Chapter 23
23
T he fire crackled in Capri’s stone hearth, casting a warm glow across the newly renovated living room. The sage green and creamy white furniture was arranged in a way that encouraged conversation—something Jake had been mindful of when designing the space. Not that Capri would easily admit it aloud, but she appreciated his thoughtfulness more than she let on.
As if reading her mind, Jake set down the tray of drinks on the coffee table and pressed a quick kiss to Capri’s temple before grabbing his jacket. “I’ll let you girls have your time,” he said, flashing his easy grin. “Call me if you need anything.”
Capri rolled her eyes at his overprotectiveness, but she couldn’t shake the warmth spreading in her chest as she watched him leave.
Charlie Grace barely suppressed a smile from her spot on the couch, swirling her wine glass. “He’s been hovering, huh?”
“You have no idea,” Capri muttered, stretching out her legs—her right one still stiff but healing well. “I can finally move without wincing, and yet he still insists on carrying everything for me, like I’m made of glass.”
Lila frowned. “Give him a break. You’re still on crutches.”
Reva laughed, tucking her legs under her as she leaned back. She cupped a mug of chamomile tea in her hand. “Enjoy it while it lasts. That man is smitten with you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Capri said, brushing off the remark, though her cheeks betrayed her with a telltale flush. She placed her glass down a little too hard, a tiny drop sloshing over the side. “I never said I don’t like Jake’s attention,” she muttered, dabbing at the spill with a napkin. When she looked up, three pairs of eyes were locked on her, grinning. “Oh, shut up. All of you.”
Lila lifted her wine glass in Capri’s direction with a teasing smirk. “Well, I can tell you that having someone dote on you isn’t the worst thing.” She sighed. “You’re just like my daughter. Camille barely lets me fuss over her.”
Charlie Grace set her wine down. “How’s she doing with everything? Is she excited yet?”
Lila exhaled, shaking her head. “I wish I could say yes. She’s handling things, doing well in her online classes, but…I don’t know. I just don’t feel like she’s letting herself feel it yet.”
“She still doesn’t want to know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Capri asked.
“Nope. Not yet. She says she might change her mind, but honestly, I think she’s still wrapping her head around the whole thing. We went maternity shopping, and she was picking things out, but it felt more like she was going through the motions.” Lila reached for a piece of cheese from the platter on the coffee table. “I know she’s scared. I just wish she’d let herself get excited. Because I am.”
Reva squeezed Lila’s hand. “She’ll get there. It’s a lot to process. Babies make everything feel real in a way nothing else does.”
Charlie Grace raised a brow. “Speaking from experience?”
Reva let out a dry chuckle. “Let’s just say they are cute as babies. But the toddler years?” She mock-shuddered. “That’s when the real work starts. That’s when you wonder if you’ve ruined them or if they’ll end up on a therapist’s couch complaining about you one day.”
Lila chuckled. “Well, that’s comforting. Although the same can be said about teenagers.”
As the group’s laughter faded, Capri leaned back with a sly grin, tilting her wine glass toward Charlie Grace. “Enough about me—let’s talk about you, Miss Sudden Fortune,” she teased, and just like that, all three women turned their attention to Charlie Grace, eyes gleaming with curiosity and mischief, ready to dissect every detail of her newfound wealth.
Charlie Grace leaned forward, refilling her glass with a sigh. “Well, it’s done. The watch is officially sold. The transaction closed last Tuesday.”
Lila’s brows lifted. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.” Charlie Grace took a slow sip, letting the words settle before grinning. “And you would not believe the way people are acting ever since the pocket watch discovery. I thought maybe a few folks would have questions, but the whole town has lost their minds.”
Capri gave her a wolfish grin while stretching out her recovering leg. “Oh, I believe it. Let me guess—Nicola Cavendish has already called dibs on whatever donations you’ll be making. Goodness knows, she has a long list of favorite community events.”
“Oh, she was first in line,” Charlie Grace said, setting down her glass with a flourish. “Stopped me in the post office, Sweetpea yapping in her arms, and whispered, ‘I nominated you for Woman of the Year at the chamber luncheon.’”
Reva choked on her tea. “Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack,” Charlie Grace said. “Like I want some fancy award I didn’t even ask for.”
Reva dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, still recovering from her near tea disaster. “Okay, hold on—I do think you deserve that award,” she said, pointing at Charlie Grace. “But let’s be real, Nicola didn’t nominate you out of the goodness of her heart. That woman’s buttering you up like a biscuit at a Sunday brunch.”
Lila laughed, shaking her head. “Sounds like Nicola is in rare form. I can only imagine what the others are saying.”
“Oh, it seems the entire town has reached new levels of crazy. Everyone’s laying it on thicker than a fresh coat of paint. It’s like I went from Charlie Grace to Queen Charlie, and Ihateit.”
Charlie Grace shifted, fixing her friends with a sharp look. “The Knit Wits ambushed me at the Moose Chapel quilting circle. Oma Griffith set down her crochet hook, folded her hands like she was about to pray, and said, ‘Charlie Grace, honey, we’re just wondering—what exactly does a person do with that kind of money?’”
Reva gasped. “What did you tell her?”
Charlie Grace barely missed a beat, flashing a dry smile. “Oh, you know, the usual—buy a yacht, fund a llama sanctuary, maybe build a gold-plated outhouse just to see if I can.”
