Yellowstone: Love and Cowboys

Sisters

Katie's flight would arrive at eleven in the morning and instead of driving to the airport the same day, they spent the night in Fort Worth. This meant the drive would only be three hours each way, instead of making it all at once. Coralee's back had started to bother her so making the drive in two trips made sense.

Travis took her out to dinner and was proud that night as they sat in the restaurant. She had found a strapless maternity dress of lavender silk and had swept her hair up off her shoulders. He often felt jealous when men stared at her, but tonight he did not feel jealous, he felt proud to be married to such a beauty.

The next morning, they got to the airport early and sat and drank coffee while they waited for Katie's plane to arrive. When her flight was announced they went to the gate and waited for her.

Coralee looked eagerly for her sister, searching for her in the crowd that was making their way into the terminal. When she spotted her, she waved, and Katie perked up and waved back, then ran to her sister and threw her arms around her.

To Travis's eyes, she didn't resemble the girl who had been his wife's maid of honor. Katie looked pale and sad, she hadn't attempted to improve her looks by wearing makeup. Katie had always been the more outgoing of the two sisters, the more mischievous, but she had lost her sparkle. He felt a little sorry for her, even though she had brought some of her problems on herself.

Coralee was shocked at how Katie looked but said nothing. At last, she had family with her, even if it was only her sister. Katie was something that she could hold onto to chase the homesickness away. And she could help Katie to try and chase away her demons. There were things in life that only family could cure.

Travis took them out to a steakhouse, Coralee needed to eat, and Katie looked like she could use a good meal, too. At first, Katie picked at her food, then she began to eat as if she had found her appetite.

Coralee was doing justice to her meal, eagerly devouring her steak, then set down her fork and asked for news of the ranch.

Katie hesitated, as if reluctant to broach the subject. She looked at Travis, then at Coralee, and took a sip of her wind before responding.

"Mom told me not to say anything, Coralee, she doesn't want you to get upset." Katie looked down at her plate and the lonely piece of meat on her fork. "It's not very good news."

"Katie," Travis spoke in his gentlest voice, "What's going on, what aren't you supposed to tell Coralee?"

"Well, I don't know all of it," she answered, "I've heard Mom and Dad talking when they didn't know I was listening. Something's happening at the ranch, Someone, and, I don't know who they are, has been cutting the barbed wire fences and letting out the cattle. The last time it happened a couple of steers were killed. Dad says it's like the old days when they were trying to force people off their land. He didn't tell me much more than that."

"So someone is messing with John's cows, did you know about this Coralee?" Travis looked at his wife, but she shook her head.

"I think Jamie mentioned something about problems with the ranch to me once," she said, "He did say that there are people who are trying to force Uncle John to sel. The way he explained it, well, it sounded like he was handling it. I had so much going on in those days that maybe he didn't want to upset me or make me worry."

"I think I may call Jamie" she went on, "but not today. Maybe I'll call Dad first and find out what he knows. Whatever it is, he'll be there to help Uncle John, we're Duttons, we to stick together. Maybe this is no more than some old-fashioned cattle rustling."

"I think it's more than that," Katie replied, "Lynelle Perry came over one night, and she and Uncle John holed up in his office for a long time. Neither looked very happy when she left. Maybe I should start paying more attention to what's going on."