Fountain of Wishes, Part 2 ~ Tuesday Tale

The Pineapple Fountain
by Just Watching the Wheels Go Round

          Troy reached the woman’s side in time to hear his name on her breath. Her wide eyes captivated him, green and wonderfully familiar.

“Chloe? Chloe Brown?" He searched her face. "Oh, wow!  It's you.” He reached out to take her in his arms, but opted for giving her upper arms a gentle squeeze.

She stood frozen, staring up at him with disbelief written across her face. So many emotions flitted through her gorgeous green eyes, he wasn't sure whether she was glad or horrified to see him.

He dropped his hands and stuffed them in his pockets all casual-like, but he didn't step away. “How are you?” He spoke in a soft intimate tone. Did she know how much he cared? Did she know the agony he'd endured since...

            “I… I’m okay.” A look of wonder began to dawn on her face. “How about you?”

            “I’m good.” I’m more than good now that I've found you, is what he wanted to say. “You look as amazing as ever.” He allowed his gaze to sweep over her.

            Her brows crinkled. “I do?” She glanced down as if she’d forgotten what she was wearing. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.” Was that accusation lacing her tone?

            He shrugged. “Like I said. You look amazing.” His fingers itched to trace her brow... trail down her cheek... run through her hair. He fisted them in his pocket and hoped she would get the message he intended his tone to send.

            She blushed. Her eyes flicked away. A sweet smile began to blossom when she nixed it by chewing on the corner of her lip. She always did that when she grew self-conscious around him. After two years, he still remembered every little nuance. They were forever branded on his heart.

            “So, what brings you to Charleston? Are you on vacation?” She spoke in a shy melodic voice – music to his ears.

            “No. I transferred here last month.”

            Her eyes grew wide again. “You did what?”

            He grinned. “I transferred here.” And I've been looking for you ever since.

            “Why?”

            He glanced away and watched the water spill over the edges of the Pineapple for a moment. “I put in for a transfer.” He jingled the coins in his pocket. “There was an opening at this branch and I put in for it.” His gaze collided with hers again and he swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. “And here I am.”

            “But… why?”

            He tipped the corner of his mouth in a teasing smile. “A little birdie once told me it’s the best place on earth to live.”

            A smile spread on her rosy lips, but she glanced away again. “Oh.”

            Silence settled between them and he waited for reality to settle in.

            She finally spoke. “Is that the only reason you moved? Here, I mean?”

            He hesitated. He’d longed for this day for two years – since the day she walked out of the office and never returned. She hadn’t even said good-bye.

            “It’s part of the reason, but not the whole.”

            “Oh.” Disappointment tinged her tone. “I see.”

            No, dear Chloe. I don’t think you do. There was nothing he wanted more than to take her sweet face in his hands, tell her how much he loved her… needed her, and would do whatever it took to get her back. But how could he when he’d never given her reason to believe he'd cared in the first place? He’d been a class A jerk. An ignoramus. A victim of his own pride.

            And if the tears she seemed to blink away were any indication, he wasn't the only one who'd paid the price.