Chapter 8
8
I n the days that followed, Capri did what she always did and buried her feelings by staying busy.
She threw herself into the frenetic pace of preparing for the rafting season, the steady hum of activity at Grand Teton Whitewater Adventures becoming her refuge from the chaos inside her.
She was the first one at the base every morning, long before the sun kissed the tips of the Tetons, unlocking the storage shed and checking the inventory of life vests, helmets, and paddles. The smell of neoprene and the crispness of the early June air became her constant companions as she meticulously inspected each raft, ensuring they were ready to brave the icy rapids.
She moved with purpose, her mind on anything but her mother, who had stunned Capri by dating so soon after Dick’s death. Capri focused on the tangible, like the fraying ropes that needed replacing or the rust on the trailer hitch that needed a good sanding, finding solace in the physicality of the work.
Bodhi West ambled over as she wrestled a stubborn patch onto a worn inflatable. “You know, I can handle some of that,” he offered with a grin, pushing his long hair out of his face. Capri barely glanced up, her hands steady on the repair kit. “I’ve got this, Bodhi. But, there’s a list a mile long if you’re looking for something to do.” She didn’t mean to sound curt, but the work gave her a sense of control she couldn’t afford to lose.
Bodhi shrugged and headed toward the equipment shed, whistling a tune that grated on her nerves, though she couldn’t say why. She knew he was trying to help, but Capri wasn’t ready to delegate or slow down—not with the season looming and certainly not with her tangled emotions threatening to unwind her.
The days blurred together as Capri pushed herself to the limit, organizing training sessions for the summer guides and running safety drills on the still-cold river. The office phone rang off the hook with bookings. Though she had people hired to maintain the trip schedules, Capri often picked up and handled many of the calls with professional ease, her voice steady and reassuring. In the evenings, she reviewed the route maps, plotting out the safest paths for tourists and noting the danger spots where the spring runoff made the rapids especially treacherous. She even updated the website, adding new photos and highlighting the thrill of their most challenging routes.
Every task, every detail, was a distraction, a way to keep her thoughts from wandering to her mother’s unexpected relationship and the gaping void Dick’s death had left in her heart. But even as she busied herself, a small part of Capri knew she couldn’t keep running from her feelings forever.
No matter how many tasks she completed or how many hours she spent working, she couldn’t entirely escape the thoughts that crept in during quiet moments—the image of her mother moving on, the life they once had with Dick slipping further into the past.
It was a fragile balance, keeping her emotions in check, one she maintained with stubborn determination. But all it took was a single moment, an unexpected encounter, to shatter that precarious equilibrium. Like the day she caught sight of Earl holding her mother’s hand in the Western Drug and General store.
Capri froze in the narrow aisle, her breath catching in her throat as she watched the two of them, their fingers intertwined like they’d been doing this for years.
The small-town grocery store slash pharmacy had a distinct charm, its mismatched shelves crammed with everything from bottles of liniment oil sitting next to marshmallows and tomato soup. The scent of aged wood and freshly baked bread mingled in the air, and Capri could almost hear the distant hum of the old fluorescent lights that flickered overhead.
She ducked behind a display of cereal boxes, peeking through a gap between the Frosted Flakes and Raisin Bran, her heart pounding.
Her mother and Earl were oblivious to her presence, their voices a low murmur as they picked out produce; their casual closeness sending a pang of betrayal through Capri’s chest. Then she heard it.
The L word.
Capri nearly choked on her own breath. Something twisted deep inside her as she edged closer, pretending to examine a row of canned peaches, straining to hear their conversation. Surely, she was mistaken.
Her mother laughed softly at something Earl said, a sound Capri hadn’t heard in months, and it was completely disconcerting. She hated feeling like a voyeur, but she couldn’t pull herself away, couldn’t reconcile the image of her mother being so at ease with another man when the loss of Dick was still so raw for Capri.
Earl picked up her mother’s hand and kissed the back of it. Her mom let out a giggle filled with delight.
Capri’s heart thudded against her chest. She’d believed those days were far behind her, but now, every childhood memory felt fresh—each faceless man passing through their lives like a reopened wound on her heart. She may have been just a little girl, but at this moment, she vividly recalled the unfamiliar faces at their dinner table and in her mother’s bedroom.
When Dick first came into their lives, he brought along dolls for Capri and a love for Monopoly that quickly won her over. She liked him, finding comfort in his playful nature and easygoing presence. She finally had a daddy.
But then the drinking started, and those early days of warmth faded into a blur of broken promises and shouting. However, the last couple of decades had been a different story. Dick had gotten sober, and they had finally become the family she had always longed for, creating a bond that healed old wounds and gave her the father figure she needed.
Capri startled out of her thoughts when her mother caressed Earl’s beard.
Capri couldn’t stand it one more second. She straightened, determined to walk away. At least until they were home, and Capri could confront her mother and talk some sense into her.
But then, just as Capri thought she might escape unnoticed, a loud, nasally voice cut through the air like a knife. “Well, if it isn’t Capri Jacobs! Sneaking around, are we?”
Capri’s blood ran cold as she turned to find Nicola Cavendish standing there, her hands planted on her hips, a satisfied smirk curling her lips. Nicola was the town’s self-appointed purveyor of gossip, her tongue sharp and unforgiving. And she wasn’t about to let Capri off the hook.
“Spying on your mama, are you?” Nicola continued, her voice rising with every word, drawing the attention of everyone in the store. “It’s not every day you see a grown woman hiding behind a box of Cap’n Crunch. What’s the matter, Capri? Not happy that your mama’s moving on?”
