It was 5:12am and Bella's phone rang. Still groggy she reached over to answer it. "Hello?" Bella croaked out, it was Danny and there were issues at the ranch and he needed her immediately. She jumped up out of the bed, Lee was already out of bed. " I'll be there in 10. Get the supplies ready." Bella said frantically as she ran out of Lee's bedroom door, running down the stairs. "Fuck." she said a little too loud. The four Dutton men appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. "What happened?"Lee said. John cut him off, "Where's the fire?" She looked at Lee,"Danny needs help, two foals are being born, a breach calf, and something big. I gotta go." "I'll come help." Jaime said and Lee chimed in, "Me too let's fucking go." John declared they were all going. Bella saw Tate, "Morning buddy, you ever seen a horse born?" he shook his head no. "Well you're about to see two," she responded. Tate smiled, Kayce picked him up and they loaded into Bella's truck as she took off.
It had been 8 minutes since Danny called and they were pulling into Bella's ranch. She barely put the park in drive before jumping out and she was over the gate in seconds, running toward the breach cow."Danny comfort her"she yelled as she went around to the back of the cow. "It's alright Mama, I'm here. I got ya baby." Bella pushed her feet up against the cows tail and leg. "Alright Callie, your baby is comin',"Bella said soothingly she started to pull the calf out. The cow mooed out, and then the baby was out. Bella fell back on her bottom for a second covered in blood. She jumped up and ran to the sink, realizing everyone was watching. "Danny what's the big problem you couldn't tell me about?"she yelled across the corral. Danny put his head down. "It's Chestnut, Isabell. Pasture 2." Chestnut was Bella's father's horse, he loved that horse. It was as old as she was and the last piece she had of her parents. "No!" Bella yelled taking off running to pasture 2. Jaime and Lee ran after her, they knew it was the last bit Bella had of her family.
Bella made it to pasture 2 and walked up to Chestnut who was laying down on her side. Bella sat next to her, "Hey Chestnut, what's wrong babe?" Jaime looked her over, she was bloated meaning she had colic. "B.. I can't fix this, I'm sorry." Jaime whispered. Bella sobbed,"N-no you have to Jaime! I need her. Please!" Jaime hugged her, "I'm sorry- she lived the best life watching you grow up. Let's let her go so she's not suffering." Lee ran his hands threw Bella's
hair. Bella leaned down to kiss chestnut and whispered her goodbyes as Jaime put her to
her eternal sleep. Once she was gone, Lee carried Bella away and back to the corral as she cried. "I'll go bury her while you shower. You'll feel better after a shower."Lee whispered as he put her down, she nodded, wiping her eyes. One of the wranglers, Tim, yelled over "Hey Isabell, I'm sorry. I-.." as Bella cut him off. "Your job is to watch them. You know fucking better than to feed them right after running you stupid fuck. Now for your stupid mistake, you took what was left of them. Get your shit, and get the fuck off my ranch." Bella screamed, then walked into the house to shower.
About 30 minutes later, she walked back out of the house clean and dressed. She walked to the barn just in time for both foals to be born. Although she was hurting about losing the tie to her parents, 3 lives just were born. Bella looked at Tate who was enamored by the foals."Hey Tate, would you like to name them?" Bella asked the boy. Tate smiled,"Yeah!" as she reached down to pick him up so he could pet the babies. He looked them over."Hm..the black one should be
Magic, and the brown one should be Chestnut Jr, after your favorite horse." Bella looked away as she started to tear up. Lee put his hand on her shoulder as Kayce wrapped her in a hug. She pulled away quickly, leaned down to Tate and said,"They might be the best names I've ever heard on any ranch." Tate pulled her in for a long hug. "I think you might just be magic Isabell," Tate said and Kayce turned around, eyes welling with tears as John reached a hand over and patted his shoulder.
