Yellowstone: Love and Cowboys

If Men Could Get Pregnant

Travis went to work on the washed out road, and Coralee began to pack for the two of them. Packing usually came with a sense of anticipation, but not this time, it was a reminder that she would be separated from him, and she wouldn't be able to compete in the shows.

Ordinarily, she loved to pack Travis's competition clothes. She loved his Bosque Ranch outfit, black shirt decorated in silver, black jeans, and his black hat. He looked sexy in black, and she was always proud of how he looked. Right now, though, it reminded her that she wouldn't be there to see him, and it hurt.

When it got to be too much, she would call Shelly, and the two of them would get on the ATV and ride down to the barn. The members of Travis's crew that didn't live nearby had started arriving and they were practicing their reining routines or cutting in the corral.

It was torture for her to be there, especially when she saw Katie riding Sadie and Hickory. It was a good thing that the horses were well trained, for Katie didn't possess her skill level, nor would she ever be as good. When she saw Katie making a mistake, she did not ignore her out of spite, she let her know. She turned her envy into a desire to help Katie be better. If her sister was going to ride her damn horses, she was going to make sure she did well.

The crew was glad to see her and congratulated her on her pregnancy and told her it was too bad she wouldn't be riding, but maybe next year? Their warm wishes didn't make up for missing the shows, but she felt surrounded by friends.

She had Elena pack a picnic lunch, and she and the puppy hopped on the ATV and drove to where Travis was working. The day had grown hot, and he had removed his shirt, revealing his well-sculpted back and shoulders. Seeing him reminded her of how much she lusted after her husband. Getting older had not affected his looks, and Travis without his shirt reminded her how painful the coming weeks would be without him.

He looked up and saw her and grinned. He stopped the excavator and hopped out, then grabbed his shirt and slung it over his shoulder. There was a swagger in his walk as he came over to her and kissed her.

"What are you up to, sweetheart?" He eyed the picnic basket and asked, "Did Elena send that for us? I'm hungry."

"Yes, I asked her to, but my mind doesn't seem to be on lunch, lunch is the last thing I'm thinking about." She gave him a little mischievous smile.

He hooked his arm around her neck and kissed her. "Sorry, I can't help you with that right now, Mrs. Wheatley. That's going to have to wait until tonight." He took the basket, and she grabbed the quilt and a thermos of iced tea and they found a shady spot, somewhat away from the others.

The puppy watched them eat, her soulful brown eyes begrudging them every bite. She looked so mournful that they began laughing, letting her eat the ends of their sandwiches which held a little bit of meat.

"What are we going to do with Shelly while we're gone? Coralee asked him, "Are we going to board her?"

Travis shook his head, "No, she's coming with me. She's not fully grown yet, but she's a big girl and some people are intimidated by German shepherds. If someone comes to the barn who doesn't belong there she'll start barking and hopefully, that will scare them off. She likes horses, the horses like her, so I'm not worried about that. There is no way I'm going to let someone steal one of our horses again."

Coralee held out her hand and Shelly came to get her ears scratched. She knew one of the reasons Travis had gotten the puppy was for her to act as a guard dog. Shelly could be a playful puppy one moment, then she would start growling and barking at a noise no one could hear but her. She hated coyotes and the other wildlife that would run through their yard but was at home in the barn with the horses.