The Island

by Alice Ward

  “Mr. Jackson, do you have any of your two year olds in mind for next season?”

  Cameras flashed as reporters bombarded us with questions. James, Matt, Lucas, and I were in the largest press tent with Link Jackson. We were seated on one side of a long white table with video cameras pointed at our faces. We’d just left the winner’s circle, where Matt had pulled a white carnation from Mondo’s victory blanket and pinned it into my hair. I put my hand to the flower as I fielded questions.

  “I feel very honored to continue my mother’s work,” I began. “And I’m incredibly excited about our new training program. I think we’ve just proven that Kentucky isn’t the only state capable of producing champions. My partner Matt and I plan on making Aces High Ranch the leader in quality thoroughbreds,” I said. I put a hand on Matt’s forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “Ms. Rogers certainly knows her racehorses,” Link agreed with a smile. “I’m disappointed that she won’t be selling any productions in the near future, but I’m looking forward to seeing what she brings to the track in a few years. As for my two year olds…”

  I zoned out on Link’s voice and basked in Mondo’s win.

  I was right about him. Everyone told me I was crazy, that the Crown was an impossible feat. They said he wouldn’t have the endurance to take Belmont. And they were all wrong. They’re wrong about me and James too.

  In the aftermath of the win, none of the reporters asked about our relationship. It was the awkward elephant in the room that no one acknowledged. When we first arrived in the winner’s circle, one reporter insisted that James get out of the frame before her photographer snapped our picture.

  Everyone was doing a magnificent job of telling us what they thought without saying a word on the subject. But I didn’t care about their attitudes or their rejection. And by the amused look on James’s face, I knew he didn’t either.

  James leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Do you think we’ll be able to get out of here soon?”

  “You’re not enjoying the circus?” I asked, my voice a low tease.

  “It’s not that,” he assured me. “I’m just ready to get on to our private celebration.”

  “Then let’s get going,” I whispered back. I waited for Link to wrap up his latest answer and then pushed my chair away from the table.

  “I’m so sorry, but we have an engagement to get to,” I explained to the reporters as I rose from my seat. “Thank you all for your support this season. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.”

  I turned to Link and extended my hand. He scowled at James for a moment, then gave me a tense handshake, an obligatory “Congratulations”, and turned back to the reporters. We slipped out of the tent into the dark night.

  “So what’s the plan?” Matt asked as we walked towards the parking lot. “Should we take the shuttle back to the resort and regroup? We have to go out. I vote we take the train into Manhattan and party like rock stars.”

  Lucas wrapped an arm around his shoulders while James took my hand.

  “Actually,” Lucas purred. “James and I put together a little surprise for you two.” He pointed at a white stretch limousine parked at the curb.

  “Another surprise? Where are we going?” I gasped.

  “You’ll find out when we get there,” James replied with a wicked smile. I raced to the limo, giddy with excitement. I felt like I was on top of the world and was thrilled that James had planned something special. As I slid into the backseat, I was overwhelmed with emotion. The limo was filled with white carnations and a chilled bottle of Cristal sat in a bucket of ice. The glass partition came down and a uniformed driver greeted us with a smile.

  “Good evening, and congratulations on your win, Ms. Rogers. My name is Charles and I’ll be taking you into the city. Are you all ready to proceed with the rest of tonight’s plans?”

  “Absolutely,” James replied. “Proceed as planned.”

  “Yes sir,” Charles said before rolling up the partition.

  This is what they were up to last night. I bet it’s also why James sent Matt and me for breakfast that morning in the hospital.

  “How did you pull all of this off?” I asked as Lucas popped the champagne cork.

  “We have our ways,” he said as he filled four crystal flutes. “And this is just our ride. Wait until you see what we have planned next.”

  Lucas passed out the champagne and lifted his glass. “To Mondo and the woman who knew he could go all the way. Congratulations, Willow. I’m honored to call you my friend.”

