"Chasing after You"
Chapter 7
The next few days were full of tension for the Dutton family. John and Jamie had come to physical blows, which resulted in Jamie losing not only his father's political endorsement, but also the privileges that went along with being on the Dutton payroll. Beth and her assistant Jason, who was just in from Utah, had gone to the campaign office to collect his credit cards and truck keys, a task from which Beth took a great deal of pleasure.
Rip's last few days had been hell, too. It all started with Kayce, who was now staying at the Yellowstone without his wife and son, and that damn bear. In a testosterone fueled moment, they'd exchanged words and a few swings. Rip had been cleaning up Kayce's messes for years and, frankly, he was tired of it; John bringing Kayce back on was asking for trouble as far Rip was concerned, but it wasn't his decision.
After Kayce and the bear, not to mention the lost tourists who'd fallen to their deaths, there was the Fish and Wildlife agent who'd been skewered. Rip had been accustomed to violence early in life, but he was having a hard time getting the deputy's injuries out of his mind.
Another thing that he couldn't stop thinking about was Walker. He couldn't have hired a more obnoxious jackass if he'd tried. Not only did he have a holier-than-thou attitude, for some inexplicable reason, Beth seemed to like him. John had been pleased to see her riding with Walker earlier in the week, but the sight had made Rip want to knock the cocky grin off of the felon's face. Beth was playing innocent, but he knew her game well enough to know better than that.
After a particularly enlightening conversation with an old friend, Avery, Rip had uncovered Jenkins' plot to partner with Rainwater and the Broken Rock Reservation. The news of their plans to build a casino and planned neighborhood, in turn driving up the ranch's property taxes, had been a hard bite for John to swallow. They'd discussed the situation briefly that morning, but Beth had interrupted them. Refusing to leave, she'd waited for Rip outside of her father's study, demanding to know what was happening.
Rip thought back to the words he's said to her in the yard, I don't care who you fuck Beth; I care about you. If he were being honest with himself, he did care who she fucked, but she was right in saying they'd never been exclusive. Somehow knowing she'd been with other guys was entirely different than seeing her look at another man lustfully, the way she looked at Walker. Beth had been playing hard to get for most of their adult lives. He wasn't sure if she did it intentionally or not, but whenever they began to get close, she always pulled away. He'd given up on winning her over a long time ago; if it was meant to be, it would have to be on her terms, a fact Rip had come to accept. Still, it changed nothing in regard to how he felt about their newest hire.
Rip had just finished at the barn and was heading home when he heard voices and laughter coming from near the bunkhouse. As he approached, he saw the men crowded around the picnic table, centered around none other than Walker. Rip didn't have to hear the whole conversation to know what he was talking about- hearing "sweet little redhead" was enough. As Rip came closer, fire burning in his eyes, the wranglers quickly stopped laughing and a couple of them scattered. He grabbed Walker by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the bench to his feet. "What the fuck did you just say?!" Rip shouted.
Walker wasn't phased by the foreman, instead he seemed placed with himself. "I was just telling the boys here, I got some sugar from that redhead of yours today," he laughed at the look on Rip's face. "Hell, I figure she'll be in my bed 'fore you know it."
Without thinking, Rip swung and his fist made contact with Walker's jaw- the cowboy staggered back but didn't fall. "Stay away from her," Rip said menacingly.
Walker stood up to his full height, still a few inches shorter than his superior. "Why don't we let her make that decision for herself?" He wasn't going to fight back, which infuriated Rip.
Rip took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "It's me. Always has been, always will be." He turned to leave, but paused to look back at Walker briefly. "I know you're eager to leave this place, but I'd be careful what I wished for, if I were you."
The next morning, Rip's alarm went off at the usual time, though he'd been awake for hours. He was pretty sure he'd broken his knuckle, but it had been worth it. "Cocky motherfucker," he mumbled about Walker as he finally got out of bed. It was still dark and he wondered if anyone else was up yet. Ranch hours were early hours, so he figured he wasn't alone in seeing 4:30 AM. He grabbed his hat and his favorite old jacket before heading out to start his day.
It was early afternoon when Rip came back to the barns. He'd put Lloyd in charge of the wranglers who were relocating a small group of heifers from the fields on the northern side of the ranch to a newly cleared pasture on the eastern side. Rip planned to eat a quick lunch and then go find John to continue their discussion from the previous morning. As he got closer to the barn, he caught a whiff of cigarette smoke in the breeze and he immediately knew his plans for the afternoon had changed- Beth was waiting for him.
