A Penny for Your Thoughts (9 page)

“How did you run into him?”

“It’s a small town. He was the one who responded when I got the phone--” Penny bit her lip, but it was too late.

“When you got what? A phone call? What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Mom. I just... I didn’t mean to tell you. You’ll worry too much.”

“Well, I’m worrying more now. Tell me!”

“It’s just...” Penny rolled her eyes. “I got this phone call yesterday, that’s all. Kind of an anonymous thing.”

“And you called the police?”

“Yes,” Penny’s face flamed. It did sound like overreacting when her mother put it that way.

“Why would you call the police over an anonymous call?” Detective Mom prodded.

“Well, I didn’t want to tell you...”

“So you said.”

Penny sighed. “It was a man. He knew my name. And he threatened to kill me.”

Her mother’s shriek outdid even the seagulls.

“What!”

“It’s nothing, Mom. He hasn’t called back. We think it was a prank phone call.”

****

He backed out of the closet, kept the door open in case he needed to duck in quickly, but he couldn’t resist listening to snatches of the conversation on the balcony. The words carried into the bedroom. He moved near the bedroom door and peered around the corner. As he had seen from the beach, she sat in a lounge chair, one foot braced on the glass coffee table. Her back was to him. He grinned and retreated back into the bedroom to pull open the drawer of the nightstand, moving things to the side...searching. A glint of brass caught his eye. He held the key up and studied it. Not what he was looking for, but if it went to the apartment, he’d take it. He stuffed it in his pocket. He paused to listen for a moment. She was still talking. He searched the other nightstand. Empty. A check of the top dresser drawers revealed nothing. Clothes, socks, lingerie. He fingered a pair of purple lace underwear for a moment, and threw a glance over his shoulder as if he could see her on the balcony.

“Oh, really?” he whispered with a grin. “Who knew, Miss Therapist? I’ll bet old Jerry didn’t.”

He tossed them back into the drawer and snapped it shut with impatience, albeit in silence. A search of the other drawers revealed nothing of interest.

****

“Who’s we?” Penny’s mother demanded.

“Well, me...” Penny rubbed her left temple with her spare hand. “The call was forwarded from my boss’s number in some kind of phone scam thing. I don’t know how it works.”

“Your boss. You mean Tim?”

“Yeah, but he didn’t have anything to do with it. At any rate, whoever called probably lives in Michigan somewhere. For all I know, he could be some youngster with a deep voice and little parental supervision. I think I’m going to stop worrying about it.”

“But now your car has been broken into. Don’t you think something’s up?”

Penny tamped down a surge of anxiety at her mother’s words. She was down here to heal, not take on new misery.

“I don’t think so, Mom. I hope not. Let’s change the subject. I’ll let you know if I get another phone call, how’s that?”

“You’d better,” her mother warned. “That must be a small town if they send the Chief of Police out on a call.”

“Yes, Mom. It’s small.”

“How are you doing?”

Penny knew what her mother asked. She owed her the truth since the woman had provided endless emotional support when Matt refused to keep in touch.

“I’m okay, Mom. It’s really easy to fall in love with him again. Really easy. He hasn’t changed a bit.”

“Isn’t he married?”

“He was, but he’s divorced now.”

“Hmmm,” her mother grunted.

Penny took another sip of coffee in the ensuing silence. She knew her mother was searching for words.

“Penny, please be careful, honey. I hear something in your voice. I’m almost more worried about Matt than I am about that phone call or the vandalism to your car. Well, I’m more worried about you getting your heart broken again.”

“I know you are, Mom. I remember how many times I sobbed on the stationary in my letters...and how patient you were with words of encouragement. I remember the renewed bout of crying after I found out he’d married and how you let me cry on the phone for as long as I needed.”

“I can’t tell you how painful it was to hear you hurt so much, Penny.”

With a mother’s heart, Penny understood how distressed her mother must have been to hear her daughter suffer.

“I know, Mom. I’m sorry.”

“
You
don’t have to be sorry, honey. I’m here for you. But I hear that note in your voice again when you talk about him.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ve got to be honest with you. If Matt turned to me tomorrow and said, ‘I love you. Come to me,’ I’d drop everything and run to him. I guess he’s probably the love of my life.” Penny chuckled to diffuse the truth of her last clichéd words.

****

His hands stilled as he closed the last dresser drawer. Sounded serious! What a lot of romantic claptrap. Love of her life! He allowed himself the satisfaction of a snort. Who believed in that garbage?

Well, he sighed, she wasn’t going to be able to drop everything and go running, not if he had anything to say about it. He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked around the tidy, if unlived in, bedroom. The closet was next.

She had to have them. They had to be here somewhere. Because if he couldn’t find what he was looking for, he was going to have to come up with a way of making her talk. That address book might just come in handy, he thought. After all, there was Mom on the phone...where ever she was. He was pretty sure Penny would give up anything to protect her mother.  

****

Her mother sighed. “I know he’s the love of your life, honey. I’ve always known it. You’re so stubborn.”

“Is that what it is?” Penny whispered as a tear rolled down her face. Blurry seagulls flew across the sand to land on the water’s edge.

“Must be.” Her mother cleared her throat. “Did you ever find out why he refused to write after you left?”

“Not really, Mom. It seems a little late to ask him now.”

“Well, are you thinking about getting involved with him again? What about your life in Michigan? Travis?”

“No, Mom, I’m not thinking about getting involved with him again...not really. A girl can dream though.” She gave a watery snort. “Besides, how would I know if he was interested in me? He never really let me know last time. I had to chase him. He’s always been a little...um...reticent about how he feels.” Penny swallowed hard. “Do you know he never even told me he loved me? Maybe he never did.”

