Beth was going around with a sour expression on her face and Coralee wondered why this time. She didn't have a drink in her hand, maybe that was the problem. As Coralee passed her Beth threw her a dirty look.
"What's the matter Beth?" she wanted to ask, "Mad because the world's attention isn't on you?"
Beth had been in a particularly bad mood since Coralee had her baby. Beth couldn't have children, yes that was sad and unfortunate, but Coralee had nothing to do with it. She could not and would not put her life on hold to indulge her cousin. Beth was not the only one in the world who had experienced a tragedy, but she seemed to think she was special.
Coralee's bedroom was her sanctuary. She took the baby out of her crib and unsnapped her shirt and began to nurse her. Her mind wandered and she wondered why she and Beth had always been enemies. The way she treated her was completely different from the way she treated Monica. Was it because she was Kayce's wife?
Kayce had been Evelyn Dutton's favorite, maybe that was why things had escalated when Kayce and Monica had gotten pregnant. John had been furious, and to escape his father Kayce had married Monica and joined the Navy, eventually becoming a SEAL. Coralee was proud of him for Kayce had done well. It had taken a while for John to come around, but eventually, he did and was proud of his son's military record.
She finished nursing Lucy and cleaned both up. She put a fresh gown on her, swaddled her, and wrapped her in a quilt. She left the bedroom carrying her daughter and a diaper bag and soon saw the reason for Beth's displeasure.
Lynelle had spent the night. Coralee liked her, but the sight of her infuriated Beth. She knew better than to try to come between Lynelle and her father, but she would not hesitate to make her opinion known.
Coralee greeted her and Lynelle asked if she could hold the baby. Coralee willingly handed her over, sometimes it was nice to hand the baby over to someone.
"Oh, she's so sweet! She's darling, Coralee. She's small, but she'll grow." Lynelle cooed over the little bundle she held in her arms.
Coralee was tired of hearing how small she was and that she'd grow, she knew all that, but Lynelle was trying to be kind and reassuring. Coralee put a smile on her face and agreed with her.
Lynelle sighed, "They're like this for such a short time, enjoy it. She is very pretty, you Duttons are a handsome family, and you are the image of Elsa. Are you taking her down to the corral?"
"Yes, Travis will want to show her off, he adores her. I never knew fathers could be like that. Dad isn't the type to fuss, but he told me that Tate appearing in the picture changed Uncle John." Coralee kissed her baby's head as Lynelle reluctantly handed her over.
"I think John's like that because he was never sure if he was going to have a relationship with Tate. He had to mend a lot of fences to bring that about. I think it was a change for the better," Lynelle said.
"I call us "the 'lucky Duttons' " Coralee replied, "We love the ranch, but we've escaped the bad luck that seems attached to it. We have our forty acres and that's all we need. Dad always said that the biggest favor Grandpa ever did for him wasn't sending him to Harvard, but willing the ranch to Uncle John." She paused for a moment, "I wanted to tell you how good it is to see you, I wish I saw you more often, but I understand it's hard."
"Yes, but it may get even harder. I'm going to run for senator, I've done as much for Montana as I can as governor, and I think I can do better as a senator in Washington. I'd ask you to vote for me, but you'll be back in Texas by then."
"Probably, but I'll vote Democrat. Say, have you seen Uncle John?"
"I think he's down at the corral, walk with me." Lynelle linked her arm with Coralee's. There were so many people she was going to miss, thought Coralee, going back to Texas is going to be so hard, I hope Travis will be understanding.
The party was finally getting started. The band had arrived and had started to play. The smokers were open, the side dishes had been placed on bins of ice to keep them safe. Some had gathered at the corral because Travis and his crew were putting on a show.
It started with the warmup, Travis had his riders loping around the corral, sliding, and showing off their moves, and then things became real.
Travis knew the value of presentation and had perfected it. There were guests at the party who might be interested in purchasing a show horse and had the money to spend. Others were seeing something they never had before or had maybe only at horse shows and rodeos.
The reining exhibition was showy, but others were waiting for the cutters and roping horses. This was something the cattlemen could relate to. This was work that they did daily, not showing off like the reiners.
The show was just long enough to show off the horses and their riders. There was a large crowd attending the party and Travis didn't like to miss an opportunity to display his horses. He might even make a sale or two today, which would make the horse trader in him happy.
Coralee caught his eye and waved. He smiled back and dismounted, handing his horse to one of the grooms. He walked over to the fence and climbed over it, then kissed Coralee and took the baby from her arms.
"How's she doing with her coming out party?" he asked, "Was that Lynelle with you?"
"Yup, and Beth is pissed. Are you hungry? Gator just brought out the food, let's get something to eat before the crowd forms."
Gator was more than pleased to fill two plates for them. Travis grabbed a beer and a bottle of Coke for Coralee, then they went into the bunkhouse to eat.
Coralee placed the baby on a bunk, whose she did not know. The bunkhouse was fond of "the mite" as they'd begun to call her. Soon Lucy would be making new conquests in Texas. The thought that they'd leave in a few days was already making Coralee apprehensive.
To cover for herself she asked him if he'd made any sales prospects. She might get bored with listening to him talk horse trading, but it was always a good way to fill an awkward silence.
"Yes, I have. There are a couple of people who live in the Pan Handle and they're interested." He smiled at her, crinkling his blue eyes.
"You know, my brother Rodger works at the Four Sixes. I've been so caught up in my drama that I haven't even called him, and it's been over a year. He taught me to rope, you know," she said, a mischievous tone to her voice.
