by Holly Rayner
“Now you’re just teasing me,” Ali said.
She pursed her lips. “I have to say, I have no idea what you're talking about.”
Ali cocked his head and laughed. In the short time they had been on the island, his skin had become a deeper, rich brown. Alyssa, on the other hand, had burned. Her shoulders and cheeks were sore with heat. That was the main reason she had waited for the sunniest part of the day to pass before leaving the shade.
“You don't think there's any aloe on this island, do you?” Alyssa asked, already knowing full-well there probably wasn't.
Ali scrunched his face. “Haven't seen any.”
“Are we good on fish?” Alyssa asked.
“Go back and sit in the shade,” Ali said. “You’re even redder than you were a few minutes ago.”
“Oh, shoot. Really?”
Yanking down her shirt to cover her stomach and back from more of the sun's assault, Alyssa turned for their camp. However, something out of the corner of her eye made her halt.
“Ali,” she breathed.
“Yes?” Some water splashed as he pursued another fish.
Alyssa's breath hitched in her chest. “Look at that. Out there.”
She glanced over at him. At first, his brow lowered as his gaze raked the horizon. Then, a moment later, his eyes widened in surprise.
“A boat,” he said, sounding stunned.
“Do you think—” Alyssa started. “Could they have they seen the plane?”
“I don't know.” Ali jumped from the rocks and into the water. “We need to get back to the fire and build it up. We can use the smoke to signal them.”
They ran back along the beach. Alyssa pumped her arms, and her calves burned from the strain. Ali pushed ahead, making it to the fire a minute before she did.
“I'm going to…say…” Alyssa struggled for breath. “You are faster than me because you didn't have a baby three months ago.”
Ali grinned, his hands moving fast as he fanned the fire. “That sounds fair.”
The fire grew in strength. Alyssa stood and waved her arms. Not that she was sure the boat could see her. It was still far out on the water, not bigger than half of her hand when she held it out.
Still, they had to see the fire’s smoke, right? It was curling into the air, thick and dark.
“Come on, come on,” Alyssa prayed. “We're over here.”
“They’re coming this way,” Ali confirmed.
Alyssa gasped as she realized he was right. The ship was growing larger, heading straight toward the island.
Alyssa jumped up and down and clapped her hands in glee. “Yes!” she shouted.
They stood by the fire and held hands as they watched the ship come closer. It was white with some red detailing, and not very large.
“It looks like a fishing boat,” Ali said.
“Hey, I'll take whatever. It could smell like raw tuna for all I care.”
When the ship came as close to shore as it could without risking hitting the sand, a few fishermen came out and waved at Ali and Alyssa. The couple waved back excitedly, watching as the men dropped a smaller boat into the water. They paddled to the island, and even before they reached wading water, Alyssa recognized one of them.
“Steven!” she called.
Grinning wide, Steven jogged up to them on the beach. Like Ali, his skin had darkened in just a day and a half. Alyssa threw her arms around him to give him a tight hug, and Ali shook his hand.
“It turns out, people were closer than I thought,” Steven said. “I reached them just this afternoon. I radioed the mainland, too. Our families know where we are.”
“I'm so glad you're all right,” Alyssa said.
Steven looked between the two of them. “How have the two of you been doing out here?”
Alyssa and Ali glanced at each other.
“It's been…interesting,” Alyssa said. “We are alive, though.”
Steven nodded at the fire. “I should say so. It looks like you've been doing quite well for yourselves.”
“Feel free to come back in a week,” Ali said.
“Hey,” Alyssa chastised. “Don’t even.” She looked over at the men Steven had brought. “Thank you so much for coming for us.”
One of the men smiled and nodded, and Alyssa realized he might not speak any English. Unfortunately, she didn’t know any Thai, either.
“I’ll get our stuff,” Ali said, turning for the camp.
“I’m coming with.” Alyssa followed after him.
There wasn’t really any packing up to do. It was more like picking up a few things. The canteen. The food rations. Ali put his shirt on, and Alyssa slipped her purse over her shoulder. That was it.
