A Penny for Your Thoughts Read Online Free Page B

reasons out--not for all the wailing and sobbing in the world when they’d parted fifteen years ago.
    She finished the statement, signed it and handed it to Matt with a shaky hand. He read it over, his dark brows narrowing as he scanned the page, and he laid it down on the desk with a frown.
    “I’m not sure what we can do about this at the moment, Penny. If you think of anyone who has a grudge against you or who hates you enough to make such a phone call, let me know. I’ll send someone out to check your apartment to make sure everything is okay.” He tilted his head and grinned. “In fact, I’ll do it myself. After dinner?” he prompted. 
    “Dinner?” she mumbled, locking her gaze on the hollow of his throat.
    “Yeah, dinner, remember?” He ducked his head to meet her eyes, his tentative smile genuine.
    “Umm...sure,” Penny continued to mumble ungracefully. She dropped her eyes to her lap and fidgeted with the straps of her shoulder bag.
    Why was it she behaved in such a surly fashion when what she truly wanted to do was jump up and shriek with joy, “Yes, yes, yes!” It had been one of his few complaints about her, and though she thought she’d changed and learned to open up to people, she had reverted right back to her bad habits...in under two hours. She’d learned nothing in four years of psychology classes. Nothing!
    “Good. Let’s go. I’m starving.” Matt pushed back his chair and stood. He came around the desk and held out a hand to Penny.
    She looked at his hand for a moment and melted. She’d forgotten his hands--how sturdy and capable they looked...and were. Her face flamed as she put her hand in his and rose.
    “It’s good to see you, Penelope,” Matt said, lowering his head once again to meet her eyes, his lips softening into a sweet smile as he led her to the door.“You too, Matthew.” Penny managed a crooked grin as she preceded him out of his office. She passed back through the desks stiffly aware that the few officers on the night shift eyed the woman accompanying their chief with curiosity.
    Matt dropped the statement off on Officer Jenkins’ desk. “I’m going to take off for a while, Patty. I’ll be back.”
    “See you later, Chief.” Penny did her best to ignore Patty’s mischievous grin. 
    Matt stepped forward and pushed open the door for Penny. They stepped outside into the warm and humid night. Parking lot lamps reflected the moisture in the air. Only a few cars sat in the lot. A cruiser parked in front of the door.
    “This way. Let’s take my car.” He led the way to a nearby black SUV.
    “What happened to your big diesel truck?” Penny asked as Matt opened the passenger door.
    He chuckled and gave her a wry smile. “Oh, I got rid of that a long time ago. Too much truck for this little town...and a gas guzzler.”
    She slid into the plush upholstered seat, and he shut the door. A radio crackled on the console. Matt came around to the driver’s side and hopped in. He turned down the volume on the radio. The years disappeared as she remembered sitting beside him on a long and crazy cross-country drive from New Orleans to Missoula, Montana after she had dropped her car off at the port for shipment to Europe.
    They’d driven long and hard to get back so she could pick Travis up from her mother’s house. Well, Matt had done most of the driving, but she’d kept him awake and amused with foolish chatter. They’d listened to the same songs over and over and eaten cheese and crackers till they were blue in the face.
    “Do you remember that drive back from New Orleans?” she mused.
    Matt put the key in the ignition and turned to her with a slow nod.
    “I do.” He cleared his throat and started the SUV. “What would you like to eat?”
    “It’s up to you.” Though she held back from blatantly ogling him, she watched him out of the corner of her eye while they drove.
    Matt’s cell phone rang. He pulled it off a clip on his belt.
    “Chief