Hello, I am sorry this is so long in coming. I hurt my back then had some other physical problems. I'm better but not 100%. This was half written before I got hurt, so sorry I couldn't pull it together for you!
The nurses clustered around Coralee and helped her get Lucy's diaper changed and dressed in the pink nightgown that she had picked out.
Lucy was the nursery favorite; she rarely fussed and could be easily soothed if she did. She had a healthy appetite and was thriving and this the nurses liked to see. She'd tolerate being picked up and carried around. She was what Dr. Bennett called well-socialized, the nurses gave her pet names and spoiled her shamelessly.
At last, she was dressed, swaddled, and put into the carrier. She looked so small, they packed in a soft quilt so she wouldn't be shaken around during the drive home.
"She looks so tiny," said Coralee, suddenly the thought of bringing her daughter home scared her.
"Honey, preemies are like that," said a nurse, "but she's growing and has gained a lot of weight, haven't you peanut?" She squeezed Lucy's cheek gently. "You'll get nostalgic for her being this way, believe me. One day you'll see her crawling around and you'll wish she could go back to the way she was. That's when you'll start thinking about another baby."
I doubt that, thought Coralee, I barely survived this pregnancy. I'm glad I got to deliver her in Bozeman instead of going to Fort Worth. Travis better be happy with our having only one, I don't think I could survive another pregnancy,
"Come on, Coralee," said Katie who was getting impatient. All this fussing over the baby was irritating her, she wanted to get on the road. "Let's get going."
They went into the parking garage and fastened the baby carrier into the back seat of the truck. "I'm going to sit back here with her," Coralee said, "Do you mind?"
"My god, Coralee, you've gotten maternal! I hope I'm not like this if I have a kid." She turned and looked at her sister before she started the truck.
"I bet you'll be worse, big sister. You don't realize what it's like when you have a baby, especially one that comes too early. Everything changes, everything. I always thought Mom was crazy for having six kids, but now I sort of get it. You'll look at that little human being and you'll fall in love. I think Travis loves her more than he loves me, but I don't mind. He's number two now if you know what I mean."
"You're crazy, you're both crazy, but looking at that little mite is even giving me ideas. I'm twenty-seven now, I think I'm getting ready to settle down, as long as he loves to rodeo as much as I do."
They had all turned out to meet the newest Dutton. Monica was there holding Michael, even Kayce had made time to meet the newest little one. Gemma and John were there and even Rip had shown up.
That makes sense, thought Coralee, he's married to Beth so now he's family. She was glad Beth was not there. A new baby would be the last thing Beth wanted to see, especially her baby. There was a part of her that was afraid that Beth would smother her daughter while she was asleep. It was an irrational fear, and Beth would never do that and she knew it, but after all these years she did not trust Beth.
Gemma was the first to greet her granddaughter, without asking she took her from Coralee and began cooing at her. It was funny to see the formidable Gemma Dutton making a fool of herself over the baby. She wasn't even her first grandchild, but each new one was treated as if were the first.
Coralee didn't want the baby to be passed around, but she couldn't object to John holding her, or Kayce. Children were a blessing that was always welcomed into the Dutton fold. Each of her brothers and sisters, as well as John's children, had been welcomed the same way. The Duttons were as close as a family could be, maybe too close at times, but family meant something. Babies were a thing to be celebrated.
Her breasts were aching, and excusing herself, she took the baby upstairs to nurse her. She'd put her phone on vibrate and while she was nursing, the phone made the peculiar noise it made when a call came in. Her hands were full with the baby and she didn't want to get up and respond.
Nursing relaxed her, it had helped her bond with the baby during their forced separation. She didn't care how many times a week she drove to the hospital, she would nurse the baby and spend time with her.
Lucy had fallen asleep at the breast, something she did frequently. Coralee removed her and changed her diaper, then put her in a clean nightgown. Someone had assembled the portable crib, so she lay her down on the mattress. Lucy woke briefly and Coralee soothed her and put her back in her crib. Soon she had fallen asleep, so Coralee took the opportunity to check and see who had called.
She was hoping it was Travis, but as she suspected, it was Jamie. He'd left her a message that was brief and to the point.
"It was probably Market Equity, but no one, except for your hospital patient, is willing to talk to me. There is more going on, but I prefer to tell you in person. I'm persona non grata at the lodge right now, but I'd love to see the baby! I also need to fill you in on what's going on, it's more serious than you realize. I'm glad you got to take your baby home, cuz, Travis is going to be thrilled. Love you, Jamie."
More serious than you realize. Hadn't her father said something about how it was going to be hard for her uncle to keep the ranch in the family? Her father and Jamie were shrewd, neither tended to be nostalgic for the old days. If John would consent to listen to his brother, he might find out that keeping the ranch, despite the promise that he'd made their father, wasn't practical. Beth would only do what John Dutton asked her to do, Benjamin and Jamie saw it differently.
I'm not going to worry about it now, she thought, not until I talk to Jamie and find out what is going on. I wonder if the reservation is going to find itself threatened, would these same developers have an eye on Standing Rock, too?
