Chapter 4
4
L ila heard a knock and moved for the door. She opened it to find both Capri and Charlie Grace standing there holding covered plates. “You’re early,” she said as she motioned them inside.
“Oh, hush! We’re right on time,” Capri said in protest as she headed for Lila’s kitchen.
Charlie Grace followed. “As for me, I couldn’t get here fast enough. I’ve had a hellish week. Our reservation system went down out at Teton Trails.”
“I heard the entire town’s internet was down,” Lila reported, taking the plate from Charlie Grace. “You guys want to sit in here at the counter or head for the sofa?”
“Sofa,” Capri and Charlie Grace answered in unison.
The group gathered up the plates, glasses, and silverware and headed for the living room. Lila carried a pitcher full of dark pink slush. “I hope you guys like strawberry daiquiris.”
Lila’s home offered a warm, inviting charm, especially evident in her living room. Despite working with a limited budget, she had transformed the space into a cozy haven. The walls, painted in a soft, sunlit beige, were adorned with a collection of thrifted landscape paintings that captured the rugged beauty of Wyoming’s outdoors.
A second-hand, plush sofa draped with a patchwork quilt added a splash of color and a touch of homeyness. A sturdy, well-worn wooden coffee table sat at the center, often graced with a vase of wildflowers Lila plucked from nearby meadows on her morning walks.
The room was lit by carefully chosen lamps found at online discount retailers, their warm glow complementing the natural light that streamed through patterned curtains at the windows.
Each piece in the room, though not costly, was chosen with care and demonstrated Lila’s ability to create a beautiful, inviting space on a budget. She had Pinterest to thank for that.
Charlie Grace took the plastic wrap off the plates. “I hadn’t heard the internet was down all over town.”
“It’s still down,” Capri told her, shoving a stuffed mushroom into her mouth. “Dang, girl. These are good.”
Charlie Grace nodded. “I’d like to take credit, but Aunt Mo deserves the praise. She found the recipe on TikTok.”
“TikTok?” Lila scowled. “I heard that phone app spies on you.”
“So what?” Capri reached for another mushroom. “I don’t have any pictures on my phone they can’t see.”
“You sure?” Charlie Grace shoulder-bumped her.
“None that I will admit to,” Capri shoulder-bumped her back, a little harder.
Lila picked up the pitcher and filled three stemmed glasses. “If the internet remains down, who’s going to remedy the situation? Reva’s on her honeymoon and won’t be back for another week.”
Charlie Grace chuckled. “I’m surprised she hasn’t learned of it and is trying to make calls from her surfboard.”
Lila took her filled glass and snuggled into the cushions of her sofa. “Somehow, I doubt that. She and Kellen have better things to occupy their time with.” She grinned.
Charlie Grace took a sip from her glass. “I can’t believe they took Lucan with them on the honeymoon. I offered to keep him. So did Aunt Mo.”
“I offered as well,” Capri said. “The float trips are winding down this late in the season. I easily could have taken some time off.”
Lila couldn’t help but smile. “I’m not surprised. Do any of us really believe she could be separated from that little guy for two whole weeks?”
Charlie Grace nodded. “Wasn’t the adoption ceremony wonderful?”
They all agreed. “I still can’t believe Reva is married and is a mommy.”
Charlie Grace stirred her drink with her finger. “I hope her new roles don’t interfere with our Friday night get-togethers.”
“Never!” Capri shook her head in protest. “We all agreed years ago that our nights are sacrosanct.” She pointed to her friends. “You’ve both been married and never let that interrupt our nights.”
“Yeah, but this is Reva we’re talking about,” Charlie Grace reminded.
Lila laughed out loud. “Yes, Reva can be…uh, dedicated to her duties. But I promise you, it won’t be too long, and she’ll be counting the hours before she can get away for a bit. Being a mother is hard.”
Charlie Grace turned to Capri. “Speaking of mothers, how is yours?”
Capri reclined against the sofa cushion, casually propping her boots on the ottoman. Though her posture suggested ease, her eyes betrayed emotions she struggled to conceal.
Capri still lived with her parents. When questioned about the decision, she shrugged. “It’s free.” The rest of them knew full well that cash did not weigh in as the deciding factor. Capri owned Grand Teton Whitewater Adventures. She killed it financially, especially during the heavy tourist season. Her chosen profession also left her available in the winters when she alternated filling her time with binging seasons of Gilmore Girls on television and snowmobile racing on the local circuit.
Wild adventures aside, Capri dedicated herself to taking care of her mother and stepdad, a man who, thankfully, had replaced his affinity for bourbon with lemonade several years back. Sadly, Dick now fought a cancer diagnosis.
