Rainwater Kisses (The Kisses 2)

"Do you, Emma LaRue, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or for worse, for as long as you both shall live?"

Emma's voice shook slightly as she answered, "I do." I knew she was happy, her entire being vibrating with joy. Jack grinned as she promised herself to him, a boyish enthusiasm radiating out from him in waves.

I really liked Jack. I hadn't gotten to spend much time with him up until now, as he was often busy with the job of heading a major oil company. The transition of leadership from the elderly Daniel Saunders leading the company to the younger Jack Saunders had been stressful, but he seemed to overflow with confidence now. Emma and I had discussed how swamped he had been, and how that meant she didn't get to see him as much as she would have liked. She had been overjoyed when the transition period ended and he was able to leave work every night to be with her.

The fact that Jack adored my little sister made him a good guy in my book. Every time she walked into the room, his eyes followed her, gleaming with love, and that told me that he was head over heels for her. I loved the way she smiled and lit up whenever they were together. The money was an added bonus, but I knew she would have loved him even if he had been broke.

Jack slid a ring on her finger, the light catching on a massive diamond that cast a bright fire across the entire crowd. It was fitting, because their love burned like a fire that cast happiness across everyone they met.

Still, I hoped she wasn't going swimming later because with that rock on her hand, she would drown. Owen put the ring box back into his pocket and caught my eye. We made eye contact and he grinned at me. My skin went hot, and I looked back at the ring, flustered.

I had dreamed about him all night. Dream sweet, he had said, and sweet dreams I had. I tried to pay attention to the rest of the ceremony, but I could feel Owen's eyes on me. And why not? I thought. Jack's assistant had picked out a great dress for me, a strapless coral-colored dress. She had contacted a tailor out in Iowa to measure me and modify the dress to hug all my contours. I couldn't believe how good it looked on me,

the color accenting my dark hair and the cut making me look like a supermodel.

I wanted to look back up at Owen, but I knew if I did, I would blush. The man was too charming for his own good. Why is it this hard to just ignore a man? I thought. I was lost in thought for a moment as Jack recited his vows.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the bride!"

Everyone let out a cheer as Jack leaned forward and kissed Emma. I let out a whoop and raised my bouquet to the sky, genuinely happy for my little sister. The cameras flashed and clicked as the two of them broke apart, grins plastered on their faces. Jack grabbed her hand, and together they took off down the aisle, the rest of the bridal party following at a more sedate pace.

Owen met me at the center point and offered his arm. I took it, and he grinned as he walked me down the aisle. His arm felt strong against mine, his muscles flexed as he escorted me back toward the resort. I wondered if the rest of his body would feel as nice under me.

Stop it, I thought. I had promised myself no men for a while, and no matter how good Owen looked in a suit or how much he flirted with me, I wasn't about to give in. I braced myself for the inevitable flirting that I knew I would endure as soon as the ceremony was over.

Chapter 3

As the guests filed their way to the reception area, Owen continued to walk with me toward the head table. When we reached it, he pulled my chair out without a word. I smiled and nodded at him. "Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, ma'am," he replied, a warm smile on his face. He turned and walked to his chair, waiting for the rest of the party to begin.

I smiled to myself. His overt sexuality hadn't worked, so now he had decided to be a gentleman. I'm onto your little games, Mr. Parker, I thought to myself. I had to admit though, it was cute.

The bride and groom stood at the entrance to the outdoor reception area, thanking each guest who came in. Jack had invited a lot more people than Emma had, and my parents still hadn't arrived at their table. I looked for someone to talk to and suddenly found myself looking in Owen's direction. He was looking right at me, smiling. I blushed and looked away quickly. It couldn't hurt to talk to him just a little bit...

Suddenly, the DJ's voice came over the speakers. Supposedly they had flown him in from New York as well, so I expected to get some dancing in later. "Alright, let's get this party started! Can I get the bride and groom on the dance floor for their first dance as a married couple?"

I watched as my sister and her husband walked to the middle of the dance floor and embrace each other as a slow song started. Both Jack and Emma were usually talented dancers, but as the music played, they just hugged each other tightly and danced as if they really had been married for a while now, instead of only a day. Their long, confusing courtship was finally over and they were able to move on with their lives.

About halfway through the song, a tired looking Daniel Saunders wheeled his way onto the dance floor. Whispers were exchanged between father and son, and Jack steadied the older man's wheelchair as Emma helped him to his feet. Emma held him delicately as they shuffled along to the music, the elderly Saunders doing his best to keep up with the slow beat but unable to shuffle fast enough. Jack stood nearby with the wheelchair, dutifully waiting for his father to finish, a sad smile on his face. Emma hugged the frail man tightly, and I saw tears in the eyes of several of the guests as they watched the man struggle.

As the song ended, Jack brought the wheelchair to Daniel. The DJ spoke up then. "Can we get all the rest of the fathers out there to dance with their daughters?" My dad moved his way out to the dance floor, but Daniel held on tightly to Emma. He leaned on his wheelchair and whispered something to Jack. Jack frowned slightly, but I saw the fire in Daniel's eyes flare up as he made a demand of some sort. Jack nodded and went to a nearby table.

There sat Rachel, Jack's personal assistant. The elderly Mr. Saunders had groomed her since joining the company to be the billionaire's right hand man. It seemed to me that she probably had the most tears on her face of everyone at the wedding. Jack extended his hand to her and she accepted it.

I watched as Dad reached Emma, allowing her to continue to support the old man until Jack returned with Rachel. Rachel wrapped her arms around his weak body and he almost fell into her, but caught himself at the last moment. Emma squeezed his hand one last time before solemnly turning to face Dad. As soon as Mr. Saunders was safely entrusted to Rachel, Emma and Dad smiled at them, then danced away.

Daniel no longer shuffled his feet, he just leaned into Rachel as other couples danced around them. Jack still stood next to the wheelchair, ready for him. I saw Daniel whisper something in Rachel's ear, and she burst out in laughter through her tears.

I was surprised that any doctor would let him travel, but I doubted he really asked permission. This was going to be his last dance, and he knew it. He would have spent all the billions of dollars of his company to be here if he had needed to.

As the song ended, I saw Dad dip Emma, then kiss her on the forehead as she came back up. They embraced each other deeply. I looked back over as Rachel eased Mr. Saunders back into the wheelchair, her small frame able to handle his skin and bones with ease. Jack rolled his father back to his table while my father walked Emma back to her table.

The music still played, but I felt like you could still hear a pin drop in the place. My dad tapped me on the shoulder. "Do you mind if I get a dance from you?" I smiled and extended my hand, and my father led me to the dance floor.

"You know, I always expected that you would be the first daughter I'd dance with like this," he said in my ear as we pivoted slowly.

I nodded. "I know." It wasn't that Emma was unattractive, but she had always been so studious, so unconcerned with boys. Sometimes I had envied the fact that no man seemed to be able to win her heart, whereas many men had managed to steal mine.