He looked away and back quickly, his eyes zeroing in, as if he didn’t believe me one bit. “I…I don’t know a Greta Thorne. And I certainly don’t have ason.”
“You do. You know you do. You didn’t leave until after I was born.”
Grizz stood there, speechless, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Am I wrong?”
Grizz looked around and then shook his head. “Come with me.”
I stood up and followed him behind the bar to a small room in the back. Boxes of papers stacked against the wall, with clutter filling the room from top to bottom. Only the desk and a few chairs were free from any part of the mess. He shut the door behind me and pointed to a seat.
“What do you want? Money? Something else? Did she send you here?”
My mouth dropped, and my heart leaped into my throat. Was this guy serious?
“No. I didn’t come here for anything besides meeting you.”
“Why?”
“I want to have a relationship with you. You’re my father.”
“Look, this isn’t a good time, okay? I’ve got a lot going on and?—”
“And what? You’re going to toss me aside after I came all this way?”
“No, what I’m saying is?—”
“Listen, if you want nothing to do with me, well, that’s too bad. Because I’m staying. There’s nothing left for me back home. Not since Mom died.”
“Greta…she passed?”
I nodded, the aching sadness now permanently a part of me rising to the surface. “She battled cancer for a long time.”
My father tugged at his beard until his tired eyes met mine. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”
“I know we aren’t going to become best friend. I’m not expecting to. Honestly, I just need a place to make some cash. I rented a cabin on the outskirts of town, so I’m good there.”
“I don’t know…we’ve only just met and…”
“I’ve never asked you for anything.”
“But you show up here out of the blue and ask for a job? You should just go back to Appleridge, Gunner. There isn’t anything for you here. Hell, there isn’t anything here for me.”
“How can you say that? Youowna bar here.”
“There are a lot of things you don’t understand about me.”
“Okay, fair enough. But I’ve already missed out on so much time with you. Can’t we start somewhere?”
Grizz sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fine. I’ll give you a chance. Only because I need some extra help. But there better not be any funny business. Come back tomorrow. Noon time, sharp.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it. One last question. What’s the best place to grab some dinner around here?”
“Over at The Ridge diner. Tell Ma, the owner, you’re my son and she’ll hook you up with something delicious.”
I nodded. “Thank you.” I stood without moving, unsure of my next move. Should I offer a hug? Say goodbye Dad?
Fuck, this was all so confusing.
