LOGINShare
Chapter Twenty-Four
Last Updated:
2022-06-02 04:38:20Related chapters
Rainwater Kisses Chapter Twenty-Five
I awoke with a start, nearly falling off the couch as the front door buzzed. I hadn't meant to doze off and the afternoon crept up on me. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, glancing out the window. It was raining again, the room bathed in a gray light. The intercom buzzed again and I got up to answer it. I hit 'answer' only to be met with static. Right, I remembered, the buzzer's broken. Have to go down and answer it in person. I pulled my hair up into a messy ponytail, not even bothering to put on shoes for the quick trip down the stairs. I hurried down and pushed open the locked main entrance door, not expecting the wind to rush out of my body and my heart to jump in my chest. Owen stood in the entrance. He was wearing just simple jeans and a white button-up short-sleeved shirt, but he looked like a knight in shining armor to me. He gave me a crooked smile as I opened the door. "Hi, Kaylee," he greeted me, running a hand through his rain soaked hair. Little droplets of water wen
Last Updated : 2022-06-02Rainwater Kisses Chapter One
Emma 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 an
Last Updated : 2022-06-02Rainwater Kisses Chapter Two
"Thank you for a lovely evening, but it is time for us to retire," Mrs. Saunders said as Emma sat down. She rose and stood behind Mr. Saunders' chair. The old man was struggling to keep his eyes open, seemingly exhausted by the dinner and toast. Emma jumped up and gave Mrs. Saunders a friendly hug. She was determined to win Jack's mother over eventually. Mrs. Saunders returned the affection and Emma bent to give Mr. Saunders a kiss on the cheek. He beamed up at her, and waved as Jack's assistant, Rachel, wheeled his chair away. The table watched quietly as they disappeared around a perfectly manicured hedge and into the deepening night. "I think we'll hit the hay too," my dad said as he pushed his chair out. He stood and shook Jack's hand before giving Emma a kiss. Mom gave them both a hug, her eyes bright. Her baby girl was getting married, and she was so incredibly proud and excited. She kissed my head as she walked past. I watched my parents walk hand and hand down the stone path,
Last Updated : 2022-06-02Rainwater Kisses Chapter Three
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 cam
Last Updated : 2022-06-02Rainwater Kisses Chapter Four
The next morning, I awoke a sweaty mess. Owen had invaded my dreams, and I had a feeling he would occupy my thoughts for the rest of the day as well. Still, I had taken my first flight on an airplane in order to be here, and I was going to make the most of this vacation. Tomorrow evening I would be back on a miserable flight to Iowa, so I might as well make some memories while I was here. I knew that Emma would probably be exhausted from partying and everything else that goes along with a wedding night, so I just grabbed a book and headed out to the beach. It was quiet on the resort, as all the guests were sleeping off the party. A tree caught my eye as I wandered toward the water, and I went to investigate. It was a funny little tree, with bunches of beautiful five petaled flowers. I picked one blossom from a branch, and held it to my nose. It was the sweetest flower I had ever smelled. I tucked one behind my ear, feeling very pretty. I went down to the beach, not terribly interest
Last Updated : 2022-06-02Rainwater Kisses Chapter Five
He opened the huge oak door to his house and ushered me inside. I stood at the entrance for a moment, not wanting to track sand all over, but he just kicked his sandals off near the wall and walked right in. I followed suit. I knew that Jack had been staying here when he met Emma, and that he had stopped sleeping here to stay in her cabana house by the beach. I'm sure if Emma had known what he was giving up to be with her, she would have insisted on living here instead. Owen took me on the grand tour, showing me the kitchen, the living room, the dining room, and the backyard where he hosted parties. A beautiful gazebo stood in one corner, and I thought about how much I'd like to have a gazebo like that in my backyard someday. An open door revealed some stairs leading downward. "What's down there?" I asked. He shrugged. "Nothing really. Just where I hang out when it's just me and close friends." I waited. "Well, can I see it?" He looked at me quizzically. "You want to see my Man
Last Updated : 2022-06-02Rainwater Kisses Chapter Six
As I entered my hotel room, the word still rang in my head. Sweetheart. Did that mean we were a couple now? Was this just a way to keep him in my good graces for the rest of the time I was here at the resort? I was so confused. I had only brought three dresses on this vacation. One was my bridesmaid dress, and I couldn't wear that. I had a slutty red dress that I could use to really impress him, or... I picked up my favorite dress in the world. It looked like it was out of the 1950s, like it could be in some Marilyn Monroe film. It was light pink with warm brown dots all over it. It had a pretty belt that went around the waist, and it flared out at the bottom. I put it on, the fabric soft and light, perfect for a tropical evening. I carefully did my makeup, going with a light, natural look. I didn't bother doing anything special with my hair, instead just tying the long dark locks up in a simple ponytail. We were going to be out on a boat, and I had seen enough TV to know there wou
