"Chasing after You"
Chapter 1

Beth sat with her feet propped up on her big glass desk, smoking a cigarette, and looking out the large windows of her corner office. She could see downtown Salt Lake City bustling below her and wondered why her life couldn't be as simple as theirs? Usually Beth didn't give a damn about the general population, but today, she couldn't help feeling a little envious of the nobodys going about their daily lives below her. Sure, they likely had a slew of their own issues, but she couldn't help feeling a little envious of them for the simple fact that their last names weren't "Dutton".

The name "Dutton" had haunted her throughout her entire life. It could be a golden key or a jagged sword, depending on how it was used. Today, it was pulling her back to a place that she'd always wanted to get away from, a place she hadn't been in almost two years- the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.

The phone call came during a meeting with Beth's boss, Bob Schwartz, and a client named Craig who was determined to ignore common sense. As the phone vibrated, she was taken aback to see the name on the caller ID: Jamie Dutton. What the fuck does he want? she thought and swiped the "dismiss" icon on the screen. Five minutes later, the phone vibrated again; it was Jamie again and she dismissed him, again, concern growing in the back of her mind. It had been a while since she'd spoken to her family, especially to her brother Jamie.

Beth suddenly cleared her throat and said, "Your company will be chapter eleven by Friday, and since we're your largest creditors, I can promise you there'll be no negotiating then." Bob looked up at his head of mergers and acquisitions. She could be crass and she had a dirty mouth, but that was one of the reasons why she was so successful in a world run by men. She was determined to be bigger and badder than all the other boys, no matter what, and it made her a shark in the boardroom.

"You heard the lady," Bob said to the failing businessman, the ball clearly in his court. "What's it going to be?" After a moment's hesitation, the pudgy man sitting before them finally agreed to allow Schwartz and Meyer to help.

Beth's phone vibrated for a third time, this time with a different name on the caller ID: John Dutton. Fuck, Beth though. She stood abruptly and grabbed her belongings. "Craig," she said to the client beside her, a stern look on her face, "you've just made the best fucking decision of your life. We'll be in touch." And with that, she breezed out the door, leaving the two men slightly stunned.

Back in her own office, she took a deep breath to steel herself before returning her missed calls. She skipped right over calling Jamie back and dialed her father, John, instead. Jamie didn't deserve her attention, not after all the pain he'd caused her over the years. Ten minutes had passed since she hung up the phone with her father and she was still fuming. As usual, he was throwing around his weight to get his way. Much to her frustration, her last name had come to call again and, this time, there was no denying it.

It was about a quarter until seven when Rip noticed an unfamiliar car winding its way down the long gravel drive to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. He'd been working on a broken fence and paused to watch the car, hardly believing who it was. While he'd never seen the shiny black Mercedes before, he recognized the aggressive handling of its driver immediately- it was her. Beth. His Beth. The very woman who had consumed his thoughts for the last twenty years; the only woman he'd ever really loved.

Rip and Beth met when they were teenagers and they'd had an on-again, off-again relationship ever since. He'd spent time with other women over the years and he knew Beth had enjoyed the company of other men, but there was something special about their bond that transcended time and distance. Whenever he saw her, he was sixteen again and his stomach did somersaults, despite his hard-ass outward appearance.

"Uh oh," came Lloyd's voice over Rip's shoulder. Lloyd had been Rip's closest confidant for years, despite the difference in their age. The older cowboy knew exactly what was going through Rip's head as he gazed longingly up toward the main house. "Hurricane Beth's back," Lloyd said with a chuckle. Rip grunted a noncommittal reply, clearly lost in thought.

The car was parked now and the door opened; long bare legs emerged from the driver's side and stilettos met the ground. Beth had on a black dress and sunglasses; a cigarette hung between her lips. Her strawberry blonde hair was shorter than last time he'd seen her and he couldn't help but think how well this look suited her. He wanted to throw down his work and run to her, but thought against it, knowing that wasn't a good example for a foreman to make. Those dipshit cowboys under him would have a field day if they knew just how crazy she made him. He'd have to keep it together, at least for a little while longer, when he could hopefully see her.

