Her head hurt, it hurt horribly-she could feel it throbbing. And her back didn't just hurt, it burned. She didn't dare move because she knew the pain would be more unbearable.

People were speaking. "She opened her eyes, don't let her go to sleep. Open your eyes, Coralee, don't pass out on us. You may have a concussion, so you have to stay awake." Was it Travis speaking? Uncle John?

She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and go to sleep but they wouldn't let her. Every time she tried to close her eyes and pass out someone would slap her face gently.

"Keep your eyes open, don't leave us. I know it's hard, but you need to stay awake."

"How long before the chopper gets here. John?" That was Travis' voice speaking.

"It'll be here soon, we'll take her to the hospital in Billings. Hang on honey," John Dutton bent over her, and his face looked funny, wrinkled, and older.

"I hate to leave you with our horses, but I need to go with her." Travis sounded worried.

"Don't worry about it, we'll get you back to the ranch. She's trying to close her eyes again." He slapped her gently, it stung but didn't hurt, "Keep your eyes open, Coralee."

"Don't slap me anymore." She didn't know if they could hear or understand her, but Travis laughed and took her hand.

The chopper had arrived, and they rolled her gently onto a stretcher and carried her into the helicopter, Travis following right behind her. They had folded down two seats to accommodate her and belted her in.

"Don't worry, Miss Dutton, it's only going to seem like a long ride." Whoever it was went to the front and strapped himself in.

She was dizzy from being moved and closed her eyes to shut it out. She began to pass out again and Travis gently slapped her cheek again, "No, no, no you don't, don't pass out. We'll be at the hospital soon, try and keep your eyes open."

"I feel like I'm going to get sick," she said, and the words seemed to make sense.

"Well, you can get sick in my hat," he replied.

"No, I'm not going to puke in your Stetson, it's my family's helicopter, I can throw up on the floor."

Travis laughed, he'd never heard her loopy like this, was she even aware of what she was saying? Thank god they'd kept her awake so far. He only knew a little about head injuries, but it was possible that if she did have a concussion this was a sign it maybe was not as bad as he feared.

He held her hand as the chopper made its way to Billings. He looked down and could see the red cross on the helipad and finally was able to breathe.

"We're here, hon, there are orderlies with a gurney waiting for you." He tried to keep his voice even, he didn't want her to know how worried he was. "Hey!" he said as she started to pass out again, "You can't do that, remember?"

At last, they landed, and they gently transferred her from the stretcher to the gurney. "I need to throw up again," she said and one of the orderlies helped her sit up and she threw up onto the ground.

"Easy Miss Dutton," they told her as they wheeled her into the emergency room where her family doctor was waiting.

"Well, Coralee," he asked, "What did you do this time? Travis, following laughed as she raised her middle finger. "We're going to get you into a room and a gown. I'm going to give you something for the nausea and dizziness and then we're going to do an MRI. Hopefully, all you have is a nasty bump on the head, but you might have a concussion. Broken ribs are a possibility, too, we'll check that out." He turned and saw Travis standing and waiting, "And who are you?"

"Her fiancé," Travis replied, "I'm Travis Wheatley, I'm a friend of John Dutton's. I was there when it happened, a rattler spooked her horse and it reared."

"Well, we'll see what kind of damage you did to yourself, young lady. Your fiancé can stay if he keeps out of the way, I'll see you in the MRI."

Travis followed her to her room, holding her hand in a tight grip. The nurses gently removed her clothes and dressed her in a soft cotton gown.

"You'll want to stay here while she gets the MRI, Travis," one of the nurses told him. To his dismay, he recognized her as someone he'd gone out with before. "If you're hungry, go to the cafeteria, it's located in the basement. She'll be about half an hour or so. If she's better, we'll give her lunch, she probably needs some food in her stomach." He kissed her goodbye as they took her away.

He'd eaten in hospital cafeterias before. Not having a favorable opinion of them did not stop him because tension and the lack of food had built up his appetite. If she hadn't fallen from her horse, he could be feasting on Gator's spread but there was no way he was going to leave her. He'd have to send the helicopter back to the Yellowstone, but John was planning on coming to see his niece and he'd hitch a ride back to the ranch.

When he got back to her room she was lying in bed. Her complexion normally had peachy tones but right now it was an unhealthy pale-yellow tone.

"Are you any better, sweetheart?" he asked, it seemed a safe question to ask because she did not feel good.

"What they gave me for nausea helped a little. They told me they'll give me something for the pain after I eat. I hate hospital swill, but I'll do it to get the drugs. The doctor is supposed to be here any minute with the results of the MRI."

