by Alice Ward
Matt handed him his tablet and he returned my phone.
“Willow, I am so sorry,” Daddy sighed. “Maybe it’s time we take this into our own hands. We can sit down with one of the more respectable news stations and tell our side of the story. Something’s got to give.”
“You know what, Daddy? I think you’re on to something.”
***
“Are you sure you want to do this?” James asked me again. He was stretched across my bed, watching as I sat at my vanity and carefully applied my makeup. Cynthia Dawes, a reporter for the Colorado NBC news affiliate, was set to arrive in half an hour to tape our interview.
“I’m absolutely sure,” I replied as I brushed on my mascara. I stared at my reflection for a few moments before standing up. “Let’s go talk to the parents and go over the game plan.”
James followed me into the kitchen where Daddy and Renee were having a pre-interview glass of wine. Daddy looked up from the newspaper as we entered the room.
“You aren’t going to believe this,” he said, tapping the paper. “Dale’s been arrested.”
“What?” I asked, pretending to be shocked.
“It says so right here,” Daddy continued. “The IRS received an anonymous tip. They did a little digging and realized that he’s been embezzling from his own company for decades. I always wondered why he had so much more money than the other farmers in the county. Jesus, you think you know a man.”
“Well, it explains why his son is such a jackass,” Renee told him. “I’m glad to be done with the whole family. Kids, would you like a glass of wine?” We accepted and I felt a smug grin creep across my face as we took our seats.
Lucas had studied the email from the National Thoroughbred Association. He quickly realized that all of the links led to articles written by the two conservative journalists who’d relentlessly kept the story alive.
With a little research, he learned that neither of the reporters was on staff at the papers publishing their stories. They were both guest contributors. Lucas scoured the internet to learn more about them, but his searches were fruitless.
He switched up his tactics and hacked into the papers’ mainframes. He traced the mystery reporter’s emails to Dale Miller’s computer. Turning him in to the IRS gave me a sense of satisfaction that rivaled the way I’d felt when Mondo crossed the finish line at Belmont.
“Thank you for suggesting this, Daddy,” I said as I lifted the wine to my lips. I took a long sip and set the glass down again.
“You’re more than welcome, pumpkin. Hopefully, people will be a little more accepting after the interview airs. But at the very least, our side of the story will be out there.”
“I have a good feeling about this,” Renee confessed. “There haven’t been any new articles published in days. I doubt those hateful reporters will let us have the final word, but maybe we’ll get lucky.”
James fought back a grin. “I have a feeling we won’t be hearing anymore from those guys.”
The doorbell rang and my heart leapt to my chest. I took a calming breath and the four of us made our way to the living room. Renee opened the door with a gracious smile on her face.
“Hello,” she greeted the news crew. “Welcome to our home. Thank you so much for coming.” She stepped aside as Cynthia entered with two cameramen. “I’m Renee Rogers. This is my husband Cole and these are our children, Willow and James.”
Cynthia nodded hello with a polite smile. “Thank you for having us. And thank you for choosing me to share your story with. If it’s all right, we’ll set up real quick and then jump right in to the interview.”
“That’s fine,” Renee assured her. “Just tell us where you want us.”
Cynthia walked to the picture window and opened the blinds. Sunshine flooded onto the couch and she gave us a satisfied smile. “This will be perfect,” she said, dragging a club chair to the side of the couch. “If you’ll all just take a seat.” She gestured to the couch and we did as she asked.
The cameramen set up tall poles that held giant microphones a few feet above our heads. One of the cameramen set up directly in front of us, the other to our left with his camera pointed at Cynthia. She sank into the club chair and pulled out a notepad.
“We’ll start rolling whenever you’re ready,” she announced. “And there’s no need to be nervous. I’m completely on your side. I actually think your story is sweet.”
James sat to my right, Daddy to my left. I took a deep breath, squeezed both of their hands, and nodded for Cynthia to begin. The cameramen each gave her a thumbs up to let her know that they were recording. The reporter looked directly at the side camera and launched into action.
“We’re here tonight with the Rogers-Parker family. I’m sure that by now, most of you are familiar with Willow Rogers’ involvement with this year’s Triple Crown winner. I’m sure you’re familiar with other aspects of the family as well. They’ve invited us into their home to tell their story in their own words.”
She turned away from the camera and looked at me. “Let’s start with the obvious. Willow, the story of your relationship with James nearly eclipsed that of Mondo’s Triple Crown win. What would you like to say to the critics who think that your love is, shall we say, taboo?”
“I would reiterate that there’s nothing taboo about it,” I said, my voice calm and even. “Our situation may not be common, but there’s certainly nothing scandalous about it. James and I are adults and we fell in love. Our parents just happened to do the same.”
“You faced an overwhelming amount of scrutiny and many of the recent news articles haven’t painted you in the best light. They claim that James is a playboy and that you’re… well, unstable. Do either of you care to comment on those accusations?”
James cleared his throat and took my hand. “We are not perfect people, myself especially. But we are also not the people we’ve been portrayed to be. Have I sowed my share of wild oats? Absolutely. Am I proud of it? Not particularly. But if you’ll notice, none of these so called women I ran around with were willing to give their names. They were quoted anonymously and the stories were completely fabricated. And Willow is the most stable person I know.”
