[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
port, where once upon a time the lights of the South Winds
would illuminate the sky, and finished quietly: Maybe
they waited too long looking for a sign.
Maybe they did, she agreed quietly.
I gasped softly not some big gulping thing to hear my
grandmother say that. No one in our family had ever ad-
mitted that any Hadley had gone awry waiting for the go-
ahead from on high. It staggered my imagination just to
think of such a thing, and in doing so, I think, shed some
new light on the old, dark, back alleys of my mind.
Perhaps it was not always wrong to move swiftly, to rely on
your own instincts and judgments as their own kinds of signs.
Wow. The concept made my head spin.
I ll tell you one thing, if the Hadleys hesitated that
much Granny Missus raised her hand and snapped her
fingers, giving off a muted pop you could betcha some
O Malley rushed in to take advantage. The highway land.
Opening a restaurant.
That s just two instances, he argued, somehow without
sounding argumentative.
You know Jolie s daddy asked the bank to loan him
money to build a doughnut shop onto the garage?
Ry looked at me.
I looked away. I couldn t hear this story without thinking
of my part in it. How I had gone swimming at the South
Winds that day against my parents direct orders. That was
the day I jumped off the high dive, my new bikini top came
off and Ry jumped into the water and pretended to save me
from drowning, using the time to pull my top into place
and cop a quick feel. It was a generous and sensitive thing
160 Annie Flannigan
to do, and to thank him in kind I had generously kneed him
in his most sensitive area.
Then I d gone home and embarrassed my family in front
of the loan officer. I shuddered to remember it all.
My son did a study, found out that people were ready to
try something new around here. He knew he could employ
locals, give work to the bakery, eventually take on delivery
drivers and sell to outlying areas. He felt it would have not
just been good for our family, but for the whole town.
Ry looked at the back of the small garage-turned-
museum, his expression unreadable. I m sure it would
have done well.
He never got the chance to find out because the day be-
fore he talked to the bank man that damned old Howdy
made it known he was extending the restaurant s hours and
switching to an all-day breakfast deal. Made it a buffet so he
didn t even have to hire anyone new. The whole thing
didn t benefit anyone but himself and his own.
What? That was the first time I d ever heard that. You
mean the bank turned Daddy down because of Howdy?
Yes, and your father had to leave town to find work.
Lots of men did that, but that didn t matter to Howdy.
Howdy had a way of rushing forward, chasing the money
without ever counting the human costs.
I started to confront my grandmother about keeping this
part of the story away from me, but Ry stepped forward, his
arms crossed, and spoke first.
Is this where I get the lecture on changing my ways,
Granny Missus?
She shook her head. You can t learn from a lecture what
you refuse to learn from life.
L ove and a Bad Hair Day 161
He met her gaze. Then trust me that you don t need to
say any more. A lifetime of trying to please my family and
always failing has taught me plenty.
Has it?
He eased out a deep breath. I thought so, but . . .
I know your girl stole from me.
You do? I jerked my head up.
I know you tried to cover for her, Jolie, but I knew it
from the start. That s why I waited so long to tell y all she
hadn t come back from the bank. I wanted to give her a
chance to come back and come clean with me on her own.
When a young person is missing you should act imme-
diately. It s hardly the time to wait because you just don t
know what she might have done, Ry said, his mouth set in
a hard line.
Isn t that a funny thing?
Funny? He cocked his head.
That I, a Hadley, had more faith in your daughter than
you did?
His eyebrows squashed down over his deep-set eyes. He
stood there with his mouth open.
And it was such a nice mouth. Wide and masculine, and
damn fine to kiss, I couldn t help remembering. And his
eyes, they were more than passing fair in their own right. In-
tense but never too far away from sparkling with mischief.
Even at a time like this when my old granny s wry observa-
tion had left him bereft of anything cute or cutting to say.
Granny Missus patted his back and made her way
toward the path that led from the car port to the back of her
house. Nice chatting with you, Ryman. I hope you ll think
about what I said.
162 Annie Flannigan
He shook his head, echoing obediently, I will.
Oh, and Ryman? Granny pulled up short.
Yes, ma am? He stood straight and waited for what-
ever gems of wisdom the old gal had yet to impart.
She smiled, softly, and her eyes twinkled. Hannah Rose.
What?
Even I cocked my head in curiosity at that.
You asked what Howdy called me. She paused and
looked toward the highway, then sighed. He called me
Hannah Rose something my own husband rarely ever
ventured to do. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szamanka888.keep.pl
port, where once upon a time the lights of the South Winds
would illuminate the sky, and finished quietly: Maybe
they waited too long looking for a sign.
