Beth grabbed Rip a beer before pointing to the chair on the porch. Lucy already sitting on the steps looking at the mountains.
"Anyone gonna tell me what's going on?" Rip asked getting annoyed as Beth sat in the chair next to him.
"I'll start." Beth said. "Luce called me to pick her up early because she remember what happened at the party."
Rip sat forward in his chair. "What happened Lu?"
"A boy name Sam in my English class reminded me. Me and him were talking and then dancing and he offered me another drink but I said no and then the girls insisted and some guy in my science class, Nick went and got me one and after that is when I felt sick so I guess he spiked me." She finished, calmer this time. Rip was fuming.
"Am I in trouble?" She asked.
Rip took a breath. "No. But there will be no underage drinking under this roof. None."
Lucy nodded her head vigorously.
"She doesn't want Donnie to know." Beth told Rip.
"Why?"
"Because it was only me that was sick. Why did he pick me? Sam said Nick has a crush on me."
Rip shook his head, he wanted to tell her no boys under their roof either but knew it wasn't the time. "I don't know Lu, but I'm going to find out. Tell me what he looks like."
"What are you going to do?"
"Nothing. I'm just going to have a chat with him."
"He's skinny and tall and has brown hair. It's long."
"His name is Nick Adams." Beth added.
Rip nodded. "I'll take you to school tomorrow." He told her. She looked at Beth and then Rip.
"Don't embarrass me, please."
"I won't." He told her putting a kiss on the crown of her head.
"I have homework." Lucy said before going inside to set up on the dining table. Beth and Rip sat outside on the porch as the sun set.
"What are you going to do?" Beth asked.
"I don't know yet, Beth. I'll chat to him but I think I'll be paying his family a visit."
"Don't make it worse on her."
"I promise I won't." He said looking her in the eye. "I'm going to ask if she needs help with her homework."
Rip finished his beer, going inside to find Lucy scribbling something out. "Need any help?" He asked before tripping over a small pair of runners. The same pair Lucy had taken out of her bag from the day's gym class. Rip picked them up noticing how well worn they were. He made a mental note to get her a new pair, or at leaest tell Beth.
"I'm fine." She said. In all honesty she wasn't. Maths was not her strong point and her grades were beginning to show in the subject. She could spend hours doing equations but it just didn't make sense to her.
Rip nodded, starting dinner. Beth came inside, pouring herself a wine before looking over Lucy's shoulder to see lots of scribbled out maths equations and workings out. She pulled out the chair next to her, sitting down.
"Do you want some help?"
Lucy looked at Beth seeing no judgement. She nodded. "Sorry, I'm not good at maths I just don't get it and probably going to get a bad grade."
"That's ok. I'll help you. We don't care if you get a bad mark as long as you did the work and tried." Beth said wanting to lift the pressure. "Pass it here." She said holding a hand out for the book.
Lucy slid her workbook and text book across. Beth looked at the equations and then at the working out Lucy had done.
"Ok. So you need to get x by itself here." Beth explained writing out the equation again before explaining the steps.
Lucy listened closely. "So I need to divide it here to get that?" She asked pointing to the numbers.
Beth nodded letting Lucy do the rest of the equation.
"What about this one?" Lucy asked pointing to another algebra equation.
"This one had like terms. So you want to combine the similar ones." Beth explained breaking the equation down. "So there are numbers and letters with little numbers on top. X4 and x2 are different but just the letter x is the same."
Lucy nodded. "I get it. I didn't know you were good at maths."
Beth laughed. "I might be old but I can still teach you a thing or two, kid." She sat back and watched Lucy do the rest of the equations, helping her with the more difficult ones.
Rip was about to plate up dinner when there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it. Keep doing your work." He told them before opening the door to see Kayce standing there.
"What's going on Kayce?" Rip asked blocking his view.
"I was just having a drink with the boys at the bunkhouse. Walker mentioned you found her."
Rip looked back at Beth before slipping out the door, closing it.
"She's in there with Beth doing her homework."
Kayce whistled. "You settled in to parenthood quick. Can I meet her?"
Inside Beth was talking to Lucy. "That's my younger brother out there. He didn't know about you. He's probably asking Rip to meet you right now."
"What's he like?"
"He's kind. Protective and angry that I didn't tell him." Beth told her.