Cynthia nodded and pressed on. “Do you feel that your story’s been given more attention than it warrants?”
The four of us nodded in unison. “Absolutely,” Renee agreed.
“I happen to agree,” Cynthia told us. “Why do you think your story exploded through the press like it did? Was it because of the Triple Crown attention? Perhaps some people felt they were exposing the hero’s tragic flaw?”
I’d been rehearsing for the interview for days and was ready with an answer. But Renee cleared her throat before I could get a word out.
“I’d like to answer, if I may,” she said, her tone soft and polite.
“Of course,” I agreed. The cameraman by the window shifted his equipment and Renee cleared her throat again.
“I think that some people thrive on righteous indignation. And I think that some members of the press feed that indignation to sell more papers. Judging my family let other people feel better about themselves. That’s why the story snowballed.”
Dale Miller was the reason the story snowballed, but Renee made an excellent point nonetheless.
“I’d like you to take a second to think about the story that’s not being reported,” Renee continued. “And ask yourself why.”
Cynthia tilted her head in confusion. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.”
Renee straightened her shoulders and stared back at the reporter. “Willow just became the youngest person in history to produce a Triple Crown winner. She’s building the most state of the art facility in the thoroughbred world. She’s a twenty-two year old woman that’s accomplished more in a male dominated industry than ninety percent of those men combined. No one is telling that story.”
Another excellent point. Renee’s on a roll.
Cynthia nodded again. “If you’re
willing, I’d love to schedule a follow up interview and tell that story. Until then, what would you like the viewers to understand about your family?”
I looked straight at the camera with a warm smile. “We’re just like any other family.”
Daddy nodded. “I raised an amazing daughter and Renee raised a wonderful son. It’s really no surprise that they fell in love with each other. They were raised with the same values, brought up to be responsible, compassionate, hard working adults. They deserve each other, in the best possible sense of the phrase.”
Renee nodded in agreement and I fought back happy, appreciative tears. Cynthia was moved by Daddy’s words as well and looked back at him with a smile.
“A beautiful sentiment for, in my opinion, a beautiful family. Willow, James, Cole, Renee, thank you for sharing your story.”
EPILOGUE
Six weeks later
“Willow, you look breathtaking,” Renee said as she fixed my mother’s antique silver comb to the base of my veil. “James won’t be able to take his eyes off of you.”
I took a deep breath and stared at my wedding dress hanging in the corner. I couldn’t believe that my wedding day had finally arrived. Renee was helping Matt and I get ready in the main house, while Daddy was with James and Lucas in the cabin.
“You’re absolutely stunning,” Matt agreed. “You’re going to upstage the rest of us and I don’t even mind.”
“I don’t know,” I said with a teasing smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so handsome.”
Matt was already dressed in a khaki linen suit and starched white dress shirt. All of the men had had their suits custom made and I hoped that James’s would fit as well as Matt’s did. The fabric clung to his broad chest and shoulders and tapered in towards his waist, showing off his fit, muscular body without being too obvious about it.
“The guests will get dizzy looking back and forth at all four of you,” Renee insisted. “I may be biased, but I think you’re all beautiful.”
“Thanks, Renee,” Matt said, wrapping her in a hug. He backed away from her and turned to me. “You’ve got to get dressed, Willow. I’m going to go check on the other grooms. I refuse to be late to my own wedding.”
“You can’t see Lucas before the ceremony,” I called after him as he left the room.
“I’ll close my eyes,” he called back, his voice fading.
Renee took my dress from the hanger and held it open as I stepped into the skirt. She pulled up the bodice and I slipped the wide straps over my shoulders while she zipped up the back. She dropped her hands and I studied myself in her full length mirror.
Renee had done my hair and my makeup. James had always loved my hair down, so she’d curled it and let it flow over my shoulders. My face looked like an airbrushed photograph, an unbelievable version of the reflection I was accustomed to. My vintage lace dress had a plunging back and fell just above my ankles.
“Like I said, breathtaking,” Renee gushed as she looked into the mirror. She hesitated for a moment and then pulled something small from her pocket.
“I know that Matt’s probably already covered your something old, new, borrowed, and blue,” she began. “But I have these earrings that I thought would look lovely with your dress.” She opened her hand and offered me a set of delicate silver chandelier earrings. I recognized them from her wedding day.
“These were my grandmothers,” she explained. “They’re old and borrowed, and they match your mother’s comb.”
“I’d be honored to wear them,” I told her, closing my hand over hers. “And I’m so glad that you’re the one who was with me today. Thank you for raising the man that I love. And thank you for all of the times you stood up for us.”
“It was the absolute least I could do,” she replied, wiping tears from her eyes. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust your feelings from the beginning. I’m sorry I put you through so much pain.”
“We all made mistakes. The important thing is that we’ve forgiven each other and moved on. That’s what family does, right?”
Renee wrapped her arms around me just as Matt stepped into the room.
