Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

May 2015, near Kelly, Wyoming

Evelyn slammed the passenger door shut as she stepped onto the dirt driveway and took in the cabin.

It photographed better than it looked in person. In the pictures she had seen, it appeared ramshackle in a whimsical way, nestled among the trees like a storybook home for wandering animals. But in reality, it looked like a family of raccoons might have actually taken up residence. The porch sagged, several shingles had fallen off the roof, and the worn brown siding gave the impression of a shed rather than a cabin. And though Evelyn technically stood in a forest, surrounded by trees, the cabin itself was in a cleared lot composed of dirt and a little bit of grass holding on for dear life. Miles’s beat-up truck was parked unceremoniously in the middle of the yard.

“What do you think?” Sophie asked, circling around from the driver’s side of her ’01 SUV.

Evelyn struggled to form a positive spin. “It’s rustic,” she managed to say. “I didn’t realize it was on a clear lot.”

“It’s nice. We have a good view of the stars at night.”

“I bet,” Evelyn said, searching for something else nice to say. “It’s so quiet here.”

“Yeah,” Sophie replied, nodding. “You can’t hear any cars from the road. The downside is the lack of cell service and internet.”

Evelyn grimaced. She didn’t like being cut off from the world unless she was climbing. But that’s where they were headed: to K2 and then Broad Peak, both in the Karakoram range on the China-Pakistan border. Evelyn had agreed to fly to Wyoming to see the cabin and plan some final logistics with Sophie, although flying out of New York would have been much easier. But she knew how much Wyoming meant to Sophie, and she didn’t mind a break from the city.

Evelyn wondered, sometimes, what her life would look like if Sophie hadn’t followed in her footsteps. If she alone had enjoyed climbing, had met James, had scaled bigger and grander mountains. If Sophie had some other talent, music or baking, a different universe of passion. Evelyn might have remained anchored in Colorado, sharing the mountains with found family instead of her sister. She would tell Sophie stories about her expeditions and Sophie would listen in awe. Evelyn would have a different partner in the mountains, someone else she trusted with her life. She didn’t necessarily wish for that version of reality, but her brain conjured it up sometimes anyway. She thought about it briefly as Sophie opened the SUV’s tailgate and lifted out the first of several suitcases that contained thousands of dollars of highly specialized climbing gear, mostly gifted from sponsors. Would she have had the courage to plan this trip alone?

“I know the cabin doesn’t look great on the outside,” Sophie said, pulling Evelyn’s mind back to the present. She joined Sophie and removed a suitcase. “It’s got rustic charm. It grows on you.”

“I don’t mean to sound rude, but why don’t you sell it and buy something a little nicer?”

Sophie set down the suitcase and pulled a hair elastic off her wrist, deftly tying her dirty-blond hair into a bun. “It’s complicated. Miles has a weird attachment to this place, since that old guy he knew in Washington sold it to him for dirt cheap. He’s always like, ‘That guy believed in me. I can’t disappoint him.’” Sophie’s tone indicated to Evelyn that Sophie did not feel particularly reverent about the old guy in Washington. “Also,” she continued, “land around here takes months, sometimes years, to sell. We’re trying to save up so we can at least rent somewhere decent while we wait. But that’s probably a couple years away.”

Evelyn nodded. At least Sophie was financially responsible. “Okay. Let’s see the inside.”

They hauled the suitcases up the front steps of the porch and through the door. The main section of the dimly lit cabin was a large, open room—a small kitchen to the left and a living room to the right, with a couple of worn-looking couches and chairs. A handful of easels with half-finished paintings were situated in the back corner of the living room, behind a table. There was a small loft above the living room, although it appeared to be piled full of boxes and bins.

Miles turned around from the refrigerator, a hand towel slung over his left shoulder. “Hi, Evelyn. I didn’t hear you pull up. I would have helped with your luggage.”

“Good news,” Sophie replied, as Evelyn lifted a hand in greeting. “There’s plenty more in the car.”

“I’ll grab them. Listen for the timer, okay? The chicken is almost done.”

