Rainwater Kisses: A Billionaire Love Story

E
mma laughed gently and touched
Jack Saunders' shoulder. He smiled and seemed to unconsciously reach for her
hand, the two of them leaning closer to one another. They looked so happy
together, so perfectly in love that it was impossible to look at them without
feeling their happiness. Jack leaned over and whispered something into Emma's
ear. She blushed and giggled before reaching for her wine glass.

Emma looked radiant. I didn't know
if I'd ever seen my little sister look so happy, and that happiness was
translating into an inner beauty that shone out across the whole ocean. People
on the other side of the world were probably wondering what was making that
joyful glow. Jack matched her elation in a masculine way, his sandy hair
blowing softly in the Caribbean wind as we finished the last of our dinners.
They were the perfect couple.

The entire wedding party for Jack
and Emma sat outdoors at a large wooden dinner table, the evening breeze
blowing warmly. If the wedding dinner was anywhere near as fancy as this
rehearsal dinner was, I would gain at least five pounds on this trip.

I typically didn't like traveling.
In fact, I never traveled. I had never even left the Midwest, but I thought
that this ocean breeze was something I could definitely get used to.

Jack and Emma sat at the head of
the big square table as if they were the king and queen of the tropical island.
I sat next to Emma with my parents on the other side of me. Across the table
was Jack's best man, Owen. Down the line sat his younger brother, mother and
father.

We were all gathered to celebrate
the marriage of Jack to my little sister, Emma. Jack had flown the whole
family, plus friends, out to an island in the Caribbean for the ceremony and
paid for a week at the island resort for everyone. I had only been able to get
four days off from my job at the hospital, and now I wished I had more in this
beautiful place. I wasn't sure exactly what this trip had cost, but I knew it
was far above what my paycheck could afford. Of course, for him it was no big
deal. He could afford to do this because he was the President and CEO of DS Oil
and Gas. He was a billionaire, after all.

The two of them were getting
married on the very island where they met, on the very beach where Emma had
saved a man's life while Jack kept cool next to her. This time, though, it was
for real. For some wild reason, when they first met, they had decided to get
married, despite hardly knowing one another. Emma said it was a crazy,
spur-of-the-moment vacation memory thing, but I still thought she was insane.
It wasn't a legal wedding, of course. They were outside of the US and there
were no papers signed.

It should have ended there, except
that the paparazzi happened to somehow get some pictures of their wedding and
posted them everywhere. I actually found out my sister was married by reading
the tabloid headlines at the grocery store. It had been the first time I ever
actually bought one of those magazines. Before I could even talk to her,
however, she had zipped off to New York City so that Jack could do damage
control.

It took a while for the press to
die down enough for her to come back to Iowa. By then, it was pretty apparent
that she and Jack were a sure thing. Emma and I had some rather personal
conversations, and I found myself marveling at my little sister. The things she
was willing to put up with, particularly Jack's work schedule, were things that
I wouldn't have tolerated. She loved him though, and she was willing to deal
with it. He finally proposed over Christmas dinner. Now, here we were on the
island for a beautiful spring wedding.

I was actually supposed to have
gone on the vacation that started it all. Emma had won a trip for two from the
local radio station, but I came down with appendicitis two days before the
flight. During the week that she spent in the Caribbean, I spent my time hopped
up on painkillers and antibiotics, and thinking that I was the one going to do
crazy things. Sitting here, though, watching the two of them be so obviously in
love, made me glad I hadn't come. My little sister deserved this kind of
happiness.

I looked across the table and Owen
was staring at me. As soon as we made eye contact, he grinned. My cheeks turned
red and I quickly looked away. I hadn't had a chance to really speak with him
yet since he had arrived late in the afternoon, just in time for the practice
walk down the aisle.

He had sauntered up to the wedding
area, breezing past the security guards and personal assistants with an easy
familiarity. Emma introduced us in the moment before the wedding planner took
control and started directing everyone to their places. He had held my hand for
a split second longer than necessary when he shook it, as if he were reluctant
to let go. From that moment on, he had flirted with me mercilessly.

