Capri’s mother laughed, her eyes softening with the memory. “Privately, I asked him not to. I was afraid you might climb up on the roof with it and try to fly.”
“I like to think I was adventurous.”
Her mom shook her head. “More like a handful.” She stretched, wincing slightly, her hand pressing against her lower back. “Ugh, getting old is no picnic,” she muttered.
Capri quickly bent down, picked up the trowel and continued the task. “You do enough kneeling in this garden to make a nun jealous,” she teased. “Let me finish this up for you.”
Her mother pointed to a cluster of flowers, smiling. “See those hollyhocks? They’re going to be stunning this summer if the deer don’t make a buffet out of them.”
Capri was about to reply when her mother suddenly glanced at her watch and her eyes widened in alarm. “Oh heavens, I’m late!”
“For what?” Capri asked, watching as her mother hurried to her feet.
“I’m going out to dinner with a friend,” her mother tossed over her shoulder as she rushed inside, leaving Capri blinking in surprise.
“Dinner out?” Capri echoed, stunned. She was thrilled that her mother was taking her advice to get out more. She’d spent months in this house nursing Dick. It would do her good to go have some fun.
Capri finished up in the garden, tidying the tools and wiping her hands on her jeans before carrying the basket inside. She headed to the kitchen for a glass of lemonade when her mother reappeared, looking unexpectedly radiant. She wore a light blue dress that flowed around her in soft waves, cinched at the waist with a dainty belt. Her silver hair was pinned back elegantly, and she had a sparkle in her eye that Capri hadn’t seen in months.
“Is that new, Mom?” Capri asked, eyebrows raised.
Her mother blushed slightly, smoothing down the front of the dress. “Yes, it is.”
“And perfume?” Capri caught the subtle scent of something floral and fresh. “Since when do you wear perfume?”
Before her mother could respond, the sound of an engine cutting off outside was followed by a car door slamming shut. Her mother glanced in the mirror, suddenly flustered, and dabbed at her lipstick. “How do I look?” she asked, turning to Capri with a nervous smile.
Capri’s confusion only grew, but she smiled back. “As pretty as ever.”
A firm knock sounded on the door, making them both jump. “Honey, get that, please,” her mother said, her voice a touch breathless as she put on the finishing touches of her lipstick.
Capri walked to the door and opened it, only to find herself face-to-face with Earl Dunlop, the large, burly man who ran the county’s snow removal fleet. He wore a crisp button-down shirt and a sheepish grin.
“What are you doing here, Earl?” Capri asked, blinking at the sight of him all dressed up.
He beamed at her, his grin widening to a boyish smile that seemed out of place on his grizzled face. “I’m here to take your mama out. On a date!”
Capri stared at him, her mouth falling open in disbelief. Her mother was dating Earl Dunlop? The old guy with the kitten?
As the realization sank in, a tight knot formed in her stomach; the unexpected turn leaving her completely unsettled.
Capri turned sharply, her eyes narrowing as she faced her mother. “I don’t get it, Mom. It’s only been weeks since Dick died, and you’re already dating?” she demanded, her voice edged with both shock and hurt.
Her mother met Capri’s gaze calmly, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. “Oh, sweetheart,” she said gently. “Grief doesn’t come with a schedule. And besides, I’m not dead—just a widow with a closet full of pretty dresses that need a night out. Life’s too short to sit around waiting for the flowers to wilt.”
Minutes later, Capri stood at the doorway, watching as Earl helped her mother into his truck, her laughter floating back on the warm summer breeze.
Capri’s chest tightened with a mix of anger and disbelief. She should have seen this coming—her mother had never been one to go long without a man by her side.
But…Earl Dunlop?
Frustrated, she spun on her heel and marched to the kitchen, dumping her untouched lemonade into the sink with a splash. Yanking open the refrigerator, she grabbed a beer, popped the top, and took a long, determined gulp. She snatched another from the fridge on her way to the living room, where she rifled through the DVDs, pulled out the Gilmore Girls collection she’d retrieved from Dick’s things, and slammed one into the player.
As the familiar theme music filled the room, she folded into the cushions on the worn sofa and muttered, “Even Stars Hollow couldn’t top this Emily Gilmore nightmare.”
8
In the days that followed, Capri did what she always did and buried her feelings by staying busy.
