Maddy saw his eyes fill with tears, and her throat closed.
His hands tightened as he held her face, staring deep into her eyes. "I didn't give you that. And I'm sorry. To the very depth of me, I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"No. It's not. If I learned nothing else from my warped childhood, it's the importance of security and assurance. I know what it's like to think if you take one wrong step you'll be sent packing.
"And I know how the opposite feels. To know you are loved absolutely, and nothing you do, no matter how brainless, will change that.
"Maddy, I love you absolutely. I have from the moment I first saw you, and I will with the last breath I take. Nothing you do will change that. I love your magic. I love your fire. I love you because you're a part of me and I'm a part of you. I want to spend my life watching you shine.
"I can't make you stay, though. Even if you love me back, that doesn't mean we're meant to be. But if you leave, I will still love you, always. I just want whatever is right for you. Although, I won't lie, I want you to stay. Really, really, want you to stay."
He pulled her to him and buried his face against her hair. "And I want you to love me back."
"You silly man." She hugged him so tight, her arms trembled. Her whole body trembled. "Of course I love you back. As for staying…" She pulled back to see his face. "I have one question."
"If it's about whether or not I can handle you becoming rich and famous"-he managed a wobbly smile-"I promise you the answer is yes."
"No. It's something you asked me once. A really scary question that I don't think anyone should have to get up the courage to ask twice. So this time it's my turn." She took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"
Rather than answer right away, he frowned. "That depends."
"What?" Her heart nearly stopped.
"Do I get a ring?"
"A ring?" Her mind raced. Was he serious? "I didn't even think about that."
He sighed loudly. "Which is why some things are still best left up to the man." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small black box and opened it. Light flashed off a square-cut diamond framed by Native American stonework.
"Oh! My! That's a- That's a-"
"I was planning to pop the question again, but I guess this is my turn to give the answer-which, I must say, is a lot easier."
"D-diamond," she finally got out.
"Hmm? Oh, yes, it is." He looked down at it.
"A really big diamond!"
"It's not perfect."
"What?"
"The diamond. It has a couple of flaws." He looked up at her, his expression slightly sheepish. "I just thought you should know. I'm not even sure it will fit."
Her heart melted. "Perhaps I should try it on."
He pulled it out of the box and slipped it on her finger. "Well?"
"It's a perfect fit." She flung her arms around his neck. "I take it this means your answer is yes?"
"Ho-yeah!"
"Even better."
He held her tight. "I love you."
Which were, she decided, the most perfect words in the world.
Epilogue
Maddy put the finishing touches on a new pastel, then grabbed a big sweater and stepped out onto the balcony for a breath of fresh air. Winter was in full swing, with snow covering the mountains. She wrapped her arms about herself to hold in the warmth and a glowing contentment.
On the hill near the front gate, she could see that the construction workers had made a lot of progress in putting up the framework for the new house. She and Joe had decided to build a two-story addition onto the owner's house. It would be twice as big as the original house and completely self-contained, but having it attached would allow them to be nearby for Mama in the coming years.
The sound of male voices ringing out like drill sergeants drew her attention to the center of camp, where Joe and Derrick were leading afternoon calisthenics. She still had trouble believing how many people would pay to be put through what looked to her like physical torture, but the list seemed endless. And Joe was like a big kid, having the time of his life.
A smile tugged at Maddy's lips as she remembered their discussion over breakfast. For the past several weeks, he'd been prodding her to set a date for the wedding. But with Sylvia running her ragged getting ready for the spring catalog, Maddy told him her mind couldn't handle making one more decision right now, much less the millions of decisions involved in planning a wedding.
Joe had looked right at her and announced she was fired as their wedding planner and he was taking over. Her jaw had dropped at the idea, but he'd reasoned that if a woman could propose, a man could plan the wedding. How he had the time with the boot camp taking off at surprising speed, she had no idea, but he assured her that he'd take care of everything.
"All right," she'd conceded with no small dose of amusement. "Just be sure and clear the date with Christine and Amy so they can be my bridesmaids."
"Not a problem," he'd insisted.
And with that, she'd gladly turned the whole thing over to him. Although she couldn't wait to share the news with her friends and see what they thought. If nothing else, a man's version of a wedding was bound to be interesting.
Thinking of Christine and Amy, she headed back inside to check her e-mail. The last few days had certainly held lots of developments for Christine. Maddy opened her laptop and found a new post from Christine who was currently in Colorado. Her eyes bulged as she read the latest installment in Christine's wild romance, then her fingers flew as she typed her response.
Subject: What?
Message: Details, woman. We want details!
Julie Ortolon's recipe for The Perfect Margarita
After years of drinking oversized, restaurant-style margaritas-which are frequently made with too much limeade from a sweet-'n-sour bar mix with a splash of tequila and triple sec-I set about developing The Perfect Margarita. First came some research. A little mystery and controversy surrounds the true origins of the drink. The stories date back to the mid nineteen hundreds to places like Aca-pulco, Tijuana, or Rosarita Beach, Mexico. Whichever tale you believe, an authentic margarita is a small drink that's strong enough to make breathing near an open flame a tiny bit dangerous. So I tinkered with the recipes a bit and came up with my own version, which can be adjusted to taste.
ounces of good tequila (most recipes call for 3 ounces)
ounce Cointreau (triple sec is a less expensive option)
l 1/2 ounces of freshly squeezed lime juice (most recipes call for less)
l 1/2 ounces of Rosie's sweetened lime juice (this ingredient isn't in any of the original recipes, but I find guests grimace a bit if I don't include it.)
Shake the above with ice.
For a Traditional Margarita: Swipe the rim of a margarita glass with a lime wedge and press the glass upside down into margarita salt. Fill it with crushed ice, and strain the drink into the glass. Garnish with a lime wedge. Then kick back and sip slowly.
For a Summer Drink to Quench Your Thirst: If the recipe is too tart or strong for your taste, add a splash of orange juice and just a hint of grenadine. Cointreau is an orange liqueur so this fits right in. Garnish with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry.
For a Mexican Martini: This is my personal favorite. Double the recipe above. Be sure you have lots of ice in the shaker and leave the drink in the shaker with the ice. Salt the rims of two martini glasses. Spear some jalapeno-stuffed olives wih two toothpicks. Place the spears in the glasses and serve the drink a little at a time while you sit back, relax, and enjoy!
Julie Ortolon
***
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Almost Perfect Page 23
