Now, having finally found deep joy, the sensation was unexpectedly grounding. It was less about elation and more about a sense of balance and contentment. She’d learned that she could see to the needs of others without putting herself on the back burner…especially when it came to relationships.
Nick Thatcher had a lot to do with that. He’d given her the gift of believing in herself.
Better yet, he’d given her the gift of love.
35
The boat bobbed gently on Jenny Lake’s tranquil waters, the peaks of the Tetons mirrored perfectly on the surface. Lila, her fingers trailing in the cool water, turned to Charlie Grace with a wistful smile, “Do you remember when we camped here back in high school? And Capri forgot to pack the tent poles?”
Capri chuckled. “Hey! We made do with those pine limbs and a bit of creativity. Created an unforgettable trip, didn’t it?”
Reva leaned back, shading her eyes from the soft glint of the sun. “Every time we’re here, it feels like the mountains hold our memories. Sometimes, I swear I can hear our younger selves laughing in the wind.” She reached for the champagne bottle. “Who’s up for some celebration?”
Lila unpacked the plastic flutes and passed them out. “What are we celebrating?”
Charlie Grace nodded with enthusiasm. “We’re celebrating us. We’ve all experienced changes over the years, been blindsided by unexpected circumstances, and we’ve held on to the possibility of renewed hope…and each other.”
Reva popped the cork. “Some of us more than others.” She directed her gaze at Charlie Grace.
“Who are you looking at?” Charlie Grace challenged.
“You,” came Reva’s reply. She poured bubbly into all their waiting glasses. “This has certainly been a summer of change for you.”
Charlie Grace took a moment, gathering her thoughts. “I guess you’re right. I think back to how I used to be, especially with Gibbs. I let him and his bad choices dictate so much of my life.” She stared at the bubbles drifting to the top of her glass. “Through it all, our friendship—and my new friendship with Nick—gave me the strength to stand up for myself and find happiness.”
She sighed, a hint of a smile forming. “I never imagined I could find someone like him after everything. He’s been a genuine, unexpected joy in my life. Falling in love with him feels right, and it’s made all the difference.”
Reva lifted her glass and filled it. “What’s hard to wrap my head around is the change in your father.”
Charlie Grace sighed. “Yes, I’ll live a lifetime wondering what brought about his change of heart.”
Capri shrugged. “I know.”
Everyone turned their focus on her.
“What do you mean, you know?” Lila asked.
Capri leaned back and kicked her feet up on the edge of the boat. “I know why Clancy softened and quit being a poop to Charlie Grace.”
Charlie Grace leaned forward. “Well, you’d better spill.”
Capri let her gaze drift to the horizon, the sun casting a canvas of pinks and golds across the tips of the pines. “Dick paid him a visit.”
Lila’s eyebrows lifted. “Your stepdad?”
“Yeah, Dick didn’t tell me what was said verbatim, but let’s just say he conveyed the notion that time is short and none of us is promised tomorrow. He told me and Mom he urged Clancy to quit being a jackass and making his daughter miserable. That one day, he’d be gone and never missed. Worse, his daughter might be the one not there, and he’d never get the opportunity to say he was sorry and tell her he loved her.”
“Oh, my gosh…what did Clancy say?” Reva asked.
“Charlie Grace’s dad is a man of few words…or no words. I suppose his actions speak louder. No doubt, it looks like Dick’s admonition prompted an about-face.”
Charlie Grace let the new information settle. It made sense now. Regardless of the motivation, she was sincerely glad for her father’s change of heart towards her. Slowly, they were becoming close again. It meant the world to her.
“Well, ain’t that something?” Reva raised her plastic flute and invited the others to do the same. “I want to make a toast. To the moments that break us, and the friends who make us.”
The others raised their glasses in response, and for a brief moment, everything else faded away. All that remained was the heartbeat of their friendship, pulsing stronger than ever, a promise that whatever came next, they would face it together.
Capri suddenly stood, sending the boat rocking. She tossed back the champagne in her glass and quickly disrobed.
