Despite the sun, the higher they climbed, the colder it got. Sophie had worn gloves initially, but now scrabbled bare-handed, seeking purchase in the barren rock ahead of her. Her fingernails tore in the effort and a steady wind buffeted her, yet each yard of progress was a small victory spurring her on. The party was more strung out as they confronted the steeper trail just below the summit. Whether it was the effect of the previous evening’s strong drink or not, the rancher had dropped out halfway up the final ascent and had agreed to wait at that point for those closing in on the summit. Yet his condition didn’t stop him from taunting the two women when they stepped around him. His ill temper only fueled Sophie’s determination. She looked up and spotted Belle ahead of her, nearly spread-eagled in the attempt to inch up a large boulder. Sophie closed her eyes briefly, summoning every ounce of will. Her chest heaved with exertion, and her mouth filled with cotton. Yet she couldn’t, wouldn’t, give up. Char-lie. Char-lie. She tried to focus on his laughing eyes and merry disposition, but it was as if the more altitude she gained, the more elusive her memory of him became. This is for you, she wanted to say to him. With that thought, she barely had time to duck as a loose rock from above cascaded past her, echoing on its way to the bottom. She corrected herself. Although this climb would honor Charlie, it wasn’t for him she’d undertaken the hike. It was for herself. She had been lost and needed to find her way. Muscles coiled and aching, she continued to climb. Then, as if she’d summoned them, came the words from the Bible verse on Lily’s sampler: “...and He shall direct thy paths.” She acknowledged she was at a crossroads in her life and any decision could be made only with God’s help.
After that, there was no time for daydreaming, only the relentless pressure to find the strength to put one foot ahead of the other. She could see the summit, yet even so, she had to pause to let a spell of dizziness pass. Hang on, hang on, she told herself over and over. Her ears filled with a muted roar, and she feared her chest would burst with the effort of drawing even a shallow breath.
“You’re almost there,” Ellicott shouted down to her.
She dug deep into the last reserves of her will, planted her left foot, hauled herself up with her right hand and found herself on a narrow path where she could stand, her legs trembling beneath her. In the corner of her vision she saw such an awe-inspiring glimpse of the panorama awaiting her at the summit that she once again felt faint... And He shall direct thy paths. With a surge of energy, she climbed the last obstacle and reached the top of the world. At once she was enveloped in Belle’s ecstatic embrace, both of them laughing and crying at the same time. “You did it, ladies,” Ellicott observed with a broad grin.
“We did it!” they cried, pummeling each other on the back.
Sophie withdrew a small American flag from her knapsack. “I told you I’d wave a banner if we made it.” Holding the emblem high above her head, she let the wind whip it horizontal.
Belle applauded before taking the stick from Sophie’s hand and running in a large circle, exulting all the way.
Bill approached them. “I gotta tell you, I had my doubts, but you gals have made a believer of me. Congratulations.”
McConnell’s friend nodded congratulations while the gasping Englishman shook his head in bafflement before collapsing onto a nearby rock.
Looking around, Sophie observed that only five of the eight who had started out with Bill had completed the climb. She began exploring the flat surface of the summit, larger than she had supposed. In every direction was a breathtaking vista. Mountain upon mountain rolling to the north, south and west. To the east, a long view of the smaller front range and finally a glimpse of the prairie. And the vastness, the indescribable sense of space. She could hardly make sense of the distances visible to the eye at every turn. An elation unlike any she had ever known filled her heart, and she couldn’t help hugging herself at the wonder of it all, thanking God for this privileged view of His creation.
Then Clark Ellicott’s simple words came back to her: We have to go down before we can go up. She had been down. She had lost two of the dearest, finest men in the world, Pa and Charlie. She had made a friend of sorrow. In the same way that her vision had been blocked in the lowland of grief and confusion, now the spectacle of these magnificent heights spoke of a broader view, of new beginnings, of possibilities beyond her limited understanding. Colorado...how could she leave? Pa had understood. Be happy there, he had whispered with his dying breath.