  “Aww, thanks Lucas,” I said with happy tears filling my eyes. We all clinked glasses and after a quick sip of bubbly, I raised mine again.

  “This one is for you three. You’ve been there and supported me through everything and there’s no one else I’d rather spend this night with. Here’s to amazing friendships and a successful, profitable future.”

  “Here here,” Matt cheered as we toasted again. Lucas refilled everyone’s glasses and I snuggled into James’s chest.

  “Are you happy, baby?” he whispered into my ear.

  “So happy,” I gushed. “I feel like I walked in to someone else’s life… someone glamorous and successful.”

  “You’re all that and more, Willow,” he breathed into my ear.

  “Let’s see what the reporters are saying,” Matt insisted, pointing a remote at the small flat screened television mounted under the glass partition. He clicked it on and a local news anchor’s face filled the screen. Matt hit a few buttons and found Sports Center. It seemed like the entire world was celebrating Mondo’s victory. One reporter interviewed a man who’d just gotten a tattoo of Mondo’s head inked into his bicep. Another announced that there had already been two newborn babies named after the Triple Crown champion. I was overwhelmed with emotion and stared at the screen in awe. I lost track of time until suddenly, the limo slowed to a stop.

  “Here we are,” Lucas announced in a sing song voice. I looked out my window and realized that we were just outside of Central Park. Two horse drawn carriages were waiting for us on the sidewalk.

  “What did you do?” Matt gasped.

  Lucas gave him a wide smile. “You said you’ve always wanted to go on a carriage ride through Central Park. I thought we should take advantage of being in New York and mark that off of your bucket list.”

  Matt grabbed Lucas’s face and pulled him in for a wet kiss. James turned to me and smiled.

  “I hope you don’t mind tagging along with their plans. When Lucas told me he wanted to do this for Matt, I thought it sounded like a romantic way to celebrate Mondo’s win.”

  “And if he’d lost?” I teased with a raised eyebrow.

  “Then it would have been a romantic way to take your mind off the disappointment,” he replied without missing a beat.

  “What the hell are we waiting for?” Matt exclaimed as he pushed his way out of the limo. Lucas laughed and slid out behind him with James and me following close behind. The carriage drivers greeted us with smiles as we approached the horses.

  “Good evening and welcome to Central Park,” a jolly man with a bushy white mustache said, extending his hand. “I’m Hans and this is Lightning and Rocket. Two of you will be riding with us and two of you will be with Lucian, Daisy, and Annie.”

  Lucian gave us a polite nod. “Everything is set up as you requested. We can leave as soon as you’re ready.”

  Set up? What had to be set up?

  An exhilarating curiosity coursed through my veins, but I decided not to press James for details. He and Lucas had obviously spent a lot of time and effort planning the surprise. I wanted to let it unfold at his pace.

  “Shall we?” James asked. He took my hand and gestured to Lucian’s carriage.

  “I’d love to,” I agreed. James climbed up in front of me and helped me into the carriage. I turned and saw Matt and Lucas already settled on their cushioned velvet bench. Lucian climbed up behind the horses and with a pop of his reins, we glide
d into the park.

  “This is beautiful,” I said as I relaxed into James’s arms. “It’s the perfect way to unwind after this whirlwind day.”

  “So far, I’d say we’ve had a whirlwind life,” he replied with a slight smile. “There are definitely a few areas I’d like to calm down a little. But the rest of it I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

  He gave me a soft kiss on the cheek and together, we stared up at the stars.

  “It’s amazing how much brighter the sky is back home,” I observed. “New York is a great place to visit, but I could never live here. I don’t know how people function packed on top of each other like this.”

  “They come here,” James laughed, gesturing to the open land. “And city people don’t have to worry about things like landslides and horse thieves. I’m with you though. Give me the mountains any day.” He stroked my bare arm and I leaned in to his touch. I rested my head on his shoulder and wondered what I’d ever done to deserve a man so perfect for me. Just when I was getting comfortable, I heard string instruments playing classical music and the carriage slowed to a stop. I sat up, my eyes falling on two bistro tables covered in red and white checkered tablecloths. Twinkling white lights lit the scene and a single uniformed waiter stood near the quartet.

