A Penny for Your Thoughts by Bess McBride Read Free Book Online Page B

happened?”  
    “Oh, nothing.” Penny slumped further into the sofa. “I got that teaching job in Belgium at the American military base, and that was the end of it.”
    “Really... Just like that, huh?”
    “Yeah, you know. You grow up, move on.”
    “No, I don’t know.”
    Penny shrugged again though Travis couldn’t see her. “We lost touch. Three years was a long time to be gone.”
    “Didn’t you try to keep in touch?”
    “I wrote a few times. I didn’t hear back from him.”
    “I’m sorry, Mom.”
    The ever ready tears sprang to Penny’s eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was cry on her son’s shoulder.
    “Oh, it wasn’t that big of a deal, Travis. I got over it.”
    “Really? It doesn’t sound like it. Are you going to be seeing him again?”
    “I don’t know. I’m sure he’s busy. So, how is school going anyway?”
    “Changing the subject, huh?” Travis chuckled again. “Pretty good. I’m in for the long haul. I have...what? One more year to finish my bachelor degree, another for my master’s and another two for the PhD?”
    “You’re the one who wanted to be a psychologist. I settled as a mere therapist. And I can see you’ve been practicing on me.”
    “But you give me so much material to work with, Mom.” Travis laughed, a hearty laugh that reminded her of the little boy he’d once been though his voice had deepened.
    “I’m pleased to be able to help, Travis,” she said dryly, stifling her own chuckle.
    “Aw, Mom, you know I love you. Listen, I’ve got to get going. Take care and let me know how things go...if you get any more calls.”
    Penny shrugged off the chill that ran up her spine.
    ”I’m sure it was a one-time thing.”
    “I hope so,” he said as he said good night.
    Penny hung up the phone, feeling better for having talked to family. She crossed over to the balcony sliding door, unlocked it and pulled it open. The night sea breeze assaulted her once again, and she welcomed the cool air. She stepped out onto the balcony and bypassed the lounge chairs to rest her hands on the railing. The crescent-shaped moon cast a small silvery path across the sea toward the beach. She allowed the salt-tinged wind to blow through her hair, seeming to wash away the fears and tears of the hectic day, and she felt refreshed and calmed.
    The sea always made her feel better...without fail. She contemplated the universal appeal of the beach, wondering why humans were prey to the hypnotic effects of riotous waves on silky white sand, sparkling water under a bright sun, the elusive never ending search for a perfect seashell when walking the beach.
    She scanned the shoreline. The hour was late. No moving figures walked hand in hand under the faint sliver of the young moon. She sighed. Perhaps all the lovers were safely in their rooms, tucked in bed, lying next to the person they loved. She began to turn away, but a movement caught her eye.
    She’d been wrong. Someone was out on the beach tonight. A lone figure stood on the beach directly in front of her condominium. She squinted. The figure appeared human. She didn’t think it was one of the two tall blue herons who frequented the beach. The figure didn’t move. Did someone fish at this late hour? She couldn’t see a fishing pole, but the night was dark, and he or she was too far away to get a clear view. Perhaps it was just a lonely soul, someone who couldn’t sleep.
    Penny turned away and reentered the living room, locking the door behind her. She left the balcony curtains open so she could wake up to sunshine. No one down below on the beach could see inside the condominium at this elevation. She undressed, showered and crawled into bed, wondering how late Matt would be up, wondering where he lived and what his life had been like over the years.
    ****
    He stared up at the balcony. Though the back lighting from inside the condominium outlined her body, he couldn’t see her face clearly. Still, he knew it was her. He’d