“Oh, Penny. You guys were together for two years. I’m sure he loved you...even if he never said it. You know men. They’re not like us.” Her mother’s chuckle lightened the conversation.

“You’ve got that right,” Penny said. “Except Dad. He was a sweetie.”

“Yes, he was, bless his heart. I can’t believe he’s been gone almost five years now.”

“Me either,” Penny sighed. “I miss him.”

“I do too, honey. I do too.”

“So, what about you, Mom? Dating anyone?” Penny couldn’t resist an urge to tease her mother.

“What! Me? Oh, please... I’m too busy for men. Way too busy.”

“Oh, really?” Penny emulated her mother’s skepticism.“Yes, really. In between events at the senior center, my charity work and a trip to Europe this summer, where am I going to find time for a man?”

“You’ve got plenty of time.”

“And have him try to spend my Social Security check? I think not.” Penny could just see her mother’s dark eyebrows raised in horror. “Nope, I’m just fine.”

Penny laughed outright, her first in some time, and it felt great.

“Oh, Mom,” she said as she wiped a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye.

“So what about Michigan? What about Travis?”

“Well, since Matt is hardly going to fall in love with me all these years later, Mom, I suppose I’m heading back to Michigan at the end of my sabbatical. Too bad you don’t have any room in that senior center of yours. I’d come and live with you. And Travis is happy with his girlfriend at college in California. Happy, happy!”

“I see. I wish you could come back to Montana, dear. I miss seeing you. But you’re right, there’s no room at the center for someone your age.”

Penny chuckled. “You guys are so ageist. Really! I feel discriminated against.”

“Yes, well, it’s a little slow around here, honey. You’d give some of these fellas a heart attack.”

“Mom!” Penny hooted. She checked her watch. “Hey, Mom. I’ve got to get the car to the shop if I want to get it back today. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

“All right, dear. Tomorrow. Bye.”

****

He heard the words of farewell, and stepped into the closet without haste, easing the doors shut quietly behind him. If she needed to come into the closet... Well, that would be her bad luck. Things would move much faster than he’d planned.

He breathed through his nostrils, allowing them to flare as he filled his lungs with the enjoyable scent of perfumed clothing. Purple lacy underwear, huh? What else did he need to know about her? Besides the fact that Jerry was dead because of her.

Maybe...maybe after he found what he wanted...maybe, he’d give her a chance to make it up to him. After all, hadn’t Jerry told him he needed to get some help...get some counseling?

He leaned against the back of the closet and waited.  

****

Penny closed her phone, slipped it into her pocket and stepped back into the condo. She hurried into the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush. Leaning forward to study her haggard face in the mirror while she brushed her teeth, she wondered how she was going to hide the shadows under her eyes. Hide them from Matt...if she ever saw him again. She couldn’t bear an alternative thought.

She rinsed, hustled out of the bathroom, grabbed her purse from the living room coffee table and headed out the door, stopping to lock it before tripping down to the parking lot. The first floor parking area seemed innocent and safe this morning as rays of sunshine shown under the building. The only reminder of the vandalism was the broken passenger side window.

She gingerly climbed into the car, hoping hidden glass wouldn’t suddenly find its way into her backside. Nothing poked her, and she started the engine, backed out of the space and made her way to the body shop. She dropped off the car, grabbed her beach chair from the trunk, and got a ride back to her condominium with the body shop’s courtesy driver who promised to call her when the car was done.

When Penny reached her place, she headed straight for the kitchen to make a sandwich. She wrapped it and packed it into a small beach bag along with a bottle of water, her camera and some binoculars. One never knew when a dolphin might decide to swim by and require close ogling. She grabbed her short-legged beach chair and made her way back downstairs to saunter onto the beach.

Noon had come and gone, and she was famished. She dropped her chair in her favorite spot and plopped into it, once again barely skimming the surface of the sand on the low rider. She opened her sandwich and began to munch with a healthy appetite while she eyed several seagulls who approached with a hopeful glint in their eyes.

“Nope. It’s not happening. Don’t even look at me like that. You’re not getting any.”

Penny turned away to stare at delicate waves nipping at the shoreline. The wind was calm, and the waves showed little of the vigorous energy she’d seen yesterday. A movement from the side caught her attention. One feisty seagull attempted to block another from his prize “human with food” by running back and forth between Penny and the new hopeful.

“Don’t come any nearer. I’m not feeding you. You’re wasting your time.” Penny squinted at the seagulls.

“Are you talking to me or to the birds?” An amused voice spoke from behind.

Penny swung around to see a tall, young man standing just behind her, hands in the pockets of his dark brown cargo shorts. He gave her one of those bright and healthy white-toothed charming grins of youth.

She nodded and gave an embarrassed laugh as she squinted into the sun at him. “The birds. I didn’t know anyone was around. They’re always after my food, but I never give them any.”

“Why not?”

She peered up at him again. “I can’t imagine what would happen to them if everyone fed them garbage all day. It can’t be healthy. Besides, I don’t want a flock of seagulls dogging me every day.”

“
Dogging
you,” the young man repeated with a chuckle. “That’s funny. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was standing nearby, and I thought you were talking to me for a second.”

To Penny’s surprise, he dropped onto one knee near her chair. His short dark curly hair reminded her of Travis. He held out a hand.

“My name’s Kevin by the way.”

Penny put her hand in his. “Nice to meet you, Kevin,” she said. “Penny.”

“Do you live here? This is my first time visiting.” Kevin’s bright blue eyes took their color from the sea.