  “Are you kidding me?” I gasped as James crawled out of the carriage.

  He shook his head and offered me his hand. “You didn’t think the carriage ride was the whole surprise, did you?” he asked with a dashing grin and a little bow.

  He helped me out of the carriage and kissed me on top of the head as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

  “Willow, can you believe they did this?” Matt called to me from his carriage. He and Lucas joined us and we stepped over to the tables.

  “At this point, nothing would surprise me,” I said as James pulled out my chair. I sat down while Matt took the chair next to me at the other table.

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Lucas teased in his sing song voice.

  Lucas and James took their seats as the waiter approached with another bottle of champagne.

  “My name is Darnel and I’ll be taking care of you this evening,” he explained as he poured us each a glass. He pulled the silver domed lids off of the plates in front of us, revealing a huge selection of cheeses, cold cuts, fruit, and fancy crackers.

  “We wanted to keep it simple,” Lucas explained, popping a piece of cheddar into his mouth.

  “Yeah, simple is exactly what I’d call this,” I laughed. “This is the most elaborate, thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me. Him too,” I added, nudging Matt.

  “We’ve all been busting our asses for the last few months. James and I thought it would do everyone good to relax under the stars for a night,” Lucas beamed. “Now if you’ll excuse us for a few minutes, I’d like to have a celebratory dance with my boyfriend.”

  “By all means,” I agreed after swallowing a bite of ham.

  Lucas took Matt by the hand and led him closer to the quartet. They swayed under the stars while James and I dreamed out loud about our future. We didn’t mention Katelyn or our parents. We didn’t talk about the reporters or the bad press we’d inevitably be bombarded with. Instead, we debated the pros and cons of an east or west facing master suite and fantasized about the extended vacation we’d take with our Belmont prize money. Once we’d finished our food, James took my hand and led me towards Matt and Lucas.

  We’d hardly begun dancing when the quartet stopped playing. The violin player explained that they were taking a break and pulled out a small MP3 player attached to a much larger speaker.

  “This will keep you moving until we get back,” she explained with a smile. She tapped the screen and “Marry Me” flowed out of the speakers. My heart fluttered in my chest as James and Lucas simultaneously dropped to their knees. Tears immediately flowed from my eyes and I brought my hands to my face.

  “What are you doing?” I gasped. It was a stupid question with an obvious answer, but the words escaped my lips anyway. I glanced to Matt and saw that his mouth was open and his eyes were as wet as mine.

  “I love you, Willow,” James told me, taking my left hand into his.

  “And I love you, Matt. More than I ever thought possible. More than words could ever express,” Lucas said.

  James began again. “You are the most beautiful, amazing woman I’ve ever known. You made me want to be a better man, the kind of man who deserves you. And while I know I’ve fallen short at times, I’d love nothing more than to spend the rest of my life earning the love you’ve already given me so unconditionally.”

  I smiled and opened my mouth to reply. He held a finger to his lips to shush me and nodded towards Lucas.

  Right, it’s his turn to talk now. The logistics of a double proposal are a bit complicated, but they couldn’t have come up with a more perfect way to ask the question. I can’t believe this is happening.

  Lucas cleared his throat and looked lovingly at Matt. “I know this may seem sudden. We’ve only known each other a few months. But those months have been the happiest, most wonderful days of my life. I wake up every day with a smile on my face. I go to bed every night fantasizing about new ways to make you happy. Because every time you smile, I feel like the luckiest man in the world.”

  Lucas gave James a quick nod and they each pulled small velvet boxes from their jacket pockets.

  “Will you marry me?” they asked in unison as they opened the boxes.

  “Of course I will,” I sobbed, pulling James to his feet. He slid a simple gold band onto my finger.

  “The band is temporary,” he explained. “I didn’t have time to shop. When we get home, we’ll go to the jeweler’s together and you can have whichever ring you want.”

