Gentle Like the Rain: A Heart's Design Novel

by JoAnn Durgin

  Now it was time to put his ring on her finger. Claim Isabella and step into the future with her as soon as possible.

  Isabella had graced him with the love he thought he’d never find. He’d promised her abiding love she could trust forever.

  They’d attended church in Evergreen Community Church. They’d attended church with Bryce and Tiffany in Boston.

  He’d broken down the first time he sang the lyrics of “I Surrender All.”

  All to Jesus I surrender

  All to Him I freely give

  I will ever love and trust Him

  In His presence daily live

  I surrender all

  I surrender all

  All to Thee my blessed Savior

  I surrender all.

  Seth’s words from his first visit to Evergreen found their way back into Sidney’s mind now. Something about taking his practice in a different direction. At the time, Seth wasn’t suggesting Sidney move to Maine. After spending more time there, he knew he could be happy there. He didn’t want to completely disassociate himself from the firm. Maybe there was a compromise that could work.

  His mind swirled with ideas. Possibilities. The more he pondered, the more excited he became. It could work. He needed to talk with Isabella.

  You love her. Make it work.

  The painting had arrived today, and an email from Hattie had arrived earlier that morning.

  Sidney lifted his face and closed his eyes. Lord, if this is your answer, then I’m happy to follow your call. Lead the way. I am yours, and you are mine.

  Now, he needed to tell Isabella he loved her and share his vision with her. What God was telling him to do. That wasn’t something Sidney wanted to tell her in a telephone conversation or in an email.

  Grabbing his suit jacket, Sidney stuffed his arms into it and headed out of the office. “Mikaela, I’m taking off for an early weekend.”

  “What about your meeting with the Lawrence family tomorrow?”

  “Oh.” He paused by her desk and slid his hands to his hips as he contemplated the options. “See if Bryce can take the meeting and send me a text. If he can do it, I’ll call and brief him. If Bryce can’t, see if you can get me a shortlist of anyone who can. That’s the only appointment until early next week, correct?”

  “Let me check. Just a second.” She moved her mouse and clicked something on her computer. “You’re clear until Wednesday morning with client conferences. You have the partners’ meeting on Tuesday morning per the usual.”

  “Not a problem. I should be back for the meeting. After that, be forewarned there might be some big changes coming. We’ll talk next week. Thanks, Mikaela. Have a great weekend.”

  “Sidney?”

  He’d already started to head down the hallway. At Mikaela’s call, he stepped back to her desk. “Yes?”

  “Go get her.”

  “Thanks.” He laughed. “Am I that obvious?”

  “Just a little. Drive carefully and don’t break any laws getting up to Maine.”

  He waved his hand over his head. “No promises.”

  Chapter 28

  A loud siren sounded behind her, making Isabella jump. The lights from the sheriff’s cruiser flashed in her rearview mirror.

  “Not now, Hamilton.” Isabella pushed harder on the accelerator. If she was going to get her first speeding ticket in Maine, might as well make it a good one. The sheriff’s car sped up, and he was behind her Highlander in seconds.

  “Isabella, please pull your vehicle to the side of the road.”

  With an exasperated sigh, she slammed her fist on the steering wheel. Only in Evergreen would the law enforcement officer recognize her vehicle and call her name through his megaphone or loud speaker, whatever it was. Not to mention he’d actually said please.

  Isabella pulled over to the side of the road. The Highlander slid a bit in the gentle rain, and the tires spewed gravel. After lowering the window, she opened the glove compartment. After rummaging through the sunglasses, a bottle of suntan lotion, and other assorted items, she located the white envelope containing her important paperwork. Opening it, she pulled out her license, registration, and proof of insurance.

  Hearing a car door slam, she looked in the rearview mirror and spied the sheriff walking toward her.

  “Afternoon, Miss Caccaroni.” Pausing beside the Highlander, he tucked his thumbs in his waistband.

  Isabella laughed. “That’s a good one, Hamilton. Stick with Isabella.”

  “Sorry about that.” He had such a pleasant face, round, kind, not at all harsh or forbidding. “My kid calls you Miss Macaroni, so it kind of slipped out.”

