It felt good to be back on the road. Coralee hated to admit it, but she'd missed it. They were traveling without the whole crew and were heading slowly back to Texas. On their way, Travis was hitting the sales and picking up some nice horses. There were little shows here and there and she took advantage of the opportunity to get back into the show ring. She didn't do so well at first, but Travis told her to be patient and soon she and Hickory took their first. She'd been away from reining just long enough to realize how much she missed it.

Everyone met up back at the ranch and got things re-organized. Old bedding and feed were removed from the trucks and composted. The trucks were washed, inside and out and given a coat of wax. The crew that had returned with Matt had had a chance to rest up, the others had gotten their chance while they were staying at the Yellowstone.

Coralee did the last of their laundry, glad that most had been done at the Yellowstone. Saddles and bridles were polished to a soft gleam, in preparation for the upcoming shows.

It was autumn when many towns celebrated their annual fairs. The harvest was in, and this year had been good, and the rodeos and horse shows were a way to celebrate. Farmers with cash in their wallets would watch the shows and maybe have an eye on a horse they saw performing. Maybe it was for a daughter who wanted a new horse for 4-H shows, where Coralee had had her start. Or a son might participate in the rodeo, or maybe someone had a daughter who was a barrel racer. All of these would have their eyes on new horses.

At first, Coralee thought she'd be unable to put aside her worries for Katie and the ranch, but it proved to be easy to keep her mind occupied and she thought about Katie less and less. In the evenings after the show, there would be fair food for dinner if they chose, maybe going on the rides afterward, or someone would have a concert. There might be dancing, Travis was a good dancer and she loved to have him lead her around the floor. Then would come daybreak and they would pack up and head to the next town.

Sometimes Travis would let her go over the catalogs with him, the books as thick as dictionaries. She'd been raised around horses and had an eye for horseflesh but was surprised at how much she was learning from him. Travis would show her the horses he wanted to buy and patiently explain why. He'd point to a picture of a horse and ask her why he'd be interested, and she was able to point out things like conformation as well as its breeding. She wanted to work with him someday but for right now the horse business was his.

Sometimes she wished they were in the thoroughbred business. Their father had taken her and Katie to the Kentucky Derby once and she had fallen in love with racehorses. There were quarter-horse races, but they weren't the same. Quarter horses were faster on the quarter mile, but after that, a thoroughbred would leave them in the dust. She knew that a lot of jockeys and trainers got their start quarter horse racing, and then when they knew they were good enough they moved up to thoroughbreds.

That night while they were in bed she worked up the courage to ask him the question that had been on her mind.

"Travis, I'd like to see the Kentucky Derby, can we go, please? I don't know how long we'd have to wait for tickets, it might be a year or so, but I want to do this." She looked at him, her blue eyes brimming with sincerity.

She knew Travis was indifferent to thoroughbred racing. Sometimes horses were just horses, but his specialty was quarter horses. He loved to show them, be it reining, roping, or cutting. It would be a sacrifice for him to spare the time to take her, but this was something she wanted, badly.

"You want to go?" he asked, looking at her, trying to tell if she was serious. If that was what she wanted he'd have to fit it into his schedule, he hated to tell her no. But thoroughbred racing? That was a different matter altogether.

"Yes, I want to," she said, "and if possible before we have a kid. We can bring a baby to the Derby if we have to, he or she won't remember it but that's not important. Dad took Katie and me when I was fourteen. Katie and I got dresses and hats, and Dad wore a light blue suit and matching tie. It was so much fun, and the horses were amazing."

"The Derby requires planning. I want to get good seats in the stands, and I'd have to find hotel rooms, and they book way in advance. It won't be cheap, but I think you'll enjoy it. There'll be a lot of people wearing cowboy hats and boots, so you'd fit right in, and who knows, maybe someone might be interested in our horses. A lot of horsemen attend the Derby. If you say yes, I'll take care of everything, all you'll need to do is show up."

"Hmm," he looked at her and could see the eagerness in her eyes. Well, Travis, he told himself, you promised yourself that you'd keep her happy and if going to the Derby is what she wants, that's what you're going to have to do.

"Okay," he said, "You're doing well in the shows and maybe, just maybe, you deserve it. All right, young lady, make your arrangements and let me know how much this is going to cost me and when we'll be doing it. I have a confession to make, I've never seen the Kentucky Derby and if it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't. I expect you to do well in your shows, though."

