Rip woke earlier than normal the next morning, Katie hadn't made it to their bed yet. He knew she wouldn't be far off but he enjoyed just lying there with Beth.
Beth was starting to stir as Katie's feet could be heard on the floor boards coming towards their room.
"Oomph!"
"Morning Daddy."
"Morning Sweetheart." Rip tried to whisper so Katie wouldn't talk so loud and wake Beth. He pointed at Beth and put his finger to his mouth telling Katie to be quiet. She had a sheepish look on her face.
"I'm awake now."
"Mama!" Katie jumped on Beth trying to snuggle under the covers, Beth let her in to the warmth.
"Morning Darlin, we tried to be quiet." Katie nodded vigorously in agreement.
"We've got to work on that."
"Come on kid, let's get ready and leave Mama for a bit. We can go and make breakfast."
Downstairs Katie was trying to help Rip make eggs but refused to let Rip help her crack them. The kitchen was a mess when Beth came down ready for her day in the office. She had packed a backpack for Rip to take for Katie for the day.
"Here Mama!" Katie walked over to her holding a plate wobbling a bit. The eggs were like two eyes and the bacon Rip had cooked placed to make a smile. Beth managed to grab the plate as one of the eggs was close to sliding off.
"Thanks baby, I see you helped to cook." Katie's pyjama top was covered in a bit of yolk and egg shell. "Rip can you grab a towel to wipe Katie's hands please."
"Why are you dressed like that Mama?"
"I've got to go to the office and work all day. You're going to go with Daddy today. Rip I've packed a bag for her that you'll take. It's got a few things she might need for the day." Beth pointed to the pink child's backpack on the couch.
"Honey, you want me to ride and manage the wranglers with that pink bag on my back?". Rip shook his head, knowing the comments he was going to get off the boys.
"Are you coming home?" Katie asked tears in her eyes.
"Of course baby, why do you ask?"
"Mama isn't leaving us, she just has a busy day kid."
"My last Mama left." Beth's heart hurt hearing those words.
"We are not going to leave you ok. I just have a few meetings and I'll be home by dinner time."
Beth helped Katie get ready to spent the day at work with Rip. Beth put Katie in Rip's car so they could drive to the bunkhouse.
"You be good for Daddy and I'll see you later." Beth kissed her on her head before giving Rip a kiss goodbye and getting in her own car.
"Let's go have some fun kid." Rip met the wranglers at the stables with Katie where Jimmy was saddling the horses. Katie had the backpack on which looked massive compared to her.
"Daddy daycare today Sir?"
"No Jimmy, just looking after my kid." Katie gave him a small wave.
"Listen up, today we are doing the fences. We are all going to head out together. Mind your language today thanks, small ears." Rip nodded towards Katie. A collective 'yessir' was heard before they got on their horses.
Rip knelt down to Katie's level taking off her backpack. "Let's see if Beth packed your hat. There it is, put that on for me. Now you're going to have to listen to me closely today and do as I say so you don't get hurt."
"Ok Daddy, I'll be good." Rip smiled as he stood and lifted her on to his horse, he put the backpack on his own back and got on the horse too heading out after the rest of the boys. Katie was pretty happy to lean against Rip as he slowly rode along the fence line checking the repair job where livestock had broken through. Rip was hoping they could finish the job quickly and head back for something to eat.
"I'm thirsty."
"All right, let me see what we've got in here then." Rip passed her, her water bottle which she nearly emptied.
"Down Daddy."
"We say please."
"Since when the fuck have you ever cared about manners Rip." Lloyd laughed.
"Since I am in charge of raising a three year old."
Rip tied the horse up to a nearby fence post and lifted Katie off the horse watching her as she walked up and down occasionally chatting to some of the wranglers. Her hat blew off and she chased it around the paddock before jumping on it.
"Right let's keep moving. Katie come back."
"I'm hungry." It was just after lunch time now, Rip rifled through the back and saw that there was no food. Damn, they would probably have to head back sooner than he thought.
"Keep going, we will both be back. Quit the chatting and start working a bit more Teeter."
Teeter replied but no one knew exactly what she said.
Rip rode them both back to the cabin and let Katie play outside whilst he made sandwiches for them both.
"Here you go."
"Thank you." Rip ruffled her hair and they both ate their sandwiches. Rip sent her back outside whilst he cleaned up and got ready to head out again. He heard a car pull up in the drive way, looking out the window he saw Katie running for the porch but couldn't see who was in the car.
"Daddy, someone is here."
"Good girl for coming and getting me." Beth and Rip had been trying to teach Katie to come and get them if someone pulled up outside the cabin after the incident with Jamie.
"Stay here and wait for me." Rip went outside and saw it was only Lloyd.
"What's going on?"
"Sorry Rip, had to bring Jake back. Hurt his hand. Thought you might want a lift out?"
"Fucks sake. Yeah thanks Lloyd. Let me get Katie." Rip caught Katie peeking behind the door.
"You said a bad word."
"Don't tell Mama and I won't tell her you were eavesdropping." Katie nodded knowing her Mama would definitely tell her off for that.