  “Not to worry. No one gets my last name right, anyway.”

  He planted a sturdy hand on the window ledge. “Where are you going in such an all-fire hurry today? The roads are a little slick. You need to be more careful.”

  She offered him the documents. “Look, I know I was speeding at least twenty miles over the speed limit. Here’s my documentation. Go ahead and give me a ticket so I can be on my way.”

  “You’ve never been a lawbreaker before, so if you could answer my question, I’d be much obliged.”

  “I’m headed to Boston,” she said, blowing out a sigh. “I need to talk with Sidney.”

  “Mr. Prescott, I presume? That Sidney?”

  “Yes. Is there any other?” She’d leaned her head back on the headrest but at his question, she glanced up at him. “You presume correctly.”

  “You working things out with him so you two can be together, I hope?”

  “We’re trying our best.”

  “Funny thing about those Prescotts,” he said. “They come into Evergreen, meet a local and stir up a friendship, get people talking, and then they leave.”

  “What do you mean?”

  A wide grin spread across his face. “I gave Mr. Prescott a ticket when he was leaving town a couple of months ago. He let out the engine in that fancy red car.”

  “Probably couldn’t get away fast enough.” She was surprised Sidney hadn’t mentioned being stopped by Hamilton.

  “That might be true, but Mr. Prescott told me he was speeding home to Boston so he could figure out some things. Then he planned on coming back up here to Maine as soon as humanly possible. All things considered, I’d say you left a favorable impression on the man, young lady.”

  Isabella smiled. “Good to know.”

  “Which brings me to my other point.”

  When Hamilton paused, Isabella glanced up at him. “Yes?”

  “The Prescotts always seem to want to come back to Evergreen. Permanently.”

  “Evergreen has a lot to offer,” Isabella said. “Hamilton, isn’t it a violation to tell me about your dealings with another motorist?”

  The sheriff’s hearty laughter dislodged his hat. When it tumbled off his head, he caught it by the brim and then held it by his side. “You’re too smart for me. Tell you what. I don’t want to stand in the way of young love. I take it you’re going down to Boston for a good reason.”

  “Yes, sir. The best reason. I only hope Sidney feels the same way.”

  “Then, I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do. I’ll let you off with a warning this time. Be safe on these roads. It’s raining all the way to the state line. All the way down to Massachusetts today from what I hear. Don’t get distracted and keep your eyes on the road. Got it?”

  “I’ll do that. Thank you, Hamilton.”

  “You betcha.” Patting his hand on the roof of her vehicle, the sheriff smiled. “I sure hope things work out.” With a respectful tug on the hat, he gave her a nod and strolled back to his cruiser. “Have a good day.”

  ~~♥~~

  “Come on, come on, come on.” Sidney eyed the speedometer. If he knew Hamilton Watters, he’d be patrolling the outskirts of town today because of the rain and wet roads. Easing his foot on the accelerator, he adjusted the defrost setting since his window was starting to fog. When he glanced out the front window, h
e blinked hard. A white Toyota Highlander was coming toward him on the other side of the two-lane highway.

  Slowing the Mercedes, Sidney blinked and narrowed his gaze. Was that Isabella? How many vehicles like hers would be headed out of Evergreen early on a Wednesday afternoon? Short of honking and scaring her, he wasn’t sure how best to get her attention. His gaze fell on his cell phone parked on the console. Grabbing it, he tapped it, waiting for the connection.

  “Hey, beautiful.”

  “Hi, Sidney. How are you?”

  “Missing you.” He tried to keep his voice steady.

  “I’m feeling nostalgic,” she said. “It’s raining here. You know how I love the rain, but it reminded me of you.” Her soft sigh about did him in. The Highlander passed him on the road. As expected, she didn’t see him. She didn’t even turn her head, sure didn’t slow down.

  “Sidney?”

  “I’m sorry. What?”

  “Get your head out of your work. I asked if it’s raining there?”

  “Um, yes.” He needed to move this conversation along. With the brief glimpse of her, the need to feel her in his arms became more insistent. “It’s raining against my window here.” That wasn’t a lie. “Isabella, do you have your umbrella?”

