Yellowstone: Love and Cowboys

Home Again

Back on the road, Coralee rediscovered her love for performing. Hickory had finally learned what reining was all about and began to enjoy being in the show ring. Travis rode him for the first two shows, then turned him over to Coralee, and to her surprise she won her first show in a while.

It was hard for her to deal with what was happening to her family's ranch, but she put it in the back of her mind. For now, there was no Yellowstone, there was no threat to her family legacy, there was only the ring and the shows. And it paid off.

She and Hickory became quite the team and began to take firsts in competitions. Her confidence was bolstered, and she began entering the cutting competitions and though she did not place in the money, she didn't do too badly. It was just going to take time and she and Travis had all the time in the world.

The puppy was growing and becoming more responsive to commands. She'd come at Travis's whistle and could now be depended on to stay if she was told to. Her dark sable coat was shiny, and her ears were standing erect. She was a good-looking German shepherd and a smart one too. She'd become protective of their horses and was showing promise of becoming a good guard dog.

Coralee started to relax, and all she wanted now was to tell Travis she was pregnant, but it had not yet happened. The doctor had told her to be patient, but she didn't feel patient. She was hoping that she could tell Travis she was expecting when they got home, and maybe it could still happen. She didn't know who was more eager, Travis or herself.

They were getting close to Texas and their last shows in Fort Worth, after that, they would head back to the ranch. She was pretty sure she would win a buckle in the reining show but knew she'd need more practice for cutting. It would be good to have the show over and head home.

Home. Texas was still not home. She missed Montana, and the mountains, Yellowstone Park, and her family. She missed spending time at her uncle's ranch, hanging out in the bunkhouse, and cheating the wranglers at cards. Yellowstone was in her blood, it was part of her, and now, at times, she felt like it had been ripped out of her.

She didn't get a first, or even a second, at the Fort Worth show, her heart just hadn't been in it. She had been on the road for too long and was suffering burnout. She seemed to be more tired these days but told herself it was nothing special, probably just getting ready to have her period again. It would be good to get back to the ranch and her routine, it was time to go home.

She'd fallen asleep when they pulled in and Travis would not wake her. He put her and the puppy into the ATV and drove up to the house, hoping she'd remain asleep.

The following morning she woke up with the sun shining in the bedroom windows. She glanced at the clock, it was nine, and Travis had let her sleep in. She turned over and she found that Travis's side of the bed was occupied by Shelly, who licked her face with her long pink tongue.

"Thanks, Shelly," she muttered, and fondled her soft, oversized ears, "Guess Dad let you out of your crate. I suppose I should get up and see if someone fed you."

She swung her legs out of bed, momentarily dizzy but it passed. She got up and went into the bathroom.

There was a pregnancy test sitting on the edge of the sink, no note, just the test. "Oh well," she said, "I have to pee anyway."

When she was done, she replaced it where she had found it. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and called the puppy and they went downstairs. As she'd suspected, Shelly had been fed and had hoped to con her into giving her a second breakfast.

She looked at the clock, ten minutes had passed so she went back upstairs to check the test. She crossed her fingers, not knowing what she hoped for, but the little pink and white stick indicated that, yes, she was pregnant.