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Back A Penny for Your Thoughts Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. A PENNY
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. One
  6. Two
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Seven
  12. Eight
  13. Nine
  14. Ten
  15. Eleven
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Sixteen
  21. Seventeen
  22. Eighteen
  23. Nineteen
  24. Twenty
  25. Twenty-One
  26. Twenty-Two
  27. Twenty-Three
  28. Twenty-Four
  29. Twenty-Five
  30. Twenty-Six
  31. Twenty-Seven
  32. Twenty-Eight
  33. Twenty-Nine
  34. Thirty
  35. Thirty-One
  36. Thirty-Two
  37. Thirty-Three
  38. Thirty-Four
  39. Thirty-Five
  40. Thirty-Six
  41. Thirty-Seven
  42. Thirty-Eight
  43. Thirty-Nine
  44. Forty
  45. Forty-One
  46. Forty-Two
  47. Forty-Three
  48. Forty-Four
  49. Forty-Five
  50. Forty-Six
  51. Forty-Seven
  52. Forty-Eight
  53. Forty-Nine
  54. Fifty
  55. Fifty-One
  56. Fifty-Two
  57. Fifty-Three
  58. Fifty-Four
  59. A Sample Chapter of Don’t Take Any Wooden Nickels
  60. About the Author
  61. Other Books by Mindy Starns Clark
  62. About the Publisher

“Is that a soccer star I hear in there?” Derek called excitedly from the hallway, and then he was in the room with Carlos in his arms. I took a final bite of my muffin, then pushed away from the table.

“We’ll talk later,” I whispered to Marion, touching her hand as I stood to go. She nodded, distracted by the loving scene between father and son. Sidra had taken a step back and was waiting somberly in the corner.

“It was so cool, Dad,” Carlos was saying as I left. “The bus broke down, and we got to stay an extra day! The driver was really mad ’cause somebody from the other team put water in our gas tank and—”

“Carlos, we have something to tell you,” Derek interrupted. “Let’s go in the living room where we can sit down and talk about it.”

“Why?” Carlos said. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, son,” Derek answered. “It’s about your grandfather.”

Fifteen

Fifteen

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I headed upstairs, picked up my keys and my briefcase, and then came back down and went outside, away from the emotional scene that was taking place with Carlos. I went out through the kitchen and walked along the rear of the house, beside the pool. I passed the greenhouse and had just reached my car when I overheard two angry voices speaking in a foreign language. It sounded as if the voices were coming from the back side of the garage. I put my briefcase in my car and then quietly shut the door and followed the sounds.

My intention was to eavesdrop and try to make out what they were saying, but I was spotted before I could get close enough to listen. Just as I rounded the corner, Nick came striding out from behind the garage, gesticulating wildly in the air.

He stopped short when he saw me, his face turning red.

“Are you alone?” he asked.

“Who is it?” a female said from behind him. Angelina stepped out and looked at me. “Is anyone with you, Callie?”

I shook my head, wondering what could possibly be going on.

“What is it?” I asked. The two of them looked at each other, then motioned for me to follow them. Apprehensively, I walked around behind the greenhouse, past a row of trashcans, to the back side of the cabana.

“Nick saw it when he was putting out the garbage,” Angelina said, gesturing toward the trash cans nearby. “He wants to alert the family, but I say this is not the right time. They are in the house now, telling Carlos that his grandfather is dead. I do not think they need to know about this right now, too.”