A Penny for Your Thoughts by Bess McBride

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

Chapter Six
    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.
    “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