Sophie led Evelyn down a hallway and pushed open a door. “Your room. The bed probably isn’t very comfortable, sorry. We got it off Craigslist. But there’s a bunch more blankets in the hall closet if you need them. You probably won’t. We don’t have AC.”

Not even window units , Evelyn noticed. But the windows were open, ushering in a light breeze. The whole house smelled like a sunbaked forest. She set her suitcase on the floor and sat on the bed, suddenly exhausted from her day of traveling.

An incessant beeping started up and they both turned their heads. “The chicken,” Sophie said, rolling her eyes. “Miles makes an entire roast chicken almost every week. So that we always have leftovers. He thinks I’ll starve to death if he doesn’t stock the house with prepared meals.”

“Well, you probably would.”

“Ugh. I don’t want to hear it.” Sophie disappeared from the room and was replaced a moment later by Miles, a suitcase in one hand and a duffel bag in the other.

“I’ll take that,” Evelyn said, jumping up and grabbing the duffel bag. “You can put the suitcase anywhere.”

He set it beside the growing pile of luggage. “This is an impressive amount of stuff. Sophie’s been packing too. I forgot what preparing for a big expedition looks like.”

“Yeah, well,” Evelyn replied. “We haven’t been on one since Everest.”

“And you’re going just by yourselves this time. Are you nervous?”

Evelyn shook her head. “I think we’re ready to spread our wings. Besides, I’ll have the world’s best guide at my side.”

Miles offered a hint of a smile. “She’d be happy to hear you say that.”

“Don’t tell her. Can’t let her get too cocky.”

Sophie reappeared in the doorway. “Don’t tell me what?”

“Nothing,” Miles said, shooting Evelyn a conspiratorial grin. Evelyn wondered if she had judged him too harshly at the wedding. He seemed more at ease here. Maybe the formality of the wedding had made him uncomfortable, or he had had too much to drink. Either way, she felt herself soften toward him a bit, although he still wasn’t who she wanted to spend time with. She refocused her attention on Sophie.

“Did the chicken survive?”

“Yes. Me, not so much.” Sophie extended her right arm to reveal a large red splotch. “Minor burn.”

The smile dropped from Miles’s face. “Sophie. You need to learn to take things out of the oven.”

His exasperated tone didn’t seem to faze Sophie. “I won’t have to worry about ovens for the next two months. I’m putting any learning on hold.”

Miles still looked annoyed, and Evelyn had a sudden urge to leave the room before an argument unfolded between them. Evelyn didn’t know if she’d be able to hold her tongue. “Can we take a walk, Sophie? I know you mentioned trails.” Tired as she was, she wanted to get out of the house.

“The ones on the property are nothing special. There are better ones we can drive to, if you’re up for it.”

“You two have fun,” Miles said. “I have to go get ready for dinner with that potential client. I know it’s early, but do you guys want to eat now?”

Evelyn shook her head. She’d grabbed a sandwich at the airport, and besides, she wanted to get Sophie alone so they could catch up. “I’m okay. Thanks. A hike is all I need.”

Later that afternoon, Evelyn and Sophie sat on the shore of Lower Slide Lake, taking in the blue-green water, the mountains swathed in firs, white spruce, and pines, and the stillness. It always amazed Evelyn how much calmer she felt in nature. She could skate by unaware of her activated nervous system when she was in the city, the constant noise and light overwhelming her, but she always felt at a distance from her own body. It was a relief to come back to herself, to feel the warmth of the spring sun.

“I’m so excited for K2,” she said. “I can’t wait to be unreachable for two months.”

“Why?” Sophie asked, leaning forward to rub her ankle. “You’re done with school. What’s stressing you out?”

“I still have to pass the bar, remember? It’s not like I’m home free,” she added. The allure of seeing the Karakoram range, those endless, shining towers of imposing granite, had motivated her through the final days of school—a brief pause before real life resumed.

“Don’t worry,” Sophie said. “The K2 curse will get us, and you’ll never have to think about your career again.”

