“What?” Hannah laughed. “That makes no sense at all!”
Hannah’s heart skipped a butterfly beat as soon as he referenced her mom. Shaking her head, she let him say his goodbyes, and he even accepted Cash’s offer to drive him to the hotel. Kathy hugged him, as did Hannah, before he climbed into the Jeep. Lindsey waved goodbye.
“It was lovely meeting you, Mr. Gunner.”
“Thank you and likewise. But you can call me Hank.”
As they were about to pull out of the complex, Hannah tapped on the hood of the Jeep. Cash stopped the vehicle and half-wondered if she was about to hop in.
“Tomorrow. What do you want to do tomorrow?”
Hank was solemn, but he answered immediately.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to say my goodbyes, properly, to your mom.” Hesitating, he asked her if that would be okay. “I understand if it’s too painful for you, too soon to go back, but I didn’t get a chance to make things right, and I need to say my goodbyes.”
Taken off guard, Hannah’s shock was written all over her face. She hadn’t visited her mom’s grave since they’d buried her.
“No. I don’t mind at all. I’d like to do that with you.”
“See you in the morning, then.”
“See ya.”
Hannah waited in the lobby for Hank to come down. She held a hot cup of coffee in her hand from her favorite coffee shop. Each time the elevator doors opened, Hannah searched for him, but he never stepped out among the people getting off the elevator. There was no point in checking her phone, since Hank didn’t have a cell phone yet. Nervously she paced the lobby.
“Hannah.”
Whipping around, her dad was standing behind her. He had a new look about him, and she couldn’t quite figure out what it was; rest maybe, refreshed, and the knowledge that he was free had made a difference this brand-new morning.
“Where did you come from?” she asked. “I brought you coffee.”
Handing him the cup, she pointed to the door.
“I’ve got creamer and sugar in the car because I had no idea how you take it.”
Smiling, he reached for the cup and said, “Good morning.”
He took a sip and added, “Black is good! And I took the stairs. Enjoying being able to walk where I please these days.”
The cemetery was less than forty minutes away. Finally having her driver’s license, Hannah drove Kathy’s car. She had initially climbed into her mom’s car, but couldn’t bring herself to drive it. Climbing into it earlier that morning had sent chills down her spine. Feeling sad and depressed, she begged her aunt to switch vehicles for the day. Kathy reluctantly switched keys.
“We could sell or trade the car and get you something else. Just a thought, but think about it,” Kathy suggested.
Hannah wasn’t sure if she wanted to do that, either. She rarely needed to drive, and there was so little left of her mom that wasn’t packed away in a box. At least each day when she walked past the car she was reminded of Gloria and the adventures they had shared, good and bad, moving from town to town in that damn run down, piece of crap car!
“Ready?”
“Whenever you are,” Hank grinned. “Can we stop at a flower shop, please? You know, the cemetery and all.”
Hannah nodded, disappointed she hadn’t thought of that. Hank pointed out different landmarks, shops, and parts of town that he remembered when they had all lived there, and ones that had changed since he’d been gone. Hannah hung on to every word.
“That’s the park I wrote to you about, do you remember? I told you we’d go hike and have a picnic there, likely bury our treasure.” He laughed out loud. “It’s Dolores Park, doubt they’d let us dig.”
Hannah giggled. “You know, I read every one of those letters once I had them in my possession, every one of them! And I remember playing our game just about every night.” Laughing, “Mom must’ve hated that game.”
“Nah. She didn’t hate it.” Hank rolled down the window, and the cool breeze filled the car, carrying the smell of the sea-salt in the air.
“She’d sip her wine and sit outside your bedroom door, listening to us play. Once you were settled, almost asleep, we’d talk about what had made you laugh during the game that day. Was it the seagulls pecking at your hair? The buried treasure you could never find? The imaginary waves tickling your feet as you jumped over them on your bedroom floor, or even navigating the ship—you know, your bed.” Hank smiled. “Gloria, your mom, loved to hear you laugh, and you might not believe this, but she loved when I was at home playing that game with you. Why?” He chuckled. “Because it made you laugh.”
He laughed again, and Hannah noticed that the deep lines on his brow seemed to have softened, and his eyes were no longer dull.