Capri’s face burned with embarrassment, but before she could respond, she saw her mother and Earl turning toward the commotion, their expressions shifting from surprise to concern as they realized what was happening.
Her mother’s eyes locked with Capri’s across the aisle, and in that moment, Capri saw the pain, the understanding, and something more—something that filled her with shame. She wasn’t just caught by Nicola; she was caught by the very woman she had been so desperate to protect.
Earl let go of her mother’s hand, stepping back slightly as if giving them space, but the damage was done. The air between them all felt thick with unspoken words and tension.
Capri opened her mouth to say something, anything, but the words wouldn’t come.
Nicola’s eyes glittered with cruel satisfaction, waiting for the drama to unfold.
Capri’s mother, though, was the first to speak, her voice steady but soft. “Capri, honey, we need to talk.” There was no anger in her tone, just a quiet plea that broke something in Capri’s resolve.
She nodded numbly, her eyes darting away from Nicola’s victorious gaze, and followed her mother and Earl toward the back of the store, where the aisles were quieter, and they could have some semblance of privacy.
As they moved away, Capri could still feel the weight of Nicola’s stare, could hear the murmurs of curiosity from other shoppers who had overheard the exchange. Her mother didn’t say anything until they reached the end of the aisle, where the store opened up into a small seating area with a coffee machine and a few old magazines.
She turned to face Capri, her expression gentle but firm. “I know this is hard for you,” she began, her eyes searching Capri’s for some sign of understanding. “But Earl… he’s been a good friend to me. And I never wanted you to feel like this, but honey…we’re in love.”
Capri wanted to argue. Love? She was a widow of less than a couple of months. No one falls in love this quickly.
She wanted to tell her mother how wrong this all felt, but she couldn’t deny the warmth in her mother’s eyes, the way Earl stood by her side, not pushing, just waiting.
Capri stood there, trying to swallow the lump building in her throat.
For the first time, Capri realized that maybe, just maybe, her mother had found something worth holding on to, even if it wasn’t what Capri wanted to see. The thought left her feeling more lost than ever but also strangely relieved, like maybe she didn’t have to carry all the weight of the past alone.
Capri swallowed hard, her heart pounding as she struggled to process the scene before her. Her mother’s face was filled with indescribable happiness—a joy Capri couldn’t understand, much less accept.
Earl placed a protective arm around her mom’s shoulder. His normally unruly hair was slicked down with product. He’d exchanged his normal overalls for jeans and a button-down shirt. He exchanged glances with her mother. She nodded, and he cleared his throat.
“I’ve asked your mother to marry me.”
Capri felt the ground sway beneath her, the words hitting her like a punch to the gut. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at Earl, the image of him standing there, so polished and out of character, only adding to the surrealness of the moment. His arm around her mother’s shoulders, his hair slicked down, the unfamiliar clothes—everything about him seemed wrong, like a stranger had taken his place. But it wasn’t just the change in his appearance; it was the certainty in his voice, the way he looked at her mother with an affection that was undeniable.
Capri’s chest tightened, her heart pounding in her ears as she struggled to find her voice, to process the shock that rippled through her. But all she could do was stand there, frozen, her mind racing with the implications of his words and the overwhelming realization that nothing—not even the memories of her life with Dick—would ever feel secure or unchanging again.
“Marry you?” she shrieked, not bothering to lower her voice. “That’s ridiculous!” She looked to her mom for confirmation. Surely, she hadn’t just learned her mother planned to remarry—while in the grocery store, no less.
Her mother’s voice cut through the haze, calm and reassuring, but it did little to ease the ache building in Capri’s chest. “I wish we could’ve talked about this sooner,” she said softly, glancing at Earl, who nodded, his expression kind but unreadable. “I wanted to tell you, Capri, but… I didn’t know how.”
Capri clenched her jaw, trying to keep the emotions in check, but the words tumbled out before she could stop them. “How could you move on so fast?” Her voice cracked, betraying the vulnerability she’d been trying so hard to hide. “It hasn’t even been that long, Mom. How can you… how can you do this?”
Her mother’s eyes filled with a sadness that mirrored Capri’s own. “I’m not trying to replace Dick. I could never do that,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I’m still here, Capri. I’m still alive. And I need to find a way to keep living, even if it means finding comfort in someone else.”
Capri looked away, her vision blurring as she tried to hold back tears.
Earl remained silent, his presence a reminder of everything Capri didn’t want to confront. She wanted to lash out, to make her mother understand the depth of her hurt, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, she just stood there, feeling the weight of loss and change pressing down on her, suffocating in its inevitability.
Finally, her mother reached out, her touch gentle on Capri’s arm. “We’ll talk more, okay? I don’t want this to be how we leave this conversation. But I need you to know that I care about him, and he cares about me. It’s different, but it doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten Dick.” She looked to Earl. “Neither of us wants to be alone.”
Capri nodded slowly, the fight draining out of her. She couldn’t argue with the truth in her mother’s words, even if it hurt. “I just… I just need some time,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Her mother smiled faintly, understanding. “Take all the time you need, sweetheart.”
As Capri turned to leave, her mind still reeling, she couldn’t help but glance back one last time. Her mother and Earl stood there, not quite touching but connected in a way Capri was beginning to realize she’d have to accept. She walked out of the grocery store, past a gawking Nicola Cavendish; the snide look on her face like alcohol tossed on an open wound.
Outside, the warm June air hit her face, a stark contrast to the chill she felt inside.
Capri stood on the curb, staring out at the quiet town of Thunder Mountain; the familiar streets suddenly feeling foreign. Life was moving on around her, whether she was ready for it or not.
As she walked back to her truck, the realization settled in her bones—nothing would ever be the same again.