Owen Parker. Probably the most
gorgeous man I had ever met. Blonde hair that fell in perfect Disney hero
fashion, dark blue eyes, and a jaw that could cut steel, not to mention the way
he filled out a suit. He looked like he belonged on the cover of a romance
novel, and the way he smiled at me only reinforced that impression.

Like Jack, Owen was also fabulously
wealthy. He made more in a day working at Jack's company than I did in a year
as a physician's assistant. Not only that, he came from old money, and he had
been very wise with his investments over the years. I knew he was one of the
few people that Jack trusted, because Jack knew that he had no interest in his
money. In fact, the only reason he had this job was because it was a challenge
to him; the money was just a perk.

Jack and Owen had been college
roommates, and the friendship was an easy thing between them. I could only
imagine what kind of trouble the two of them had gotten into in college. They
probably broke a lot of girls' hearts

It was clear to see that Owen came
from a lifetime of privilege and money. The way he nonchalantly ordered a
thousand-dollar bottle of wine, used all the forks and spoons correctly, and
the lack of concern for his expensive clothing all made it obvious to me that
he had more money than he could ever spend.

During the entire rehearsal, he had
kept grinning at me and mimicking the planner when she wasn't looking, forcing
the rest of the wedding party to stifle our laughs. I wanted to like him, but
something about his charm was too easy. I knew he could have any woman he
wanted and that he was used to women falling in love with him. With how
flirtatious he was being, I could make this my own vacation to remember if I
wanted. . However, it was too easy for the best man and the maid of honor to
hook up at a wedding, and I didn't want to be a cliché conquest.

I was trying my best to ignore him,
but it was difficult.

Mr. Daniel Saunders, Jack's father,
tapped his wine glass with a knife, sending a crystal ping for silence across
the table. Everyone at the table quickly quieted as he stood slowly, the motion
obviously taking more energy than expected, but he did his best. He lifted his
glass in a toast.

"I would like to congratulate
my son... and welcome Emma as a daughter." As quiet as he was, even with
the noticeable pause in the sentence, his voice was still full of authority.
Despite his evident physical weakness, he still held the power of a billionaire
oil baron. He paused, taking a shallow breath, and the glass wavered in the air
as his arm lost the strength to hold it. Mrs. Saunders stood up quickly beside
him, wrapping her arm around him as though she were hugging him, but supporting
him and his shaking arm in the process.

"We are glad to welcome you
into the family," Mrs. Saunders continued for him, and Mr. Saunders gave
her a grateful look. To a casual observer it appeared as though they were
simply a loving couple, but I could see Mrs. Saunders' muscles tighten as she
kept him upright.

"At first, I wasn't sure that
this life would be what you wanted, Emma. But, the past few months have shown
me that this is what you were born to do. The two of you make an unstoppable
team and I can't remember the last time I saw my Jack this happy. Daniel and I
are proud to welcome you to the family," Mrs Saunders said, flashing a
smile around the table. Mr. Saunders smiled weakly, but with obvious joy as he
slowly attempted to lift his glass.

I raised my own glass with a tip to
the Saunders and took a sip of wine. It was a sweet white with just enough
bubbles to tickle my nose. I pretended to look at the liquid in the glass, but
I was really looking at Mr. Saunders. His suit was tailored perfectly, but it
couldn't hide the tell-tale signs that he was losing the battle against his
cancer. Despite the fine fabric, it hung off of him as though he were made of
nothing but bones. I had seen enough patients come into the ER to know that
this was going to be his last wedding. The tabloids were full of stories of
advanced cancer, and from what I could see, it was a good thing Emma and Jack
were getting married when they were. I wouldn't expect him to last more than a
month at this point.

Mrs. Saunders helped her husband
sit back down in his wheelchair, the white in her knuckles betraying the amount
of strength she had to use as his legs gave out. I shook my head slightly and
looked at Emma and Jack. Jack didn't seem to notice, or was doing a very good
job of hiding his emotions. Emma smiled at the older man and he gave her a grin
in return. She got along better with Mr. Saunders than she did with Mrs.
Saunders. Despite Mrs. Saunders' kind toast, Emma had told me that she still
felt like Mrs. Saunders was just waiting for Jack to grow bored with her. She
was always polite, but Emma knew that she was never going to be the favorite
daughter-in-law.