  “I do, as a matter of fact.” He could hear the curiosity in her voice tempered with faint amusement.

  “Good. Then pull in by the Mahoney’s sign.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Just do it. You’ll find out why in a couple of minutes.” After disconnecting the call, he tossed the phone on the passenger seat. Maybe he was sneaky, but his anticipation was at a peak.

  “Sheriff Watters, if you’re nearby and see this, I hope you’ll give me a break.” Sidney turned the wheel hard and did a U-turn in the middle of the narrow road. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he breathed a sigh of relief and then pressed down on the accelerator.

  “Lord, I love her. Give me the right words. Your words.”

  Two minutes later, he spied her Highlander sitting beside the sign, off the side of the road.

  Pulling his car behind hers, Sidney pushed open the door and climbed out. Isabella opened her door and hopped out with the umbrella in her hand. In her jeans, a light blue top, and those white tennis shoes, she was adorable. Beautiful. Sexy.

  His.

  His future. His life. His wife if she’d have him. They’d talked about their future, prayed about their future, but now—faced with the reality—Sidney prayed Isabella wouldn’t have second thoughts.

  Please, God, let her want me. Let her allow me to have a permanent place in her life, her heart, her soul.

  The rain fell around them, steady and sure, the same as his love for her. Spattering his hair, his jeans, his shoes. Wanting to run, he forced his steps to slow as he walked toward her.

  “Sidney!” Isabella’s exclamation was one of surprise, but the joy in her voice, her eyes, could not be denied. She hurried toward him, dropping the umbrella on the ground as she threw her arms around him. “What are you—?”

  He silenced her words by caressing her mouth with his. “I love you, Isabella,” he said between more kisses, soft and sensual. Drawing her close against him, Sidney wrapped her in his arms. “I have missed you,” he whispered against her cheek. Then he kissed her nose, cheeks, temple, forehead, chin. “I want you in my life always, not just weekends or holidays.”

  Spying the abandoned umbrella, he retrieved and opened it, holding it over their heads. “I realize it’s a little late for this.”

  “I don’t care. Oh, my,” Isabella said at length. Out of breath, she moved one hand over her chest. “What a nice surprise.” When he arched his brows, she pulled him close, and lifted on her toes. She looked into his eyes and smiled into his heart. “I love you.” Then she pressed her lips to his in a deep, soul-affirming kiss he was guaranteed never to forget.

  The woman had many talents. He looked forward to discovering more talents in the days, months, and years to come. Whatever the Lord saw fit to grant them.

  “If that’s how you respond to a surprise, I’ll try to do it as often as possible.” He stroked his thumb over her damp cheek, loving her with his eyes, wanting her always. “I’m wearing jeans to the office, my shirts are untucked, my thoughts are scattered. I have this inexplicable urge to go outside in the rain, lift my face to the sky, open my arms, and tell God to bring on the storms of life.”

  He rested his forehead on hers. Raindrops mingled with his tears and her tears. “I’m ready to face those storms now in a way I never could before. I want to give you my name so the people of Evergreen can finally pronounce your last name.”

  Unable to resist her, Sidney fingered a few wet strands of her hair and tucked them behind her ear. “Do you mind holding the umbrella?”

  “What? Oh, of course not.” Taking it from him, Isabella gasped when he dropped to one knee. Sidney looked up at her, needing to see the expression on her beautiful face as he asked this woman to join her life with his. He prayed she’d love the ring Caroline had designed. Reaching for it, tucked securely in the front right pocket of his jeans, Sidney pulled it out and held it up for her to see. He should have thought to pull it out before he went down on one knee, but thankfully he was able to retrieve it.

  “Isabella Marie Caccavale, I’d be honored if you’d agree to be my wife, and take me as your husband. I promise to make you happy always. If you’ll have me, I want to make blueberry muffins for you, sing love songs until you beg me to stop, sit in church beside you, build you a home in the suburbs to put Caroline and Seth’s to shame, make babies with you, raise a family with you, and love you with all of me and everything I am.”

