A Family Found Read Online Free PDF Page A

mettle. “Friendship and goodwill? No gentleman would turn his back on a woman in distress.”
    Hardly the heartiest of endorsements. She voiced what he had left unsaid. “Nevertheless, I’m sure it is your hope I will not pose such inconveniences for you.”
    â€œI have my own concerns, Miss Montgomery. They must come first.”
    â€œUnderstood.”
    Once on the trail, the rugged terrain again took a toll on the horses. Often she had to dismount and lead Ranger around barriers. The higher they went, the more she gloried in the various trees along the way, especially the beautiful spruce. And she thought no Parisian perfume could surpass the fragrance of the pines. It was as if inch by inch, foot by foot, mile by mile, she was being exposed to a wonderland of sights and sensations. Even though her lungs ached and her muscles protested, she pushed on, eager to arrive at her destination.
    At one point when the trail leveled out a bit, Lockwood rode alongside her. “Has anyone told you about the travelers and tourists?”
    â€œI know that in summertime the population of the valley grows. Hikers, fishermen, mountain climbers, those who seek the altitude for health reasons.”
    â€œYes, and although there is a hotel or two, they don’t all stay there. Care to venture a guess about where else they find lodging?”
    â€œIn private homes?”
    â€œExactly. Most travelers are harmless, but some might enjoy, er, finding shelter with a lone woman.”
    â€œAre you trying to frighten me, Mr. Lockwood?”
    He looked over at her, eyebrows raised in question. “Am I succeeding?”
    She stared forward, resolute. “I’m by no means defenseless, sir. I have brought along weapons, primarily for hunting, but if necessary, I can hold my own against someone threatening my life.” She glanced over at him, reading skepticism in his expression. “I am an accomplished and accurate markswoman.” Then with gleeful malice, she added, “Would you care to test that boast?”
    â€œNo, ma’am. But then, I’m not the type of man to be in such a position.” An edge came into his voice. “I’m simply trying to educate you.”
    â€œProtect me, more like,” she snapped before he shook his head sadly and trotted off. Great! She’d done it again—assaulted his pride in the effort to prove her independence. Yet deep down, if she was honest with herself, she knew she would undoubtedly need Tate Lockwood in some future capacity. Where else would she have to turn? It was ticklish business when he so clearly wanted nothing more than to deposit her at her cabin and be rid of her.
    * * *
    If he lived to be a hundred, Tate knew he would never forget the look on Sophie Montgomery’s face when they came up out of the canyon and reached the point where the entire Estes Valley spread out in front of them, rimmed by the timeless snowcapped peaks. Her gasp was audible, and her cheeks flushed with excitement. He turned in his saddle to study her more carefully as she took in the spectacle before her. It was as if he were in communion with her, experiencing the splendor of the mountains for the first time. For long moments she didn’t speak, and the silence of the space below them seemed almost sacred. That is, if he believed anything at all could be sacred.
    Finally, with eyes awash with emotion, she looked at him. “I had no idea,” she whispered breathlessly. “The beauty and scope are beyond description. Books and illustrations can’t begin to do this scenery justice.”
    He took off his hat and scanned the horizon. “It’s impressive, all right. No place on earth is quite like it.”
    â€œWhich is Longs Peak?”
    He pointed toward the southwest. “There.”
    â€œThe front of it looks as if some giant hand took a meat cleaver and sliced the mountain in two.”
    â€œThat’s the famous