Ali kicked some sand on the fire to put it out, and then they stood between it and the little shelter. Alyssa had hated the place so fiercely the day before, but now that they were leaving, she felt a twinge of sadness. Ali had been right. The island was a kind of heaven.
Especially since it had brought Alyssa and Ali closer together.
“What are you thinking?” Ali asked.
“Just…how weird it is to be leaving this place. I wonder if anyone will ever come here again.”
“Steven said there are people not far off, so it could be that people come here all the time. They just didn't happen to over the last couple days.”
Alyssa laughed. “Imagine that. Here we were, thinking we could be on a deserted island…”
Ali grinned. “And all the while, other people were a day's walk away.”
Alyssa gripped her purse and cast one last look toward the jungle. “I'm going to miss it.”
Ali laced his fingers through hers. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “I will, too.”
Alyssa sighed in relief. “But I can't wait to get back home.”
Hand in hand, they walked for the little rowboat. Steven had already started deflating the raft, and one of the men held his hand out to help Alyssa onto the wooden boat.
With the raft deflated and folded up, Steven joined the others. Alyssa and Ali sat facing the island as they rowed away. Unexpectedly, tears sprang to Alyssa's eyes. Ali squeezed her hand, and Alyssa smiled at him. She was glad he understood how bittersweet the island had become for her.
“Well,” Ali said, “we’ll have a great story to tell at our wedding.”
Alyssa burst into laughter and leaned her head against his shoulder.
Chapter 16
Alyssa
The SUV glided through the countryside, following a road that curved and dipped. Alyssa rolled her window down and stuck her head out to get some of the fresh breeze on her cheeks.
“Goodness,” her mother said from the front seat. “Are you a dog?”
“It's a beautiful day,” Alyssa responded simply. She drew her head back in and caught eyes with Lucy in the rearview mirror.
“What's the address?” Lucy asked from the driver's seat. “I don't know if the GPS is working properly. It looks like it keeps cutting out.”
Alyssa's mom studied the brochure in her hands. “Hm. It should be right up here. Another mile or two.”
Reaching across the backseat, Alyssa lightly touched a sleeping Rashid. She and Ali had been home from Thailand for two weeks now, but any more than five minutes away from the baby still felt unbearable. The baby’s tummy rose as he slept soundly, completely unaware that he had left the city he'd always known behind and driven into upstate New York to look at wedding venues.
They took a left, going under a small, covered bridge that could only take one car at a time. They were deep in the woods, miles away from the skyscrapers and apartments that filled their days. With each rotation of the car's wheels, Alyssa's excitement grew.
“I think this is going to be the place,” she said.
“It's the first place we're looking at,” her mother reminded her. “The pictures look beautiful, but don't get your hopes up.”
“Yeah,” Alyssa said, “but I just have a feeling.”
&n
bsp; The trees petered out, and they drove along a field. At the far end of it, a three-story ranch-style house greeted them. Nearby, stables, a barn, and a covered pavilion ringed the property. Horses grazing in the green grass completed the scene.
“Do you think they employ any hunky cowboys?” Lucy asked as they parked at the end of the gravel driveway.
“I hope so,” Alyssa's mom said.
Alyssa and Lucy laughed. “Laurie!” Lucy jokingly scolded.
“Goodness.” She pursed her lips. “Just because I'm old and married doesn't mean I can't appreciate a finely ripped ranch hand.”
“Finely ripped,” Lucy said. “I'm going to remember that one.”
With the car coming to a stop, Rashid had woken. He looked around, blinking in confusion. Alyssa went to unbuckle him from his seatbelt, but his grandmother was already there, taking the baby out and putting his little floppy sun hat on.
Alyssa and Lucy climbed out from the car and stood facing the house.
“This kind of makes me want to leave the city behind,” Lucy said.
Alyssa nodded. “It sure is peaceful out here.”
“As peaceful as a Thai island?” Lucy asked.
Alyssa smirked. “Not quite, but I'll take it.”
