Coralee pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt and ran barefoot down the hall to the door of Kayce and Monica's room. She pounded on the door, shouting, "Monica, Kayce, wake up, wake up now, please."
Kayce opened the door, his hair tousled and wearing only his shorts. "What is this commotion about, Coralee?"
"Someone's trying to invade the ranch. Shelley heard it and started barking, I looked out the window and saw three men walking across the lawn carrying rifles."
"Oh god, Mon, wake up," he told his wife, "Get Tate and get to the bunkhouse, now. Grab a shotgun on your way out. Thanks, Coralee," he told her, "Tell Travis I'm coming."
She went next to Katie's room, "Wake up Kates," she yelled as she pounded on her door, "Get up Katie, now."
Katie opened the door, "What is it, Coralee, why the hell are you waking me up in the middle of the night?"
"There are intruders on the ranch. Get dressed and grab a rifle, then get your ass to the bunkhouse as fast as you can. Be careful, please."
"Okay, little sis," Katie replied, "I'll do that, you be careful too, you hear."
She was glad that Beth was in Salt Lake City. Dealing with intruders and Beth in the middle of the night would have been asking too much. Beth might have cooperated or made things worse in true Beth fashion.
Coralee went back to her room. Travis was there, snapping the leash on Shelley's collar. "Good girl," she wanted to tell her dog but didn't want to distract her. Travis had warned her he had gotten the puppy for situations like this.
"Be careful and don't do anything stupid," Travis told her, "Stick close to the others, there's safety in numbers. The twenty-two you'll be carrying will protect you well enough, don't try to be heroic, let the others watch out for you." He kissed her and she watched him disappear with Shelley through their bedroom door.
She pulled on her socks and struggled with her boots. Her pregnancy caused her hands and her feet to swell at times. At last, she succeeded and then pulled on a jacket. She went downstairs where Katie, Tate, and Monica, huddled close to each other. They didn't know what they would be facing in the dark, but all knew how serious the situation was. Each of the women held rifles, and Monica kept Tate close to her.
"Now, I want you to stay together," said John in his gravelly voice, "Keep an eye on Coralee, she won't be able to run as fast as you and we don't want her to fall. They're expecting you at the bunkhouse, they've armed themselves and Travis's crew are on the lookout as well. We don't know how many there are or what they're carrying, but they probably have an idea by now that we know they're here. Get going and we'll cover you. If you have to shoot, don't hesitate. They'd probably kill you if they got the chance. Now, go!"
The women, plus Tate, left the house. Monica and Tate in the front with Coralee behind them. Katie brought up the rear, prepared to help her sister if she fell. For the first time in her life, Coralee felt helpless and dependent upon the others. She hated the way that felt.
Why couldn't they have done this when I wasn't pregnant? She thought, or at least as pregnant. I've got to protect the baby without putting the others at risk. Is this what the pioneer women faced in the days when people tried to steal the ranch?
Monica and Tate went in front, and Coralee and Katie trailed behind. They peered through the darkness, watching out for a would-be assailant. So far, so good, but that meant nothing. Even though the lights in the barn had been turned on, it was still hard to see and it would not be that hard for someone to approach who did not belong.
Coralee struggled to keep up with Tate and Monica, she didn't want to slow anyone down. Pregnancy was not made for running, so she slung her rifle over her shoulder and hung onto her oversized belly.
"Hurry Coralee," said Katie and she replied, "I'm trying but I can't. This stomach is slowing me down and I feel heavy on my feet. I just hope there isn't a gopher hole because I'm afraid I'll trip. Maybe you should go ahead."
"No way," answered her sister but at that moment Coralee's fears came to pass. She felt her foot fall into a gopher hole, and she put out her arms to try to brace herself for the fall. She felt herself stumble onto the soft turf and by chance managed to twist to the side before she went down.
Then she heard the rifle report, and Katie cocked her fun after she fired. She threw herself on top of Coralee to protect her and then they heard the rumbling of an ATV.
When Coralee and Katie had failed to show up with Tate and Monica, Ryan and Travis had jumped on the ATV and went to look for them. They saw a figure go down and fearing it was one of the girls, went to look and saw Katie stand and fire.
Coralee was on the ground with Katie standing over her. Ryan brought the ATV to a halt while Travis jumped down to check on the welfare of his young wife.
"Are you okay?" he asked and she answered, "I think so, I think I'll be all right, I managed to catch myself before I hit the ground. Maybe we should take me to the ER as soon as we get the chance to make sure.
"As soon as it's safe that's exactly what we'll do. I'll see if John can contact the chopper pilot so we can fly you there, I'm taking no chances." He kissed her, wanted to kiss her some more but now was not the time. He picked her up, even though she was now heavy and bulky, and deposited her on the ATV. "Get her to the barn, Ryan, I'll see Katie there."
Ryan roared off with his precious cargo. "Just a minute or two and we'll be there. Are you all right?" he said.
"As all right as I can be. Don't know how this fall is going to affect things, but I'm going to pretend it will be okay. That's better than worrying, Travis will worry enough for both of us."
They settled her in a bunk, she didn't know whose though she thought she should. Teeter helped her remove her boots from her aching feet, then she propped them on a pillow and laid down and relaxed.