Last Updated : 2022-06-02Rainwater Kisses Chapter Seven
"Kaylee, you have a new patient in Room Four and the man in Room Five is puking again." Allie, one of the ER unit assistants, sidled up to me, handing me the freshly made chart for the patient in Room 4. "I have Mr. Smith in Room Three ready for his EKG, and we are just waiting on Dr. Gregory to come consult. By the way, how was your sister's wedding?" "It was great. I think Iowa needs an ocean," I said with a grin. Allie giggled in agreement as I flipped open the battered blue plastic binder and started scanning through the patient's history. Thomas Birch. Male, age sixteen, fell skateboarding. Complains of 8/10 pain in wrist. No known allergies or other pertinent medical history. It was looking like a fairly routine-but-busy day. At least the busy day would keep my mind off a certain someone. "We'll probably need X-rays," I said after reading the file. "Will you find out what the wait time is down in Radiology? And go ahead and let Marta know that Mr. Birch can have the standard p
Last Updated : 2022-06-02
Latest chapter
Rainwater Kisses Chapter Twenty-Five
I awoke with a start, nearly falling off the couch as the front door buzzed. I hadn't meant to doze off and the afternoon crept up on me. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, glancing out the window. It was raining again, the room bathed in a gray light. The intercom buzzed again and I got up to answer it. I hit 'answer' only to be met with static. Right, I remembered, the buzzer's broken. Have to go down and answer it in person. I pulled my hair up into a messy ponytail, not even bothering to put on shoes for the quick trip down the stairs. I hurried down and pushed open the locked main entrance door, not expecting the wind to rush out of my body and my heart to jump in my chest. Owen stood in the entrance. He was wearing just simple jeans and a white button-up short-sleeved shirt, but he looked like a knight in shining armor to me. He gave me a crooked smile as I opened the door. "Hi, Kaylee," he greeted me, running a hand through his rain soaked hair. Little droplets of water wen
Rainwater Kisses Chapter Twenty-Four
My head buzzed as I sat up, the room unfamiliar. Slowly, I realized I had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the TV. The menu of a DVD was on loop, the instrumental song starting over every twenty seconds. I hit the power button, the pain in my head decreasing as the annoying song went away. I glanced at my watch, glad to see it was a little past ten instead of hours before dawn. Maybe my jet lag was finally wearing off. Marissa was snoring peacefully on the couch, the slight wheeze and chuckle rather endearing. I looked around for Allie, finally finding her curled up in the papasan chair, a blanket draped over her head. I smiled at my friends, then frowned as I looked around at the mess they had made. Pizza boxes littered the floor, empty beer cans hiding among them. Three empty wine glasses sat on the coffee table, a row of shot glasses lined up neatly beside them. How the shot glasses got there was a complete mystery to me, but I was sure I would hear about it once the girls
Rainwater Kisses Chapter Twenty-Three
I woke up early again the next day and immediately got groceries and then hid in my house before the rest of the world could wake up and bother me. I still felt grouchy, and crowds were the last thing I wanted to deal with. I was giving very strong consideration to simply becoming a shut-in and never having to deal with human beings again when Marissa called. "Hey you! Allie and I are coming to get you at five-thirty to go to Zoo Brew with us, so you'd better be ready," she said into the phone. She had been texting me nonstop from the moment she thought I was awake until well after lunch when she decided to finally just call. There was no doubt in her voice that I was going to go whether I wanted to or not. "Marissa, I don't know... I mean I'm still jet lagged, and.." I said, trying to get out of it. "And there is beer and wine at the zoo. Allie and I already bought your ticket. We had such a great time last year when we went, remember? Come on, animals and alcohol? What could be m
Rainwater Kisses Chapter Twenty-Two
The next morning I woke to the soft sound of more rain on the roof. I lay in bed, staring at the dark ceiling, trying to fall back asleep but not having any success. My alarm clock told me it was only four in the morning. I groaned and tried to close my eyes one last time, but my body was convinced it was lunchtime and that I needed to get up. I realized that I hated jet lag with a passion. I got up and walked into the kitchen, ready to start a pot of coffee and get something to eat. Halfway through the living room, I tripped on a laundry basket in the middle of the floor. After shouting swear words at the plastic hamper and threatening to melt it into sporks, I turned on a light and successfully navigated to my coffee pot. As I waited for the coffee to brew, I glanced around the small room. Even in the dim, pre-dawn light, it was a disaster area. Much like my life, I thought. "I'm fixing this," I said aloud to no one. I started by putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher until th
