A Penny for Your Thoughts (10 page)

“No, I’m just visiting.”

“Oh? Where are you from?”

“Michigan,” she said, surprised at how unused she’d grown to polite conversation over the last two solitary months. “And you?”

“No kidding? My grandparents are from Michigan! I’m here visiting them. I live in Missouri.”

“Really? I’d say it’s a small world, but there are lots of people from Michigan here this winter. The chances of meeting someone from Michigan on the coast of Alabama in the winter are...oh, I’d say...fifty-fifty!” She smiled. “Where do they live in Michigan?”

“They’re snow birding, you know...going south for the winter? They’re down from Traverse City, Michigan.”

Penny gasped and straightened in her tiny chair. “I live in Traverse City! Wow, this is a small world.” She studied him with interest.

Kevin turned bright dark-lashed eyes to her. She could almost believe he was Travis when she looked at the curls in his hair.

“No kidding! Well, maybe you know them. Gus and Marge Smith? I know it’s a common name, but...”

Penny thought hard but shook her head. “No, I don’t think I do. Where do they work? Oh, that’s right, they’re probably retired.”

“Yeah. They are.”

“Well, maybe I’ll run into them while they’re down here.”

Kevin turned to scan the waterline and nodded. “You might. They walk the beach a lot. Do you come here every day?”

Penny nodded. “Every chance I get. I love this beach. It’s so beautiful here.”

Kevin turned to her with a smile. “Yeah, it is. Although I heard there was some excitement yesterday in town. Did you hear about it...the robbery?”

“I did,” Penny nodded. “I actually went there. You mean the bank robbery, right?”

Kevin nodded.

“Yeah. That was something. I was there, too. Come to think of it, I think I saw you down there. You were inside the police line, weren’t you?”

“I was,” Penny nodded. “I have a friend who was investigating the incident.” She tilted her head and studied him. “I wonder if that was you. There was a man staring. In the dark.”

Kevin dropped his eyes. His face bronzed. “Yeah, that was me. I apologize. I was staring. I didn’t know that was you.”

Penny’s face flamed. “Well, yes. That was me. I look quite a bit different in the day I take it.”

“Oh, no. No, you don’t.”

Penny turned away from what looked astonishingly like an admiring tilt to his eyes. Was the youth flirting with her?

“You remind me of my son, Travis,” she murmured with her eyes on the birds still posturing in front of her.

Kevin fell back off his knee and onto the sand, clutching his chest. “Ouch. Oh, that hurt. What are you trying to say, Penny?”

The intimate sound of her name on his lips made her blink. “Oh, nothing,” she grinned.

“Point taken, ma’am.” He turned back toward the sea. “So, who is it you know that you were behind the police lines?”

Penny cleared her throat. How embarrassing. “The Chief of Police.”

Kevin’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh really? Well now.” He leaned toward her conspiratorially. “So, what’s the inside scoop on the robbery? What happened down there? The paper didn’t really have much information.”

Penny shrugged. “I doubt if I know much more than you do. Just that it was robbed, that’s all.”

“Do they know who did it? Any leads? Surely the bank had a camera.”

“I’m sure they had a camera. I don’t think they have any leads. I don’t really know.” Penny hesitated to release any information to a stranger. 

“Ahhh.” He nodded. The transition to his next comment was silky smooth...and unexpected. “So, are you married, Penny?”

Penny blushed. “No, I’m not. Are you, Kevin?”

He poked his chest with his thumb. “Me? Oh, no. I’m just waiting for the right woman to come along. That’s me.”

Penny refused to fall for the charming twinkle in his eye. “And what do you do when you’re not visiting your grandparents, Kevin?”

“Well, I’m a personal investment banker in Kansas City.”

Penny’s eyebrows shot up as she eyed the young man in a gray nondescript T-shirt and cargo pants.

“Really?”

Kevin looked down at his clothes and laughed. “I’m on vacation. Time to leave the suit and tie behind. I look young, huh? I’m not that young.”

“Really?” she repeated herself.

Kevin nodded. “Really. I’m thirty.”

Penny gasped. He didn’t look a day over twenty-two. She really
was
getting old.

“I can’t believe it.”

Kevin laughed and nodded. “Yup, I know. I look a lot younger.” He ran a hand through the waves of his ash brown hair.

“You sure do.”

“So, see, I’m not as young as you think.”

“Uh...no, you’re not. You still remind me of my son, Travis.”

Kevin laughed again, his bright white teeth bringing a smile to Penny’s face.

“You’re a cruel woman, Penny. I can’t possibly be near your son’s age.”

She shook her head. “No, I guess not, but you sure look it.”

Her phone rang, and she retrieved it from her beach bag.

“Excuse me.” The body shop called to report that her car was finished. She made arrangements for the courtesy driver to pick her up in twenty minutes at her condominium. She rose.

“Well, I have to get going, Kevin.” She held out her hand. “It was nice meeting you. I hope you enjoy your stay.”

“It was nice meeting you, too, Penny. I’ll be seeing you again. I’m sure of that.” He held her hand a little longer than necessary before he released it.

With a shake of her head at his antics, Penny gathered her things and turned away to head back to her condominium. She wasn’t sure she wanted him to know where she lived, but she was too tired to take a different route back to her building. She threw a last look over her shoulder to see him silhouetted against the sun, his hands jammed in his pockets, staring out to sea.

