by Ward, Alice
“I’m sorry, Daddy. I’m so sorry I lied to you. But James was in danger and I knew where to find him. I couldn’t sit by and do nothing. You should understand that better than anyone.” I slid my hand down James’s arm and looped my fingers through his. Daddy stared down at us, a look of shock on his face.
“What? But… I don’t… are you trying to tell me something, Willow?” he stammered.
James answered for me. “Cole, I’m in love with your daughter,” he confessed. “I have been for a long time now. And I consider her loving me back to be the greatest accomplishment of my life. I’m sorry to tell you like this. I should have come to you, man to man, and told you the truth as soon as I realized my feelings.”
Daddy furrowed his brow, but I was relieved to see his face remain a calm tan instead of raging bright red. “When the hell did this happen?” he asked, his voice full of confusion. “And why am I just hearing about it?”
I met his eyes, searching for forgiveness and praying for understanding. “I’m sorry, Daddy. It’s all just been so… complicated. We all started dating around the same time, but you and Renee announced it first. James and I tried to stay away from each other. We tried to fight our feelings. But we can’t and I don’t want to try anymore. Tonight… when I thought I’d lost him… I didn’t think I’d survive it.”
Renee impatiently cleared her throat and I quit talking. Daddy gave her a puzzled look, but she ignored it and turned to James.
“Dallas said you weren’t badly hurt. Is that true? What did the doctor say?”
“I’m fine, Mom,” he assured her. “I have a very mild concussion, so they’re going to keep me overnight.”
“I’m sorry, James,” Daddy broke in. “Dallas already told us you were okay, or that would have been the first thing I asked. I hope you can understand, I’m a little thrown here.”
“Of course, Cole.”
Daddy turned to Renee. “Our children are seeing each other, Renee. Aren’t you going to react to that?”
I took great pleasure in answering the question. “Renee’s already reacted to it, Daddy,” I said, staring her down. She put her hand to her mouth as the color drained from her face.
That’s right. If my secrets are going to be out in the open, so are yours.
Daddy stared down at Renee while I continued. “Renee insisted that James and I end things. She said if we stayed together, or told you, she’d end her relationships with both of us. That’s why James was up on the mountain tonight. She made us feel like we didn’t have a choice, so we broke up. James was going to leave Colorado the day after the wedding.”
“I went for a ride to think,” James finished for me. “And I did think, the whole time I was trapped beneath that cliff. I love you, Mom. And I don’t mean any disrespect to either of you. But Willow and I are going to be together. I’d appreciate your blessings, but withholding them won’t change my mind.”
Daddy leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh.
“Are you okay, Daddy? Do you need to sit down?” I asked, rising from my chair.
He waved off my concern. “I’m fine… just confused. Let me see if I have this straight. You and James started dating around the same time Renee and I did?”
I nodded, just as a nurse rolled a wheelchair into the room. She introduced herself as Patty and gave us all a weary smile.
“James, we have your room upstairs all ready for you. One person’s allowed to spend the night, I’m afraid the rest of you will have to leave.”
“I’m staying,” I insisted as Patty and I helped James into the wheelchair.
Renee opened her mouth to protest, but Daddy spoke first.
“Fine,” he agreed with a reluctant sigh.
“He should be released first thing in the morning,” Patty explained as she wheeled James into the hallway. “Dr. Houston just wants to keep him tonight as a precaution. I have to say, your son fared much better than most of the other people who got trapped in that mess tonight. Someone upstairs is smiling down on him.”
“And I’m thankful for it,” Daddy told her with a charming smile. “Could we have just a moment of privacy before you take James upstairs?”
“Of course,” she quickly agreed. She wheeled James over to a small sitting area and walked a few yards down the hallway. I gripped the handles of James’s chair while Daddy stared down at us. Renee stood next to him with her lips pursed, refusing to meet anyone’s eye.
“James, I’m glad you’re safe. Willow, I’m still not happy that you risked your life to go after him, but I understand your motivation. As for the rest of it, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Daddy, for understanding. We’ll come home as soon as James is discharged.” I gave my father a tense hug while Renee bent over and kissed the top of James’s head.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” she told him. “Call me if you need anything.”
She pulled away and Patty reappeared beside us. Daddy and Renee said a final goodbye and then disappeared through the emergency room’s swinging double doors. I held James’s hand and walked beside the wheelchair as Patty pushed him to the elevator. I pushed the call button and smiled down at James as we waited for the car.
“Are you happy?” he asked, squeezing my hand.
Was I happy? The man I loved was safe and we didn’t have to hide anymore. I was deliriously happy. “I’m blissful,” I said, returning his squeeze. The elevator doors opened and Patty wheeled him inside. I followed, eager to get to the room and be alone with James. It was our first night as an official, out in the open couple and, hospital or not, I intended to celebrate.
***
“All right, everything looks good,” Dr. Houston said as he shined his penlight in James’s eyes. “As long as you take it easy, I think you’ll make a full recovery. Do you have any questions before I get you out of here?”
“Just one,” James said anxiously. “Is it safe for me to fly tomorrow?”
