His sister picked up her fork. “My favorite was horseback riding. Mom and Dad promised we could come back next summer.”
Charlie Grace beamed inside. That was just the feedback she was hoping to hear. “We would love to have you back again.”
After breakfast, she left Gibbs to help clear the table. He’d balked at the idea after returning from taking Jewel to school, but she’d held up her hand. “You’re really going to argue after you missed your morning chores?”
He dropped the issue, grinning back at her. “No. You’re the boss. Besides, it’ll give me time with this beautiful lady.” He playfully popped Aunt Mo on the behind with a rolled-up dish towel.
“Oh, stop.” Aunt Mo swatted at the towel, laughing.
Charlie Grace retreated to the office, where she opened the reservation system. She had a couple arriving tomorrow morning who were on their honeymoon. She scrolled down and stopped. A slow smile dawned as she saw a pleasant surprise.
Nick Thatcher had extended his stay…indefinitely.
Reva finished reviewingthe minutes from last week’s city council meeting and closed her laptop. The review didn’t take long since the only agenda item had been a discussion surrounding an application for approval of a snow cone stand on the corner of Main and Ninth. While concerns were voiced about the hours of operation, all the dissenters quickly conceded when it was learned the applicant was the high school flag corp, and all proceeds went to fund travel to a state color guard competition in Laramie.
Reva stood to collect her things, planning to head out for lunch, when her office door flew open. She looked up to find Capri standing there looking completely undone. “I need your help,” she said, brushing a loose curl off her face.
“What is it?”
Capri closed the door behind her and motioned for Reva to sit. She then slid into one of the guest chairs. “It’s my stepdad, Dick. He’s at Moosehead Tavern. I’m afraid he got some bad news this morning. He wouldn’t tell Mom or me what it was. I only know he received a disturbing phone call and left the house without a word.” She paused, trying to collect herself. “I waited a few minutes, then followed. He parked in front of the Moosehead, and I watched him go inside.”
“Oh, dear,” Reva murmured. Dick was a regular attendee at her AA meetings and had been sober for a good many years. He’d even helped out as a sponsor in a pinch. She tucked the strap of her purse upon her shoulder. “Thanks for letting me know. You stay. I’ll go see what’s up.”
Capri, who was the toughest of all her girlfriends, couldn’t hold back her emotions. Her eyes teared up. “Thanks, Reva. I knew I could count on you.”
Minutes later, Reva stepped into the dimly lit bar. She steeled herself against the smell of cigarettes and alcohol that blanketed the air inside as she scanned the room, her eyes darting from one patron to the next, searching.
Then she saw Dick slumped over at the end of the bar, his hand wrapped around a glass of amber liquid.
She made her way over to him, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. He didn’t notice her at first, lost in his own thoughts. She cleared her throat, and he turned to look at her.
“Hey,” she said softly. “Mind if I sit down?”
Dick shrugged, and she took the seat next to him. She glanced at the glass in his hand, noticing the way his knuckles turned white as he clutched it tightly.
“Bad day?” she asked, knowing the answer already.
Dick let out a bitter laugh. “You could say that.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, the noise of the bar buzzing around them. She could see the internal struggle he was going through, the battle between his desire for a drink and his commitment to his sobriety.
“You know,” she said finally. “I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to feel like the weight of the world is crushing you, and all you want to do is forget about it for a little while.”
He looked at her, his eyes flickering with a glimmer of reconsideration.
“But the thing is,” she continued. “We both know from experience that the drink in our hand won’t fix anything. It won’t make bad news go away. It’ll just make it harder to deal with tomorrow.”
Dick sighed, his grip on the glass loosening slightly. “You don’t understand.”
Reva placed her hand on his arm. “I know it’s hard,” she said gently. “But you’ve come so far. You’ve worked extremely hard to get where you are. Don’t throw it all away now.”
He nodded slowly, and she could see the determination returning to his eyes. “I got bad news today.”
“Do you want to tell me about it?” she urged.
Dick sat silent for several seconds before he turned and looked at her. “I’ve got cancer.”
Reva couldn’t help the quick uptake of breath as she struggled to absorb his news. “I am so sorry, Dick.” She gave his arm a little rub. “What’s the prognosis?”