Overhead, clouds were forming and far to the west, she noticed the first streaks of lightning. She began to sense static electricity in the air. “Time to move out,” Bill bellowed.
Taking one last, lingering look at the scene before her, Sophie fell in with Ellicott and Belle as they made their way to the summit’s edge for the descent. “You intrepid ladies will go down in history,” the man said. “Two of you at a time climbing Longs Peak with nary a complaint.”
“Thank you,” Belle said, “but I hardly know about ‘history.’”
“I do,” Ellicott replied, looking mischievously from one to the other. “Some of my colleagues have not only predicted your failure, but have made narrow-minded fools of themselves in the process. I, however, will tell quite a different story.”
Sophie raised an eyebrow. “Colleagues?”
The man tipped his hat. “Clark Ellicott, associate editor of the New York Herald.”
Sophie and Belle stared at him, then began laughing. He joined in. “Yes, indeed, quite a different story.”
* * *
Saturday morning, Robert and Caleb arrived bright and early at Tate’s. Since it was several miles to the trailhead, Tate had Toby ride with him, while Marcus mounted a gentle mare. Along the way, Caleb spoke of Sophie in loving terms, even telling how it had been she who persuaded him to travel all the way to Saint Louis to pursue and court his Lily. Marcus raised some questions about the man’s army experience, and although he answered pleasantly, if briefly, Tate could tell this was not a subject he preferred to discuss. Hard to say what he might have been through. In spite of himself, Tate took a liking to the man. If he could find fault, he could indulge his resentment of Caleb’s mission to take Sophie back to Kansas. If her brother Seth and sisters-in-law were as fine a company as Caleb, though, Tate could understand why Sophie was considering returning there. Upright and straightforward, her brother was proving to be a thoroughly decent fellow. He had profusely thanked Tate for being such a good neighbor to Sophie and for offering her the tutoring position. He was a natural with the boys, treating them with the respect and affection innate in folks who enjoy children.
“Do you think Miss Sophie made it?” Toby had asked that question at least three times.
Each time, Marcus had replied with disdain, “Why wouldn’t she?”
Montgomery rode closer. “It is quite dangerous, I assume.”
Tate nodded. “There was no dissuading her.”
Montgomery smiled. “That’s our Sophie.”
Our Sophie. It had a nice ring to it.
When the group dismounted for rest and lunch, Tate drew Caleb to the side. “I know you have come to persuade Sophie to return to Kansas with you, and I imagine you share my concern about her remaining in her cabin during our harsh winter. However, Marcus, Toby and I have asked her to consider staying with us during those months to continue her work with the boys. She is an exceptional teacher.”
Caleb looked him straight in the eye as if taking his measure. “Yes, she is exceptional, and I would not have her character compromised in any way. People talk, as you know.”
Discomfited, Tate nodded. “Although I have a housekeeper, I suppose gossip might follow. However, as I’m sure you’re aware as a parent yourself, where the welfare of my sons is concerned, I will spare nothing. They are understandably quite attached to Sophie.”
“And what about you? Are you ‘quite attached’ to my sister?” He made Tate wait. “It is my duty to protect her.”
Tate summoned words difficult to utter. “Sophie has told me about her Charlie. It is clear she loved him deeply. Despite my growing affection for your remarkable sister, I have done my best to keep my distance, respecting her devotion and grief where another is concerned. If circumstances were different, if I felt she were inclined to me, then...” His voice faded away.
Montgomery clapped him on the back. “Thank you. I think I understand the situation now.”
But did he? That was the question Tate mulled over as they neared Wild Bill’s place. From a distance he could pick out the Harpers and Tylers, as well as some other neighbors. The grounds were teeming with onlookers, including some citified-looking enough to be newspapermen. The carnival-like atmosphere was boisterous with gibes being exchanged between those rooting for Belle and Sophie and their loudmouthed detractors. Toby turned around to face Tate. “Why are those men saying bad things about Miss Sophie?”
