"Morning." Beth said rolling over to Rip's side of the bed.
"Morning darlin'" Rip kissed her.
"Mmm it's quiet." Rip agreed with Beth. Both expected that Katie would have made her way in to their room by now.
"It is. May as well enjoy it." Rio said pulling Beth on top of him. Beth lent down to kiss him.
After a while, Beth got in the shower and Rip went downstairs. He found the front door open and Katie on the porch swing with a blanket from the couch. He sat on the swing next to her.
"Good morning."
"Morning Daddy."
"How did you get out here?" Rip asked. She wasn't yet tall enough to reach the door handle.
"Climbed on the chair." Katie admitted.
"Next time, come and ask. We don't mind." Rip told her. Katie sighed looking out across the ranch out to the mountains.
"Peaceful isn't it." Rip said.
"It's Father's Day tomorrow." Katie told him in a matter of fact tone.
"Uh huh." Rip said. He had never really celebrated it as a kid for his bastard father but this would be his first as a Dad to Katie.
Beth lent against the door frame in a pair of jeans and lightweight knit watching the two of them.
"Morning my baby" Beth said to Katie.
Katie looked over hearing Beth's voice, she was always excited to see Beth no matter what was going on. Rip was always a little envious of the bond they had but he never admitted it truthfully.
Katie slid off the porch swing and bounced over to Beth.
"Mama!" Katie wrapped her arms around Beth's leg and looked up at her.
Beth's cold heart was always a lot warmer when she was around Rip and Katie. "We need to have some breakfast and get you dressed."
"I'll handle breakfast." Rio told them both. Beth gave me a thankyou kiss.
"Can we have fry bread?" Katie asked.
"We'll see, got get changed and come and see what I've made." Rip told her. It was one of the only breakfast meals Rip knew he could make well so he was never not going to make it for them. He got started on breakfast while Beth helped Katie pick out her clothes.
Katie picked out a pair of dark blue jeans and a Yellowstone t shirt John had gotten her a while ago that was still a bit too big.
"Do you want to wear that t shirt or a different one?" Beth asked. "We're not staying on the ranch today.
"I know but I'll look like Daddy." Katie told her. Beth nodded, grabbing some socks for Katie and her hat.
"Alright, downstairs for breakfast." Beth told her.
Katie went half way down the stairs, Beth behind her, before she stopped.
"I wear the Y too Daddy." Katie announced. Rip looked up from the kitchen counter.
"It's on your top kid, very cool." Rip told her. "Right, up here. Time to eat."
Beth went up behind Rip as her out Katie's plastic plate down. "She's never wearing that brand on her skin."
Rip shook his head and turned around. "Beth, she's four." Beth shrugged her shoulders to say that she still didn't care, before sitting down herself. Rip finished packing a lunch for the day.
After everyone had finished breakfast and Beth had helped get Katie organised and out to the truck where Rip was waiting, they headed in to town.
The park was full of other families now that the sun was out. Rip parked the car and got out the bags for lunch and picnic blanket whilst Beth helped Katie. Katie's eye opened in wonder area all the different play equipment and kids running around.
"We'll find a spot first and then you can play." Beth told Katie who was trying to pull on her hand. Beth pointed out a grassy spot by a tree to Rip who laid out a picnic blanket and put the rest of the bags down.
"Go on then." Beth said to Katie who took off running to the nearest climbing frame. Rip sat down leaning back on his elbows. Beth sat next to Rip, leaning against his chest. He kept an eye on Katie whilst rubbing Beth's arm.
"Any updates on the governor problem, darlin'?" He knew it had been stressing Beth not that she couldn't hide it well.
"Jamie still had no fucking idea, he's too busy off trying to make a dollar with his biological daddy. I think Dad is gonna do it all on the quiet and surprise him."
"Fucking Jamie." Rip said. Beth laughed with him.
"You know, she's worried about Father's Day." Beth told him.
"Why? She did mention it."
"I don't know Rip, she sees you as her hero and Tate made a big deal of it to her." Beth said.
"I don't want to make a big deal of it Beth." Rip said.
"You can tell her that." Beth got up and went to find Katie who was playing with a few other children her age in the sandpit. Their mothers were standing around chatting. Talking to women like that was not Beth's idea of a good time but she knew it was going to have to get over it.
Katie saw her and got up to say hello. One of the mothers waved at her and approached.
"Is she yours?"
"Yeah. Beth Dutton." She stuck out her hand.
"Oh hi, I'm Natalie, that's my boy Leo. Want to come and have a chat?" Natalie said shaking Beth's hand.
"Ah sure. You go play for a bit baby." Beth said to Katie.
Beth stood with the other mothers that Natalie introduced her to chatting for a while. She glanced back to where Rip was sitting lying and nodded, he got up and approached them all.
"Hello everyone." He said.
"This is my fiancé, Rip." Beth said. She noticed some of the ladies raise their eyebrows impressed with what they saw.
