“Oh no!” Lila said. “I’m so sorry.”
“Yikes!” Reva said. Despite her sympathetic expression, she didn’t refrain from holding her nose. “Sorry…it’s just that?—”
Capri shook her head. “No, I get it. I stink.”
Charlie Grace whipped out her phone. She thumbed the tiny screen, then scrolled. “Says here a mixture of liquid dish soap, hydrogen peroxide, and baking soda will do the trick. Have you tried that?”
Capri sighed and handed off her jacket to Lila, who hung it on a line of pegs mounted on her wall. “Yes. And every other trick known to man and woman.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, the smell should only linger a couple of days,” Lila said. “I can’t tell you how many dogs are brought into the clinic after a tussle with a skunk…or a porcupine.” She grinned. “Guarantee, that’s worse.”
Capri followed her girlfriends into the kitchen. “I’ll do my best to avoid that sticky situation.”
Based on their laughter, her pun didn’t escape the girls as they grabbed their drinks from the counter.
Capri followed them back to the living room and took a place on a chair opposite the sofa where they sat, several feet away. “In other news, I finally heard from my mom. She seems blissfully happy, even though the slot machines were not kind to Earl in Vegas.”
Reva raised an eyebrow. “I can’t imagine our Earl embracing Sin City. He just doesn’t seem the type.”
Capri nodded. “Yeah, I’m learning a lot of things I didn’t expect.” Capri forced a laugh, shifting in her seat. “Like how quickly life can change after decades of staying the same.”
Charlie Grace leaned forward, concern flickering in her eyes. “And how are you feeling about it all? About your mom moving on so fast?”
Capri shrugged, crossing her legs and resting her hands on the armrests. “Honestly, I’m just trying to adjust. Everything’s in flux, and it’s weird.”
Lila, who’d been quiet until now, offered a sympathetic smile. “Change is hard, even when it’s good.”
“Yeah,” Capri said softly, feeling the weight of her friends’ concern. “But enough about that. What about you guys? How’s everything post-quake?”
Reva leaned back, cradling her drink in her lap. “I swear, I’m more than ready to move past the tremor issue. I was in the middle of a town meeting when a dump truck rumbled past out front and Verna practically jumped out of her skin, thinking we were having another earthquake.”
Lila laughed. “I bet she did. That woman is high-strung on a good day. What happened?”
“She burst out of her seat like the world was ending,” Reva replied with a shake of her head. “Muttering about potential structural damage to the mayor’s office, even though there wasn’t a crack in sight. It took everything I had not to laugh. I reassured everyone in the meeting that Thunder Mountain wasn’t about to split in half.”
Charlie Grace grinned. “You mean Verna didn’t run to Pastor Pete, begging him to organize another town-wide prayer vigil?”
“Oh, trust me, she tried!” Reva said, rolling her eyes. “But I talked her down. Barely.”
Lila chimed in, smiling. “Speaking of Pastor Pete, he’s set up a workday to clean up the church grounds. Everyone is gathering at Moose Chapel tomorrow to help out.”
“I’ll swing by,” Charlie Grace offered. “We’re pretty busy out at the ranch, but I’ll make time to help.”
Capri raised an eyebrow. “How’s your photography exhibit coming along? I thought you’d be swamped with prepping for the Jackson Hole exhibition.”
Charlie Grace let out a sigh, rubbing her temples. “I am. I’ve barely slept this week, trying to finalize which prints to showcase. Between that and balancing everything with our heavy guest load, I feel like I’m spinning in circles. Nick’s been a huge help, though.”
“Sounds like you’re juggling a lot,” Lila said, nodding. “It’s tough when you’re stretched so thin like that.”
“You’re telling me,” Charlie Grace agreed. “I love the challenge, but man, sometimes I just want to crawl into bed and forget about all of it.”
Capri shifted in her chair. “You and Nick seem to have a good balance, though.”
Charlie Grace smiled. “We try. He’s been super supportive. I think he’s more excited for the exhibit than I am. Keeps reminding me to breathe.”
“I get it,” Lila muttered, glancing down at her drink. “Between running the clinic and Camille being home from college, it feels like my house is a never-ending mess. Whit’s been a great partner at work, but honestly, I barely have time to keep up with everything.”
Reva shot her a sympathetic look. “Me, too. Lucan’s been bouncing off the walls lately. He won’t sleep without every stuffed animal he owns piled on top of him. It’s been exhausting.”
