Coralee could hear Travis's alarm go off, but she closed her eyes, pretending that she hadn't heard although she knew what was coming next.

He put his arm around her and started nuzzling her neck, then finding her mouth and kissing her. Their love making would have to be brief, but he made sure it had become part of their morning routine. A shower together would follow and breakfast before they would get on the ATV and head to the barns.

Travis had been coaching her for more than a month now. She'd expected either a coach or one of the riders and she'd been dismayed when Travis had taken on her training.

Between the concussion and the traveling she felt a little out of practice. Even Coronado seemed out of sync and Travis had yelled at her, telling her to concentrate and get her horse under control.

She missed her old trainer, but she had to admit that Travis knew his stuff. She'd lost something being laid off all those weeks but slowly it was coming back. It wasn't as easy or as seamless as it had been before and sometimes she felt frustrated.

"You're not building up enough speed before you go into your slide, are you paying attention?"

"Fuck you Travis," she turned Coronado around, "I'm going to take a break then get back to it, I need to step back or I'm going to kill you." She trotted out of the ring and rode back behind the barns then took off, refusing to look at him.

She came back twenty minutes later to find Travis nowhere in sight, instead, Lucy stood in the corral waiting for her. "He told me to take over. I told him he shouldn't be training you, you're too close. And you were doing better than he let you know, he's like that, you know."

"Don't I though?" and the girls laughed, "I feel kind of bad for stomping off like that, but he…"

"I know," said Lucy, "I don't envy you, but he's a good guy. Now, let's run through your routine."

She wasn't aware that Travis was watching her, but now that she felt she was no longer under his watchful eye, she felt like the pressure had lifted. She no longer felt self-conscious and now as she went through her routine her self-confidence, and her confidence in her horse, seemed to return.

She heard someone clapping when she finished, and she turned and saw Travis had been watching her. "Now, that's what I knew you could do, keep at it and you'll be ready for the shows. We leave in two weeks; we'll go to the Yellowstone first so you can see your family then we'll be on the road."

Tears welled up in her eyes, "Can we really go to the Yellowstone?" she got off her horse and tied him to the rails, "I don't mean to feel so homesick, but I miss my family."

"I know you do; I tend to forget how close you all are. "I don't think your mother has forgiven me for our sudden wedding".

"Am I really ready to go on the road with you? I don't expect to be on the Yellowstone team, you know? I like competing with Coronado, he and I made a good match."

"Yes, you are," he told her, "You've probably been ready, you just had a setback, is all. I think I worried too much about you, it scared me when you got that concussion."

"I want to make you proud of me," she told him, and he took her in his arms and kissed her.

"I am proud of you, don't ever doubt it. When I'm hard on you it's because I know what you're capable of. I want you to have faith in yourself."

Travis spent the rest of the afternoon concentrating on the cutting horses. There was more than one reason he planned to go to the Yellowstone. He wanted to show John Dutton just how well his horses were doing. And he planned to put Coralee into the lineup. She was doing well enough to show her uncle's horses, and he knew she wanted to participate. She worked hard but it was because of him that she was pushing herself harder. And he wanted to show John Dutton that he was worthy of being married to his beloved niece.

That night after they made love, he asked her something that had been on his mind. "Coralee, when are you going to tell me that you're pregnant? Don't you think we've been trying hard enough?"

She laughed, the breathy laugh he loved, "Didn't I tell you? I've got an implant and I won't get pregnant until I have it removed. I'm not ready to have a baby yet, I want to keep competing and I can't do that if I'm pregnant, or if I have a baby to look after. Besides, Mom would never forgive you if we didn't wait, especially after we rushed the wedding." She looked at him with her cornflower blue eyes, "That's okay with you, isn't it?"

"Well, I don't want to get on Gemma Dutton's bad side, but I'm kind of disappointed. Tell you what, let's wait a year, then have your implant removed and we can try and get pregnant. Does that sound like a plan?"

"Yes, it does. Travis, I think I understand. You're older than me and having kids is more important to you. Just remember you've promised to give me a year. I don't know how long it will take after the implant is removed, but it will happen. Just be what you're not good at—patient."

At twenty-four children were not something she thought about, but she realized that Travis was going to be an older father. She told herself she would try to remember that. He would probably indulge his children as much as he indulged her. He had his faults, but at heart Travis was a kind and loving soul.

Her father hadn't been able to make it, but her "substitute father" John Dutton was there to greet her, along with her mother and Katie. She ran to greet them, forgetting Travis momentarily.