"Lloyd is going to come with us and we will drive back out there. Go and get Charlie."
"We'll go in my car Lloyd."
"What have you got there Katie?" She showed Lloyd her toy horse, Charlie.
"Very nice."
Beth was having an awful day in the office. This Roarke person was causing all sorts of issues with the ranch and now the stock market. She wanted to know what Katie and Rip were doing. She had tried calling multiple times but no answer from Rip. She assumed that they were out of service. Beth didn't doubt that Katie wasn't ok but she miss her more than she thought she would, surprising herself.
"Here is a delivery for you."
"Thank you." The assistant lingered waiting to see what was in it.
"Leave." Beth could see it was documents from CPS, opening the envelop she saw it was the adoption paperwork.
Rip, Lloyd and Katie drove to where they thought the Wranglers should have been up to by now.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me." They could see some out of town bikers punching on with the Wranglers on the Dutton side of the road. A new spot of the fence broken.
Rip was furious, wanting to smash all of the bikes but knew he had Katie in the back.
"Hold on kid." Rip revved the engine and hit the first bike in the row causing it to fall on to the rest smashing some.
"Stay here. Do not move until Lloyd or I get you." Katie didn't move a muscle hearing how stern Rip was. Rip and Lloyd were out of the car before they heard a reply.
Katie watched from inside the car as Rip and the other wranglers fought the bikers. She saw one of the bikers pull a gun on Rip and Lloyd also pulled his gun on the biker. Katie had managed to get out of her seat and out of the passenger door Lloyd had left open. She ran towards Rip
"Leave my Daddy." Rip's heart nearly stopped when he realised Katie was now behind him. He knew he couldn't take his eyes off the arsehole with the gun pointed at him.
"This your little brat then?"
"Don't even fucking think about it." The biker moved the gun to now point at Katie who was stood still.
"She's a pretty little thing." The rest of the wranglers watched on, Lloyd never moving his gun from the biker.
"That's it you fucker." Rip walked towards him and grabbed the man's gun before hitting him with it. "Listen here you motherfucker. You don't ever come back here again and if I ever find out again and you try and threatened my family; it'll be over for you."
Rip wanted to yell at Katie but knew it probably wasn't going to help the situation much. He had told her not to move and she had done the opposite. He noticed she hadn't moved at all since having a gun pointed at her, he approached her and went to pick her up but she flinched and screamed.
"Hey, it's Daddy. It's Daddy."
"No, no, no!" She was kicking and screaming in his arms trying to get away from him. Rip kept holding her close trying to calm her down.
"Lloyd, drive us back." Rip got in the backseat with Katie as Lloyd drove them to the Lodge. When they arrived John was sitting out on the porch.
"Everything all right?"
"Some bikers decided to break the fence line and then start a fight. Pulled a gun on Rip and then her."
"Where the fuck are they now?"
"They're gone. I think they'll be back sir."
"We're going to meet them there then tonight. They won't show until it's dark."
"Yessir."
"Rip, Beth is still working, maybe you both should go there." Lloyd chucked the keys to Rip, catching them easily putting Katie in the car. Keeping one eye on Katie, Rip drove in to town towards the office. Lloyd and John started planning what they would do to the bikers that evening when they returned.
Katie's eyes were still red by the time they reached Beth's office, Rip checked his phone and saw multiple missed calls and text messages from Beth.
"I'm looking for Beth Dutton?"
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Don't fucking need one. In her office?" Rip strode towards the office, the receptionist trailing behind trying to stop him. "I'm sorry sir you can't –"
"It's all right." Beth waved her away seeing Rip holding Katie in his arms. It made her weak at the knees until she saw Katie's red eyes as if she had been crying for a while.
'What is going on?' Beth mouthed as Katie reached out for her. Rip sat in one of the arm chairs across from Beth as she sat with Katie in her lap.
"Bikers broke the fence and were fighting. Lloyd and I got out of the truck to end the fight and I had a gun pulled on me. Katie saw I think –"
"You think? What was she doing there?"
"Honey, she was at work with me for the day. I told her to stay in the truck and not move until I got her."
"I saw the man try to hurt Daddy so I got out to tell him to leave then the gun was on me." Rip could see Beth was ready to kill someone.
"What the fuck Rip?" Katie was tucked up in Beth's arms.
"I fucking know Beth. I fucked up. I didn't know it was going to happen like that." Rip was for once in his life stressed out. He had never felt that way before, watching a gun pulled on his kid.
"It's ok, she's ok or she will be. But we are going to hurt those fuckers." Rip kissed her.
"Mama, Teeter said Colby is a mother fuckin' chicken."
"Did she! Well no baby of mine says those words." Rip was going to have a chat to those damn wranglers.
Beth hit the intercom telling her assistant that she was going home early. She packed her papers up including the adoption papers and headed downstairs.
"Take her with you Beth. I've got a few things to do."
"See you at home baby, say bye to Daddy." Katie waved as Beth helped in her the car before driving home.
"I'll get some shovels sir. The girls are on their way home."