  “I’d be honored to be your wife, Sidney Jefferson Prescott. Nothing will make me happier than to spend my days loving you.” Isabella kissed him and then waited as he rose to his feet. Taking her hand, he slid the round cut diamond ring flanked by pink amethysts on her finger.

  “Caroline designed the ring, of course. If you’d rather have another design, we’ll work on it with her,” he said.

  “It’s perfect and even more special knowing Caroline designed it for us.” With an irresistible smile, Isabella tugged on the bottom of his shirt. “You know, Aunt Clara came to see me this morning.”

  He laughed. “Another prediction?”

  Leaning close, she teased his bottom lip with hers, driving him crazy. “I think you’ll like this one.”

  Swaying a bit, he blinked. Dazed, Sidney wondered how soon he could get her to agree to marry him. “What did she say?”

  “She told me it was high time to go down to Boston and stake my claim on love.” Leaning into him, Isabella snuggled against his chest. “I was following my heart and driving down to Boston to see you,” she said, pulling back. Her gaze moved over his face, coming to rest on his lips. “To tell you that I want to be with you and that I don’t need more time to realize that I want you in my life every single day. I want to see your smile, and I want to laugh with you, cry with you, love with you for the rest of my given days. I want it all. Do I sound greedy?”

  “No, you sound like me. I want the same things. This has been the longest two months of my life,” he murmured. “Please say you won’t make me wait long to marry you, Isabella.”

  “I won’t.” Tilting her head, she smiled. “My parents were married in October.”

  “That’s much too far in the future,” he said against her lips. “I’m an impatient man.”

  “We’re already in August.” He kissed a sensitive spot below her right ear, and a soft, sensual sigh slipped past her lips. “You can be very persuasive. How about in two weeks? I should be able to find a dress and get all the arrangements made by then. That was Aunt Clara’s vision, by the way. That we’d be married in two weeks. She has a pretty good track record.”

  “Now you’re talking. We wouldn’t want to disappoint Aunt Clara, after all. I’m sure Caroline and Liesel will help.” Sidney chuckled and kissed her temple. He c
ouldn’t stop kissing her, but Isabella didn’t seem to mind. “Who are we kidding? Everyone in the town will probably help out. I’ll meet you at the altar in Evergreen Community Church in two weeks. Say two o’clock?”

  “Agreed. That way we can have a short reception and then head off on a honeymoon.” Isabella’s eyes widened. “Two weeks! There’s no way we can get reservations in that short a time.”

  “Leave that to me. I’ll find a way. Do you have a preference where we go?”

  Her eyes searched his. “As long as you’re there, it doesn’t matter.”

  She’d told him in one of their phone conversations that she’d love to visit Italy and see the village where her paternal grandparents had lived their entire lives. As soon as he could, he’d make some calls. The first night, they could stay at The Evergreen Inn. He’d already called Caroline and Seth earlier in the day and told them of his plans, ditto Bryce and Tiffany. They’d all been overjoyed and excited to officially welcome Isabella into the family.

  “In other news, Bryce and Tiffany have decided to take up residency in the Beacon Hill house, so we can keep it for family gatherings. They’re planning on redecorating. I have another announcement—they’re expecting a little boy in about five months.”

  “Oh, that’s such great news! All the way around.” Isabella’s eyes lit, and her smile brightened the dark skies.

  “And then this morning Hattie sent me an email with a real estate listing for an office in downtown Evergreen. The ad mentioned how it’d be perfect for a family law office. Right off Elm Street.”

  “Sidney, are you saying you want to live in Evergreen?”

  “I’m saying I’d like to maintain a presence in the firm, and I can burn the rubber between Maine and Boston, as needed. It’ll take some planning, but I’ll make it work. I don’t have any upcoming trials. I’ve already transferred a lot of my caseload. Bryce has offered to help redistribute the work.”

  Isabella gulped. “To be clear, you’re not leaving the firm?”

  “I’m not. If anything, I’m thinking of transitioning into family law practice and establishing a branch of Prescott Tate Burnesse here in town. I hear Evergreen could use a law office. I don’t need to jump through too many hoops to be admitted to the bar, so there’s no reason I can’t practice here in Maine.”