"Does he make that much money off the fishing charters and boat slip rentals, or is he independently wealthy?"
Pappy eyed her carefully. "You told me you didn't want to hear about Rick. Have you changed your mind?"
Slowly getting to her feet, she pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her grandfather. "No, I haven't changed my mind. Just tell me about him where it concerns you and the restaurant," she said.
The old man nodded slowly. "Representatives from a major hotel chain came in the day after the storm and offered everyone on Malabar Key big bucks for their properties, or what was left of their properties. Let me tell you, Brynnie, people were torn in several different directions. Some wanted off the island for good, so those big offers looked mighty tempting; others simply didn't have the insurance to start rebuilding. I'm not talking about big businesses. I'm talking about the bathing suit shop, that mom-and-pop motels, you know, places like that. Ah, Brynnie, it was a terrible mess all around." The old man reached toward his elevated leg, rubbing the top of his thigh in silence.
"How are you feeling? Is your leg bothering you?"
Pappy continued staring at the place where the jukebox had been. "I'm okay." After a while, he looked up at Bryn as he slid a knuckle under one eye. "If we hadn't had Rick Parrish call that meeting at his house and insist everyone hold off making a decision for a few weeks, I don't know where we'd be today. He reminded us that we had a special piece of the American dream down here and that once we gave it up, we'd never get it back. He said those of us lucky enough to have children and grandchildren wouldn't be able to look them in the eye when they found out we sold out to a corporation. Reps from the hotel chain showed up at Rick's during another one of his meetings and tried taking it over. They yapped on and on that prosperity was sure to come for all of us in the wake of their bulldozers. When they handed Rick a check for his marina property, the whole room went dead silent. Guess those reps thought if they could get Rick, they'd have all of us." The old man paused to remember. Shaking his head, he said in a fierce whisper, "Damn, what a man."
What a man indeed, she thought, finally understanding why Rita and Millie and virtually everyone else she'd met had nothing but praise and adoration for Rick Parrish. He'd kept his head when the rest of them were consumed with fear. He'd stood up to big business and conquered them at their own game. He'd even taken money from his own pocket to back his cause. What she didn't understand was the reason behind Rick's legendary stand against the interlopers. It would be easy enough to ask her grandfather, but somehow she knew the answer had to come from Rick himself. "What happened next?"
Her grandfather winked. "You don't think he backed down, do you? No, siree. He tore up the check, tossed it over his deck rail, and showed them the quickest way off the key." Waving toward the breezy palms and the sparkling ocean, Pappy added, "You see, Rick knew we'd all regret it if we sold out this place. Thank God he wasn't in shock like the rest of us. He knew when to rally us, and even when a few looked as if they were going to cave, he was there with an understanding ear. Hell, Brynnie, he even put his money where his mouth was."
"How did he come up with enough?"
"I don't know and it didn't seem right to ask. And now it's not important because it's all paid back." He caught her gaze and held it steady. "At least, it's not important to me, Brynnie."
His cryptic silence had her more curious than ever, but the old man's shoulders were rounded with fatigue. And if she wanted to know more, she could ask Rick. Leaning forward in her chair, she took his hands in hers. "You're tired, aren't you?"
"A tad."
"I'll call Rick and Jiggy to come help us get you down the steps and back to your own bed. We never should have come straight here from the hospital." She
Pappy eyed her carefully. "You told me you didn't want to hear about Rick. Have you changed your mind?"
Slowly getting to her feet, she pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her grandfather. "No, I haven't changed my mind. Just tell me about him where it concerns you and the restaurant," she said.
The old man nodded slowly. "Representatives from a major hotel chain came in the day after the storm and offered everyone on Malabar Key big bucks for their properties, or what was left of their properties. Let me tell you, Brynnie, people were torn in several different directions. Some wanted off the island for good, so those big offers looked mighty tempting; others simply didn't have the insurance to start rebuilding. I'm not talking about big businesses. I'm talking about the bathing suit shop, that mom-and-pop motels, you know, places like that. Ah, Brynnie, it was a terrible mess all around." The old man reached toward his elevated leg, rubbing the top of his thigh in silence.
"How are you feeling? Is your leg bothering you?"
Pappy continued staring at the place where the jukebox had been. "I'm okay." After a while, he looked up at Bryn as he slid a knuckle under one eye. "If we hadn't had Rick Parrish call that meeting at his house and insist everyone hold off making a decision for a few weeks, I don't know where we'd be today. He reminded us that we had a special piece of the American dream down here and that once we gave it up, we'd never get it back. He said those of us lucky enough to have children and grandchildren wouldn't be able to look them in the eye when they found out we sold out to a corporation. Reps from the hotel chain showed up at Rick's during another one of his meetings and tried taking it over. They yapped on and on that prosperity was sure to come for all of us in the wake of their bulldozers. When they handed Rick a check for his marina property, the whole room went dead silent. Guess those reps thought if they could get Rick, they'd have all of us." The old man paused to remember. Shaking his head, he said in a fierce whisper, "Damn, what a man."
What a man indeed, she thought, finally understanding why Rita and Millie and virtually everyone else she'd met had nothing but praise and adoration for Rick Parrish. He'd kept his head when the rest of them were consumed with fear. He'd stood up to big business and conquered them at their own game. He'd even taken money from his own pocket to back his cause. What she didn't understand was the reason behind Rick's legendary stand against the interlopers. It would be easy enough to ask her grandfather, but somehow she knew the answer had to come from Rick himself. "What happened next?"
Her grandfather winked. "You don't think he backed down, do you? No, siree. He tore up the check, tossed it over his deck rail, and showed them the quickest way off the key." Waving toward the breezy palms and the sparkling ocean, Pappy added, "You see, Rick knew we'd all regret it if we sold out this place. Thank God he wasn't in shock like the rest of us. He knew when to rally us, and even when a few looked as if they were going to cave, he was there with an understanding ear. Hell, Brynnie, he even put his money where his mouth was."
"How did he come up with enough?"
"I don't know and it didn't seem right to ask. And now it's not important because it's all paid back." He caught her gaze and held it steady. "At least, it's not important to me, Brynnie."
His cryptic silence had her more curious than ever, but the old man's shoulders were rounded with fatigue. And if she wanted to know more, she could ask Rick. Leaning forward in her chair, she took his hands in hers. "You're tired, aren't you?"
"A tad."
"I'll call Rick and Jiggy to come help us get you down the steps and back to your own bed. We never should have come straight here from the hospital." She
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