Lucy Naylor Kubash

Today my husband and I celebrated our 37th wedding anniversary. That seems like such a long time, and yet nothing compared to the couple I heard about who were celebrating their 80th. What a blessing for them to be together that long.
It will be 40 years come this fall since we first met when our two rival schools merged together to make one school. Two years later we became engaged while on a trip out West with a group of college friends. In the Grand Teton National Park! I guess that's why I still consider the Tetons one of the most beautiful places we've visited and why I chose to set Chance's Return there. It's been over 25 years since we last visited those mountains, but I haven't forgotten how majestic they are and how perfect a setting for a romance. I still remember the horseback trail rides we took, the scenic drives through the park, and the chill of 32 degrees on a mid-summer morning. We always camped, and it was a bit of shock to wake up to that. I remember walking around Jackson Hole and seeing the antler arch in the park, and stopping to visit the little chapel in the valley. I remember seeing those powerful rivers and reading about the settlers who had crossed them and made their homes in this northwest corner of Wyoming. Even then, I think I knew I would write about them someday.
I hope we can go back to the Tetons some day soon, because there are other stories I would like to tell about this magnificent area of our country, but I feel like I need an update that no amount of book or internet research can give me. I need to see that spectacular mountain range and feel the nip of a chilly mountain morning in July again. Maybe for our 40th? I can only hope.