Wishful Kisses: A Fountain of Love Novella Read Online Free PDF Page B

around the coin.
    "I wish I had Tony again. I wish I could've stopped him from going. I wish I had the chance to be with him again," I whispered.
    I tossed the coin into the fountain. It hit the water with a small plop; the coin sank slowly to the bottom and settled on the other coins. Nothing else happened. There was no magic. Nothing. I was still alone.
    I wiped a tear from my cheek and turned from the fountain. I headed back home to try and work on my painting and forget the morning.

Chapter 7
    June 7 th , 1990
    ––––––––
    J enny and I made a pasta salad for dinner. Penne pasta, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, avocados, tomatoes, feta cheese, and a handful of arugula came together with fresh basil and olive oil in a bowl to make a little piece of heaven.
    "We might even get them to eat something green," Jenny joked as she stirred the mixture together. I wasn't sure if her ploy was going to work, but the salad looked amazing. Jenny was one of the best cooks I had ever met. I was going to miss living with her.
    The boys lay sprawled out in Adirondack chairs on the back porch, each drinking a beer. Jenny opened the screen door and put her hand on the back of Matt's chair.
    "Hey, honey, dinner's ready," Jenny said in a sickly sweet voice. I couldn't help but laugh at her impression of a housewife. Despite her amazing cooking abilities, I couldn't see Jenny being a housewife. Ever. She had too much energy bottled inside of her, too much excitement for going out and partying to ever be stuck at home. I pitied the man who thought he could make her a homemaker.
    "Did I hear that dinner's ready?" Dean asked, coming up the steps. Rachel grinned at us. There were tear marks on her cheeks, but she was all smiles now. I knew her cousin had been in a pretty bad motorcycle accident the year before, and I wondered if that was where her anxiety around the motorcycles originated. Thinking about it, I was surprised she had gotten on one at all. She must have really trusted Dean.
    "Yeah, but only because Rachel didn't make it," I teased through the open door, and she stuck her tongue out at me.
    "If I had made it, we would be eating pizza." She threw herself into a chair, and Dean went inside to get them drinks. "I have the unique ability to burn water."
    I pulled out plates and started spooning the salad onto them. Dean managed to balance two plates with forks and two opened beers and navigate the screen door to bring it out to Rachel. Tony came inside to help me carry the food out. He sat in one of the chairs, and I sat at his feet, enjoying being near him. If I sat on a chair, I wouldn't get to touch him.
    "What about me?" Matt asked, as everyone settled on the porch with their food. Jenny hadn't brought his out, and he hadn't gotten up to get it. Jenny raised her eyebrow at him and took a big bite of pasta. He made an over dramatic pout and got up. He rustled around in the kitchen before returning to his seat with a heaping plate of food.
    The six of us sat and ate quietly. It was a testament to the food that we wanted to eat more than we wanted to talk. I could tell the boys were fairly worn out from their day. I wondered what they had done all day. I probably didn't want to know, but looking over at Tony, I knew he would tell me if I asked. The thought made me smile. I wasn't going to ask, but I hoped they had the time of their lives riding around on those bikes.
    "I think I'm going to hit the hay a little early tonight, guys," Jenny said once we had all finished our meals. The sun was just starting to tip into the ocean, turning the world red and gold. The sun reflected off the waves like a glowing jewel being set in a piece of jewelry. It was mesmerizing.
    "What?" Matt frowned at her. "I thought we were..."
    Jenny glared at him and raised her eyebrows as if she were trying to speak to him using only her mind. He grinned.
    "Early night for me too," he said lamely. Rachel giggled, and Dean rolled his eyes as Jenny and