Chapter One
Visions of the Grand Canyon would stay with Cassidy Frey for years to come. If it wasn’t her turn to drive, she’d crane her neck to catch a final glimpse of Grand Canyon Village illuminated by the lowering sun and picture herself standing on the rim, overlooking the vast land carved by ancient waters.
The time spent there with her friends had been too short, but she looked forward to visiting a childhood memory tomorrow morning. While all her friends had spent their summers at the beach, Cassidy had called Camp Margo home from July to late August every year from first to seventh grade. Located forty miles south of Kingman, the camp taught young girls decorum and diplomacy in preparation for a public life, while giving them a small taste of freedom most weren’t allowed at home.
Cassidy darted a quick glance at her friends with whom she shared the rental SUV. Each of them—Lark, Bridget, Jessica, and Rain—played a pivotal role in her formative years, but they didn’t understand the strains of her life as a politician’s daughter. She wouldn’t trade their friendships for anything, but she also appreciated those summer months long ago when she’d been able to connect with other young children who could empathize. Granted, she’d only realized that in hindsight, but she cherished those memories nonetheless, which is why she’d asked the girls if they minded a detour to visit the camp.
After all that had happened the last two months, she needed a reminder of the good parts that came with being a senator’s daughter. As it stood, she wished her father had never gone into politics. All right…if she was truly honest, of late she’d even wished she had a different father. She’d never lived under an illusion of her father being perfect, but she’d never imagined his true capabilities to be so sinister.
A shudder passed through her entire body. When comparing the consequences of her father’s actions, the loss of her job at Elon Public Relations Firm paled in comparison to the danger in which he’d placed America. Selling classified information to foreign countries. Her mind still couldn’t wrap around the motive. No amount of money warranted her father’s betrayal of trust to his country and family. Before she’d left D.C., she’d visited him in prison and begged him to tell her it was all a colossal misunderstanding, but he’d only stared at her blankly.
She shook her head, ridding her mind of the thoughts. This road trip with her childhood friends had worked wonders to clear her mind, and she wouldn’t give in to self-pity now. Maybe a trip to Camp Margo wasn’t such a great idea. Perhaps she needed to avoid all connections to her father and that life.
From the corner of her eyes, she saw Bridget in the passenger seat with her phone out and thumbs moving. She glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the other girls doing the same, and she had to stifle a laugh. Without a doubt, she knew they each texted their new boyfriends. All of them except for her had found love along the way on their trip.
Did it bother her that she remained single? Not one iota. With her life in shambles, she couldn’t think about romance. She had several more weeks of the trip remaining. After that, she’d have to return to D.C., pick up the shards of her life as she’d known it, and figure out what came next. The chance of finding another job in public relations anywhere near the capitol was slim. As Senator Frey’s daughter, she was now viewed as a liability, not an asset.
Something tickled her neck. She turned slightly to see Lark making her souvenir stuffed mule walk along her head rest, and she laughed. “What are you doing?”
Lark grinned and shrugged. “Looked like you needed a laugh.”
“I did. Thanks.”
Settling back into her seat, Lark crammed the mule into her purse. “Thinking about your dad?”
“It stinks, you know?” She sighed, wishing a way existed to go back in time and change the course of history—or at least her father’s poor decisions. “How do I move on from this?”
Jessica placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. “One step at a time, and with the support of friends and family.”
She snorted. “After dad’s arrest, I found out who my real friends are, and they’re all in this vehicle.”
“I’m sure there are more than you realize.” Leave it to Rain to bring the optimism.
“Maybe, but not one of my so-called friends in D.C. bothered returning my phone calls. Thanks for the encouragement, though.” A song she and her friends didn’t care for played on the radio, and she lowered the volume. “And you girls have no idea how much I appreciate each of you. If not for your support, I’m sure I’d have lost my mind, or at least ran for the hills and become a hermit.”
Rain cleared her throat from the third-row seat. “Whatever. If ever there was an extrovert who needed people around her, it’s you.”
“I don’t know. This thing with my dad has changed me.” Baring her soul lifted the burden from her shoulders. “The last few months I’ve wedged myself into a shell and don’t know how to get out.”
“You suffered a massive blow.” Bridget’s tone took on an analytical slant. “You’re still the same Cassidy, but you need time to grieve what you’ve lost.”
“True. I would consider moving back to Treasure Harbor, but it looks like you all will be leaving.” She tossed a sincere grin to her friends letting them know she held only the best wishes for them.
“The trip’s not over yet.” Jessica leaned forward and nudged Cassidy’s arm. “There’s still time for you to find love.”
She shook her head. “Not a chance. That’s the last thing I need right now in my complicated life.”
Lark clucked her tongue. “Famous last words.”
“Remember the blind date I went on last Christmas?” Waiting for the groans to finish, Cassidy steered the SUV onto the interstate and merged with the traffic. “I think that foreshadowed the status of my love life, even disregarding my family drama.”
“I still think the pet rock was a joke,” Jessica said. “There’s no way any sane grown man would carry around a pet rock, let alone introduce you to it on a first date.”
“I wish.” The eye roll came before she could stop the motion. That had been the first and last blind date she’d ever gone on.
Rain giggled. “How I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when he pulled it out of his pocket.”
“All I can say is, thank goodness we’d both finished our meals by then. The server came, and I asked for that check pronto.”
