A Penny for Your Thoughts (12 page)

A voice from directly below caught her attention, and she leaned over to find the source. A man stepped out of the lighted area near the ground floor of the building and strode out toward the beach. The short wavy hair was unmistakable.

Kevin! What was he doing? Did he live nearby? She remembered the path between her condominium and the building next door, an unofficial though often used beach access lane. The image of Matt’s disappointed face preyed on her, and she swung around to make her way outside, wondering if she could catch Kevin, though she had no idea why.

She trotted down the stairs and crossed around to the side of the building, using the same path Kevin must have taken. The lights of the buildings faded as she moved away, and she slowed her pace, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Against the white of the breakers, she saw Kevin’s silhouetted form as he stood at the shoreline.

She approached quietly, unwilling to pathetically shriek his name, unwilling to see him tear off at a dead run from the lonely older woman who stalked him. Penny grinned at the image. She paused when she heard his voice. Apparently, he was on the phone, though she couldn’t see clearly.

“No, I know I missed the appointment. Can’t you give me a break? My grandfather still needs me to get him back and forth to the hospital. I can’t come back yet.”

Silence. Penny stilled and held her breath, wondering what to do. She shouldn’t eavesdrop, but she wasn’t ready to return to the cold uneaten food in her apartment.

“Okay, thanks. I’ll be there.”

Penny heard the sound of his phone snapping shut. She cleared her throat.

Kevin swung around. “What the--” he barked.

“Kevin, it’s me, Penny.” She put out a calming hand.

“Penny, you scared the cr-- You scared me half to death. How long have you been standing there?” She tilted her head to look up at him. He had to be just over six feet. She hadn’t realized how tall he was.

“I-I’m sorry, Kevin. Not long. I could tell you were on the phone, so I waited to say hello.”

“Oh, yeah, the phone.” He pulled it out of his cargo shorts pocket and glanced at it. “I was just talking to a friend. I borrowed something and forgot to return it before I left and now he wants it back.”

Penny nodded. “Ahhh. I see. I hate to borrow things. I’m always afraid I’m going to forget to return them.” She turned discretely to watch the white breakers on the dark sea. The lights of the buildings behind cast a small measure of light on the beach. It sounded as if Kevin’s grandfather was...or had been ill. Should she say something?

“I couldn’t help overhearing a little bit, actually. About your grandfather?”

“My grandfather?”

Penny opened her mouth to quote his words, but he gave a short laugh. She couldn’t read his expression in the dark.

“Oh, yeah, my grandfather. I’d forgotten what I was talking about on the phone already. Yeah, my grandfather...broke his ankle, and he needs me to drive him back and forth to doctor’s appointments. That’s actually why I came down here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Kevin. I hope he’s all right. And your grandmother needed help?”

“Yes, that’s right. She doesn’t drive, so...”

“Wow, that’s tough. Plus, he probably needs help getting around anyway. Is he on crutches?”

“Yes, he is. Nasty things. They look painful.”

“I had crutches once when I was a teenager. Broke my ankle, too, playing volleyball.”

“Well, then you know how it is.”

“I do. Tell him to keep his foot elevated as much as possible.”

“Yeah, I do. So, what are you doing out on the beach tonight, Penny? Stargazing?”

Penny shuffled some sand at her feet. Why had she chased the poor boy down anyway?

“Oh, I just decided to take a walk after dinner.” She thanked the darkness for hiding her blush.

“It is nice out tonight, isn’t it?” he murmured as he looked up at the stars.

Penny followed his gaze calmly though her mind worked in overtime. What the heck was she doing out here with this young man? What had possessed her?

“Yes,” she nodded. “Yes, it is. Are your grandparents staying near here, Kevin?”

“My grandparents?” She couldn’t make out his expression in the dim light. “Oh, yeah. They are staying near here...in that building down there.” Kevin pointed in the general area of another condominium.

“Oh,” Penny murmured. 

“So, Penny, I never did get a chance to talk to you as much as I wanted today. Tell me about yourself.” He turned his face, and the distant glow of the lights behind them revealed a bright smile.

“Oh dear. Not much to tell really. I’m a mental health therapist in Michigan. I have a son who’s in college in California. That’s about it.”

“I’m sure there’s much more to you than that, Penny, but I’ll let you keep your secrets...for now.” She didn’t miss the daredevil tilt of his grin.

Penny shook her head with a wry smile. He definitely seemed intent on flirting. She couldn’t help but be flattered.

“No secrets,” she murmured as she stuck a toe in the sand. She looked up and flashed him a crooked grin. “What about you? What secrets are you hiding?” 

He laughed and opened his arms wide in an expansive gesture. “No secrets here. I’m an open book.”

Penny chuckled. “How long are you staying here in Gulf Shores?”

“I don’t know. It all depends on how long my grandparents need me.”

Penny fell silent, having exhausted most of her conversation openers.

“A penny for your thoughts.”

Penny turned to Kevin and laughed. “If I could have a penny for every time I’ve heard that...”

“Pretty corny, huh?” His easy chuckle suggested no hurt feelings.

“It’s not easy having a name like Penny.”

“Is that short for anything?”

“Penelope.”

“Penelope,” he repeated. “Listen, would you like to grab a cup of coffee or a drink somewhere?”

Penny’s eyes shot open.
What?

“I-I...”

“That’s okay if you’re not comfortable with the idea, Penny. You don’t know me. I’m just a stranger. It’s always wise to be cautious.”

“Oh, I’m not worried about you, Kevin. You seem harmless enough.” Penny glanced over her shoulder at her building. “It’s just...well, I could make some coffee upstairs. If you don’t mind home brewed, that is.”

“Mind? That sounds great! Sure.”

Penny swallowed hard. Well, talk about acting on a whim.
Now what?
She took a deep breath.