“Hey, here's an idea. We just have the wedding on that island you were stuck on.”
“Ali would love that. Please tell me you haven't mentioned it to him.”
“Judging from the story you told,” Lucy said, “I'm willing to bet he's already thought of that himself.”
The house’s front door opened, and a middle-aged woman emerged. “You must be the bridal party I've been waiting for,” she said with a smile.
“That's us,” Alyssa replied. “I’m Alyssa Cambridge.”
“And I'm Joanne.” She shook Alyssa's hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Alyssa glanced over her shoulder. Her mother was over at the wooden fence, pointing out the horses to Rashid, who she held on her hip.
“I read all about your…difficulties,” Joanne said. “The plane crash. The island. You must be such a strong woman. It's an honor to have you and your fiancé considering our place for your wedding.”
“Thanks,” Alyssa said. “I’m really excited to be here.”
Over the last couple weeks, ever since arriving home in New York, it had been near impossible for Alyssa to go somewhere without getting attention of some sort. Even running down to the grocery store garnered long looks.
If people had been fascinated with the story of an American girl becoming something of a princess before, now, they were seriously hooked on the twist Alyssa and Ali’s story had taken. The requests for interviews had been nonstop, and though the family publicist had fielded most of them, at least once a day, a journalist somehow got Alyssa’s cell number and called her directly. When she was home with Rashid and Ali, she’d taken to just turning her phone off in order to avoid the attention.
They’d released a statement saying they were grateful for everyone’s concern, and that they were doing well and enjoying their time with their family, but that was it. There would be no interviews or appearances. Alyssa had already gone through that with her pregnancy announcement, and thankfully, Ali seemed to be of the same mind. They already had enough going on. Their lives were too full for anything else.
“Well,” Joanne said, lightly clapping her hands. “Let’s give you a tour of the place. Typically, we start with the pavilion. Some couples marry under it, but a lot like to have their ceremonies out in the field or under the trees, weather permitting.”
Joanne talked as she walked, leading the way down a sandy pathway. “If you're thinking of hiring in the area, we have a couple great catering companies that often work out here.”
They stopped at the pavilion, which was spacious, with tall, white pillars. The ceiling was vaulted, and on the one wall that wasn't closed off sat a long bar.
“This is beautiful,” Alyssa said.
“I have to say…” Joanne paused. “When I got the email about your interest, I was pretty surprised. We've never had royalty marry here.”
“Alyssa isn't typical royalty,” Lucy said.
Alyssa laughed. “I'm not royalty at all. Not really.”
“Spoken like a truly humble princess,” Lucy said, grinning.
Laurie and Rashid arrived, grandma bouncing grandson in her arms.
“This is nice,” Laurie commented, though with her flat tone, it was hard to tell if she really meant it or not.
“Would you like to see the wooded spot?” Joanne asked. “It's small, but a great location for an intimate ceremony.”
“Yes, please,” Alyssa said excitedly. This next part was the whole reason she had decided to come see this venue.
The women left the pavilion and went into the nearby woods. Here, there was a mulched trail leading to a small clearing in the trees. Split logs made seats, and an arch made of intertwined branches stood at the far end.
“Oh my gosh, I love it!” Alyssa said right away.
“Alyssa…” Laurie cleared her throat. “This is rather rustic. Don't you think it's a bit more than what you wanted?”
“I'll give you some time to discuss it,” Joanne said. She slipped away from the wooded area, leaving the others standing in front of the arch.
“It is kind of…puritan,” Lucy commented, touching the arch. “Like, I can see a seventeenth-century wedding happening out here.”
“Exactly,” Laurie said.
“Not that that's bad,” Lucy added quickly.
“I see it as a bad thing,” Laurie said bluntly.
Rashid whined and reached his arms out for Alyssa.
“I like that it's so simple,” Alyssa said, taking the baby. “And there's that nice bed and breakfast in town. Won't it be nice to stay there?”
