She threw herself into the frenetic pace of preparing for the rafting season, the steady hum of activity at Grand Teton Whitewater Adventures becoming her refuge from the chaos inside her.
She was the first one at the base every morning, long before the sun kissed the tips of the Tetons, unlocking the storage shed and checking the inventory of life vests, helmets, and paddles. The smell of neoprene and the crispness of the early June air became her constant companions as she meticulously inspected each raft, ensuring they were ready to brave the icy rapids.
She moved with purpose, her mind on anything but her mother, who had stunned Capri by dating so soon after Dick’s death. Capri focused on the tangible, like the fraying ropes that needed replacing or the rust on the trailer hitch that needed a good sanding, finding solace in the physicality of the work.
Bodhi West ambled over as she wrestled a stubborn patch onto a worn inflatable. “You know, I can handle some of that,” he offered with a grin, pushing his long hair out of his face. Capri barely glanced up, her hands steady on the repair kit. “I’ve got this, Bodhi. But, there’s a list a mile long if you’re looking for something to do.” She didn’t mean to sound curt, but the work gave her a sense of control she couldn’t afford to lose.
Bodhi shrugged and headed toward the equipment shed, whistling a tune that grated on her nerves, though she couldn’t say why. She knew he was trying to help, but Capri wasn’t ready to delegate or slow down—not with the season looming and certainly not with her tangled emotions threatening to unwind her.
The days blurred together as Capri pushed herself to the limit, organizing training sessions for the summer guides and running safety drills on the still-cold river. The office phone rang off the hook with bookings. Though she had people hired to maintain the trip schedules, Capri often picked up and handled many of the calls with professional ease, her voice steady and reassuring. In the evenings, she reviewed the route maps, plotting out the safest paths for tourists and noting the danger spots where the spring runoff made the rapids especially treacherous. She even updated the website, adding new photos and highlighting the thrill of their most challenging routes.
Every task, every detail, was a distraction, a way to keep her thoughts from wandering to her mother’s unexpected relationship and the gaping void Dick’s death had left in her heart. But even as she busied herself, a small part of Capri knew she couldn’t keep running from her feelings forever.
No matter how many tasks she completed or how many hours she spent working, she couldn’t entirely escape the thoughts that crept in during quiet moments—the image of her mother moving on, the life they once had with Dick slipping further into the past.
It was a fragile balance, keeping her emotions in check, one she maintained with stubborn determination. But all it took was a single moment, an unexpected encounter, to shatter that precarious equilibrium. Like the day she caught sight of Earl holding her mother’s hand in the Western Drug and General store.
Capri froze in the narrow aisle, her breath catching in her throat as she watched the two of them, their fingers intertwined like they’d been doing this for years.
The small-town grocery store slash pharmacy had a distinct charm, its mismatched shelves crammed with everything from bottles of liniment oil sitting next to marshmallows and tomato soup. The scent of aged wood and freshly baked bread mingled in the air, and Capri could almost hear the distant hum of the old fluorescent lights that flickered overhead.
She ducked behind a display of cereal boxes, peeking through a gap between the Frosted Flakes and Raisin Bran, her heart pounding.
Her mother and Earl were oblivious to her presence, their voices a low murmur as they picked out produce; their casual closeness sending a pang of betrayal through Capri’s chest. Then she heard it.
The L word.
Capri nearly choked on her own breath. Something twisted deep inside her as she edged closer, pretending to examine a row of canned peaches, straining to hear their conversation. Surely, she was mistaken.
Her mother laughed softly at something Earl said, a sound Capri hadn’t heard in months, and it was completely disconcerting. She hated feeling like a voyeur, but she couldn’t pull herself away, couldn’t reconcile the image of her mother being so at ease with another man when the loss of Dick was still so raw for Capri.
Earl picked up her mother’s hand and kissed the back of it. Her mom let out a giggle filled with delight.
Capri’s heart thudded against her chest. She’d believed those days were far behind her, but now, every childhood memory felt fresh—each faceless man passing through their lives like a reopened wound on her heart. She may have been just a little girl, but at this moment, she vividly recalled the unfamiliar faces at their dinner table and in her mother’s bedroom.
When Dick first came into their lives, he brought along dolls for Capri and a love for Monopoly that quickly won her over. She liked him, finding comfort in his playful nature and easygoing presence. She finally had a daddy.
But then the drinking started, and those early days of warmth faded into a blur of broken promises and shouting. However, the last couple of decades had been a different story. Dick had gotten sober, and they had finally become the family she had always longed for, creating a bond that healed old wounds and gave her the father figure she needed.
Capri startled out of her thoughts when her mother caressed Earl’s beard.
Capri couldn’t stand it one more second. She straightened, determined to walk away. At least until they were home, and Capri could confront her mother and talk some sense into her.
But then, just as Capri thought she might escape unnoticed, a loud, nasally voice cut through the air like a knife. “Well, if it isn’t Capri Jacobs! Sneaking around, are we?”
Capri’s blood ran cold as she turned to find Nicola Cavendish standing there, her hands planted on her hips, a satisfied smirk curling her lips. Nicola was the town’s self-appointed purveyor of gossip, her tongue sharp and unforgiving. And she wasn’t about to let Capri off the hook.
“Spying on your mama, are you?” Nicola continued, her voice rising with every word, drawing the attention of everyone in the store. “It’s not every day you see a grown woman hiding behind a box of Cap’n Crunch. What’s the matter, Capri? Not happy that your mama’s moving on?”
Capri’s face burned with embarrassment, but before she could respond, she saw her mother and Earl turning toward the commotion, their expressions shifting from surprise to concern as they realized what was happening.
Her mother’s eyes locked with Capri’s across the aisle, and in that moment, Capri saw the pain, the understanding, and something more—something that filled her with shame. She wasn’t just caught by Nicola; she was caught by the very woman she had been so desperate to protect.
Earl let go of her mother’s hand, stepping back slightly as if giving them space, but the damage was done. The air between them all felt thick with unspoken words and tension.
Capri opened her mouth to say something, anything, but the words wouldn’t come.
Nicola’s eyes glittered with cruel satisfaction, waiting for the drama to unfold.