“It’s just coffee, right, Kevin? I mean...I’m not looking--”

“Just coffee, Penny,” Kevin said in a quiet voice. He touched her shoulder lightly with a friendly gesture. “Just coffee.”

Penny’s half smile wavered, and she turned toward her condominium. “I’m in this building right here.”

Kevin followed her across the sand and along the path which came around to the front of the building. They climbed the steps in silence while Penny remembered she’d left the uneaten dinner on the table.

She opened the door to her apartment, silently cursing that she’d forgotten to lock it again. Whoever broke into her car had her address. Kevin stepped inside behind her.

“Why don’t you go out onto the balcony? I’ll just clear these dishes away. I should have picked them up before I went out for the walk.” She hurried to clear the table. Kevin wandered toward the sliding glass door and pushed it open.

“It looks like you had company. You did say you’re staying here alone, right?”

Penny glanced at him quickly. He paused by the door with a raised brow.

“Yes, it’s just me. I-I did have company for dinner.” She busied herself removing the dishes and storing the remaining food in the refrigerator. “We had lots of food left over, I’m afraid. Are you hungry?” She paused for a moment. He still waited by the open door, studying the table.

He grinned and shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m fine. I’ll just wait for the coffee.”

“I’m making some right now. Go ahead out and relax.”

Kevin stepped outside and shut the door quietly behind him, cutting off the distant sound of the waves.

Penny leaned against the counter for a moment and sighed. She was exhausted. What had possessed her to drag a strange young man up to her apartment? She wasn’t a social butterfly. This wasn’t her style. It seemed likely this was a reaction to her encounter with Matt.

She shook her head, turned on the coffee pot and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Then she stepped over to the balcony door and slid it open.

Kevin sat in one of the acrylic lounge chairs. The lights of the dining room and kitchen brought him into full view. He had crossed one ankle over the other knee and rested his hands behind his head, appearing the picture of relaxation.

“This is nice. It’s a nice view. I’d love to sit here and listen to the sound of the waves every night.”

Penny took the chair on the other side of a small matching end table.

“I thought your grandparents were just down the way? Aren’t they on the beach?”

He lowered his arms and straightened in his seat.

“Oh yeah, they are. No, they don’t have a beach view. I meant it must be nice to have a place facing the beach.”

“Oh,” Penny murmured. “It is nice, isn’t it?” What was she supposed to talk about now?

“Soooo...” she stammered. “The coffee will be ready in a minute.”

“Good. No sugar or cream for me, thanks.”

“Okay.” Penny jumped up. “I’ll just go check it now.”

“It’s only been a minute since you sat down. Are you nervous, Penny?”

Penny stilled with her hand on the door. “Nervous? Me? Why would I be nervous? No,” she chuckled as she pulled the door open and stepped inside. She stumbled over to the kitchen counter and pressed up against it gratefully, watching the coffee drip. All too soon, the pot filled with aromatic liquid, and she dragged down two mugs and filled them. She returned to the patio door and slid it open with her elbow.

Kevin jumped up to take the cups from her hand. He placed them on the small table between the chairs and sat down.

“So, have you heard any more about the bank heist the other day? I haven’t even read the paper today. Been too busy.”

Penny tried to remember what Matt had said.

“No, I don’t think they have anything yet.”

Matt took a sip of his coffee.

“Mmmm... That’s good, nice and hot.” He grinned appreciatively.

Penny murmured an assent and pressed her own cup to her lips.

“So, how long have you known the Chief of Police?”

Penny jerked and spilled a few drops of coffee on her shirt. “What?” she muttered as she dabbed at her shirt.

“You said you knew the Chief of Police, but you’re from Michigan. How long have you known him?”

She gave him a quick glance and stared down at her cup once again. “Oh, a long time. Since college.”

“Where’d you go to college? Michigan?”

“No, Montana. I’m from Montana. Matt went to college there after he got out of the military.”

“So, were you two...?” Kevin left the words hanging delicately in the air.

Penny’s stomach churned. She found it awkward discussing Matt with this younger man. It seemed disloyal, especially after Matt’s unexpected reaction earlier.

“Yes, we were, but that was a long time ago,” she answered with what she hoped was an air of finality.

“I’m sorry,” Kevin murmured. He took another sip of coffee and turned to look at the sea. “You sound sad, Penny.”

Penny threw him a startled glance. She wouldn’t have thought him capable of such insight. He seemed generally carefree and untroubled. Was she that painfully obvious?

“I don’t mean to,” she replied honestly. “Like I said, it was over long ago. We’re just friends. I didn’t even know he was the Chief of
Police here. The last I heard, he worked in Gulfport, Mississippi. I was quite surprised to see him the other day.”

“Did you just bump into each other?”

She squirmed a bit. “Well, kind of. I had to make a police report about something.”
Kevin uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “Really? What happened? Nothing bad, I hope. Of course, a police report usually means something’s wrong.”

Penny shook her head. “No, no. It was nothing.” She shrugged. “I got this phone call, that’s all. And then someone broke int
o my car.”

“You’re kidding! That sounds serious. Did they steal anything?”

“Nothing of value. Well, my address book is missing. I may have misplaced it, but I don’t know where.”

“Hopefully. You sure wouldn’t want someone to get hold of your address book, that’s for sure.”

Penny gulped.

“And the phone call? What was that about?”

“Just a prank call...but a pretty awful one.”

“Like what?” His sympathetic gaze loosened her tongue.

“Oh, just someone saying he was going to kill me.” Goosebumps broke out on her arms as she repeated the words yet again. It wasn’t getting easier to describe the call, no matter how she tried to minimize it. She winced as she saw Kevin’s head swing in her direction. She didn’t want to talk about the call any more for a while.