"Who is the kid in the kitchen?"
"Don't know sweetheart." John replied to Beth as he continued his breakfast.
"Well, I better find out who the hell they are then Daddy."
"Can we just for once have a meal without anyone leaving." John muttered as Beth left.
Beth lent against the doorway watching what she guessed would be a three year old flicking through a picture book. She looked a bit dirty.
"Gator who is that?"
"Oh sorry, she is my neighbours kid. Her parents just died and they gave her to me just until she goes into foster care."
"I see."
"She won't be here long. They phoned earlier and said they'll collect her at lunch."
The young girl closed the book and looked at Gator. "Excuse me. Mr Gator. Can I please have some milk?"
"I'll get it for you." Beth said surprising herself and Gator, pouring the milk into a plastic cup that must have once been Tate's.
"Thank you Miss." Smiling as she took the cup. Beth noticed that the smile did not quite reach the little girl's eyes.
"Come sit at the dining table. Gator, I'll watch her today."
"Ok, thanks."
Beth did not know what she was feeling. Jamie had ruined her chance at having children. Rip was ok with it, at least for now, she knew there would come a day he would change his mind and want a family. Something that she could not give him.
The girl slipped off the stool, spilling some milk on her top.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The girl cried closing her eyes tightly as if expecting to be hit.
"It's ok, let's clean your top." Beth felt angry seeing such a small person try to protect themselves. What had this kid seen.
Gator watched the interaction perplexed. He had never seen Beth maternal in the slightest.
"My name is Beth, what's yours?" Wiping the girls top.
"That's a nice name. My name is Katie. Do you know that I'm three." Holding up four fingers, Beth put one down "now that is three."
"You are going to spend the day with me. Let's get you a coat. Gator where is the kids coat?"
"She doesn't have one."
"Go through there kid and get a blanket off the couch." Beth said pointing the way.
"Gator what happened to her?"
"I dunno really. I heard gunshots last night and then a few hours later they were knocking on my door and handed the kid to me. Said she saw her parents die."
"Fuck Gator."
"I know. I can't keep her. I don't know what to do with her."
Beth nodded. She didn't want the kid in the system, she seemed sweet. But didn't know where she was going to go.
"Found one." Katie said holding up a knitted blanket.
"Wrap it around yourself, it's cold out and we are going to my house."
Beth watched the kid struggle to walk, nearly tripping over the blanket every few steps. Beth knew her Daddy would be down saddling his horse before going out to the corral, she was going to have to work out what to do with the kid.
"Let me carry you before you hurt yourself." Beth picked her up, she was light as a feather but stiffened instantly in Beth's arms.
"I'm not going to hurt you." They were nearly at the stables before Katie relaxed and rested her head on Beth's shoulder. She could see Rip with the rest of the boys getting ready to head out.
"Honey, who is that?"
"Her name is Katie, Daddy." Katie stiffened in Beth's arms and tried to make herself smaller.
"Hi Katie, I'm John. Beth's daddy. Where is your daddy?"
"He's dead." Katie said as Beth glanced at her Daddy, seeing him speechless. Beth could see Rip has noticed them and was watching from his horse. She put Katie down in the sun and told her to stay there before moving to chat with her Daddy.
"She can't stay Beth. She's a kid not a pet."
"I fucking know that." She spat. "Kid saw her parents murdered last night and then got dumped with Gator, god knows what else she has seen. CPS are coming to get her."
"Good." John said as he rode off on his horse towards Rip. "Don't ask."
"No sir."
Beth turned back to where she had told Katie to stay and couldn't see her. Fuck, where did she go. Beth walked towards the stable where she saw Katie backed up against the stable wall, Prickly Pete huffing out of his nose looking down at her. Beth froze out of fear before her adrenaline kicked in.
"Stay right there baby." She could see tears running down her face. "It's gonna be ok." Beth noticed the stalls were empty. Beth dreaded dealing with Prickly Pete until she saw a wrangler she didn't know walking past.
"Hey! You! Get in here."
The wrangler pointed at himself. "Yes. You."
The wrangler hurried over. "What can I do Ma'am?"
"Get that fucking horse away from her."
"Right away Ma'am". The wrangler calmed the horse and moved him to another stall.
"Come here baby." Katie didn't move, Beth approached her slowly before picking up the girl.
"Why didn't you stay where I said, kid?"
"I.. I thought the pony would be friendly and I just wanted to see it." Beth rubbed the girls back trying to calm her down.
"Katie, you need to listen to me today, otherwise you'll get hurt." Beth felt her nod on her shoulder as they left the stables. Beth wondered what she had got herself in to for the day and it was only 9am, her anxiety levels were through the roof already without adding a kid into the mix.