Rainwater Kisses Chapter Twenty-One
"Owen, you don't have to come. You have obligations here," I said softly as we walked in the desert sun to the waiting jet. The red carpet was there once more, along with the stairs into the plane, but I didn't feel glamorous today. I just wanted to go home and forget that this trip ever happened. "Kaylee, I can't in good conscience let you get on that airplane by yourself. You don't exactly do well on them." He smiled at me, but there was a tension around his eyes which I hadn't seen before. I boarded the airplane first, and I glanced back to see Owen standing at the first step, his gaze at the horizon. He was taking the scenery in as though he might never come back. I buckled myself into the large leather recliner, settling in and taking some deep, calming breaths. This airplane wasn't as frightening this time, but I wasn't about to think that I could do this flying thing on a regular basis. Owen sat across from me, looking out the window and resting his hands on his knees. He loo
Rainwater Kisses Chapter Twenty
"Are you okay?" Dean asked, turning to me. He grabbed my wrists and looked them over, checking for any sign of damage. A single tear rolled down my cheek. "He was gonna... he was gonna.." I couldn't get the words out. They were too horrific. Dean wrapped me up in his arms, protecting me from the world. He touched my hair softly and made a soft soothing shush noise as I broke down in tears. I sank to the floor, and Dean followed me, still holding me. I cried into his shoulder, letting the terror and frustration work itself out. He just kept quietly comforting me, keeping me safe until I was ready to talk. Finally, the tears wouldn't come anymore and my ragged sobs slowed to where I could speak. "Are you okay?" Dean asked again, concern showing in every word. I nodded. "How did he get in here, Dean? I didn't let him in. I was in the kitchen, and then he was just there." "I don't know, but I'll find out. I'm sure he just bribed someone or stole a key from housekeeping. I'm so sorry,
Rainwater Kisses Chapter Nineteen
"I'll be back in time for us to go get something for dinner tonight. Are you sure you'll be all right staying in the hotel today? I can get someone to show you around the city or something." Owen frowned slightly as I adjusted his tie. I made sure it laid straight and then smoothed the fabric across his shoulders. I loved these simple moments. They may never make a scrapbook, but that will stay in my mind forever as perfect. "I'll be fine. I think I'm still a little jet-lagged, so staying in sounds nice today. Maybe I'll go down to the spa or something later," I said, smiling up at him. His blue eyes still held a pout, so I added, "Besides, Dean will be here with me today if I change my mind." Owen glanced over to the kitchen where Dean sat reading a newspaper. He sighed and looked down at me. "You're sure you don't want to do anything today?" "Yes! Now get going, or you'll be late!" I said, pushing him toward the door. The worry vanished from his eyes as he picked up his briefcase
Rainwater Kisses Chapter Eighteen
Rachel and Emma had done well at their job of picking out my clothes. Owen's eyes practically popped out of his head when he saw me in the formal dinner dress they had chosen. It was a deep hue of blue that reminded me of twilight, right as stars start to appear but before the moon rises. The sweetheart cut would have been out of place for a conservative dinner, but with a skin-tight long-sleeve lace overlay the length of the dress, only discrete windows of my skin were exposed. I felt like something out of a fashion magazine. As we walked into the sheik's mansion, I knew that that was the point. I was here as Owen's arm candy tonight. Sheik Mohammad al-Saffar greeted us warmly as we entered a large open room in the center of what I could only call a palace. Marble archways and lavish gardens made his home exactly what I had imagined the castle from Aladdin to look like in real life. The older gentleman wore the traditional white dishdasha that I was already associating with the Mid
Rainwater Kisses Chapter Seventeen
The plane touched down and woke me from the blurry vestiges of a strange dream. As I opened my eyes sleepily, I saw Owen's smiling face. It had been a rough flight. The first four hours, Owen had managed to keep me relatively calm and distracted, but when we hit a patch of turbulence, I had lost it. Luckily, Owen had convinced me to take some medication to help me relax, and then had held me until I fell asleep. I was safe in his arms, and I managed to sleep through the rest of the flight, albeit with very strange dreams. Presently, the medication was still in my system, but at least this time I was going to get off the airplane and not have a wicked hangover. "Good morning, gorgeous. Welcome to Dubai." He kissed me gently and pushed open one of the window shades. Bright white sunshine poured into the dimly lit cabin, making me blink. I fumbled in my bag for a brush, ran it through my hair, then quickly gathered my things to get off the plane. As the door opened, I felt a blast of h
