Read Online A Penny for Your Thoughts by Bess McBride - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bess McBride
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dog-eared picture with an unsteady hand to peer at it more closely. They were both older and wiser now. And it seemed painfully clear that he’d never stopped loving her.
What was she doing now? He set his cup down and checked his watch.
****
A half hour later, phone calls made and arrangements in place to have her car window repaired, she returned to the bedroom to dress so she could take the car down to the body shop. She dragged some shorts out of her dresser and pulled them on. The phone rang and she raced for it. Matt? She needed to tell him about the address book.
“Hi, honey. I thought you were going to call this morning.”
“Oh, hi, Mom. Well, I was, but some stuff came up.” Penny returned to the kitchen to pour another cup of coffee. Phone calls with her mom were never short. She stepped out onto the balcony and settled into a chair as she told her mom about the vandalism to the car. She hesitated to mention the phone call. Her mom would worry.
“I can’t believe this. Are you sure that town is safe, Penny? We don’t have that much crime here in Missoula.” Her mother chuckled. “Okay, yes we do, but...”
“It’s a safe town, Mom. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s the only event of the week,” Penny laughed. “Well, that and a bank robbery.”
“And who’s this Chief of Police you keep talking about. You sound pretty impressed with him. Is he single?”
“Ummm...yes.”
“Penny?”
“Yes, Mom?” Penny heard the tone in her mother’s voice that had ferreted out many a secret from her teen years.
“What aren’t you saying?”
“How come you never went into law enforcement, Mom? You have a knack for it.”
“Law enforcement? Oh, you mean how I can always get the truth out of you?” Her mother’s throaty chuckle made Penny smile. “That’s just a mother’s instincts, honey.”
“Aha!” Penny stalled.
“You were saying?” her mother prodded mercilessly. “About the Chief of Police?”
Penny sighed. Her mother had read many a tear-stained letter when her daughter had been in Europe.
“It’s Matt, Mom.”
“Matt?”
Could her mother have forgotten? Was it possible?
“Matt Williams.”
“You’re kidding!”
From the sound of it, her mother had not forgotten.
“What’s he doing there? How did you run into him? Why is he in Gulf Shores? Didn’t you tell me he was in Gulfport? Did you get the towns wrong? Is that why you went there? To see him?”
“Mom! Stop!” Penny couldn’t even remember half her mother’s questions. “Wait. I don’t even remember the first question. I was wondering if you remembered him.”
“Oh yes, honey. I couldn’t forget that man.”
“Oh!” Penny paused and took a sip of coffee while she wondered what her mother meant by the simple statement. The sun shone brightly overhead in the cloudless sky giving the water a delightfully tropical aqua hue. People strolled the beach, and several brightly colored umbrellas dotted the sand even at midmorning.
****
He raced around the side of the building and into the carport. Taking the stairs two by two, he got to her door in minimum time. He checked for an instant at the top of the stairs. The hallway was empty. Taking the few steps to her doorway with confidence, he twisted the knob and the door gave way. He shook his head. She really should lock her doors. The world wasn’t a safe place to live.
****
“Well?” Penny’s mom urged.
“Umm...let’s see. No, I didn’t know he was here. The last I heard he was in Gulfport, Mississippi. That’s two hours away. So, no, I didn’t come down here because of him.”
“Really?” A skeptical tone in her mother’s voice urged Penny on.
“Mom, I didn’t come down here because of him. Really! A lot of people come down here from Michigan, and I always wanted to see the place. It’s beautiful.” She paused to collect her thoughts. “Anyway, what else did you want to know? I forgot.”
“How did you run into
What was she doing now? He set his cup down and checked his watch.
****
A half hour later, phone calls made and arrangements in place to have her car window repaired, she returned to the bedroom to dress so she could take the car down to the body shop. She dragged some shorts out of her dresser and pulled them on. The phone rang and she raced for it. Matt? She needed to tell him about the address book.
“Hi, honey. I thought you were going to call this morning.”
“Oh, hi, Mom. Well, I was, but some stuff came up.” Penny returned to the kitchen to pour another cup of coffee. Phone calls with her mom were never short. She stepped out onto the balcony and settled into a chair as she told her mom about the vandalism to the car. She hesitated to mention the phone call. Her mom would worry.
“I can’t believe this. Are you sure that town is safe, Penny? We don’t have that much crime here in Missoula.” Her mother chuckled. “Okay, yes we do, but...”
“It’s a safe town, Mom. In fact, I’m pretty sure that’s the only event of the week,” Penny laughed. “Well, that and a bank robbery.”
“And who’s this Chief of Police you keep talking about. You sound pretty impressed with him. Is he single?”
“Ummm...yes.”
“Penny?”
“Yes, Mom?” Penny heard the tone in her mother’s voice that had ferreted out many a secret from her teen years.
“What aren’t you saying?”
“How come you never went into law enforcement, Mom? You have a knack for it.”
“Law enforcement? Oh, you mean how I can always get the truth out of you?” Her mother’s throaty chuckle made Penny smile. “That’s just a mother’s instincts, honey.”
“Aha!” Penny stalled.
“You were saying?” her mother prodded mercilessly. “About the Chief of Police?”
Penny sighed. Her mother had read many a tear-stained letter when her daughter had been in Europe.
“It’s Matt, Mom.”
“Matt?”
Could her mother have forgotten? Was it possible?
“Matt Williams.”
“You’re kidding!”
From the sound of it, her mother had not forgotten.
“What’s he doing there? How did you run into him? Why is he in Gulf Shores? Didn’t you tell me he was in Gulfport? Did you get the towns wrong? Is that why you went there? To see him?”
“Mom! Stop!” Penny couldn’t even remember half her mother’s questions. “Wait. I don’t even remember the first question. I was wondering if you remembered him.”
“Oh yes, honey. I couldn’t forget that man.”
“Oh!” Penny paused and took a sip of coffee while she wondered what her mother meant by the simple statement. The sun shone brightly overhead in the cloudless sky giving the water a delightfully tropical aqua hue. People strolled the beach, and several brightly colored umbrellas dotted the sand even at midmorning.
****
He raced around the side of the building and into the carport. Taking the stairs two by two, he got to her door in minimum time. He checked for an instant at the top of the stairs. The hallway was empty. Taking the few steps to her doorway with confidence, he twisted the knob and the door gave way. He shook his head. She really should lock her doors. The world wasn’t a safe place to live.
****
“Well?” Penny’s mom urged.
“Umm...let’s see. No, I didn’t know he was here. The last I heard he was in Gulfport, Mississippi. That’s two hours away. So, no, I didn’t come down here because of him.”
“Really?” A skeptical tone in her mother’s voice urged Penny on.
“Mom, I didn’t come down here because of him. Really! A lot of people come down here from Michigan, and I always wanted to see the place. It’s beautiful.” She paused to collect her thoughts. “Anyway, what else did you want to know? I forgot.”
“How did you run into
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