“It’s my fault you thought she didn’t like it. I used to call her a tyrant, but I was only playing because it made you laugh and I liked it when you laughed.”
Pulling in to the cemetery had an effect on both of them; the mood changed from jovial to somber instantaneously. It took Hannah a few minutes to find Gloria’s gravestone, but when they did, Hank approved. Reading the words on her headstone over and over again, as if memorizing them, Hank crouched down next to her.
GLORIA YVONNE GUNNER.
LOVING WIFE, MOTHER, AND SISTER.
GONE FOR NOW, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN.
WE’LL SEE YOU SOON.
“I never meant those angry words that I said about her before, in Folsom. I never meant ’em. I’ve loved this woman, seems like most of my life. Damn sure the best parts of it.”
Reaching around him, Hannah placed her arm around the back of his waist and leaned her head against him. Realizing he was praying silently, she stood up and gave him some space. His gentle hands were shaking, voice trembling, when he finally spoke again.
“I never knew she was sick. I didn’t know.”
“No one did,” Hannah whispered. “She didn’t want anyone to worry.”
“Sounds about right,” he managed, but Hannah knew he was trying to hold it together for her.
“Things got so out of hand so fast. The fighting. The arguing about bringing you up there to visit me, the phone calls, me getting into fights and ruining my parole. The entire situation turned into a huge mess. Gloria panicked. And though I’m angry that I didn’t get to talk to you or see you for all of those years, and I am upset about that, I think I understand how she felt that I forced her hand.”
Fighting back tears, afraid of scaring his daughter, Hank took a step back. He couldn’t look at her at that moment.
“If you go back to the very beginning, none of this would have happened if everyone would have come clean in the first place. The rest of the mess I take accountability for. Don’t blame your mom, blame me.”
“How about we don’t blame anyone?” Hannah took the flowers out of his hands and placed them on the grave.
“How about we consider today and every day going forward a gift? I’ve got my Captain back, after all.” Hannah smiled the way she used to, and looped her arm in his. “Captain Fin is back!”
“You make me laugh!” Hank pulled her into his arms, kissed the top of her head, took her by the hand, and walked her back toward the car.
“I make you laugh! At a time like this; why do I make you laugh?”
“Yes, you make me laugh!”
“Explain yourself, Captain Fin!”
Laughing, Hank shoved her playfully as they walked. “That, that right there… why do you insist after all these years on calling me Captain Fin?”
“What?”
“Captain Fin, Hannah. Why do you keep calling me that?” He laughed out loud. “Me and your mom laughed about it every time your tiny voice said it.”
“What are you talking about? Captain Fin! That’s who you are, to me, my whole life! You know, you, you’re the Captain, Captain Fin, and I’m the First Matey. Hell, mom was the scallywag turned tyrant.” Hannah let go of his hand and shoved him as they walked
. “Why you gonna mess us up like that?”
Leaning against the car door, all smiles, Hank shook his head. To tell her or not to tell her, tell her or not, that was the question. It was too funny not to inform her of the truth, not to mention it was time to lighten up the mood.
“Hannah.”
“Yes.”
“There never was a Captain Fin.”
“What in the helllll are you talking about? Explain yourself!”
Laughing so hard he could barely speak, Hank tried to pull himself together long enough to explain. “The book that I read to you every night when you were a little girl, which turned into play-acting, was Treasure Island. My dad used to read it to me, and his dad to him. The pirate in the story was Captain Flint.”
“Na uh!”
“Yep! Flint. Captain Flint. The story goes, Jim Hawkins’ father owned the Benbow Inn. Jim realizes that Billy Bones, a lodger at the inn, is in hiding. Anyway, later in the book, Jim cares for Bones and Bones tells Jim that he was the mate of the late and notorious pirate… Captain Flint.”
“Well, I’ll be damned!” Hannah burst out laughing. “I feel like an utter idiot; all these damn years I used the wrong damn name!”
Grabbing her in his arms, he swung her around. “Well, me lass, not completely wrong. Ye used to have me swagger, right?”
His stance, like a pirate, made her howl. His voice, gruff and thick like a pirate, was the one she remembered that had brought her so much laughter as a kid. Standing in the cemetery parking lot, within seconds Hannah was whisked back in time as her dad became the pirate of her past. Opening the car door, he instructed her to dive in and take the wheel so they could grab some grub.
