeleine still felt a bit woozy and glad she was in his arms. “Because we have chemistry?”

  “I was going to say because you’re encouraging and know how to make me feel better, but yeah, that chemistry thing is pretty important too.” An embarrassed giggle escaped her. “I see where your mind is though.”

  “Straight up living in the gutter,” Madeleine laughed.

  “And I am more than okay with that,” he snickered in response as he took her hand and led her to the Parterre, a medieval-style knot garden that overlooked the city in panoramic views. The sun was just beginning to set and the city skyline began to add into the symphony of light that made the sky explode in beauty. They approached a round, two-tiered lighted fountain, crowned with a blue-green Murano-glass sculpture of curlicues dancing up into the air.

  “So, you’ve probably wondered what’s up with all the emerald green,” Adrian started as he led her toward the fountain. “Why insist on an emerald green dress, or take you to a nice, lush, green garden in the middle of a city?”

  It piqued her curiosity as Adrian sat on the edge of the fountain. “I wondered that this morning. And now that it ties into the gardens, I’m intrigued,” she answered, sitting next to him.

  “Green represents life and renewal. Two years ago, you and I were on completely different paths. You were trying to escape your life, and I was floating through mine, just trying to make my family happy and do what they expected of me. Then, we get thrown together on the same path. Not because we were seeking it, but because we needed each other and we didn’t even know it. You got a second chance at life, and I had a renewed purpose.”

  Madeleine had a hard time placing a finger on any single emotion she felt as he spoke. All she knew was that she loved the man standing — then kneeling in front of her.

  “Madeleine, you’re my new purpose in life. With your p
ermission, I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are happy, protected and unconditionally loved. I can’t promise that everything will be perfect, or that I can keep us protected from everything life will throw our way, but I do know that I will fix all your broken parts and love the ones that I can’t.”

  Before he said another word, Madeleine sank down next to him on the pebbled path. Adrian looked confused at first but then amused as she grasped his hands. It surprised her to feel the velvety smoothness of a ring box in his hand; she hadn’t even seen him take it out of his pocket. “Sitting here and just saying ‘yes’ didn’t seem good enough,” she began, “so before you even ask, I want you to know that you already make me happy, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you’re happy too.”

  “You already do,” Adrian answered with a soft smile.

  “And that I will love you absolutely and unconditionally, and I will until the day I die.”

  He opened the ring box, revealing a gorgeous emerald ring. It

  was emerald cut and haloed in diamonds that swept down the

  sparkling, gold band. “Maddie, will you marry me?”

  “Adrian Atwood, nothing would make me happier.”

  ~*~

  Two glasses of champagne, a bottle of wine at Nikolai’s Roof, and one too many shots at Adrian’s favorite college dive bar had them both feeling lightheaded, and laughing even more than they usually would. Madeleine was just sober enough to tell they were tipsy and the poor limousine driver would be grateful to be rid of them when they pulled up to the Four Seasons in Midtown.

  “You got us a room?” Madeleine asked with a knowing smile as the limo came to a stop.

  Adrian laughed, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. “You said you were uncomfortable at my parents’.”

  “I did,” she said, kissing him again. In seconds, the kiss dove deeper, becoming more than just lips, but a rush of heat and frenzy. His hands started slipping up her thighs, and Madeleine felt too damned good to make him wait until they were alone.

  “Our driver probably thinks we should get a room,” Adrian whispered in her ear, gently scraping her earlobe to punctuate his sentence.