“I make a mean grilled cheese sandwich,” Jake said, searching the cabinets, then pulling out a pan and setting it on the stove. “Back home in Alabama, my mom taught me a few tricks.”
“Alabama, huh?” Capri said as she sliced the lettuce. “That’s a long way from Jackson Hole.”
Jake nodded, slicing a tomato with practiced ease. “Yeah, I miss it sometimes. Grew up on a farm with my brothers and sisters. But once I got into carpentry and architecture, I was drawn to the mountains. Something about building homes where the land shapes the design, you know?”
Capri glanced over at him, admiring the way his hands moved with such care. “And Jackson Hole? What brought you all the way out here?”
He flipped the sandwich in the pan. “Wanted a fresh start. I worked in Alabama for a while, but it never felt right. The Tetons, though…they called to me. The landscape, the work—it just fit. And here I am.”
There was something about the way he spoke, with a quiet certainty that Capri found deeply attractive. He didn’t have a complicated backstory or some grand plan for the future—he just followed what felt right. She admired that. She admired…him.
She swallowed, her thoughts drifting to his eyes—deep, kind, even-keeled. It was the first time she really let herself linger on the thought, how she liked the way he looked at her. How he made her feel seen, even in her most chaotic moments.
Dick once said, “Hair will turn gray, weight will change, teeth will fall out and bodies shrink with age. But the eyes…the eyes grow old with you.”
She dared to meet Jake’s gaze and found he was watching her now, too, with a hint of something she hadn’t noticed before.
“You always wanted to be a builder?” she asked, trying to distract herself from the way her stomach was doing small somersaults.
“Yeah. I prefer renovations,” he said, shrugging one shoulder. “There’s something about taking things apart and putting them back together better than before. It’s honest work. It’s what I like.”
Capri caught the way his words echoed what he was doing in her cabin—tearing down the old to rebuild something stronger. And it wasn’t lost on her how similar that felt to her own life, except she wasn’t quite sure how to put the pieces back together.
They finished making the sandwiches, adding a salad and some potato chips to their plates. Capri pulled out a couple of beers, and they sat at the small kitchen table, the scent of warm bread and melted cheese filling the air.
As they ate, Jake asked about her life—what brought her to Thunder Mountain, what she loved about running the rafting business. “I grew up here. Thunder Mountain is my home. These people are my extended family, especially my girlfriends.”
She found herself talking easily, sharing stories about her friends and how much she adored the mountains. She told him about Charlie Grace, Reva, and Lila…how they’d remained tight over the years and how much that meant to her. “They know me…you know what I mean?”
Even as the words escaped her lips, she silently acknowledged that even they didn’t know the entire her…the lonely part. No one knew that side.
Through it all, she became increasingly aware of Jake’s interest in her. The way he leaned in slightly when she spoke, how his eyes lingered just a little longer than necessary, the softness in his voice when he asked her questions.
Capri knew what that meant—she wasn’t oblivious. And the truth was, she liked it. She liked the way he looked at her, the way he was drawn to her in a quiet, steadfast way. It was different from what she was used to, and that both intrigued and unsettled her.
Over the years, she’d dated plenty. All casual. Lots of good times. But nothing—and no one—had ever penetrated the hard shell she’d built around her. She was lonely, yet couldn’t seem to invite anyone in.
The question was…why?
And why was she risking seeing Jake differently?
The realization crept up on her, catching her off guard. She cleared her throat, abruptly pushing her chair back from the table. “I should clean up. There’s still a lot of work to do in town. Bodhi will need my help before taking out the final group of rafters.” She stood and gathered their half-empty glasses.
Jake raised an eyebrow, glancing at the dishes in her hand. “I can help.”
Before she could protest, he was up and by her side, collecting their dishes. His hand brushed against hers as they reached for the same plate, and Capri felt a jolt shoot through her, a warmth spreading up her arm that made her heart skip a beat. For a moment, the world seemed to still, and she was acutely aware of the closeness between them, the gentle touch of his fingers against her skin.
Her breath caught, and she pulled her hand away quickly, setting the plates down on the counter with a clatter. “Thanks, but I’ve got it,” she said, a little too quickly, turning her back to him as she busied herself at the sink.
But the touch lingered, and as she rinsed the dishes, she couldn’t help but feel the rush of conflicting emotions swirl inside her. She wasn’t ready for this—whatever this was. Yet, at the same time, part of her wasn’t sure she wanted to let it slip away.
21
“Goodness! What is that smell?” Reva wrinkled her nose and pulled back from embracing Capri at the door.
Capri grunted. “Skunk. Yes, I got sprayed.”
Lila, Charlie Grace, and Reva let out a chorus of laughter.