“Oh my God, have you been crying? Willow, we’re supposed to walk down the aisle in ten minutes!” he exclaimed. “Pull yourself together or you’re going to have a puffy face in all of our pictures.”
I laughed and brushed away my happy tears. “Yes, sir,” I said, my voice light and teasing. “How are the guys?”
“They’ve just gone down to the barn. We need to get moving and get in place. Dallas says all of the guests are here and seated.”
I smoothed my dress and took Matt’s arm. He grinned at me as we left Daddy and Renee’s bedroom and made our way to the front door.
“Can you believe we’re about to do this?”
“Not hardly,” I replied. We stepped outside and climbed in the wagon that would carry us to the ceremony. I took in the landscape as Dallas steered the horses.
The late summer sky was bright blue and free of clouds. The air was warm but not hot, and a light breeze blew across the pastures. It was the perfect day to start the rest of our lives.
***
“All right, pumpkin. We’re next.” I took Daddy’s arm and we moved closer to the barn doors, waiting for our signal that James and Renee had made it down the aisle. Given that we were having a double wedding with only one bride, we weren’t doing the traditional entrance. Instead, all four of us were being escorted down the aisle. Matt’s grandmother had gladly accepted the task, while Lucas’s parents walked down on either side of him. James and Renee had gone next, leaving Daddy and me for last.
“Thank you, Daddy,” I said, fighting back more happy tears. “Not just for what you’ve done for James and me, but for everything you’ve done, everything you’ve been, for my entire life.”
He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “You’re more than welcome, pumpkin.”
Dallas poked his head out of the barn and gave us a nod. Daddy walked me into the open doorway and looked down at me with a grin. “Ready?”
I nodded, my eyes fixed on James. He stood on the left side of the altar he and Daddy had built for the occasion, with Matt and Lucas to the right. He gazed up and down, taking in my dress before returning his gaze to mine. As Daddy walked me down the aisle, I was oblivious to the guests around me. All that mattered was the man who was waiting at the end of my petal covered path. We finally reached the altar and Daddy put my hand in James’s. The music was silenced and Judge Matthews began.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered together today to join together the lives of the two couples before us. Marriage is a beautiful thing, made even more so when unconditional love is displayed. Our couples will do that now, with vows they’ve written themselves.”
Matt and Lucas went first, as we’d rehearsed. James and I turned to face them as Lucas took Matt’s hand.
“I have loved you since the moment I met you, and I will love you until I take my last breath. I promise to honor you, remain faithful to you, and celebrate our love every day of our lives.” He slipped Matt’s wedding band onto his ring finger and brushed a tear from his eye. Matt looked down at his hand before clearing his throat.
“You have shown me a kind of happiness that I never thought possible. You are the calming influence in my crazy world and I can’t imagine my life without you. I promise to honor you, be faithful to you, and love you more with every day that passes.” He slipped Lucas’s ring onto his finger and James turned to me. He held my hands in his and stared deeply into my eyes.
“In so many ways, I was nothing before I met you,” he said, his voice breaking with emotion. “You are the light that led me away from the darkness and the grace that showed me how beautiful life could be. I promise to give you the best of myself, to love, honor, and cherish you from now until the end of time.”
Tears fell from my eyes as he put my ring on my finger. I’d never felt so happy, so loved, so completely at peace with the
universe. I looked into James’s chocolate eyes and professed my love.
“When I was a little girl, I dreamed of this day. I had a picture perfect image in my head of the man I’d spend my life with.. You’re everything I imagined and more. I used to look to the future with longing and uncertainty. Now, I look to it with joy and absolute confidence that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I can’t wait to start our lives together. I promise to love you, honor you, and cherish you in this life and whatever comes after.”
For the first time, I turned to the crowd. Mason released Frost’s leash and the puppy ran to me with James’s ring attached to his collar. I bent down, untied the lace ribbon, and gave Frost a few playful pets. I stood again and adorned James’s hand with the symbol of our love. James squeezed my hands and the four of us turned back to the judge.
“By the power vested in me by the great state of Colorado, I pronounce you husband and husband, and husband and wife. Now, kiss each other and let’s get this party started.”
The guests cheered as James took my face in his hands. We kissed each other softly with Frost jumping at our legs. James released me and lifted our not so small puppy in his arms. I took him by the elbow and together, we walked down the aisle as husband and wife.
***
The wedding reception passed in a whirlwind of bliss and dancing. I was shocked by the number of people who’d shown up to celebrate our love. All of James and Lucas’s rodeo friends were there, as well as Nana Claire and Grandpa Dave. Daniel and Louisa Forrest flew in for the ceremony, mercifully leaving Layla at home.
Since the weather was perfect, we’d made a last minute decision to set the reception up outside. Lucas, James, and Matt had spent the previous day frantically stringing lights and setting up tables. The finished product looked like something out of a magazine. The sun set behind us as we cut our cakes, providing a backdrop no photographer could recreate on a computer. The stars came out to greet us and owls, frogs, and crickets began their nightly chorus. The sky was still clear and as James pulled me onto the dance floor, fireflies began glowing around us.