“Ah yes, the big race,” the doctor replied with a smile. “Your lung capacity is good. You’re lucky, you’re the only patient from the slides who doesn’t have inhalation pneumonia. I have no problem with you flying to New York. Just don’t overdo it on the cocktails and you should be fine.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Now that our relationship was out in the open, there was nothing I wanted more than to go to Belmont Stakes on James’s arm. I squeezed his James’s hand and smiled up at Dr. Houston.
“So, we’re free to leave?” I asked hopefully. I was ready to get our talk with Daddy and Renee over with. From there, James and I could figure out how to move on with our lives together.
“As soon as the paperwork’s in order,” he explained. “I know the two of you came in in an ambulance. Would you like me to have a nurse call you a taxi?”
I shook my head just as the door to James’s room pushed open. “We have a ride,” I said as Matt and Lucas stepped into the room.
“Fantastic,” Dr. Miller replied. He nodded at our friends as he shut James’s chart. “Hold tight. You should be out of here in about half an hour.”
“Thanks for everything, Dr. Houston,” James called after him as he stepped out of the room.
“You’re more than welcome,” the doctor replied over his shoulder. “And good luck on Saturday.”
Lucas crossed the room and greeted James with a high five. They pulled each other in for a quick half hug before Lucas backed away with a teasing smile.
“You’ve got to quit ending up in this place, man.”
“I know,” James groaned. “Believe me, I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“But you’re okay?” Matt asked nervously. “Both of you?” He looked me up and down and I realized that I was still wearing my muddy yoga pants, t-shirt, and riding boots. I didn’t need to look in a mirror to know that my hair was caked with dirt.
“I’m fine,” I quickly assured him. “And so is James. We may be homeless in a few hours, but physically we’re fine.”
Matt’s eyes narrowed with confusion. “Homeless? Why in the world… you didn’t,” he gasped and brought his hands to his mouth.
I smiled back at him and nodded. “It wasn’t like we had a choice. Being honest was the easiest way to make Daddy understand why I went after James last night.”
“And Willow and I both decided that we don’t care what it takes. We can’t stay apart,” James finished.
“How did Cole react?” Lucas asked.
“Was Renee supremely pissed that you told him?” Matt said almost simultaneously.
“Cole was surprised,” James admitted. “And he understandably had plenty of questions. But we didn’t really have a chance to get in to it. We were in the ER. A nurse came to bring me up here and politely kicked them out. Cole said we’d talk about it when Willow and I get home.”
“And Renee is definitely pissed,” I continued. “Because I told Daddy what she did when she found out about us. He didn’t seem happy, so I doubt he’s as opposed to our relationship as she is. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to accept it.”
“Well, I’m proud of you,” Matt said, wrapping me in a hug. He beamed down at James. “Does this mean you’re coming with us this weekend?”
“Yes, it does,” James answered, returning his smile.
Matt let out a squeal of delight. “This is going to be fantastic. Finally, we get a weekend with just the four of us. No one’s keeping secrets, Bradley won’t be showing up to ruin anything… it’s just going to be perfect! And we leave in less than twenty-four hours!”
“Yes,” I sighed, thinking of how those hours will be filled. “But it may be a really long twenty-four hours.” I couldn’t get my mind off of our upcoming talk with Daddy and Renee. “If we need to, can we come crash at your place tonight?”
“Of course you can,” Matt agreed. “Lucas is staying, so he doesn’t have to drive in the morning. We’ll just start our celebrations early. But I don’t think it will come to that, Willow. Cole loves you. Renee does too. Now that you’ve shown them you’re serious about each other, they’ll find a way to accept it.”
“From your lips to God’s ears,” James said with a sigh. He looked up at the wall clock and back at Matt. “The doctor said half an hour. In hospital time, that’s at least an hour and fifteen minutes. Would you mind doing me a favor?”
“Whatever you need,” Matt assured him.
“I’m starving. The powdered eggs and limp bacon this place tried to pass off as breakfast was repulsive. And I’ve heard Willow’s stomach rumbling all morning. Would you mind running across the street and getting some actual food? I’d kill for a sausage biscuit combo.”
“No problem,” Matt said, rising to his feet. “Willow, babe, do you want anything?”
“I’ll take some biscuits and gravy,” Lucas replied.
James turned to me. “Why don’t you go with him? It would do you good to stretch your legs a little. And it would give Lucas and me a chance to talk about the rodeo next month.”
As if on cue, my stomach growled. “Guess I can’t argue with that. If they discharge you before we get back, call Matt’s cell. Mine’s been dead since last night.”
“Will do,” James agreed.
I gave him a quick kiss and then followed Matt out of the hospital room.
***
Two hours later, James and I stood on the front porch watching Matt and Lucas disappear down the driveway. “Are you ready for this?” I asked as I reached for the doorknob.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he agreed and blew out a breath. I pushed the door open and we stepped into the living room.
“Willow, James, is that you?” Daddy’s voice boomed from the kitchen. “Please join us in here.”
I’d called Daddy from the hospital to let him know we were on our way home. James and I found him and Renee at the kitchen table with a fresh pot of tea. Renee’s eyes were red and puffy, but Daddy looked calm and collected. Frost was dozing on a doggy bed next to his feet.