“Because they do not think women should climb mountains or that they can be successful in doing so.”
Toby appeared to be thinking over the comment. Finally he said, “That’s silly. Miss Sophie can do anything.”
With that comment, Tate’s stomach tightened. Could she do anything? Could she not only scale a formidable peak, but agree to stay with him in Colorado? Much as he liked and admired Caleb Montgomery, he would not let Sophie go without a fight.
Just then Marcus, who had already tethered his horse, ran up to him and Toby. “Somebody saw them, Papa. Far away on a ridge. But coming. Coming!”
Tate watched Robert Hurlburt reach out to grab Caleb’s hand. “Courage, lad. If I know Sophie, she’s leading the pack.”
* * *
At the boulder field after a good night’s rest, the party prepared for the ride back to Bill’s base camp. Sophie did her best to tame her runaway curls and finally gave up, mashing them with her sorry-looking hat. She had done her best to wash some of the dust off her face and had covered her raw hands with gloves. She grinned. Hardly a fashion plate. In the interests of propriety and in anticipation of the judgment of those waiting to greet them, both she and Belle had donned knee-length skirts to cover their hiking bloomers. When they had returned exultant to their tents last night, they were met with McConnell’s abashed congratulations and Baker’s insincere and terse “Unbelievable.” Apparently unused to defeat, the rancher said nothing and sulked until bedtime. She supposed she and Belle would have to endure the same mixed judgment from others when their feat became public knowledge. As she mounted Ranger, she allowed herself a rueful grin. Men!
As they left the boulder field, Sophie turned for one last look at the grandeur of Longs Peak before the view was swallowed by trees. It would forever remain for her a symbol of the power and presence of God. It was there she had finally understood that life goes on, must go on, despite sorrow and setbacks. Thank You, Lord, for directing my path.
As eager as she was to reach the end of the journey, she reminded herself to savor every turn in the trail and the delights it offered her. She, Belle and Ellicott brought up the rear, each lost in thought as if loath to conclude such an adventure. Ellicott was the first to speak. “Your menfolk must be very proud of you.”
Belle laughed. “My brother will be.”
“And my employer,” Sophie added.
“You mean to tell me neither of you is spoken for?”
“There aren’t a great number of candidates up here,” Belle reminded him.
“Even so...” He rode on for a time. “It will take some fine men who appreciate strong women to match the two of you. If they see in you what I do, they will be extremely fortunate.”
“Thank you,” Sophie said simply. “Without you, this trek would have been much more difficult.”
“Yes,” Belle added. “We appreciate your open-mindedness.”
As eager as they were to reach the bottom, Bill halted them for an early lunch of biscuits and tinned ham. The women refreshed their canteens from a lively stream and sat with their backs against a boulder. “There’s a bittersweet quality to what we just did, isn’t there?” Sophie remarked.
“You mean because we succeeded and have no further goal?”
“It was such fun to look forward to this. And now...?”
Belle sat up straighter and looked at Sophie. “And now? We’re going to begin planning for Pike’s Peak.”
If she lived to be a hundred, Sophie would never be able to explain how Belle’s words set her body tingling with excitement. Exactly. That is exactly what we’ll do.
When they were half a mile from Wild Bill’s and the trailhead, Sophie tensed with apprehension. How would others, especially the naysayers, react to her and Belle’s success? And how was she to deal with the decision facing her about remaining in Colorado to tutor the Lockwood boys or returning to her Flint Hills family? During this trip she had realized what she must do, but it would not be easy and might hurt some she cared about deeply. Before she let herself dwell on what might happen in the upcoming days, she reminded herself to enjoy the moment and take satisfaction from the obstacles she and Belle had overcome.