"Sorry to interrupt, I'm just here to see what all the fun is about and get my girls for a spot of lunch. Hope you don't mind." Rip said. Beth was glad he knew exactly what she needed.
Rip walked over to the sandpit. "Hey cowgirl."
"Hi Daddy."
"You having fun?"
Katie nodded telling Rip her new friends names.
"That's great." He told her. "We are gonna have some lunch so we might come back a bit later."
Katie said goodbye and held Rip's hand while they waited for Beth to wrap up her conversation before they went back to the picnic blanket and had lunch.
After lunch Beth helped Katie put on her swimmers before playing in the water fountains and sprinklers in the park.
"I was worried she didn't play with kids her age. I think she's going to be fine." Beth said to Rip.
"Beth, she's a good kid." He said holding her hand.
It took a lot of convincing to get Katie out of the water but Beth managed to get a towel around her after whispering that they would go and get a Fathers Day present in town.
Rip drove them in to town, dropping them off in the Main Street to do some shopping while he went to the hardware store.
Beth took Katie's hand, crossing the road and entering their preferred bookstore.
"Daddy doesn't like reading, Mama. Unless it's horses." Katie told Beth.
"I know." Beth scanned the shelves, looking for something in particular. "We'll get this one, kid."
Beth showed her a hardcover white book with 'my Dad' written on the front.
"What does it say?" Katie asked. Beth sat in the nearest armchair, Katie leaning to the arm she read the title. Opening the cover she explained that there was a space for a photo on each page where they could write something related to it and the prompt.
"This one says, "my Dad and my favourite activity." Beth read to her
"Riding!" Katie was quick to say. Beth nodding, reading some more before closing the book.
Beth picked up a couple of extra educational books for Katie about science as promised. "Now, no telling Daddy what you got him, ok." Beth told Katie at the counter who nodded solemnly.
Beth went to the liquor store and got her own Dad the standard bottle of whisky like every other year before Rip picked them up. Katie dozed off in the car on the way home, tired from all the running around.
She woke up when Rip turned the car off. Lloyd was standing with his back to then banging on the door.
"Lloyd." Rip called out. He turned around and came down the stairs, saying something to Rip. He nodded before telling Beth something had happened at the bunkhouse he was needed there. Beth nodded as she was getting Katie out of the car telling him they'd see him later.
Katie and Beth pulled out the photos out on the kitchen table. Beth would read out the prompt from the book and let Katie find the photo she thought would be best, occasionally making suggestions.
"This one says, one of my mom and dad." Beth said.
"I can't find one!" Katie told her mixing all the loose photos up.
"I've got one." Beth got up from the table and went to an old book in the bookshelf opening it and pulling out a tattered photo. It was of a young Rip and Beth, Beth smiling at the camera and Rip looking at her before she left for the city. Rip dressed in jeans and a check shirt and cowboy hat and Beth with her hair out, a button down shirt and jeans.
"This is Daddy and I when we were about 20." Beth told Katie. Katie ran her hand over it before putting it in the book.
"Pretty Mama." Katie said helping stick it down. Beth smiled at the fond memory, the photo she had carried and kept all these years. Beth wrote words next to the photos recalling memories. On a seperate piece of paper Beth wrote the words 'love Katie' for Katie to copy in to the front of the book under where Beth had written 'Happy 1st Father's Day.'
Down at the bunkhouse, the wranglers were sitting around drinking when Rip burst in. "What the hell are you lot playing at."
Rip realised nothing was actually happening when Lloyd clapped him on the shoulder.
"Have a beer, boss." Lloyd said, Jimmy throwing them a can each.
"Lloyd, what is going on."
"Nothing, Rip. Just sit down and have a beer would ya." Lloyd said pointing to the couch where the rodeo was on.
Beth closed the book now it was finished other than a few pages left for photos as Katie got older. "I guess we better make some cards."
Beth pulled out some paper and Katie's pens and pencils.
"One for grandpa?"
"Yeah, you can make one for him too." Beth showed Katie how to fold the paper in half and told her to decorate the front with a picture and they would write the words together. Beth unpacked the bags while Katie drew pictures on the front half.
"All done!" Katie called out to Beth.
Beth looked over her shoulder and saw one had three different sized stick figures in front of a house. The other had two stick figures different sizes next to what Beth thought might meant to be a horse. "Is that for Grandpa?" Beth pointed to the funny looking horse.
"Uh-huh. It's grandpa and me and donuts and a horse."
Beth wrote words on a seperate piece of paper for Katie to copy in to the inside. There was little chance anyone would be able to read it but it was cute. Katie helped Beth hide the presents before having dinner and watching a movie together. Katie fell asleep on the couch half way through while Beth put on something more suited to her tastes.
Ten thirty rolled around and Beth put Katie to sleep in her own bed before going into her own bedroom for the night. She turned off the light and dozed lightly until Rip stumbled in not so quietly at 11:30pm. His speech was slightly slurred as he got in to bed but Beth ignored it, no doubt he would have a sore head in the morning.