Maybe they did, she agreed quietly.
I gasped softly not some big gulping thing to hear my
grandmother say that. No one in our family had ever ad-
mitted that any Hadley had gone awry waiting for the go-
ahead from on high. It staggered my imagination just to
think of such a thing, and in doing so, I think, shed some
new light on the old, dark, back alleys of my mind.
Perhaps it was not always wrong to move swiftly, to rely on
your own instincts and judgments as their own kinds of signs.
Wow. The concept made my head spin.
I ll tell you one thing, if the Hadleys hesitated that
much Granny Missus raised her hand and snapped her
fingers, giving off a muted pop you could betcha some
O Malley rushed in to take advantage. The highway land.
Opening a restaurant.
That s just two instances, he argued, somehow without
sounding argumentative.
You know Jolie s daddy asked the bank to loan him
money to build a doughnut shop onto the garage?
Ry looked at me.
I looked away. I couldn t hear this story without thinking
of my part in it. How I had gone swimming at the South
Winds that day against my parents direct orders. That was
the day I jumped off the high dive, my new bikini top came
off and Ry jumped into the water and pretended to save me
from drowning, using the time to pull my top into place
and cop a quick feel. It was a generous and sensitive thing
160 Annie Flannigan
to do, and to thank him in kind I had generously kneed him
in his most sensitive area.
Then I d gone home and embarrassed my family in front
of the loan officer. I shuddered to remember it all.
My son did a study, found out that people were ready to
try something new around here. He knew he could employ
locals, give work to the bakery, eventually take on delivery
drivers and sell to outlying areas. He felt it would have not
just been good for our family, but for the whole town.
Ry looked at the back of the small garage-turned-
museum, his expression unreadable. I m sure it would
have done well.
He never got the chance to find out because the day be-
fore he talked to the bank man that damned old Howdy
made it known he was extending the restaurant s hours and
switching to an all-day breakfast deal. Made it a buffet so he
didn t even have to hire anyone new. The whole thing
didn t benefit anyone but himself and his own.
What? That was the first time I d ever heard that. You
mean the bank turned Daddy down because of Howdy?
Yes, and your father had to leave town to find work.
Lots of men did that, but that didn t matter to Howdy.
Howdy had a way of rushing forward, chasing the money
without ever counting the human costs.
I started to confront my grandmother about keeping this
part of the story away from me, but Ry stepped forward, his
arms crossed, and spoke first.
Is this where I get the lecture on changing my ways,
Granny Missus?
She shook her head. You can t learn from a lecture what
you refuse to learn from life.
L ove and a Bad Hair Day 161
He met her gaze. Then trust me that you don t need to
say any more. A lifetime of trying to please my family and
always failing has taught me plenty.
Has it?
He eased out a deep breath. I thought so, but . . .
I know your girl stole from me.
You do? I jerked my head up.
I know you tried to cover for her, Jolie, but I knew it
from the start. That s why I waited so long to tell y all she
hadn t come back from the bank. I wanted to give her a
chance to come back and come clean with me on her own.
When a young person is missing you should act imme-
diately. It s hardly the time to wait because you just don t
know what she might have done, Ry said, his mouth set in
a hard line.
Isn t that a funny thing?
Funny? He cocked his head.
That I, a Hadley, had more faith in your daughter than
you did?
His eyebrows squashed down over his deep-set eyes. He
stood there with his mouth open.
And it was such a nice mouth. Wide and masculine, and
damn fine to kiss, I couldn t help remembering. And his
eyes, they were more than passing fair in their own right. In-
tense but never too far away from sparkling with mischief.
Even at a time like this when my old granny s wry observa-
tion had left him bereft of anything cute or cutting to say.
Granny Missus patted his back and made her way
toward the path that led from the car port to the back of her
house. Nice chatting with you, Ryman. I hope you ll think
about what I said.
162 Annie Flannigan
He shook his head, echoing obediently, I will.
Oh, and Ryman? Granny pulled up short.
Yes, ma am? He stood straight and waited for what-
ever gems of wisdom the old gal had yet to impart.
She smiled, softly, and her eyes twinkled. Hannah Rose.
What?
Even I cocked my head in curiosity at that.
You asked what Howdy called me. She paused and
looked toward the highway, then sighed. He called me
Hannah Rose something my own husband rarely ever
ventured to do. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]