Then, rounding a bend, Sophie became aware of shouts and cheers echoing from the valley floor just below. She had assumed there would be a few folks waiting to greet them, but this sounded like a crowd.
Ellicott pointed ahead. “Get ready, ladies. You are about to be the center of attention.”
Sure enough, as the train of horses made its way across the pasture to Bill’s, cheers and catcalls resounded. Reaching the hitching post, Sophie slid from Ranger’s back and turned to face the spectators. The first person she saw was Grizzly, nodding happily, his face wreathed in a smile. The second was Toby, who ran toward her, shouting, “Did you do it, Miss Sophie? Did you do it?”
She held out her arms. “Yes!” she called at the top of her voice just as the boy vaulted into her embrace. “Yes, Toby, we did, indeed, stand atop Longs Peak.”
“I knew you could do it,” he affirmed, hugging her around the neck.
When she looked up, Tate and Marcus were waiting, grinning from ear to ear. “You can do anything,” Marcus said.
Tate stood behind Marcus, his eyes warm with pleasure. “I’m proud of you, Sophie. You are unstoppable.”
Despite the fact that her feet ached and every muscle screamed, she felt buoyant. “Thank you.”
Then Tate lowered his head and stepped aside. Sophie’s jaw gaped. It couldn’t be. “Caleb?” She set Toby on the ground and ran the few steps to her brother, who picked her up and whirled her around and around before returning her to her feet and studying her face.
“Don’t ever scare me like that again, sister, but I am so proud of your achievement. You’ve never taken no for an answer.”
Sophie held on to his shoulders. “I owe all my daring to you and Seth. Thanks for always letting me try things.”
Keeping his arm around her, he indicated Robert Hurlburt, who stood nearby.
Sophie turned. “Robert? How good of you to be here. Did you bring Caleb up from Denver?”
“Yes. I am pleased to offer Effie’s and my congratulations.”
A perplexing thought occurred to Sophie and she pivoted back to Caleb. “I’m delighted you’re here, but this is roundup time in Kansas. Why did you come?”
“To celebrate with you, of course.” His expression sobered. “And to take you home with me.”
“But—”
“Don’t be your typical stubborn self, Sophie. Estes Park is lovely in the summer. But it is no place for you in the winter. Seth, Rose, Lily and I fear for your safety. Most important, we miss you and want you to come home now.”
“Now?”
“With me.”
Now? Everything was happening too fast. Sophie looked about in confusion. Where was Tate? Where were Toby and Marcus? Much as she appreciated her family’s concern, this decision was not up to them. It was hers to make, with God’s help. And then she spotted the Lockwoods, hand in hand, walking rapidly toward their horses. Before she could call out to them, a horde of newspapermen surrounded her.
“Miss Montgomery, an interview please!”
“Surely you thought about turning back?” She recognized Rupert Stowe’s snivel before others shouted him down.
“Let me photograph you.”
“Can you prove you made the summit?”
She thought she would go mad in the cacophony of shrill, demanding voices. She covered her ears. “Not now!” she finally said forcefully. Caleb took her by the arm, and as Robert led the charge, they made their way to a picnic table laden with dishes where Martha and Dolly were presiding. The two women rushed to embrace her, while their menfolk shielded her temporarily from the reporters.
“Well done, Sophie,” Martha declared. “You two have advanced the cause of women tenfold.” Over Martha’s shoulder, Sophie saw Belle holding court with a group of reporters. Just as well. She herself was not in the mood right now.
As the celebration continued and after she had spoken briefly to the newspapermen, Sophie finally had a moment to reflect. She should feel fulfilled, exultant, yet something was missing. In her heart, she knew what, or rather who—Tate and the boys.
“Tired?” Caleb asked as the throng began dispersing.
“I am.”
“Would you join Robert and me at our hotel to spend the night in luxury? My treat.”
The thought of a hot bath, a down mattress and rich furnishings nearly sent her to her knees. “Not today, thanks. I need to go home.”
