working the mule farm with her father.
In fact, it was the reward that she felt working with the young mules from the ground and then the saddle that had distracted her for this long. Gabe’s pulling her away for the summer reminded her that she did want more from life. She would not be content staying in her small hometown selling homemade cards. She longed to explore and capture new places and people through the lens of her camera.
She thought of Gloria’s position as a call-in expert. Kristine felt a twinge of jealousy for the independent, accomplished woman. She’d always been drawn to confident women, so in the past, she would definitely have pursued Gloria. But on reflection, she realized that for too long she had been following rather than setting her own life agenda.
This idea made her think of one of the first backcountry trips she’d been on when she had just started working for Leo. The packer had drawn a map for her in the dirt before she’d left the base.
She’d crossed a creek and was faced with a fork, but couldn’t remember if she was supposed to head right or left. The trails were completely new to her, and the horse she’d been riding had been new that summer as well. She’d headed left and had only gone three or four minutes down the trail when her mule, carrying her duffel, sleeping bag and a load of trash from the trip, stopped, nearly jerking her out of the saddle. She’d looked hard at that mule and asked if she’d gone the wrong direction. His head swung around, pointing those long, radar-like ears in the opposite direction. She’d listened to him, and thank goodness, because he’d been right.
In that instance, she’d been smart to follow the mule. But in her life, she was coming to understand that it wasn’t always best to accept someone else’s notion of what was best for her, although she more often than not had done so. For instance, she recognized the parallel of her graduate program. In that case, she’d spent years fighting against her father’s plan for her only to turn and bend to her father’s will again when she settled back at his ranch. Kristine could tell in the way Gloria had presented her research that she had a strong innate sense of direction that Kristine felt she lacked herself. Getting involved with someone so driven might be problematic since Kristine felt herself caught at a crossroads again. She didn’t want to step off the path her father considered best just to find herself walking on another path behind Gloria. In setting a firm line of friendship with Gloria, Kristine resolved to walk her own path, one she chose for herself.
Gloria was certainly a temptation with an appeal that went far beyond her confidence alone. Her hair swept up in a ponytail highlighted her strong jawline that contrasted with her mouth, seeming always about to smile. That inviting mouth and bright blue eyes might have spelled trouble, but their brief hug had made Kristine feel confident that they could be friends, and she was glad that Gloria had agreed.
* * *
The two strings dropped the five hundred feet down into the outpost yard, the trail snaking back and forth in a tight switchback down the mountain. Content to be through with the day’s work, the siblings worked in harmony to put up their stock, stripping the horses and mules of their saddles which they stowed in the sheds. They cleared the pack docks of tarps, panniers and lashropes, leaving everything in order for the next day. Kristine watched her brother work and knew that this was home for him, that wherever the season took him, his life was in the mountains. For him, the trails were livelihood, not metaphor.
In that moment, she felt satisfied with her decision to join Gabe at the Aspens. While her father did his best to dissuade Kristine from returning to the Lodge, her mother offered cautious support as if she could sense what Kristine wrestled with after her brother had called to ask her to help him run the
In fact, it was the reward that she felt working with the young mules from the ground and then the saddle that had distracted her for this long. Gabe’s pulling her away for the summer reminded her that she did want more from life. She would not be content staying in her small hometown selling homemade cards. She longed to explore and capture new places and people through the lens of her camera.
She thought of Gloria’s position as a call-in expert. Kristine felt a twinge of jealousy for the independent, accomplished woman. She’d always been drawn to confident women, so in the past, she would definitely have pursued Gloria. But on reflection, she realized that for too long she had been following rather than setting her own life agenda.
This idea made her think of one of the first backcountry trips she’d been on when she had just started working for Leo. The packer had drawn a map for her in the dirt before she’d left the base.
She’d crossed a creek and was faced with a fork, but couldn’t remember if she was supposed to head right or left. The trails were completely new to her, and the horse she’d been riding had been new that summer as well. She’d headed left and had only gone three or four minutes down the trail when her mule, carrying her duffel, sleeping bag and a load of trash from the trip, stopped, nearly jerking her out of the saddle. She’d looked hard at that mule and asked if she’d gone the wrong direction. His head swung around, pointing those long, radar-like ears in the opposite direction. She’d listened to him, and thank goodness, because he’d been right.
In that instance, she’d been smart to follow the mule. But in her life, she was coming to understand that it wasn’t always best to accept someone else’s notion of what was best for her, although she more often than not had done so. For instance, she recognized the parallel of her graduate program. In that case, she’d spent years fighting against her father’s plan for her only to turn and bend to her father’s will again when she settled back at his ranch. Kristine could tell in the way Gloria had presented her research that she had a strong innate sense of direction that Kristine felt she lacked herself. Getting involved with someone so driven might be problematic since Kristine felt herself caught at a crossroads again. She didn’t want to step off the path her father considered best just to find herself walking on another path behind Gloria. In setting a firm line of friendship with Gloria, Kristine resolved to walk her own path, one she chose for herself.
Gloria was certainly a temptation with an appeal that went far beyond her confidence alone. Her hair swept up in a ponytail highlighted her strong jawline that contrasted with her mouth, seeming always about to smile. That inviting mouth and bright blue eyes might have spelled trouble, but their brief hug had made Kristine feel confident that they could be friends, and she was glad that Gloria had agreed.
* * *
The two strings dropped the five hundred feet down into the outpost yard, the trail snaking back and forth in a tight switchback down the mountain. Content to be through with the day’s work, the siblings worked in harmony to put up their stock, stripping the horses and mules of their saddles which they stowed in the sheds. They cleared the pack docks of tarps, panniers and lashropes, leaving everything in order for the next day. Kristine watched her brother work and knew that this was home for him, that wherever the season took him, his life was in the mountains. For him, the trails were livelihood, not metaphor.
In that moment, she felt satisfied with her decision to join Gabe at the Aspens. While her father did his best to dissuade Kristine from returning to the Lodge, her mother offered cautious support as if she could sense what Kristine wrestled with after her brother had called to ask her to help him run the
Similar Books