****

He pulled out into traffic, keeping his distance from the body shop’s car ahead of him. He followed them discretely until they pulled into the body shop, then he turned down a side street adjacent to the shop, made a U-turn, and parked. She came out of the shop within minutes and walked over to her car in the parking lot, a sparkling new passenger window in place. She pulled out, and he waited a moment before following her. Where was she headed now? He followed her east on the Gulf Beach Highway. She turned left up Highway 59, away from the beach. He sped up to make the light behind her, but he’d fallen behind too far behind. The light turned red, and he slammed on the brakes. He craned his neck to watch her drive north on the highway, and he tapped the steering wheel impatiently while he waited for the light to change. Fortunately, traffic was light, and the light changed within a minute. He flew around the corner and sped down the road until he saw her car once again. With a sigh of relief, he slowed. She turned right and pulled into the parking lot of a large grocery store. He drove past and pulled into the second entrance, keeping an eye on her all the while. He parked on the far end of the parking lot and got out of the car. 

****

Refurbished car in hand, Penny stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner. She grabbed a hand basket, turned around and bumped into Cliff, the FBI agent from the bank robbery site.

“Penny.” He grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

“Cliff! Sorry about that.” She recovered her balance.

Cliff dropped his hands. He wore a dark suit, light blue shirt and dark blue tie, looking very handsome in full daylight. His cobalt eyes reflected the dark blue of his shirt. He gave her a searching look before he smiled. 

“Well, well. It’s nice to see you again. Shopping for dinner?”

Penny held up her empty basket ruefully. “Yeah.” She shuffled her feet uncertainly. “So, how is the case going?”

Cliff shook his head and sighed. “Not well, I must say. I’m spending a lot more time over here than I am in my office in Mobile.”

“Oh, so you don’t live here.”

“No, I live in Mobile. We’re just the closest field office.”

“What a long drive that must be every day.”

He smiled, the weathered corners of his eyes crinkled in an attractive way. “Yeah. I’m actually going to get a room here so I don’t have to keep running back and forth.”

She smiled and glanced at her basket wondering what else she might talk about. He seemed to want to linger but had little to say.

“So, are you shopping for your dinner as well?” she asked for a conversation filler.

“No, I just stopped by to get a newspaper. I’m going to drive over to Mobile and pick up some stuff tonight and bring it back.”

“Oh,” she nodded. She shuffled from foot to foot under his scrutiny. He seemed to scan her face every time she met his eyes, and she didn’t know what he was looking for.

“Penny, I-I...” He paused, averted his eyes and pressed his lips together.

Penny looked at him expectantly. What was he going to say? She didn’t know why, but she sensed it might be important.

“I...um... Are you enjoying your stay here?”

She blinked at the innocuous question. It wasn’t what she expected.

“Oh, I am! It’s a wonderful place.”

He nodded. “Yes, it is, isn’t it?” He studied her face again, and she dropped her eyes and felt the flush in her cheeks. “Well, I’d better get going,” he murmured. “I hope to see you soon, Penny.” He nodded in her direction and walked toward one of the front registers. She watched him pick up a newspaper. He turned, caught her staring and waved with a half smile as he left. Penny rubbed her reddened cheeks, shook off the awkward feeling he’d left behind, and moved off in the direction of the food. What had he wanted to say? Was it about Matt? Cliff Sutton was fast becoming an enigma. His behavior had been totally unlike the jovial man who met Matt at the bank the other night. 

She pushed thoughts of him aside while she dawdled in front of the prepared foods, wondering how unhealthy the food was and why she shouldn’t be able to eat it like everyone else. Too much salt, too much fat, too many preservatives. She wandered over to produce and eyed the potatoes. She could hardly imagine peeling one potato for a solitary dinner. She sighed and shuffled back to the prepared foods. The single serving macaroni and cheese tempted her. Who cared about fat content and enriched wheat products? This looked just like Mom’s home cooking.

“Penny?”

She swung around to the familiar voice over her shoulder. Matt stood behind her, his head tilted to the side, a half smile on his face that made her heart thud in her throat. He tossed a small plastic grocery basket from hand to hand.

“Did you get your car fixed?”

Penny nodded mutely, desperately hoping she wouldn’t forget herself and jump into his arms. Was everyone in the grocery store at the moment?

He nodded. “Good. I’m sorry I fell asleep on you last night...this morning.”

“That’s all right,” she mumbled, averting her eyes toward the cold food storage container.

“I was much more tired than I thought, I guess.” He tilted his head charmingly to the side again, a trait she’d always loved. His five o’clock shadow did nothing to take away from his handsome looks. “Did you get your coffee?”

Penny’s lips curved. “Yes, I did, thanks.”

“Good. So, what are you doing?” He nodded toward the basket in her hands. “Shopping?”

“Yes, I was just debating on the macaroni and cheese.”

“One of your favorites, if I recall correctly.”

She swung her eyes to his face.
“You
do
remember correctly. It is.”    

“I remember.” He hesitated. “Would you like to combine resources and eat together?”
Penny’s knees threatened to buckle, and she locked them into place. This was her chance to see him again. Don’t blow it, she begged herself.
Stay calm. Stay cool. But above all, say yes!

“Ummm...sure. Sounds good. My place?”

His smile broadened, and he looked relieved. Penny wondered why. Was there ever any doubt that she was putty in his hands?

“Great! So, macaroni and cheese.” He b
ent down to pick up a container and put it in his basket. “What else do you want?”

“Oh gosh, I don’t know.” What did he even eat these days? “A salad? Some bread?”

“Sounds good.” He led the way back to produce. They picked up the ingredients for dinner and headed for the checkout. Matt barred her from paying, and she didn’t argue. No doubt he made much more money than she did as a therapist anyway.

She relished the feeling of standing next to him at the checkout. Memories flooded in. The past became the present. She found herself reaching for his hand at one point and checked herself hastily. That was then...

Matt carried the groceries out of the store and saw Penny to her car where he examined the new window. Pronouncing himself satisfied with the work, he made his way over to his vehicle and followed her home.