Lila shrugged. “That’s what I heard.”
Charlie Grace placed the tray with the martini glasses on the coffee table beside the bowl. She picked up the lone tumbler filled with ice and soda and handed it to Reva. “Oh, that’s awful.”
Reva scowled as she took the glass. “We shouldn’t be shocked. Before Dick entered the picture, Emily Jacobs had quite the dating history. Remember when we were in grade school? Capri would go home to a new man almost every week.”
Lila nodded. “I do. Some of them even came from as far as Cheyenne. There always seemed to be a flock of buzzards circling if I remember right.”
Reva looked across the sofa at her friends. “Emily is the type of woman who always needs a partner to feel complete, convinced that her worth is tied to being someone’s significant other.” Her jaw stiffened. “Even when that need tramples the needs of your daughter.” She shook her head. “Announcing your engagement in the grocery store. Who does that?”
“Oh, I feel so bad for Capri. This must be a shock.” Lila glanced between the others. “And Earl Dunlop? The guy who brings his kitten into the vet’s office? He’s the town bachelor, well…one of many.”
A tiny grin sprouted on Reva’s lips. “At least Emily isn’t dating someone with a pit bull or a Doberman. That says something, I guess.”
Charlie Grace nodded. “Yeah, Dick was a real junkyard dog before he finally got sober.”
The sound of an approaching vehicle drew their attention.
Reva set her glass down. “Looks like our friend’s here.”
Capri’s red truck rolled into the yard, the engine cutting off as she parked. They watched as she hopped out, sprinting to the door and taking the porch steps two at a time. She knocked twice then pushed the door open.
“Hey, guys!” Her eyes were bright, and she was smiling.
The others looked at each other, puzzled.
“Glad you made it, Capri,” Charlie Grace said, walking over and giving her a shoulder hug. She led her friend over to the sofa and placed a martini glass filled with blue liquid into her hand. “These are called Seven Seas Martinis. I got the recipe on Pinterest. They’re made with Blue Curacao liqueur.”
Capri took a sip. “Delicious.” She looked around. Where’s your dad and Jewel?”
Still looking puzzled, Charlie Grace grabbed a pretzel and sat down on the sofa beside Lila. “They’re over at Aunt Mo’s playing cards with Nick. He’s making a real effort to connect and spend time with my dad. I can’t tell you what that’s done for Dad’s temperament. I think he’s been lonely.”
Capri knocked back the martini glass and drained the liquid. She set the glass down with a tight smile. “Well, I hear there’s an easy remedy for that loneliness thing. He could follow in my mom’s footsteps and get back out there, start dating. Nothing says ‘I’m desperate’ like two old folks trying to pretend they’re not past their prime.”
Reva rested her elbows on her knees and looked her friend square in the eyes. “Honey, we heard.”
Capri threw her head back, laughing. “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m happy for them. Apparently, Mom has found love again for the twelfth time. Crazy me, I thought she might be done after Dick. But nope. She’s getting married again.” She grabbed her empty glass and thrust it in Charlie Grace’s direction. “Could I have another Pinterest drink, please?”
She turned to the others. “Actually, she’s eloping. At least that’s what she said last night. That could change. Goodness knows, Mom is filled with surprises these days.”
Charlie Grace reached over and squeezed Capri’s arm. “It must be hard seeing your mom move on, but maybe this is her way of finding some happiness again. It doesn’t mean she’s forgotten your stepdad or what you two shared.”
Reva nodded in agreement. “Yeah, sometimes people need to feel like they’re still living, even after a loss. It doesn’t take away from what they had before.”
Capri let out a short, bitter laugh. “Oh, I’m sure she’s feeling alive, alright. I just hope she doesn’t break a hip in the process. But hey, who am I to judge? Maybe the secret to eternal youth is pretending the last fifty years didn’t happen.”
She looked to Charlie Grace. “And about that drink…”
Charlie Grace reluctantly moved for the kitchen and refilled her friend’s glass with the martini mixture. She carried it carefully into the living room and placed it in Capri’s hand. “I think Earl Dunlop is a nice man. That’s good, right?”
Capri shrugged. “Well, at least he’s got money. Will relieve me and my bank accounts of the financial burden.”
Reva’s eyebrows raised with shock. “He’s got money?”
Capri took a long sip from her martini. “Yup. They plan to elope and then get this…he’s moving my mother to some property he owns in Idaho. They are going to live in a fifth wheel while he builds her the house of her dreams. Anything she wants, she gets.” Despite her stiff body language, her eyes shone with unshed tears. “I guess she finally found her prince.”
She shrugged it all off. “But, who cares, right? Life moves on.” She emptied the glass a second time, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before slamming the stemmed glassware onto the table. Thankfully, it didn’t break.
Lila’s brow furrowed with concern. “Capri, you don’t have to pretend this doesn’t bother you. We’re here for you, no matter what.”