"And maybe I'll have good news for you, too. I haven't had my period yet, but it should happen any day now. The doctor told me after I do, we'll be able to try to conceive. I want to get pregnant, Travis, I want to have our kid, not just for you but for me, too."

Coralee had discovered that there were "puppy trainers" among the crew. Shelly had learned to come on command, sit, lie down, and was learning to stay—not an easy trick for an enthusiastic German shepherd puppy. She was socializing well among the crew and was getting along with the horses in the barn.

Horses are herd animals and are often willing to befriend anything. At first, the puppy was afraid of the animals that towered over her but made a few friends, Sadie among them. She had been nervous at first, but now liked to snooze in Sadie's stall and drink from her water bucket.

The joy Coralee took in performing was coming back. She competed in reining and started winning firsts, with her confidence built up she got on Sadie and competed in cutting. She didn't do as well as she hoped but bringing in a second or even a third brought her more satisfaction than she'd anticipated.

The real joy for her was watching Travis. It was different to see him in the arena, rather than working the horses at home. To her, he was poetry in motion. There was an artistry to reining that she never tired of watching. No matter how good she got she'd never be as good as him, but she didn't care.

One night they celebrated, they had both taken first in all their events. She put on a dress and her fancy boots, and they went to a nice restaurant and then went dancing. She enjoyed the company of their crew, but it was nice to have just the two of them.

After dinner, he pushed a box across the table to her. "I saw you looking at this," he said and smiled, pleased with himself.

It was the Longines watch she'd been looking at for a long time. She had started to set aside money for it, determined not to ask him, he'd already given her too much.

She fastened it around her wrist, admiring it. There were no diamonds, it was plain but elegant and made of gold.

She couldn't hide her pleasure if she tried. "You shouldn't have, you didn't need to, I could have gotten it for myself, but I love it! How did you know?

"You're not that good at being sneaky, sweetheart, although I will give you credit for trying. You're my wife, and spoiling you makes me happy. I was going to wait to give it to you when you got pregnant, but you did well tonight and I'm proud of you. The horse sales have been going well, too. We're having a good year."

She wanted to kiss him but the table was between them. "I hope I can give you good news, too, sooner than later."

He took her hand and kissed it, "That baby will get here when it's ready, I'm not in a hurry. We're doing good, baby, the ranch survived the tornado, and we've had our setbacks but we're doing well. The best thing I ever did in my life was marry you."

Tears came to her eyes. "You're the best thing in my life, Travis, I've never been sorry I married you even though I didn't plan on it. The only thing that's ever wrong is that I miss my family so much. I always thought I'd marry a local boy and we'd find some land to buy and build our ranch and raise horses. Life would be perfect if…"

"You're worried about the Yellowstone, aren't you?" he asked and she nodded her head.

"I've been reading those links Jamie sent me, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm worried. I'm going to ask Dad what he knows about this and what he thinks will happen. These people, Travis, don't care about the land, or the effects their actions will have, they're in it for the money. I've read up on this corporation and they're ruthless. They want the Yellowstone and they don't care what they have to do to get it."

"I have no answers for you," said Travis, his face as solemn as his voice, "Sometimes all you can do is wait and see. Both Jamie and your father are attorneys, and they'll do their best for the ranch. It must be hard, the Yellowstone is a seven-generation ranch, and it's in your blood. Seeing it threatened can't be easy, but for right now you need to put your worries aside."

"I know," she sighed, "I know. Uncle John will have the last word and I hope the decision he makes is the right one."

"Me, too," Travis replied, "But for right now don't think about the Yellowstone, think about us. Think about the trip to the Derby we're going to make, think about the child we're going to have. Think about the things that make you happy."

"You," she said, "You make me happy. I'll think about you."

The next morning she woke up with a stickiness between her legs. She got out of bed, careful not to wake Travis, then ran into the bathroom.

She grabbed some toilet paper, carefully wiped between her legs, then took a deep breath and looked.

There were red stains on the tissue. She threw it into the toilet and flushed it, then went to her bags and searched for the supplies she brought with her.

It had taken a long time, but finally, it was happening. She'd have to wait for her course to run itself, but soon after that she'd be able to conceive.

Travis was awake when she came back to bed. He took one look at her and didn't have to ask.

"Any day now, hmm?" he asked, and she smiled and nodded.

"Come here, wife," he said, and she crawled into bed and nestled against him, happy.

"No more mistakes this time, okay? Leave the bad guys to me." He kissed the top of her head. "Remember, Coralee, there are good things ahead for us, just concentrate on that."

But it wouldn't be that easy.