“Home?”
“To my cabin. Perhaps before you leave, you can come see my place.”
“Before I leave? What about you?”
“I can’t make any promises, Caleb. Not yet. There is something I have to do first.”
He pulled her close and tucked a curl behind her ear. “We never could tame you, Seth and I. We love you, Sophie, and want your happiness, but your safety is paramount. Take some time to consider what we are asking. Robert and I will be here until Tuesday morning.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
Caleb led her to Ranger and helped her into the saddle. He took off his hat and studied her, before adding one final comment. “Tate Lockwood is a good man, sister.”
Weariness overwhelmed her as she rode to the Harpers’, where she fetched Beauty and started on toward her cabin. Despite her aching body, her mind was fastened on her plans for the next few hours. She was unstoppable. She didn’t take no for an answer, and she would not be tamed. If she could perform the astonishing feat of conquering a peak higher than fourteen thousand feet, nothing was going to prevent her from making her own decisions. The mountains had taught her about the vast opportunities that lay beyond her limited vision if only she had the courage to seize them.
* * *
Tate had tossed and turned throughout the night and awoke as if drugged, with the blankets tangled around him. He hoisted himself to the side of the bed and held his head in his hands. The boys had not understood why he’d hustled them away from yesterday’s celebration, why they hadn’t rejoined Sophie or why he’d been silent all the way home. “Why can’t you be happy for her?” Marcus had challenged him with his usual piercing insight. Tate raked a hand through his hair. He’d seen the look on her face when she spotted her brother and he’d envied their spontaneous affection. With a sinking heart, he’d known his and the boys’ futures were in jeopardy.
He stood and moved to get dressed. Caleb was right, of course. Sophie could not remain in that ramshackle cabin during a high country winter. Tate had offered her a place here, but even as he’d done so, he’d known there were drawbacks to that plan, especially for her. Yet he’d promised himself he’d fight for her. That meant only one thing—an offer of marriage. Marriage. An institution that had failed him once. He had to be absolutely certain he could offer Sophie the independence, companionship and love she needed from a mate. As for him? He’d been lonely many times in his life. Sophie had brought light and joy. He prayed he could trust in her enough to overcome his past and embrace the future.
He had one last opportunity. Sophie had stopped by on her way home yesterday afternoon to give Toby the flag she had waved atop Longs Peak and to ask Tate to join her this morning at Bear Lake for a hike, just the two of them. After breakfast, he set forth anxious for what the day would bring. He feared she was trying to find a gentle way to say goodbye, far from where the boys might create a scene. Given the fact of her joyous reunion with Caleb and the powerful statement his presence made, Tate allowed himself little hope. Was the God he now talked to on occasion a God of surprises? He devoutly hoped so.
* * *
Sophie tied Ranger to an aspen tree and walked to the shore of the small lake, sparkling blue and silver in the morning sun. Above loomed Flattop and its sister peaks. Across the way spruce trees lined the shore and a deer and fawn lapped at the water. Pristine. Still, except for the murmur of the aspen leaves. In her hand she held a slim volume. She knew what she must do. “Thy will be done,” she whispered prayerfully as she turned toward the approaching horse.
Tate waved, dismounted and joined her. “Good morning.”
She slipped the book into her pocket and smiled in greeting. “Shall we walk?”
He offered his arm, and they started slowly around the lake, neither of them speaking. Finally he said, “Are you sure you’re ready for another hike so soon?”
“We’re not going far,” she answered.
Without another word, she led him to a spot up the trail beyond the lake where a small glade opened up. Nearby she could hear the trickle of a mountain spring. A small bench-like stone invited them to sit.
Tate broke the silence. “It’s rather like a cathedral here.”
“So it is.” Sophie reached in her pocket, drew out the book, opened it to a marked page and began to read.