Neither of them had yet acknowledged the K2 curse—that so many women who summited the mountain either died on the way back down or met their end on a different mountain, for no apparent reason.

“It’s meaningless. How could you possibly correlate successfully climbing K2 with dying on a different mountain?”

“Maybe it’s a ploy to keep women off the mountain. They want a boys’ club on K2.”

“Horrible. And speaking of men,” Evelyn continued, glancing at her sister, “how are you and Miles? How’s married life?”

“We’re good,” Sophie replied. She sounded nonchalant. “We’re both so busy, we hardly see each other sometimes. But we’re both independent, so it works for us.”

“You? Independent?”

Sophie rolled her eyes. “I can be independent and have a partner. Plenty of people do it. That’s what drew me to Miles in the first place, remember? He doesn’t care if I disappear to climb for two months because he does the same thing with kayaking. He gets it.”

“He seems more invested in his art these days,” she said, thinking of the numerous paintings in the living room.

Sophie shrugged. “Maybe. He’s had a couple of pieces commissioned recently. He still guides single-day kayak trips in the summer. But he hasn’t competed in a while.” She looked preoccupied, her eyes squinting against the rich late-afternoon light that turned the edges of her blond hair to gold. “Why don’t you like Miles?”

Evelyn blinked. She hadn’t been expecting the question. She cleared her throat and focused on the flashes of light reflecting off the lake water.

“I don’t dislike him. I just don’t think he’s good enough for you. I still can’t forgive him for convincing you to drop out of school and move to Wyoming.”

“But I’m happy here.”

“I’m not finished,” Evelyn said, shooting Sophie a glance. “I don’t like how he talks to you sometimes. Or about you. Like you wouldn’t survive without him. Like you’re too dumb to feed yourself. And at the wedding—”

“What about the wedding?”

“He made it sound like he didn’t want to stay in Wyoming for much longer. After everything you gave up to move here. I feel like you settled for less than you deserve.”

Sophie hesitated, then shook her head. “What did I give up? A degree that I didn’t really want and a worse job?” She chewed her lip for a moment before looking back at Evelyn, the directness of her gaze impressive. “I’m happy here. I’m happy with Miles. That’s enough for me.”

Evelyn nodded. “You’re right,” she replied, although Sophie’s response had done nothing to change her own feelings. “Look, I just want you to be happy. So, as long as you’re happy...”

“I am,” Sophie said firmly.

Without speaking they stood up and retraced their steps to the car. Evelyn stole a couple of glances back at the lake, her heart in her throat. She was almost a lawyer, for god’s sake, and she was unsuccessful at the one argument that should have been easiest: convincing Sophie that her relationship with Miles was unfulfilling. It was too late anyway. They were already married. Evelyn chastised herself for not trying harder to talk Sophie out of marrying Miles in the first place.

Sophie’s assurance now sowed seeds of doubt for Evelyn. Maybe she was looking at the relationship with blinders on, too caught up in her role of the overprotective big sister. Maybe she needed to take Sophie’s words at face value and stop worrying about something she couldn’t control. The familiar envy crept back in. Sophie seemed to have it so easy. Meeting Miles, the Teton job, a house—all the pieces of her life fit seamlessly together. She never had to force her dreams to come true: they simply did. Evelyn had spent the last seven years of her life nose-deep in books, running between classes and meetings, filling her brain to the brim with knowledge of the law. Perhaps fulfillment was just around the corner. At the end of July she would take the bar, pass—of course she would pass—and find a firm. A spark of hope flamed up, burning back her jealousy. Her life was about to change. Evelyn lifted her face to the fading sun and decided not to worry.

That night, she woke up to hushed, angry voices outside her room. It took Evelyn a moment to remember where she was—those weren’t strangers arguing in her apartment building hallway, but Sophie and Miles. She crept from bed and pressed her ear against the door, but their voices were muffled. She made out a few words: move , city , regret , and then her own name, spoken by Sophie. The voices fell silent, and moments later a door across the hallway slammed shut. Evelyn retreated back to bed, her mind racing.

But the next morning, she didn’t have the courage to ask what was wrong.