It was all right, though, because he was busy unloading horses and the crew that would be riding them in the upcoming horseshows. John walked down to the corral to inspect the horses Travis had purchased for him,

Soon horses were being saddled and the ranch hands came to watch as the horses were put through their paces. Even Coronado had been saddled and Coralee mounted her horse and began to follow the other riders. She smiled as Travis watched her every move, nodding his approval as she began to feel comfortable.

Some steers were brought in and the cutting horses were able to show their stuff. This was Coralee's favorite part because Travis got on a horse and began to show that he was more than just a horse trader. Travis could do it all, reining, cutting, and roping.

Kayce and Monica had come to see her, and they stood with her as the riders showed just what their horses could do. He put his arm around her and kissed her cheek, "Missed you, cousin," he said.

"I missed you too. Texas gets lonely for me; I love Travis but I really miss my family. Will Jamie be coming by?"

If Kayce was slow to respond she didn't notice. "I told him you were coming, and he said he'd try and make it. Things are pretty tense between him and Beth these days."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me, whatever is wrong between him and Beth they ought to work it out. Being away from family has made me appreciate it even more. Not a day goes by that I don't miss you and Monica and Uncle John and Jamie. Mom and I are talking just about every day, it's helped make being away from home easier to deal with. I love Travis, I do, and I'm learning the ways of his ranch, but it doesn't feel like home."

Monica touched her on her shoulder, and she hugged her, noticing something different about her. "Monica, you're pregnant again!" she squealed, "When are you due?"

"In six months, give or take a little. We're going to be more careful this time, no more buffalo blocking traffic. And what about you, is there a little Travis or Coralee in the works?" Monica smiled.

"No, thank god, but Travis is getting baby fever. A friend of his just became a first-time father, and I think he's thinking about his legacy. I don't blame him, but I'm not ready. I told him we can start trying in a year. After all, he rushed me into marrying him, so he needs to be fair and wait. I've got things I still want to do."

Fortunately baby talk came to a halt when Rip came over and gave her a hug. "You're looking good, sweetheart," he told her, "Marriage must suit you. I must admit your husband seems like a happy man. You're also looking good on your bay; Travis must be working you hard because I've never seen you look better. Is he going to put you on a Yellowstone horse?"

"He's hinted at it, but I like riding Coronado. He and I have gotten used to each other again. It was so frustrating not being able to ride and it was hard to get back into that rhythm. He hasn't said what sort of plans he has for me. I don't want to sign my horse over to the Yellowstone team. A lot of horsemen compete on their own horses, if that puts me up against the Yellowstone, oh well. But he hasn't said anything to me about it."

"You listen to Travis," said Rip, "He'll know where you fit in. We're proud of you, Coralee, keep up the good work."

She stood and watched with the Yellowstone hands as Travis worked the steers. She envied the way he made it look effortless, it wasn't easy but he seemed so confident. She was confident of her reining abilities but cutting was frustrating her.

"Give it time," Travis told her, "This is something you've done many times before, you just need to remember how you did it then."

She was noticing that someone else was watching him, the new girl that he had brought onto the team. She had dark hair and dark eyes, and like every other girl Travis hired was a beauty. Had she noticed her before? She didn't know but how could she miss the gold ring that Travis wore on his left ring finger? She decided she wasn't going to say anything, for now, it would not do to play the part of a jealous young wife. She'd find out all she could about her, then keep an eye on her. Lucy would be willing to help, they'd become good friends and liked each other. Lucy would not want her to get hurt.

"Looking good babe," she called out as Travis finished and he rode over to her. She stood on the bottom rail of the fence and Travis bent down and kissed her.

"My wife is my biggest fan," he joked, making her blush, but it was true. She did not want to hero worship him, nor would he want her to, but she admired him and didn't make a secret of it. Horses had brought them together, and horses were one of the foundations of their relationship. She felt lucky to be married to him, even luckier that he wanted her with him.

Gator came out and rang the triangle announcing lunch. "Good," she said, "Food, I'm starving."

"Go wash up," said Travis, "I've got to put some horses away and then I'll join you. I wonder what he's serving in the lodge?"

"Hurry up so you'll find out, you don't eat with the hands anymore, you're family, like it or not. I see Mom and Katie standing on the front porch, so I better go." She paused for a moment, "Travis, how long will it take for me to get cutting down?"

"Less time than if you constantly think about it and just do it. You've got the ability, you've just got to believe in yourself."