“I’m craving seafood, not just any seafood mind you, fresh seafood.” Hank pointed out the window. “Let’s go to the bay, lass. Find a cook.”
“All right, knock it off! I get the picture,” she laughed. “And I do know a great seafood restaurant.”
Chatting about memories, mistakes, the future, and letting go of the past, Hannah and Hank enjoyed their lunch. Having no idea how involved Hank would be in her life, one thing was for sure: Captain Fin, regardless of the incorrect name, wasn’t going anywhere. He’d been her salvation when she was scared. Her sweetest memories even when she thought he was a dream. A voice that connected her to her past that turned out to be her closest remaining family, and Captain Fin was even the connection to her future with her dad. Tucked away in the corner of her mind, Captain Fin would remain with Hannah forever.
“Now, start talking.”
“About what?” Hannah asked, startled.
“Cash. Fill me in on this boy—everything. What are his goals, colleges he wants to attend, what his family is like. I want details.”
Grinning, Hannah set down her fork. “Cash. Um, where to start! Let’s just say I do love that boy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one day, not anytime soon, I wouldn’t consider marrying that boy!” Grinning, she added, “But gawd, Dad, don’t tell him I said that!”
Author’s Note
I’m so excited to share CAPTAIN FIN with you! This novel has been a labor of love for me, the novelist, and for Kevin, the screenplay and feature scriptwriter. Usually, a novel is written first, and a script is written afterward, but once Kevin approached me about writing a novel based on his screenplay, I fell in love immediately with the life that both the young Hannah and the teen Hannah could have or would have lived. Her character is a beautiful soul, and I believe could step into another novel of her own with her friends, and of course Cash.
It would mean so much to us if you took a picture of your book and posted it anywhere, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and tagged us. Let us know what city and state you’re from @AmandaMThrasher and @KevinONeill5. Also, if you like the book, please leave a review on Amazon and tell your friends about it. If you’d like to chat about the book, have any questions, or would just like to visit, you can find my contact form at amandamthrasher.com.
Thank you so much and enjoy!
About the Author
Award-winning author Amanda M. Thrasher was born in England, moved to Texas, and resides there still. She’s the author of picture books, middle-grade chapter books, early readers, and young adult pieces. Additional work includes a graphic novel for the Texas Municipal Courts Education Center, Driving on the Right Side of the Road program (DRSR), titled What If… A Story of Shattered Lives, which was adapted into a reader’s theater.
She is the recipient of multiple Gold Mom Choice Awards for young adult, general fiction, and early reader chapter books, a Readers’ Favorite International Book Award for young adult social issues, an NTBF award for young adult and general fiction, and she was awarded a New Apple Literary Award for young adult and general fiction.
The Mom’s Choice Awards® (MCA) evaluates products and services created for children, families, and educators. The program is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products, and services. The organization is based in the United States and has reviewed thousands of entries from more than 55 countries. Around the world, parents, educators, retailers, and members of the media look for the MCA mother-and-child Honoring Excellence seal of approval when selecting quality products and services for children and families.
As Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Progressive Rising Phoenix Press, she assists other authors with their work and shares her writing process and publishing experience with them. She continues to speak and share her work with children and adults of all ages, conducts workshops, writes a blog, and contributes to an online magazine.
For more information, visit the author’s website at: www.amandamthrasher.com.
Titles by
Amanda M. Thrasher
www.amandamthrasher.com
Captain Fin
Bitter Betrayal
The Greenlee Project
The Ghost of Whispering Willow
Mischief in the Mushroom Patch
A Fairy Match in the Mushroom Patch
Spider Web Scramble (A Mischief Book)
There's A Gator Under My Bed
Sadie’s Fairy Tea Party
What If… A Story of Shattered Lives
Coming Soon – Book 4 of the Mushroom Patch Series
Progressive Rising Phoenix Press is an independent publisher. We offer wholesale discounts and multiple binding options with no minimum purchases for schools, libraries, book clubs, and retail vendors. We also offer rewards for libraries, schools, independent book stores, and book clubs. Please visit our website to see our updated catalogue of titles and our wholesale discount page at:
www.ProgressiveRisingPhoenix.com
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