"He doesn't have to stay out there you know." Lucy told her tipping her pencil towards the door.
"Finish that last equation first." She said getting up to the door.
Lucy kept going with the equation before opening the door to Rip and Kayce. Kayce sat up straighter.
"So can I meet her Beth?"
"She's doing her homework. She's doing one more equation and then you can."
Kayce grinned.
"Take it easy. She's had a big day." Rip told him going inside. "You all done now Lu?"
"Yeah." She said closing the book. Rip opened the door for Beth and Kayce.
Lucy was sitting at the table with Rip leaning on the breakfast bench behind. Beth joined Rip who put his arm around her.
Kayce closed the door quietly.
"Kayce, this is Lucy. Lucy this is my brother Kayce." Beth said.
"Hi Lucy. How are you?"
"Hello. I'm good thanks." Lucy said with a smile.
"Heard they were making you do some homework."
"Nah. Beth was just helping me. Turns out she's good at maths."
"Huh. Go figure. Tell you a secret, my sister Beth, she was so bad at school. She was always getting in to trouble."
Lucy raised her eyebrows. "But she has a good job."
Kayce shrugged his shoulder. "A surprise to us all."
"Hey! Don't put any ideas in her head." Beth said. Rip squeezed her shoulder before whispering in her ear about new runners for Lucy.
"You staying for dinner Kayce?" Rip asked plating up.
"Ahh. If you've got enough." He said making Beth roll her eyes.
"Put your books away baby." Beth said, getting the cutlery out. Lucy did as she was told putting everything away upstairs. She came back down stairs unsure where to sit.
"Sit next to Beth, Lu." Rip said putting the plates down.
"So what do you like to do Lucy?"
Lucy put her fork back down, glancing at Beth who nodded reassuringly. "I like to be outside. I like swimming and reading." She said shyly.
Rip interjected much to Lucy's relief. "We got new bikes the other day so we'll take them out for a ride soon. And we're going to go riding too."
"Nice. Everyone says there are some good tracks out there." Kayce said shovelling food in to his mouth. The conversation continued between Rip and Kayce well after dinner had been finished. Beth cleared the plates before sitting back down. She looked at the time and saw it was nearly the time she wanted Lucy to go to bed on school night.
Beth tapped her watch to Lucy, telling her wordlessly that it was nearly time. "Can we go read again?" She whispered not wanting to interrupt the conversation. Beth nodded pointing to the stairs, before excusing them both. Lucy went up the stairs waiting while Beth grabbed the book they had been reading.
"We'll read it in Rip's and my room." Beth said. "Go put your pyjamas on first."
Lucy ducked in to her own room getting changed while Beth did the same. Lucy knocked on the door tentatively that was ajar. Beth called out that she could come in patting the spot next to her on the bed. Lucy shivered in the cold room, Beth pulled the covers back so they could be warm under the doona.
She snuggled in to the doona as Beth began to read.
"Beth." She said from where her head was resting on the pillow.
"What is it?" Beth asked from where she resting against the headboard.
"I have a shift at work tomorrow."
"Yeah. That's not happening, we spoke about that."
"I know. But do I call them to let them know I quit. I've never quit a job before."
Beth closed the book. "Well, there a lot better jobs out there for you to be doing. I'm not having my child treated the way Stephen treats you."
"Yeah Sleazy Steve is a doozy." Lucy told her.
"What time is your shift starting?"
"4pm."
"I'll pick you up. I thin Steve might be in for a shock when we pay him a visit." Lucy looked at Beth worried. "I just want to remind him that there is a way people should be treated and you're a Dutton/Wheeler and I won't let anyone treat you less than."
Lucy threw her head back in to the pillow and groaned. "That is going to be so embarrassing."
Beth ignored her and continued to read until she looked down to find Lucy snoring softly. She closed the book before getting herself comfortable too.
Rip came up the stairs quietly to find both of the girls asleep in his bed. Lucy half splayed out across the bed, half on Beth's arm and Beth resting a hand on Lucy's back as they both breathed out evenly. Rip grabbed the blanket off the end of the bed and a spare pillow to go down to the couch for the night.
"What time is it?" Beth whispered hearing Rip.
"Go to sleep. I'll sleep on the couch." Rip told her. "I'm still taking her to school tomorrow."
"Goodnight." Beth said rolling over, Lucy grumbled but didn't wake.