  I grabbed his face and pulled it to mine, kissing him with more passion and love than I’d ever felt before. I didn’t care about the ring. All that mattered was the man who’d put it on my finger. James picked me up and spun me in circles and I squealed with delight. When my feet hit the ground again, I turned and saw Matt and Lucas in a quiet, emotional embrace. Tears fell from Matt’s eyes and Lucas was stroking his back. My heart dropped as I studied them.

  Oh my God, did Matt say no? I was so wrapped up in my own excitement, I didn’t hear his answer.

  I approached them cautiously and put a hand on Matt’s shoulder. “Is everything all right?” I asked, trying to keep my voice low and soothing.

  “Everything’s perfect, Willow,” Matt said, pulling away from Lucas. He wiped the tears from his eyes and took Lucas’s hand. “I never thought this would happen to me, that’s all,” he explained. “I mean, a year ago we wouldn’t have even been allowed to get married. I’m just overwhelmed… in the best possible way.”

  I held up my left hand and wiggled my ring finger. “I know exactly what you mean,” I gushed. “You know what I’m thinking?” I asked, my eyebrows raised.

  Matt studied me for a moment and then his face lit up. “Double wedding!” he squealed. He grabbed me by the arms and jumped up and down. “This is so perfect! It’s just like we’ve always dreamed. Who’d have ever thought that it would actually happen?”

  I turned to James with a guilty smile. “Would you mind a shared ceremony?”

  He rolled his eyes at me and laughed. “Are you kidding me? We’ve been expecting it.”

  Lucas nodded. “James and I both know that the two of you are a bit of a package deal. I think a double ceremony is perfect.”

  Matt kissed Lucas again while I fell back into James’s arms. We lost ourselves in each other until Matt brought our attention back to the present.

  “A Triple Crown win and a double engagement all on the same day. What did we ever do to deserve this life, Willow?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. But we should figure it out, so we can keep doing it,” I replied with a huge smile.

  ***

  “You know when we left this place on Friday, I had a feeling that our lives w
ere about to change,” Matt said as he pulled onto the ranch. “But I had no idea just how much.”

  “I had the exact same feeling,” I told him as I stretched and pulled on my shoes. “I just hope everyone’s as happy about it as we are.” As we neared the house, I felt more and more anxious. Daddy and Renee were barely tolerating James and me dating each other. I had no idea how they’d feel about our engagement.

  “It’s strange. I think Lucas and I will have an easier time being accepted than you two will. I feel oddly guilty about that,” Matt continued as he slowed to a stop in front of the house.

  “You shouldn’t feel guilty,” James assured him. “You and Lucas deserve to be happy as much as anyone else.”

  “And if it makes you feel better, you’ll still get judged by strangers more than us,” I added with a teasing grin.

  “Ha ha.” Matt rolled his eyes. He leaned into the back seat and gave me a half hug. “Good luck with Renee and Cole. If things don’t go as well as I hope, you’re welcome to come crash with us tonight.”

  “Thank you, Matt. I love you guys,” I said as I slid out of the truck.

  “Love you too,” they called after me.

  James pulled our luggage out of the truck bed and stared up at the house. “Maybe we should have told them over the phone. The news could have sunk in a little while we were in the air.”

  I shook my head. “We have to do this in person. Maybe we’ll get lucky and their excitement about Mondo will spill over onto our news.”

  “There’s only one way to find out,” he sighed. We climbed the steps and I pushed open the front door.

  “Surprise!” A crowd of people startled me and I stumbled backwards into James. As I recovered from the shock, I realized that everyone who lived on the ranch had gathered to welcome us home. The living room was covered in festive paper streamers and I smelled the intoxicating aroma of roast beef wafting through the house. Daddy and Renee crossed the room and wrapped me in a tight hug. Frost danced around my feet and James lifted him into his arms.

  “I’m so proud of you, pumpkin,” Daddy said, kissing the top of my head.