"I thought I taught you to rope," he objected, but she replied, "I only let you think that, when you offered, I wasn't going to turn you down."
"You," he said and pointed at her, "I haven't turned you over my knee in a while and it just might be time for that to happen." He grinned at her, "Is your mom going to take the baby so we can go dancing later?"
"Don't worry, Lucy will be looked after. I think Mom wants Dad to dance with her." She was quiet for a moment, she needed to bring up visiting Jamie before they left, but she didn't want to spoil the mood.
"I'm going to miss it here, it's always nice coming home. Uncle John throws great parties and it's been fun running into people I haven't seen in a while. Not to mention the fact that he always finds the best bands."
"Hey, we throw great parties in Texas, too, we just haven't gone to any. Fall is always a good time, it's still warm, but not hot like in the summer. Winters are cold so the parties move indoors. I want to see you in a dress again. Get in touch with your brother when we get home, and we'll invite him over for dinner. I can't believe it's taken you this long."
The baby began to fuss, so Coralee dug a bottle out of the diaper bag and handed it to Travis. He put Lucy in the crook of his arm and began to feed her. She drank down her bottle, and then Coralee gave him a cloth to put over his shoulder so he could burp her.
He handed the baby back to his wife, "Why don't you put her down while I go talk business?"
She reached out and took the baby. "Come on, it's a party for crying out loud, don't talk too much business. And when you get a spare minute, I've got something to ask you. But go, do what you do best, horse trader."
He kissed her and left the bunkhouse, standing tall and straight as always.
It was a good party. As it grew later there was lots of dancing under lights. The band was happy that people were dancing and not merely sitting around and talking. Coralee felt relaxed for the first time in days. She was not hurting as much, and she and Travis danced until it became obvious that she needed to get to bed.
"What did you want to ask me?" They were sitting in their room and he was watching her nurse the baby, bare from the waist up and her blond hair hanging down to her waist. She looked like a mother goddess nursing her child and it made him want her.
"I need to talk to Jamie and I want you to come with me, please. Things are going on with the ranch that he thinks we both need to know. He wants to see the baby so we can bring her with us. Travis, I think this is something important, please say yes."
"If it's important to you, we'll do it. Call Jamie and find out when. You know, I was wondering why your uncle decided to invest in show horses. I've sold him a nice horse here and there, and I was looking for a ranch stud for him. He surprised me when he told me his plans, do you think he's in some kind of trouble?"
"I don't know," she answered, "but with the ranch being invaded, and someone letting the cattle out, something is going on. I know I can't depend on Beth to tell me anything, and I don't think Kayce knows much. Jamie shoots straight with me, so whatever he has to tell me must be important. It's an hour and a half drive to Helena, that shouldn't be too bad. The baby needs to get used to traveling anyway."
Coralee and Travis had retired like a married couple with an infant. Katie, however, was free and single and was staying up late with the wranglers. The band had quit playing, put their instruments away and joined them for the after-party "party".
The leftover food sat on the table and the refrigerator was overflowing with beer. A couple of the musicians had their guitars and Walker joined them as they sang and played. Laramie had a proud look on her face, her boyfriend was every bit as good as them, and tonight even the bunkhouse was appreciative.
With Travis's crew, the bunkhouse, and various and sundry people from the day's party, the bunkhouse was becoming crowded. People drifted in and out, some hanging outside in the cool evening air.
The day had been clear and now the Milky Way shone above in the high-altitude air. It was a perfect night to be in love, but the love of Katie's life wanted nothing to do with her.
"Katie?" she wanted to turn around at the sound of Ryan's voice but didn't.
"What do you want, Ryan?" Are you here to make me feel bad because I didn't live up to your expectations? She thought, don't bother, I can make myself feel bad on my own.
"The bunkhouse is going to be pretty crowded tonight. Let me know when you want to leave and I'll walk you back up to the house."
"So, I'm being thrown out of the bunkhouse? You don't need to walk me home, see the house and the outdoor floodlights? I can find my way on my own, Ryan." She turned around and went to join the others, she didn't feel half as drunk as she wanted.
Ryan caught her and took hold of her arm. "Don't be a fool, Katie, you don't need any more to drink. Come back to the bunkhouse in the morning, Gator's going to have a spread ready for us."
"All right, all right, just one more beer and I'll head home." She wished he was doing this because he wanted to be with her, but it was only an obligation.
"Okay, one more beer then you're going to go home. You Dutton women are nothing but trouble." He looked at her and smiled.
She went back to the bunkhouse to get a beer. She drank it down, maybe a little too quickly, and was about to twist the top off a second when someone tried to grab it out of her hand.
"Hey, what's the matter with you, it's a party," she objected, but Ryan's grip was stronger than hers.
"March," he told her, "I don't want you to fall and hurt yourself then spend the night out in the pasture. You could put your foot in a gopher hole and twist your ankle or worse. I'm walking you to the house and make sure you get inside."
"Party poop," she muttered, but Ryan was strong and was leading her to the house. "Are you going to need help getting inside?" he asked.
Why, do you want to come upstairs with me, her muddled mind thought, but she shook her head.
"Be careful, don't fall down the stairs, sleep on the sofa if you half to. You're going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow."
She didn't say anything. They reached the house and stood for a moment. "I'll wait until you get inside, then I'll know you're okay," he said.
She gave him a look that was half love, half hate, then disappeared into the lodge. Not until he was sure she was safely in did he leave, a look of regret on his face.