They all shared a laugh.
“Good to see you’re not losing your sense of humor,” Lila noted.
“Truth is, the money is not all mine. We’re in the process of setting up a trust for Jewel, with protections that will keep Gibbs’ mitts off the money. Another third is Dad’s. He intends to pay off all the ranch loans and wants to purchase old man Johnson’s property to the west.” She folded her feet up under her on the sofa. “And get this—he wants to expand the guest ranch. Build new guest quarters. Put in a tennis court, a golf course, and a pool!”
Reva’s hand went to her chest. “No! Are you kidding? The man who fought the guest ranch concept because he didn’t want the cattle ranch he built to change?”
“No one is more surprised than I am,” Charlie Grace said, eyes twinkling. “Then Oma Griffith gave me some sage advice. She caught me in the grocery store aisle, leaned in—hand to her chest, mind you—and said, ‘Charlie Grace, dear, you must be careful. Wealthy women get targeted. People will want things.” She lowered her voice. “Men will want things.’”
Reva let out an exaggerated sigh and set her cup down on the table. “Well, in that case, we should retroactively invoice every man we’ve ever dated.”
Capri laughed. “Yet I don’t think Oma was completely off in her advice. I’m not ultra-rich, but I have a little money. Believe me, you’ll become a magnet for all the gold diggers.”
Charlie Grace nodded and tapped her wine glass with an hors d’oeuvre spoon. “Ding, ding, ding. And then, as if summoned by the forces of pure irony, Gibbs Nichols walked into the store and had the audacity to say—and I quote—‘Hey, Charlie Grace, about your new windfall. We should grab dinner. Talk about some investment ideas I have.’”
Capri groaned. “Of course, he did.”
“Yes, he did,” Charlie Grace echoed. “And before I could shut him down, Oma turned right around and muttered, ‘See? Told you so.’”
The women erupted into laughter, Reva wiping a tear from her eye. “I swear, Gibbs could smell money from across state lines.”
“Oh, he’s not even pretending to be subtle,” Charlie Grace said. “I caught him cornering Clancy yesterday, asking if we were looking for an advisor to help ‘manage our affairs.’”
Lila blinked. “Gibbs? A financial advisor?”
Charlie Grace lifted her glass. “He couldn’t manage a checking account without over-drafting. He just wants another handout. Probably thinks I’ll finance his next failed business venture.”
More laughter spilled through the room as Charlie Grace shook her head. “But honestly, it’s not just Gibbs. My ranch hands all thought I was going to sell and retire. I walked into the barn, and they were literally taking bets on where I’d move. Jackson Hole, Montana, the South of France?—”
Reva’s eyebrows shot up. “The South of France?”
“I know, right?” Charlie Grace grinned. “Then Ford Keaton, the most practical of the bunch, goes, ‘Nah, she’s not going anywhere. She’s too stubborn.’”
“He’s not wrong,” Capri said.
“Nope,” Charlie Grace agreed. “So, then the next logical thing they start betting on? What’s the first thing I’ll spend money on. They all assumed I’d get some massive fancy horse trailer, a new truck, maybe even a big new house in Jackson.”
Charlie Grace sighed dramatically. “My actual money pit is Clancy Rivers. Dad sits at his computer all day, ordering every single thing he’s ever wanted but never let himself buy.”
Reva grinned. “Uh-oh. What’s he gotten so far?”
“Let’s see,” Charlie Grace said, ticking them off on her fingers. “Three different drone kits, a leather recliner that massages, high-thread-count silk bedsheets, and some ridiculous pairs of noise-canceling headphones?—”
“Plural?” Capri asked.
“Oh, multiple pairs,” Charlie Grace confirmed. “He says he needs a backup in case one malfunctions.”
Lila chuckled. “I take it the Amazon packages keep coming?”
“Like clockwork. My driveway looks like a fulfillment center. If I let this go on much longer, he’ll have the whole house looking like a Walmart.”
Reva smirked. “So, what was the first thing you bought?”
Charlie Grace shrugged. “A fancy espresso machine.”
Capri lifted her glass. “Now that is a worthy investment.”
Charlie Grace laughed. “Darn right.” She shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong, this windfall is a huge blessing. But I don’t want a big deal made of it. Rest assured, none of the important things in life will change.”
The conversation settled for a moment, warmth filling the space between them. Capri leaned back and gave a soft smile. “I really have missed these nights.”
Reva sighed contentedly. “Same.”
Charlie Grace nudged Capri. “And I have to say, for all your complaining, you seem to be enjoying having Jake around.”
Capri rolled her eyes but couldn’t quite suppress her smile. “He’s fine.”
Reva snorted. “Fine? The man basically moved in to take care of you.”
Charlie Grace grinned. “And now that you’re healing, what happens next?”
Capri hesitated, eyes flicking toward the door Jake had walked out of earlier. “I don’t know,” she admitted, swirling her wine. “But for the first time in a long time, I’m willing to find out.”
Reva lifted her glass. “To figuring things out.”
Lila clinked hers against it. “And to not murdering pregnant daughters during their hormonal phases.”
Reva groaned. “Amen to that.”
As the laughter filled Capri’s newly finished home, she felt it—not just the comfort of old friendships, but the quiet hum of something new.
And for once, she wasn’t running from it.