“And what about Ali?” Laurie asked. “I know he said that you could have the country wedding you wanted, but if he could see this, he might change his mind.”
Often, this would be the part where Alyssa snapped at her mother to stay out of her business, but she was getting older. She was a mother herself, now. She had also just survived a plane crash and a stint on an island. Stuff like that kind of tended to give you perspective. It made you realize fighting is hardly ever worth it.
Still, Alyssa's mom always had an opinion on everything—and it was not unusual that it differed quite drastically from Alyssa's.
“I love it,” a familiar voice said.
Alyssa spun around. Ali was walking up the trail in a suit, the jacket draped over his shoulder.
Alyssa gawked. “What are you doing here? You're supposed to be working all day.”
“I got out of that,” Ali responded. “This is much more important, don't you think?”
“Oh, Ali, it’s so great you could come.” Laurie beamed. Alyssa's mother thought the sun and moon of Ali—and rightly so.
“What did I miss?” Ali asked. He kissed the top of Rashid’s head and wrapped his arm around Alyssa’s waist.
“Not much,” Lucy said. “We were just about to start speaking for you.”
“Oh, good,” Ali said, not perturbed in the slightest. “Then I made it just in time.”
“What do you think of this?” Laurie asked, waving her hand around.
Ali took a long time looking around, and Alyssa held her breath. It was true that he had agreed to a small country wedding, but it wasn't just Alyssa making the decisions. If Ali didn't like a venue, then they weren't going with it. And Alyssa really, really liked this place. Sure, it was super simple. But that was what she loved!
“Well…” Ali tilted his head. “I haven't seen much. Only the horses, the covered patio, and this.”
“The pavilion,” Lucy corrected.
Alyssa shot her best friend a look. Now wasn’t the time for semantics.
Lucy gave Alyssa an apologetic smile. “Nice bar, huh?” she said to Ali.
“You saw all that there is,” Laurie said.
&nb
sp; Alyssa's heart sank. There were a couple more spots they’d planned on looking at, but she already knew those would be fancier and less homely. Since meeting Ali, everything had been big. Extravagant. Lavish.
Alyssa wanted to take things back to the basics. Kind of like they had been forced to do on the island.
“How about we have a minute to discuss this alone?” Ali asked. He spoke to Laurie and Lucy, but he looked at Alyssa.
“Certainly,” Laurie said. “I'll take the baby, and we will go see the chickens.”
“Hey, maybe there will be a sexy cowboy feeding them,” Lucy said, trailing behind Laurie.
“I imagine if there are any cowboys, they will be out roping calves,” Laurie said as they walked away.
“Or hammering stuff with their shirts off,” Lucy answered. “I like it when they do that.”
Ali waited until they were gone to speak. “Cowboys?”
“Yeah.” Alyssa toyed with her braid. “City girls. They seem to be confused about the difference between a house in the country and a ranch.”
“Ah.” Ali nodded.
Alyssa ran her bottom lip between her teeth. “So…go ahead. Give it to me.”
Ali raised his eyebrows. “Right here, in the woods?”
He was trying to be funny, but Alyssa didn't smile. Her insides were too anxious for that. If Ali didn't want to use this farm, she needed to know right away.
“What do you think of this place?” Alyssa asked. “Can you see us getting married here?”
Ali took her hand. “I can see marrying you anywhere, Alyssa. But here…yes, I most certainly can see it. Did you speak to them about dates yet?”
Relief flooded Alyssa. “No, I didn't ask.”
“It is getting rather close to our set date…would it be wrong to use my influence as a sheikh?”
“It's always wrong to do that,” Alyssa laughed.
“Yes,” Ali agreed, “but it’s so easy.”
Alyssa nodded at the wooden arch. “And what do you think about that?”
“Hmm. It’s…interesting.”
“You don't like it?”
“We can talk about it,” Ali said. “I only think there could be more color out here.”
“Absolutely,” Alyssa agreed. “But, you know, we can add anything we want. And we don't have to use the arch. Do you have any ideas? For themes, maybe? Or specific colors?”