“Just ’cause you’re rich, you don’t get to shove us all around,” Dad yelled.

“Ernt,” Thelma said. “I think you’re making too much of this.”

Ernt shot Thelma a sharp look. “We don’t want a bunch of tourists climbing up our asses. We say no to this. No, g-damn it—”

Mr. Walker reached up to the bell above the bar, clanged it. “Drinks are on the house,” he said with a smile.

There was an immediate uproar: people clapping and whooping and bellying up to the bar.

“Don’t let him buy you with a few free drinks,” Dad shouted. “This idea of his is bad. If we wanted to live in a city, we’d be somewhere else, damn it. And what if he doesn’t stop there?”

No one was listening. Even Mad Earl was moving toward the bar for his free drink.

“You never did know when to shut up, Ernt,” Large Marge said, sidling up to him. She was wearing a knee-length, hand-beaded suede coat over flannel pajama pants tucked into mukluks. “Does anyone make you get a business license to fix boat engines down at the dock? No. We don’t. If Tom wants to turn this place into Barbie’s Dream House, none of us will tell him otherwise. That’s why we’re here. To do whatever we want. Not to do what you want us to.”

“I’ve taken shit from men like him all of my life.”

“Yeah. Well. Maybe that’s more about you than him,” Large Marge said.

“Shut your fat mouth,” Dad snapped. “Come on, Leni.” He grabbed Mama by the bicep and pulled her through the crowd.

“Allbright!”

Leni heard Mr. Walker’s big voice behind them.

Almost to the door, Dad stopped, turned. He yanked Mama close in beside him. She stumbled, almost fell.

Mr. Walker moved toward Dad, and people came with him, stood close, drinks in hand. Mr. Walker looked casual until you saw his eyes and the way his mouth tightened when he looked at Mama. He was pissed.

“Come on, Allbright. Don’t run off. Be neighborly,” Mr. Walker said. “There’s money to be made, man, and change is natural. Unavoidable.”

“I won’t let you change our town,” Dad said. “I don’t care how much money you have.”

“Yes, you will,” Mr. Walker said. “You have no choice. So let it go and lose gracefully. Have a drink.”

Gracefully?

Didn’t Mr. Walker know by now?

Dad wasn’t one to let things go.

Chapter Thirteen

THIRTEEN

All the next day, Dad paced and fumed and railed about dangerous changes and the future. At noon, he got on the ham radio and called for a meeting at the Harlan family compound.