Thomas' POV
I was watching her bathe herself while she was deep in thought, the sun glistening on her wet body, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Here on this island I wasn't a billionaire that had to live up to his family's standards, here is I was just a man who was able to allow himself to fall In love. This was the first woman I had ever pictured as the mother of my future children, having a life and growing old with. My family had originally arranged a marriage between me and Tillie Macintosh, who was from a extremely wealthy family that had created a popular brand of tooth paste. They weren't near as wealthy as the Parker family but they had considerable connections throughout the political and government world. I suddenly found myself frowning, thinking about my family. I did miss them but if we ever made it back what would it mean for Charlie and I.
I sat up to better feel the breeze when I saw just a speck in the ocean, I looked down at Charlie and back at it, and for a moment I weighed the options of not saying anything at all, but no matter how happy either one of them were it just wasn't worth risking. I jumped up and ran to the fire, lifting a burning stick and putting in the signal fire we had built, it was dried out leaves and branches that lit up like the fourth.
Charlie saw it and yelled: Oh my god, where is it, what do you see? I pointed out as I dropped to my knees and said: Well whoever, or whatever it is, is much too far away to hear us, the only thing for us to do now is wait.
We sat holding each other as we waited, watching for over an hour but couldn't see them any better then we had. Charlie jumped up yelling: We need to be sure they see us, we need the smoke bigger and the flames higher, help me Thomas.
We both grabbed whatever we could to get seen, but Charlie's eyes started to lose hope and the grief on her face killed me. I looked around for a moment, walked to the fire to pull a flame from it and lit up the shack. Chalie's eyes widened in shock and tears stained her cheek as we sat holding each other, watching our home turn to ash.
Just then we heard the sound of the boats horn, we could see them getting closer and finally we would be rescued and in a short while on their way home.
The boat anchored and a small tender started toward the island. As they came closer they could see a small short fat man with greasy looking clothes and a tall thin man with spindly arms and legs, his clothes looked smart but warn and he had a long ponytail under a dirty old captains hat. He yelled: Ahoy there!
We both called back to acknowledge him and soon they joined us on the beach. The captain shook my hand and said: Are you Thomas Parker?
"Yes that's me" Charlie looked taken back but I wasnt really surprised, I knew my family would find a way to bring me home some how.
"How could you possibly know who he is?"
The Captain replied: well I think just about everyone in the Caribbean Coast knows who the Parker family is now. The Parker family has been putting up a bit of a stink looking for him. My name is Captain Francis Brown and this here is my first mate, Anton Nevis. And who might you be dear lady?
Charlie smiled with a slight blush as she shook his out stretched hand and replied: My name is Charlotte Miller, but you can call me Charlie. She looked at me and grinned before continuing: Thank you Sir for coming to get us. Words will never express how much it means to both of us.
The Captain smiled as he raised one eye brow and responded: Well, I have to admit, it wasn't just out of the goodness of my heart, I was promised a sizable reward if I found him, of course no one mentioned another passenger.
I interrupted him knowing if he said one more word, I'd would probably beat the man half to death: You will get your reward, just get us off this island and back to civilization. Charlie looked at me as if I were a different man, I felt a twinge of sadness at the look she gave me but I had to be Thomas the Billionaire right now, cold and distant.
They gather a few keep sake's from the few belongings and left the island for good.
Back on the ship I asked the captain if he had a satellite phone. The Captain handed it off to me and I was able call home: Hello, this is the Parker residents, how may I help you? Said Francine, a housekeeper that has worked for the family since I was just a little boy I could never pronounce her name so since I was little I've called her Fanny.
I paused for a moment, soaking in the comfort from her voice before replying: Fanny, I need to speak to my father. Fanny inhaled sharply and I could tell she was now crying for joy but without saying a word of how she felt, she told me she would be back and immediately went to get William Parker. This no nonsense attitude was just what I loved about her, she knew exactly when to be his loving second mother and when to get down to business.
William got on the phone: Son?
I told my father a little of what had happened and gave him the captains details for him to be paid at the next port.
I handed the greedy Captain his phone: You will get your money at the next port as you requested with a little extra for the additional passenger.
Captain Brown smiled and bowed saying: Why thank you! By the way, I have had your rooms prepared and will have Mr. Nevis take you to them. Thomas's brows pinched together as he looked at the crew and then back to the Captain before responding: Miss Miller, will be staying in my room with me, she was my guest on the cruise ship, and I am responsible, not only for her going missing, but also her safe return.
Captain Brown had a flash of disappointment before replying: As you wish Mr. Parker.