As if on cue, the doctor came into the room. "Okay, Miss Dutton, you've got a concussion, but it's a mild one. You're going to be experiencing some dizziness so be careful. No riding for at least a month, and that's after you check back with us. You won't feel like riding anyway because you have some broken ribs which we'll tape up for you after you have the pain meds. You also managed to sprain your wrist, you're lucky because it could have been broken. No sex for a month. You can take a pain pill at night if you hurt too bad to sleep but otherwise, try to stick to Advil. Any questions?"

"No," she suppressed the urge to shake her head.

"Take care of yourself and you'll be fine. Start walking as soon as you're up to it. We'll keep you here a couple of days, then you can go home." He turned and walked out, his job finished.

"When are you leaving, Travis?" she asked him.

"Tomorrow. I've got to go back to Texas, I'll have just enough time to drive down there. Your uncle is coming to see you this afternoon and I'll catch a ride back with him. I'm sorry, this is not how we planned to spend our time together." He took her hand and kissed it.

"You know, you didn't tell me how talking to Mom and Dad went. I know my parents, so I can imagine it didn't go well. When I get home, I'm going to have to face the music, but it doesn't change things, we're getting married, I've got a ring to prove it. Uncle John supports us; if my parents come around, great, if not, he can give me away." There was a determined look on her young face.

The room seemed doubly empty after Travis and her Uncle John left. She had a private room, but it would have been nice if she had a roommate to talk to. Her mother had called, she was coming tomorrow and Coralee dreaded it and the inevitable confrontation.

They let her take a shower the next morning. She washed her long hair, grateful to be able to remove the dirt and debris. The doctor had said if the dizziness was gone she could go home as long as she was careful.

Her mother was coming and she dreaded it. She wished they would respect her decision, she was twenty-four, no longer legally a child. She knew she and Katie were spoiled, they were the two youngest and their parents had encouraged them to stay at home just a while longer. Maybe they should have left, she could have afforded to share an apartment with her sister, but their horses were kept on the farm and it had been easier just to stay home.

Travis had bought her some sweats so she didn't have to wear a hospital gown. She felt warmer and more comfortable even though her head still hurt. The hospital food was nothing to write home about, but it was edible. It helped to eat, it helped soothe her stomach and she needed less of the anti-nausea medicine.

She was watching something on the TV, some kind of travel show, though she could not figure out which one. It looked like it might be England because they were showing pictures of Stone Henge but it kept switching locations. Maybe it wasn't a travel show, after all, but some kind of archaeology show because now they were showing pictures of Pompeii. She wished she could turn it off and read, but reading made her first dizzy, then sick.

There was a knock at the door and her mother walked in. "Hi Mom," she said brightly. "Have you come to relieve the boredom? I'm going nuts in here."

"Hello, Coralee," her mother came and sat on the bed and hugged her. It bothered her that her daughter looked pale and bruised but there was nothing she could do about it. All her children had fallen off their horses at least once and some more than that. It was a hazard of ranch life that you could not protect your children from. She'd grown up on a ranch herself and had experienced the bumps, bruises, and falls from horses and off fences. Somehow children survived.

"The doctor said you could go home tomorrow if you feel up to it. You just have to be careful. Katie brought your things home and has been taking care of the horses. She's volunteered to do it until you're back on your feet."

Coralee shrugged, her mother was deflecting. She wanted to talk about Travis but she was afraid to bring it up. You gotta do it eventually, so why not now?

"Mom, are you and Dad upset about my getting married? I'm going to marry Travis, you know, even if you don't like him."

She had given her mother the opening, Okay, Mom, she thought, out with it.

"I don't know why you think you have to marry that man. Travis Wheatley is a rogue and a player. He's almost twice your age, why would you choose him? You won't be able to trust him, you won't know what he's doing when he's on the road. Please tell me you're not going to do this."

"Too late, Mom, I have a ring." She held up the finger that wore the diamond he had given her. "If I don't marry him, someone else will. There's more to Travis than you give him credit for. He's a self-made man, he started out working for someone then branched out on his own and he's made a name for himself. He's funny, kind, sweet, smart, and he treats me like a princess. He's helped Katie and me become better riders and he's always generous with his advice. I know he's older than me, but so what?"

She looked at her mother, waiting for her response, but got none, so she went on talking. "He knows he's going to have to learn how to be a faithful husband, but I know that may take some time. He'll have to decide how much my being faithful means to him. I've never been shy about saying what I think, I can lead him on a merry chase if I want to. I believe we can work through the hard stuff, but it may take time."

"Do you love him, Coralee?"

"I don't know but he fits like an old comfortable shoe, and he makes me laugh. I have fun when I'm with him and then when he leaves I miss him. He's not you and Daddy but I'd hate to lose him. He's going to be your son-in-law, so get used to it. And, if you're going to harass me about it, I'm going to go stay with Uncle John."