“Hey, I know what I’m talking about, you brat. I’m here to tell you to stop.”
She laughed. “Stop what? What are you even talking about?”
“I’m talking about you. Last night at Goonies.”
She pinched her nose. He must have seen her. “Jesus, Silas. Just because I have a few drinks one night doesn’t mean I want a wake-up call of you in my face.”
“It wasn’t a few drinks. I knew what you were doing.”
“And what’s that?” she said, exasperated.
“You were drowning your sorrows in liquor. You wanna drink, fine. But don’t you go hiding behind the bottle. You’re better than that.”
Those last words made Hannah’s heart snap into motion. It was the only kind thing she could remember her father saying to her. And he sounded like he actually meant it. Still, she didn’t need him all of a sudden. And she certainly didn’t need his advice.
“You see me in a bar once, and now you think you know who I am?” she said to him.
“Yes, I know who you are. You don’t go giving in to your grief and unleashing your anger on yourself through drink. But that’s what you did last night.”
“How on earth do you think you have this much insight?”
“Because,” he snapped, “I’ve been doing the same thing for over twenty years.” Her father sighed and ran a hand through his greasy hair. “I broke when your mama left us. Hated life. Hated you, even, a little. A constant reminder that she’s gone.”
While parts of that hurt, he was trying to be honest, so she kept quiet and let him finish.
“You’re better than me, Hannah. You always have been. You’re tough, and whatever you’re going through, don’t you let it take you down.”
He nodded once, lifted his hand like he was going to wave, then set it down as if he thought better of it.
“That’s all I came to say,” he muttered, then turned to leave.
“Dad?” she asked, and he turned to face her. “You came to check on me?”
He nodded. “You looked like you were in pain last night. Wanted to make sure you got home all right.”
He walked down her driveway and to the street. A sting hit hard behind her eyes, and she had to close them to alleviate the burn. Her father, whom she’d bailed out over and over, had actually come to check on her.
She didn’t remember seeing him last night. Didn’t remember much other than with every drink, she’d felt a little more numb. Because the hurt of losing Grant, of the secrets, was too much to bear.
She watched her father walk away and realize that he thought she was strong. In his way, he cared. And it was up to Hannah not to let these issues take her down. Her dreams were still her own. She’d fight for her bar, for her future.
She’d get to the bottom of whatever the hell Grant had been thinking.
She went back into her house, closed the front door, and picked up h
er cell phone. She dialed Becky Lace at the local bank. They’d gone to school together and had gotten along pretty well. Now, as adults, Becky had been working with Hannah to get the loan for the bar, and every time Becky came into Goonies, she drank for free. It was the silent understanding they had.
“Yachats Bank, this is Becky, how can I help you?”
“Hey, Becky, it’s Hannah Hastings.”
“Oh, hi,” she said joyfully.
“I know this is unconventional, but I need to know what’s going on with the bar. Rudy said someone put an offer on it. It’s not even on the market.”
“Yes, well, the person must have known it was up for sale,” she said with tone of a professional courtesy.
“So I can’t buy it now? I have the money. I’m paying the balloon payment tomorrow.”