It was around 8:15 when they all left Bella's ranch. John was telling Tate stories of Bella's childhood with the Dutton's. A minute into the ride, Bella got a call from Judge Tanner, apologizing to everyone before answering. "Hey AG, you alive? You never miss court?" Judge Tanner asked. "Hey honorable, issues on the ranch so I'm not coming. Is my co-counsel there?" Bella joked back. "Yeah they're here. You might wanna call Martin he seems overwhelmed." Judge Tanner said as he laughed. "Why's he overwhelmed? What case is it? FYI, in the car with people and your on speaker so discretion please. " Bella asked. Judge Tanner laughed," I'm your only friend so it must be Luke. Hi Luke. But it's the penal code violation. Sanders." "Sorry guys I gotta pull over a sec, Jaime hand me that box at your feet. Honorable, I know you think in the wicked witch of the West but I have a lot more friends than you, and it ain't Luke. I'll call Martin. If he can't handle a simple penal code issue he shouldn't have been an attorney." Judge Tanner chuckled, " AG, you're the only person
who thinks the penal code is easy, Miss 4136 cases. Talk later, love ya girl." Bella smiled, looking for the file, "Love you honorable, talk later." Bella hung up "Sorry I just need a few minutes before the case starts," Bella said to the guys as she read the file. Bella hit the call button and told her Bluetooth to call Martin.
"Hey Isabell." Martin said.
"Martin, if you can't fight a simple penal code violation, that's an issue." Bella responded.
Martin-" I don't know the code, you're the only one who does."
Bella-"How are you going to fight something you don't know. You realize the client paid $40,000 for us to fight this? They'll be pissed if you don't win,"
Martin-"I can't fight it! I don't know the code!"
Bella-"God damnit, who's on the other side?
Martin-"Cameron."
Bella "Put the fucking phone on speaker, I'll do it over the phone."
Martin-"Alright on speaker."
Judge Tanner-" AG, you aren't busy enough?"
Bella-" Guess not honorable, you good with this?"
Judge Tanner- "Anything for you. Let's start."
As judge Tanner read over the case, Bella looked back at Tate."I'm sorry buddy, but I need you to be real quiet okay? If you are quiet, I'll buy you something okay?" Tate looked at her,"I'll be quiet for free, I want to see you lawyer." Bella smiled. Back in her zone, she listens as Cameron tells her portion of the case.
Bella-"Objection, your honor. What Ms. Perkins is doing is speculation. We can't read minds or tell futures here."
Judge Tanner-"Agreed. Counsel must withdraw."
Cameron- "Withdrawn."
Judge Tanner- "Alright, AG, you're turn."
Bella- "This is real simple. On page 14 of the Ag bylaws, section 62 paragraph 22-the violation only occurs if one of the following take place. Misconduct, theft,or arson. None of those happened, so l ask for this case to be closed and withdrawn."
Judge Tanner- "Let me check the section...yeah Ag did it again.I hereby advise this case is closed."
Bella-"Martin, take me off speaker." Bella out the file back in the box and turned to start driving.
Martin-"Hey..."
Bella-"If you can't handle cases that are so clear cut, I have no need for you. Go see Jeff he'll have a chat with you." Bella hung up the phone and called Jeff,one of the partners.
Jeff- "I thought you were off today"
Bella-"I was but Martin apparently can't do his job so I had to fight the case over the phone. JT was fine with it but I'm getting tired of Martin not being able to be an attorney. Fire him."
Jeff-"JT would walk on water for you but Done, I'm sorry Isabell. I'll tell everyone not to call you today."
Bella-"Thanks Jeff." Bella said as she hung up the phone.
They were about 5 minutes from the Yellowstone still and Bella looked back at Tate,"You're the best Tate thank you." Tate smiled."You're good at your job right?" he asked Bella. Lee chimed in, "She's the best attorney in the country Tate, she does all versions of law too so she knows everything about everything." Tate smiled,"I wanna be you when I grow up. You really are magic." he said and Bella smiled at him. Just as he said that, the Bluetooth chimed in," audio message from..Luke. Hey baby. Missed you last ni-.." as Bella tried frantically to stop it from reading the message. Lee and Jaime laughed as she stopped it, smacking all the buttons on the console.Lee chimed in."Awkward. Tell Luke if he was sexting you, I'd puke out the window," chuckling again. Jaime mocked the message, "Hey baby, smooch smooch." Bella glared at him in the rear view and glanced at Kayce who sat back in the seat looking like he just got kicked. John glanced back at Kayce,"She wasn't throwing it in your face. She didn't know he'd text her son. Bella you don't have to hide a part of you because you're trying to spare his feelings. He broke up with you."John said sternly. Tate yelled." Dad you dated Isabell?When?" Kaye kissed his head and whispered,"Yeah buddy,a long time ago when my life was good."