Tate wanted to be out with the men, she could tell, but Monica held him back. He had reached the age between tween and teen and felt the agony of being neither. It was good that Monica had Michael, she was losing her baby and it would be hard for her.
Katie stuck by her sister's side, being her eyes, going out and trying to see what was happening. At last, she came in and announced that she had seen red and blue lights on the road, someone must have summoned the sheriff.
She could hear the roar of the ATVs and the occasional sound of gunfire. Once she thought she heard Shelley barking and wondered what was going on. Travis had hopes of Shelley being a guard dog and she was proving that she could be. In the presence of her or Travis Shelley was well-behaved, now they knew she would protect her humans as well as her horses.
Katie had brewed a pot of hot coffee, and someone produced a couple of quart bottles of whiskey. Travis's crew came in and helped themselves, they had taken turns with the bunkhouse guarding the perimeter.
It was growing quiet. "Is it over, Katie," she asked, "Have they caught the bad guys?"
"Looks that way," Katie was sipping a cup of hot coffee, "We were afraid they might try to burn down the lodge, but if that was their aim we thwarted them. Remember, we don't even know who these people are, or who sent them. Someone is up to no good, and we don't know who or why they came here. We don't even know if these were the same people who were cutting the fence and releasing the cattle. That can wait, all I want to do now is get back to bed and that's where you should be too."
Someone brought in some air mattresses, no one wanted to go back to the house. There was safety in numbers in the bunkhouse. Coralee hoped that Gator was safe, he had a big, double-barreled shotgun and knew how to use it. Gator would be fine, there might even be breakfast in the morning.
John, Rip, and Travis did not go to sleep with the rest. They sat up drinking coffee and talking softly amongst themselves. She wished that she could hear what they were saying, but the stress of the night had made her dog tired and as soon as she laid down, she fell asleep.
When she woke up the next morning Shelley was sleeping next to her mattress. She stroked her dark head and pulled her large, pointed ears. "Good girl," she said, "This must have been some night for you."
She was going to sit up, then realized to her horror that her water had broken. Travis and John were still talking, it must be early she thought.
"Travis," she said, trying to keep the panic out of her voice, "We've got to get to the ER."
"Honey, are you going into labor?" John asked.
"My water broke. Can we use the helicopter? It'll take an hour, at least, to drive to Bozeman, Is it all right?"
He was already dialing the number of his chopper pilot. "Do you have a bag ready to take with you?"
"I do, but it's at the house. I didn't think I'd need it."
"I'll go get it for you," said Katie, "I'll take the ATV, it'll only be a few minutes."
"I'll drive you," Ryan volunteered, and she and Katie looked at each other. Was this a step in the right direction?
"Fine," Katie replied, trying to sound non-committal. They took off and were back in a shorter time than Coralee expected.
"Fresh sweats," said her sister, "and here's your bag. I'll see you later, Travis will need a ride back. Are you nervous?"
"Terrified," Coralee admitted, "But they told me unless something goes wrong an early delivery won't be too bad. They'll just keep her in the hospital until she reaches five pounds. Everything so far has looked good."
John's phone rang and she heard him say, "Thanks". He looked at Travis and Coralee and said to them, "The chopper's here, they're waiting for you. Ryan can drive you on the ATV and he'll bring it back here. I'll be coming to see you, Coralee, I have some things I need to take care of first."
She was glad to have Travis to lean on while the chopper flew them to the hospital in Bozeman. When they arrived, she saw the orderlies standing with the gurney. This was getting real.
Travis carried her bag as he followed behind the gurney. Maybe there were kids of his out there that he didn't know about, but as far as he was concerned this was his first real child. He would have liked a son, but it would be a delight to have a daughter as beautiful as her mother.
A pretty Native American girl introduced herself, "I'm Annabelle, I'm going to be your nurse. Unless he wants to help your husband can give us a little privacy."
"I'm not leaving," said Travis, "So I guess that means I'll help.
They got her out of her sweats and boots and put her into a hospital gown. The nurse fastened the fetal monitor around her belly and hooked her up to an IV drip.
They listened to the beeping of the monitor, it had a steady rhythm and Annabelle told them that the baby's heart had a strong beat. She may be an eight-months baby, she said, but it looks like she'll be just fine. She excused herself and left the room, giving them a little privacy.
"Are you worried?" asked Travis, but she shook her head.
"No, I'm not, I have a feeling everything will be all right. I know it sounds crazy, but the baby has done well, and the doctor's been happy. I'm just sorry that we can't have her in Texas like you wanted."
"I don't care where we have her, as long as she's healthy. I need to get a little sleep, babe, so I'm going to take a nap. Don't let anyone wake me, okay?" He leaned over and kissed her, then sat down and pulled his hat over his eyes.
She lay back and rested against the pillows, watching the monitor. She was glad she was having the baby here, only it would have been better to not have an early delivery. She looked at her husband, Travis could fall asleep anywhere, and the chair he sat in suited him as much as a couch in the waiting room. She was glad he was there, she wanted, no needed, him with her.
Then the first of the labor pains set in.