“How are you feeling, James?” Daddy asked as we stepped into the room.
“Surprisingly well,” he replied with a cautious half smile.
“I’m glad to hear it.” Daddy gestured for us to sit and continued. “I know you’re probably tired and Lord knows that you could both use a shower. But there are a few things we need to discuss, given our new… situation.”
I took the chair to Daddy’s left, directly across from Renee. I tried to gauge her mood, but she wouldn’t make eye contact with me.
“I know you must have plenty of questions, Daddy. We’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
“Renee answered most of my questions,” he told us. “As soon as I knew the truth, all sorts of things started clicking into place. I’m not even going to ask what the hell you were thinking when you decided to keep this to yourselves. You should have said something months ago.”
I braced myself for a long lecture but, surprisingly, Daddy moved on pretty quickly.
“There’s nothing we can do about that now,” he continued. “Renee explained her feelings about this and I completely understand where she’s coming from. You’re both young and our family circumstances make everything doubly complicated. But, I also know what it’s like to love someone so much that you’re willing to risk everything to be with him. That’s how I felt about Rose and how I feel about Renee. I know we can’t stop you, so I’m not going to try.”
Oh my God. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? Is he giving us his blessing?
James cleared his throat. “Cole, I want you to believe me. I know this complicates things and if I wasn’t absolutely sure that Willow and I are soul mates, I’d walk away. I love her. I will spend the rest of my life making sure she’s happy.”
“I will hold you to that, son,” Daddy told him. “Now, while I’m not going to stop you from being together, I am going to lay down some ground rules, given our living situation. Under no circumstances are the two of you allowed to sleep together under one of my roofs. Call me a hypocrite if you want, but Willow is my baby girl and I just won’t have it. If you want to live together somewhere else, there’s nothing I can do to stop you.”
“That’s more than fair,” James assured him and I could have sworn he blushed a little.
“Second, there are to be no more secrets in this family,” Daddy continued. “I strongly suspect that there was something going on with Bradley that I didn’t know about. From what I saw in Baltimore, I’m guessing he knew about you two and was making life difficult.”
I was stunned. “You saw us outside the resort that morning,” I realized out loud. “But why didn’t you say anything?”
Daddy shrugged. “Everyone was so excited about the race, it didn’t seem like the time to bring it up. I was going to say something when you got home the next day, after Bradley was caught with Thunder. But then…”
“You had a heart attack and forgot about it,” I finished, my own heart seizing with the memory.
Daddy nodded. “I don’t need to hear the story now. But in the future, I want to hear about anything and anyone who bothers you.”
I shifted nervously in my seat. “I think we’re about to have a lot of people bothered by us,” I confessed. “James and I know what we are to each other and we don’t care what small minded people will say. I hope you feel the same way.”
“I don’t think there’s anything dirty about your relationship,” Daddy replied. “And I’ll be happy to share that opinion with anyone who thinks otherwise.”
“Thank you, Cole,” James said. He turned to Renee, who hadn’t said a word since we’d arrived home. “What about you, Mom? Have you changed your mind? Or are you going to refuse to have anything to do with us?”
Renee turned up her nose and sniffled. “I still think that it’s a horrible idea,” she insisted. “You’re just so young. But Cole and I had a long talk, and I’ve agreed to handle this his way. I only want what’s best for both of you. If you’re s
o certain that’s each other, I won’t stand in your way.”
James and I simultaneously exhaled and he reached for my hand under the table. “You guys have no idea how much this means to us,” James told our parents. “I hope you won’t mind if I accompany Willow to New York tomorrow. The doctor said it’s perfectly safe for me to fly and I don’t want to miss her big day.”
“That’s fine with me, James,” Daddy replied. “In fact, I’ll feel better if you were with her. Renee and I are going to throw a watch party here at the house, so we’ll be with you in spirit. I wish we could join you but, unlike James, my doctors won’t clear me to fly just yet.”
“I understand, Daddy. You’ll be there next time,” I said with a smile. For the first time since James had walked into my life, I felt like I didn’t have a care in the world. I knew that from that moment forward, we’d handle whatever life threw at us as a team.
“If you want to be there this time, you should probably start packing,” Daddy teased. “We can call this family meeting adjourned.”
I stood and kissed Daddy on top of the head before escaping to a long, hot shower.
CHAPTER 2
“Well… how do I look?” I asked James as I stepped out of the bathroom of our suite at The Garden City Hotel. It was Friday evening and we were about to go to the Belmont Charity Ball. I knew that Mondo would be racing in green silks, so I’d chosen an emerald satin gown for the occasion. James took my hand and lifted it into the air. I did a complete spin and my skirt twirled around me.
“You look amazing,” James said as he pulled me into his arms. He planted a soft kiss on my neck and stared into my eyes. “The more important question is how do you feel? I know this is a big weekend for you. We don’t have to make it obvious we’re together if you don’t want to deal with the extra attention on top of everything else.”
“This isn’t just a big weekend,” I corrected him. “This could be one of the biggest weekends of my life. And the last thing I want to do is hide our relationship away again. I’m proud to be with you, James. And anyone who has a problem with it can kiss my ass.”