Life couldn't be that perfect,
I
thought.

"Well, I suppose now is the
time for speeches. I have an exciting and dramatic one planned for tomorrow,
but an impromptu one is called for today," said Owen, rising gracefully.
He made the simple motion of rising somehow look choreographed and elegant. He
instantly captured the attention of every eye at the dinner, and he flashed a
handsome grin around the table.

"First, a word for Emma. I
know that Jack has some bad habits. I was his housemate in college, and despite
having the best staff in the building, I still found his dirty socks all over
the floor. He also snores, forgets to put the lid down, and has a tendency to
take everything far too seriously."

Owen paused for a moment and Jack
called out, "Gee, thanks buddy."

"I saw a lot of girls come and
go. I've seen him with supermodels, heiresses, lingerie models, and even once,
a secretary." Emma frowned slightly, but Owen smiled, promising a
compliment in the end. "But, I never saw him with a girl as beautiful, or
a girl that made him as happy as you do. The two of you fit together like you
were made for one another, and I couldn't be more happy for you both."

Emma smiled and Jack squeezed her
hand. Owen turned slightly to face Jack.

"For Jack, you have something
most of us can only dream of. You have a beautiful woman who puts up with the
strange situations that our careers put us in. A woman who, somehow, has found
a way to flourish within it. Hold onto her. The two of you have a beautiful
future ahead. That being said, if you ever need a break from him, Emma, you
know where to find me." Owen ended his speech with a suggestive wink and a
raise of his glass.

Everyone at the table clapped
loudly and laughed as Emma blushed slightly at the offer. Jack chuckled and
kissed Emma's cheek, making her smile. I felt a slight stab of envy as my
sister lit up. I was the older sister, but my little sister was about to get
married and I didn't even have a date for the wedding. I immediately chided
myself for feeling jealous. I loved that she was happy and so thoroughly in
love. She deserved every moment of joy and prosperity.

Jack's little brother Robbie stood
up once it was quiet.

"Jack, let me thank you again
for not making me the best man," he started. His words were slurring just
a little bit. "I would have lost the ring, been late, and there is no way
I could come up with a good speech. Besides, Owen will look prettier in the
pictures. I am really glad to be here, though, and I'm even more glad that it's
because my older brother is marrying someone as awesome as Emma. Emma, you are
the sister I never had, and I am excited to get to call you family. That's it.
Kanpai!" The Japanese toast hung in the air as he slammed back the last of
his wine and sat down, motioning to the waiter for more.

My father glanced around and then
stood, raising his glass as well. "I guess it's my turn," he said.

He looked down at his youngest
daughter. "Emma, you will always be my little girl. I am so proud that you
have found your way in the world. I want you to know that your mother and I are
so very proud of you." My dad's eyes grew blurry as he continued, unable
to hide the waver of emotion running through his voice. I knew this was hard for
him. Emma was the baby of the family.

"Jack, I know you are going to
take good care of our baby. I'm proud to finally have a son in the family.
Cheers!" Everyone sipped their drink and gave a light applause.

I waited for the applause to die
down before I stood up. "I guess that makes it my turn. Jack, you treat my
sister the way she deserves to be treated- like a princess. I know you make her
happy, because she has this glow that she only gets around you. I've never seen
her so happy or so sure of herself. Thank you." Jack tipped his head in acknowledgment
and smiled. I turned toward Emma.

"Em, when Mom and Dad brought
you home, I said I wanted a puppy instead. I still want the dog, but, today,
I'm glad I've got you. I love you, Sis. Thank you for letting me be a part of
this." I had intended to say more, but my voice caught and I didn't trust
myself not to cry. It didn't help that Emma looked about ready to cry too. She
jumped up and immediately gave me a hug.