“Mom is doing good. I mean, she has a lot on her plate, with Dick’s treatments and all.”
“How’s Dick doing?” Lila asked.
Capri downed the remainder of her daiquiri in one gulp. She held out her glass to be refilled. “All those years of hard drinking took their toll on his body. And his age isn’t a plus. But the treatments seem to be working…for now.”
“What drugs are they giving him?” Lila asked.
She went on to explain the treatment options for a horse she’d studied in her coursework, detailing the use of cisplatin or carboplatin, diffusing from beads implanted near the tumor, offering a sustained attack on the cancer cells. She tried to draw parallels to Dick’s treatment, suggesting maybe there was something to learn here.
Before she could articulate her thoughts further, Charlie Grace rolled her eyes and dismissed her suggestions “Dick’s not a horse.”
Lila sighed, frustrated but undeterred. “I’m only saying that I think drugs administered to animals are often overlooked as treatment options. Take ivermectin, for example. I mean, they’re learning a lot about that one.”
That remark earned a collective groan from her girlfriends. She waved off their dismissal. “Okay, fine. Moving on…”
“Thank you.” Capri took a drink of her daiquiri. “If Dick starts craving hay, I’ll reach back out to you,” she said, half teasing.
Lila cherished the candor of these women who formed the very essence of her heart and soul. They always spoke their minds freely, and even in disagreement, their words and actions were steeped in profound love. She held a deep affection for these girls, more than she could ever fully express.
Charlie Grace picked up the plate filled with toasted baguette slices topped with olive tapenade and offered them to Lila. “And how is Doc Tillman? Has he returned to work?”
“He tried. But his wife was having none of it.”
Capri reached for a baguette slice. “Well, he needn’t worry. You are more than capable of holding down the fort, so to speak. Besides needing to recuperate, poor Winnie deserves a vacation.”
Doc’s wife was not one to challenge her husband. Yet, many in town knew she collected travel brochures and dreamed of visiting the Golden Gate Bridge, the Washington Monument in D.C., and strolling the Magic Kingdom in Florida.
Lila had made the mistake of taking up for her once. She’d urged him to take a few weeks away. “I’ll keep an eye on things,” she told him.
Doc Tillman had scoffed, his skepticism thinly veiled. “Keep an eye on things? Lila, this isn’t some weekend hobby or a houseplant you’re watering. This is a veterinary practice. It requires more than just good intentions and a warm body.” His tone was dismissive, undercutting the confidence Lila had just expressed. “Winnie might need a break, but this clinic needs a professional, a real animal doctor—in case of an emergency.” The sharpness in his voice left little room for argument, casting a shadow over the encouragement Lila had offered.
While his remarks stung, she quickly told herself this was his way of maintaining control, of keeping the reins tight even when it might benefit him to let go a little. Lila swallowed the hurt, forcing a placid smile as she responded. “I understand your concerns, Doc, but I assure you I’ve learned a lot under your guidance. I’m not intending to replace you—I’m just offering to help lighten the load so you and Winnie can take some well-deserved time away.”
Despite her diplomatic tone, Lila felt a familiar frustration simmer beneath her calm exterior. It was always the same with Doc Tillman. Her efforts seemed never quite enough to earn his full trust or approval.
Charlie Grace tilted her head and gazed at Lila, likely reading her mind. “Well, Nicola Cavendish was overheard telling someone at the bank that Doc Tillman came in and withdrew some cash. When he was asked about it, he said he was planning a little surprise for Winnie. I don’t know if I’m right but sounds like he plans to finally take that poor woman somewhere.”
Capri was quick to lean forward and pat Lila’s knee. “There you go. Here’s your chance to prove yourself to Doc.” She and Charlie Grace exchanged glances. “He’s got to let go sometime. He can’t keep working until he’s dead.”
As Lila absorbed Capri’s words and Charlie Grace’s hopeful speculation, a flicker of possibility ignited within her. Could this be her moment to step up and show her worth?
The idea of Doc actually taking time away, leaving her in charge, sent a mix of excitement and anxiety through her veins. She mulled over everything she had learned and all the times she had stood in the background, ready but untested. “He’s got to let go sometime,” echoed in her mind, mixing with her own desire to grow into more than just an understudy.
As the conversation shifted around her, Lila’s thoughts drifted to the stacks of animal patient files she knew by heart, the equipment she could operate with her eyes closed, and the community that depended on their clinic. Yes, she could hope—more than that, she could prepare. Maybe it was time to step into the light, ready to prove not just to Doc, but to herself, that she was capable of handling more.
This could be her chance to truly make a difference, to stretch her wings and maybe, just maybe, begin to soar.