Denali Dreams Read Online Free

number. She
would
summit. They’d planned a private, twenty-eight-day expedition to allow for weather conditions and acclimatization. This wish would come true. It just had to. Even though Clint insisted on paying for them both and their private guide, this was
her
dream.
    An adorable woman with a name tag that read Missy came to the desk.
    Karon smiled. She’d been waiting to meet the ranger friend for over a year. The familiar, high-pitched voice she knew from their many phone calls was a balm. “Welcome to the Talkeetna Ranger Station. How can I help you?”
    “Missy! I’m Karon Granger from Louisiana.” The woman’s face lit up in a smile and Karon reached over to hug the woman. “I’m so excited to meet you finally.”
    “Same here. I didn’t expect you for a few days.”
    “I decided to have some fun by myself before my brother came up for the climb.” She rolled her eyes. “You know men. Anyway, I need to properly thank you. You have been a lifesaver.”
    Missy just laughed. “You don’t have to thank me, Karon, you already—”
    “Nope, don’t even go there. You answered every one of my calls, helped me with all my questions—good grief—you totally made this a reality for me.” Her emotions got the best of her and tears sprang to her eyes. Karon hugged her new friend again. “All these months, you’ve listened and been there.”
    Missy leaned close. “Well, you’ve worked hard for this. I’m happy to help out. And don’t worry—only the personnel scheduled to be at Base Camp and High Camp during your climb will know any details.”
    “Thanks. It’s nice to just be Karon and move forward from here.”
    Missy smiled. “I don’t want to overstep my bounds, but I did talk with our head mountaineering ranger about your situation. Follow me. I want to show you something.” She led Karon into the great room. “You see all these?”
    Flags covered the walls. “Wow. Are these all expeditions?”
    “Yep. They represent summits and safe climbs. And look over here.” The ranger paused. “These are people with prostheses.” She pointed to another set. “Cancer survivors … people like you.” Missy turned and captured Karon’s eyes. “They’re all proud of what they’ve overcome. Proud of their accomplishments. Proud of the strength it took to do what you’re about to do.”
    Shame filled her gut. And here she’d been hiding. Afraid to tell the truth. Afraid someone else would try to convince her not to go. Afraid of being seen as less of a person. Her eyes roamed the flags, reading each one. She bit her bottom lip and nodded. “So, you’re saying you think I should be bold about it. Not scared of sharing it.”
    Missy squeezed her arm. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, Karon, but I think after all the conversations we’ve had, and meeting you in person, you should know that what you’re doing is something to be proud of, not something to hide.”
    Karon’s insides tumbled. Wow, she was nervous. She’d always thought climbing Denali would prove to people that she was okay. But what did she really have to prove? Hadn’t the doctors cleared her? Hadn’t she survived? Wasn’t she living her life already?
    One burning question remained. Why did she care so much about what other people thought? As the reality of her own inner struggle settled in her gut, Karon found a chair and sat.
    Had she really turned into a people pleaser?
    Missy smiled. “I’m going to give you a few moments alone. I’ve got a list a mile long. But I’ll be back.”
    Voices argued inside Karon’s head. All this time. Had she been fighting herself? Holding herself back? Was that why people coddled her? Because they knew she didn’t believe in herself?
    Blaming other people had been the easy way out. The way she’d coped. But the truth shone a bright light on all the fog-covered thoughts and ideas swarming in her mind.
    The only one holding her back was
her.
Resolve shot through her veins. She