Her hat was pulled down low to shade her eyes from the sun and one booted foot was propped on the barn wall. "Hey," she greeted him simply.
"Hey, yourself." He hooked the horse's reins so it wouldn't wander. "This is a pleasant surprise."
She smiled up at him. "I just wanted to see you. Heard what happened last night." She took his big hand in her small one and traced her thumb over the swollen knuckle.
Rip shook his head, as if trying to get the memory of the fight out of his mind. "I just can't stand that son of a bitch."
"I know," Beth replied. "And I shouldn't have done what I did. I was mad."
"Beth, you can do what you want and I have no right to be jealous." He'd begun to untack the horse, but she stopped him with a kiss. It started tentatively, as if she were asking permission, then became more passionate as he reciprocated. The jealousy and uncertainty he'd felt previously melted away as he wrapped her in a tight embrace.
They stayed that way for a moment until Beth broke the silence, "You hungry?" Rip noticed a bag at her feet and realized she'd packed them a picnic. "Thought you might give me a little ridin' lesson and we could eat lunch out in the park?" She patted the horse's rump and he neighed softly.
Rip smiled down at her and kissed her again. "I would love that," he said. "Let's get Dale for you."
A few minutes later, they were both on horseback, heading away from the barns. They were taking it slow and Rip was giving her a few pointers along the way. Beth tried to remain calm, remembering what Walker had said about horses feeling everything you feel, but then realized she would be okay- being in Rip's presence was her ultimate comfort. With a new sense of confidence, she looked at him and winked before taking off at full speed. Rip laughed and pulled his own horse's reins to catch up with her.
They rode for almost an hour before finding the perfect place to stop, a clearing near the river where they used to go when they were teenagers. Beth dismounted and began to spread out a blanket while Rip led the horses to the water for a drink; she'd packed them a simple lunch- sandwiches, chips, and sodas- and had everything ready once he returned.
They were quiet as they ate, silence always falling comfortably between them. After eating, he was the first to speak. "Are you okay? You seem a bit off lately."
Beth considered his question for a moment before replying. "I'm stressed."
Rip nodded in understanding; stress seemed to be the Yellowstone's norm lately. "You don't have to hide from me, Beth," he said quietly. "You know I'm always here."
She shifted closer to him on the blanket and rested her head on his shoulder. "I know, but I'm okay, really. Just trying to get my shit together and keep everything afloat for Daddy, all at the same time."
Rip thought about the Dutton patriarch and all of the threats they were facing; maybe a few hours away from it all was what Beth needed to decompress. "Remember when we used to come here?"
Beth smiled at the memories; as teenagers, they'd made love in the clearing more times than she could count. "We always said we'd get outta here. Look at us now- in the exact same place we started." She had left the ranch for California after graduating from high school and had then settled in Utah; Rip, on the other hand, had spent most of his life in Montana. He'd visited Beth in college once and had gone to see her in Salt Lake City a couple of times, but aside from that, he'd been at the Yellowstone since John took him in all those years ago.
"Shit, this place ain't so bad," he murmured as he played with a strand of Beth's hair that had slipped loose from her clip. He was leaning against a tree trunk and she had settled into the crook of his arm. "Better now that you're back, at least."
"Speaking of…. I forgot to tell you that I found a space in Bozeman for Schwartz and Meyer, so I guess I'm back, for a little while, at least."
"Mmh?" replied Rip. She looked up at him and smiled. He wondered what this change might mean for them. Her stay had been somewhat open-ended until now, so he hadn't really allowed himself to think much past today with her.
Beth's cell phone rang, pulling Rip away from his thoughts. "Yea?" she answered. "Just because it's in Montana, Jason, doesn't mean it has to look like a fucking moose lodge," she said after a pause. Rip couldn't help but chuckle. "Try again," Beth demanded.
As she ended the call, Rip took the phone from her and turned it off entirely. "Hey!" she exclaimed in protest, but he held the phone up above his head, just out of her grasp. She reached up for it right as he started to tickle her with his free hand. She pulled back, laughing, but he wasn't letting her go so quickly. Before she could fight back, he shifted her onto her back and was on top of her.
"You, my dear," he gently held her arms together above her head, "need to learn to relax." Beth looked up at him, her eyes smoldering. God, she's beautiful, he thought.
"Why don't you help me do that, then?"
He took off his hat and tossed it aside, just like he'd done with her phone. "I thought you'd never ask," he whispered as he began to kiss her neck. Beth closed her eyes and let his affection wash away her stresses- Jason's poor decorating choices, along with everything else, could be worried about later.