It wasn't long before the afternoon's work was done and the sun sank behind the western mountains. Usually, Rip would head to the bunkhouse with the other men for supper, but tonight, he had other plans. Ryan, one of the ranch hands, tried to catch his attention on the way up the hill, but Rip stopped him and said he was off duty until tomorrow. Rip was usually all business, so this surprised Ryan, but he knew better than to say anything more. "Go on," Lloyd called to Rip. "I'll take care of the children tonight." He gave his friend a wink and Rip started towards the foreman's cabin, unable to hide the smile on his face.

A short while later, Rip emerged wearing his nicest jeans- a choice between two pairs- and a semi-clean pair of boots. He'd decided to leave his hat at home and felt slightly naked without it. Not wanting to show up empty-handed, he'd found a bottle of Southern Comfort in the back of a cabinet and he was now making his way towards the massive lodge.

When he reached the front door, he paused, unsure how to proceed. These people were the closest thing to family that Rip had ever had, but it still felt wrong to walk right into his boss's home at night without knocking first. He rapped his knuckles against the heavy wooden door and waited, feeling like a supreme moron. What if she didn't want to see him? What if she did?

He didn't have to wait long for the door to open. Much to his relief, it was Gator, the ranch's cook, who answered. He wasn't sure what he'd have done had John or Jamie answered. Gator invited Rip inside and said "You know the way," to him, obviously already knowing who the foreman was there to see. Rip gave Gator a nod of appreciation and began his way to Beth's room. The last time he'd been in her bedroom was almost two years prior, when she'd come home from Utah for Christmas. While he wasn't entirely sure what had happened that holiday season, he knew that she and Jamie had had their biggest fight yet. Whatever it was about had kept her from not only her father and brothers, but also from him.

As he approached the end of the hall, he saw light slipping out from under the door and the smell of cigarette smoke hung in the air. He gave the door a soft knock and Beth replied "Yea?" from the other side. Rip took her response as an invitation to come in, so he slowly opened the door and looked inside. She was sitting on the bed with her laptop and had several file folders spread around her. Based on her expression, he knew she hadn't been expecting to see him.

"Well, aren't you going to sit down?" she finally asked. He looked around at the sparsely decorated bedroom from her childhood, trying to find a place to sit. Her suitcase was on the bench at the end of the bed and the chair in the corner was already covered with clothes, despite the short time she'd been there. "Jesus Rip, I don't bite," she said, pushing some of the paperwork out of his way so he could join her on the bed.

"Um hi," he began awkwardly, "I brought this." He held out the bottle of whiskey, noticing there was an almost empty one already sitting on her bedside table.

She suddenly laughed, the somewhat sour mood she'd been in only moments before melting away. "God, I've missed you," she said smiling. In that moment, he realized whatever had happened to keep her away for so long hadn't changed anything between them. Despite having not spoken in so long, he knew that they'd always be in good standing with one another; it was just how their relationship worked.

As Rip sat, Beth stood and got him a glass from the dresser. She downed the last of the first bottle and poured them each a glass from the new one. Their conversation was easy and natural, as it always had been, and it didn't even seem like a day had passed since they'd been together last.

Before Rip knew it, three hours had passed. They were still sitting on her bed, work files forgotten and his boots abandoned on the floor. The bottle was half empty and the old friends were practically crying, they'd been laughing so hard. Leaving was the last thing he wanted to do, but the next day's work would be coming to call early. Knowing she'd still be there tomorrow made saying goodbye tonight a little easier, though, and as he stood to leave, Rip leaned down and kissed Beth on the forehead saying, "By the way, I missed you too."

"See ya around, cowboy," she replied with a wink and then he was gone.