“Once again
Do I behold these steep and lofty cliffs,
That on a wild secluded scene impress
Thoughts of more deep seclusion; and connect
The landscape with the quiet of the sky.”
Tate smiled in recognition. “The Wordsworth.”
Sophie glanced around, taking in the scene. “Fitting, don’t you think?” She pointed to the words he’d inscribed: “May the memory of the beauty and wonder of nature bless you.” He studied them for a long minute. She swept her arm around the glen. “Is that what you really want? For me to enjoy all of this...in memory?”
“No. I want you here, but only if you want to be. You have family in Kansas, you have the memory of Charlie—”
When she took both of his hands in hers, the book slipped to the ground. “I left Charlie at the top of Longs Peak.”
“What do you mean?”
She could sense the tension in his body and longed to resolve what lay between them. Yet could she be sure of him? “Charlie was very dear to me. He taught me a great deal about love and commitment. I will always treasure his role in my life and miss him. But, Tate, Charlie is gone. I am here.” She cleared her throat, hoping to clarify. “As improbable as it sounds, I experienced a kind of epiphany on the summit.” His fingers tightened on hers. “Up there, one can see for miles and miles. The views in every direction are limitless, and the sky seems both close enough to touch yet millions of miles away. I realized I had to let Charlie go. At one time, I felt him here in the rocks he so loved. But feel.” She guided his hand to the stone upon which they sat. “This is hard, cold. But you? You’re warm.”
She heard him draw a quick breath before he asked, “Does this mean you’ll winter with us and teach the boys?”
She knew it was now or never, and she was not about to shirk from the unknown. “This is not just about the boys.” She stood up and pulled him to his feet, all the time fixing her eyes on his. “It has everything to do with you. Your strength and love have become the cornerstone of my life. I don’t want to live with memory. I want to live with you.”
“Sophie?” He took hold of her shoulders and pulled her close. “Sophie, you mean you’re not leaving?”
She pursed her lips impishly. “Well, sir, that rather depends upon you.”
He looked so flummoxed she nearly laughed, but then he wrapped her in his arms and held her for a very long time. When he finally pulled away, she dabbed at his cheeks, wet with tears. “My darling Sophie, without knowing it, I have waited for you my entire life. I love you so.”
“Oh, dearest. I love you, too. I was so afraid you wouldn’t—”
“You were afraid? I didn’t think I had a chance once Caleb arrived.” His relieved laughter was music to her ears.
“I have to warn you, though, I’m looking for another adventure.”
“Oh, no, not another mountain?”
“Well, that, too, but that isn’t what I have in mind.”
“What, then?”
“This is most unconventional, but then I’ve been accused of that before. So—” she ran a hand through his unruly hair “—Tate Lockwood, would you marry me?”
He blushed. “How clumsy of me. I was so caught up in the happiness of the moment, I failed my courting duty. Would I marry you? Of course. The bigger question is whether you will marry me.”
“I told you I wanted another adventure. Living with you, Marcus and Toby qualifies as the most magnificent of adventures. Frankly, Tate, I cannot wait to be your bride.”
Later as they ambled arm in arm toward their horses, Tate asked, “What about your family? Caleb?”
Sophie grinned. “You know what? Once Caleb met you, something he said made me think he’s already figured it all out. My happiness is all that has ever mattered to him and my family.”
“I will do everything in my power to justify their faith in me.”
When they reached their horses, Sophie looked into the loving eyes of her husband-to-be and said, “Shall we go tell the boys?”
“They’ll be overjoyed. As you know, Toby thinks Miss Sophie can do anything.”
“Even get their father to marry me.”
“Even that,” he said, laughing down at her. “Because—” he turned to the mountains, cupped his hands and shouted “—I love you!”
Luv-yoo, luv-yoo, luv-yoo, the mountains replied. Sophie shivered. God’s help had come from those very hills of which the Bible spoke. She turned to Tate and snuggled against his broad chest. “Take me home,” she whispered.