She felt lighter when she went downstairs to join the others. She knew that breast milk was better for the baby than formula, and Lucy was a good nurser, but aside from that she wasn't sure if it was worth it. She loved the way it bonded her with Lucy, but at the same time it was like being pregnant, her body was still not her own.
She was angry that someone would threaten her beloved Yellowstone or try to take it away. She didn't live here permanently, but it was her home, the family home. Seven generations of Duttons had lived beneath its roof. Her family had fought for it, some had died for it. They had struggled for it, fought for it, no one had the right to take it away.
She spent the rest of the evening only half paying attention to what was going on around her. She'd set up a baby monitor and sat listening to it, in case Lucy needed her. She'd wander up the stairs to check on her, seeing if she was crying, or if her diaper was wet. Every couple of hours she'd nurse her and return downstairs, her breasts feeling strangely lighter.
Around sunset, she picked up the baby and Rip drove her down to the bunkhouse in the ATV. The wranglers were waiting to see her and she didn't want to disappoint them. At first, it was only the girls who fussed over the baby, making the noises that everyone made to an infant. Laramie held her and looked at Ryan and smiled, then it was Teeter's turn.
She turned to Colby and said, "See, baby, this is what we could have. Ain't she just the most precious thing? Whaddya say, baby, should we make one of our own?"
"I don't' one of ours would look like that," said Colby. He was African-American and Teeter was white.
Everyone laughed. Teeter had pursued Colby from the moment she came to work on the ranch. It resulted in a great deal of teasing but he hadn't been able to resist the rough around the edges cowgirl.
Coralee took the baby from Teeter. "Just you wait, Teeter, your turn is next, I'll bet. Colby, your baby may not be blond, but you'll be as proud a daddy as they come." Everyone laughed and Colby's face darkened.
Rip took her back to the lodge, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, a sign that she was tired. Instead of going in, though, she sat on the front porch, "Rip," she said, "You haven't held her yet, Come and sit down, it's your turn. Don't be afraid, babies are strong, she won't break." She patted the seat next to her.
With a heavy sigh, he sat, not sure if he wanted to do this. He was almost going to open his mouth to refuse when Coralee put Lucy in his arms.
"She won't break, just don't drop her. I don't think Beth is due home just yet," guessing the reason for his reluctance.
"Ah, that's okay. She looks like you, Coralee, she may be blond but it's too early to tell, but she had your blue eyes."
"Travis has blue eyes too, and dark hair. Sometimes first babies resemble their fathers. My oldest brother is the image of my father and Uncle John." She watched him hold her, loving the tender expression on his face. It's too bad you can't have kids, Rip, there should be more of you running around.
Suddenly headlights appeared and both knew who it was. She swept the baby out of his arms. "No use inviting trouble," she said and disappeared inside the lodge.
She woke up the next morning to the sound of the baby crying. "I'm coming Lucy," she told her and stumbled out of bed. She changed her wet diaper and then took her into bed to nurse her.
A week, Travis would be home in a week. They'd spend some time resting and relaxing, then they'd pack up and head back to Texas. She wanted to drive to Helena to see Jamie but was not sure she was up to it. Though she gave it gladly, Lucy seemed to take up every bit of her energy. Though she wanted, no needed, to see Jamie and hear what he had to tell her, unless she could convince Katie to drive her, a trip to Helena would be impossible.
Katie was forming plans of her own. She wanted Ryan back, she missed him, missing being with him, missed having him hold her in his strong cowboy's arms. She had asked around and found out that he had not been seeing anyone. On their rare trips to the bar he had sat and drank by himself, but polite but distant to the girls who would try to pick him up.
Maybe he was no more over her than she was over him. She would stay at the Yellowstone, she decided, the only hope she had was to be near him, to try and remind him that once they had been very good for each other. There was no one in Texas for her, if she returned there, she might lose out for sure. Staying in Montana was her only hope.
One morning, Coralee started dreaming of trucks. She could hear the noises of their engines rumbling. Her eyes opened and she could still hear the rumblings of the engines.
Her room didn't face the road so, still in nothing more than her nightgown, she ran down the stairs and opened the front door.
She smiled at what she saw. She recognized the Bosque Ranch logo on the one in front and the rental that Travis always used following behind. She would have run onto the road, but John Dutton put an arm around her waist, holding her back.
"You better get dressed, Coralee, and feed that baby, you're leaking milk." He had an amused smile on his face.
She looked down and saw the wet spots on her nightgown. She ran upstairs and pumped her breasts, then got dressed, preparing to run down to the barns to greet her sorely missed husband. Rip was sitting on the ATV waiting for her.
"Wanna ride, sweetheart?" he asked and grinned.
She hopped on, wishing that the ATV would go faster. When they got there, she could see the wranglers milling around, but there was only one she wanted to see.
"Travis!" she called out when she saw him. She jumped off the ATV, eager to feel her husband's arms around her. He ran to her and lifted her, then lowered her and held her tightly. She didn't want to let him go, she couldn't let him go until he told her, "Hey, sweetheart, I've got to get to work, do you want to help?" She nodded and let him go.