Lucy was always glad when Friday rolled around. She was looking forward to the weekend to spend time with the horses and finally get to ride her new bike.
"Hey Rip! Got the stuff you wanted in the back." Lloyd said pulling up in the truck. Teeter and Jimmy unloaded the feed.
Rip got in to the passenger seat to take the stuff up to the cabin. They met Ryan and Colby at the back of the cabin where they were pouring the concrete on the half court Rip had laid out earlier that morning.
"Thanks guys." He said as they unloaded the ring.
"So does this mean we get to play when it's done?" Colby asked.
"You know what work is? Don't you?" Rip replied.
Beth came around the side of the house to see the cowboys and Rip.
"Hey baby."
"Hi Beth." Rip said while inspecting the work.
"What are you doing- what the fuck is this Rip?" She said getting around the corner, seeing a whole lot of concrete and basketball ring off to the side.
"Now honey. Don't get mad. I made a basketball court for Lucy. Since she's in the team and all."
Ryan and Colby looked at each other.
"She's already got you wrapped around her little finger Rip. Don't spoil her." Beth told him walking off.
He looked at Ryan and Colby telling them to get back to work and for Lloyd to take the truck before following Beth.
"Beth, I'm not. I'm just making sure she has opportunities to do what she wants."
"Baby, everyone knows your a teddy bear but that girl won't go without anything for a second longer." She said cupping his face with her hands before kissing him. "I love you for that."
Rip chuckled. "Ok honey. I'm going back to work now."
Beth picked Lucy up from school that afternoon, taking her out for a milkshake afterward before going home.
"Since it's the weekend now, can I go riding tonight and do my homework tomorrow?" Lucy asked.
"You can, once basketball starts though that might change." Beth told her.
Lucy rushed upstairs to get changed after school before grabbing her bike. "Is Rip around?"
"He's still working baby." Beth told her. "Ride down to the stables, he's probably down there."
Lucy hopped on her bike and peddled down there, standing up when going downhill feeling the wind in her hair. She skidded to a stop in front of Rip.
"Damn kid!" Lloyd said impressed.
Lucy grinned. "You wanna go riding Rip?"
"Did Beth say it was ok?"
"Uh-huh. I have to do my work tomorrow though." She told him.
"All right let's go." He said putting his chaps away. "You start riding up to the cabin and I'll meet you there."
Lucy set off while Rip told the wranglers to not mention the basketball court but to be up at the cabin early tomorrow to paint the lines.
Rip drove slowly behind her before getting his own bike. "I'll let Beth know where we're going first." Lucy nodded as she rode around in circles.
"Beth, I'm taking Lucy out for a ride. The boys are having a BBQ cooked by Gator tonight. I was thinking we should all go."
"Ok." She said.
"Ok? Ok. We'll see you there."
Rip and Lucy rode around the ranch while he pointed out different parts. Lucy looked up at the Yellowstone ranch sign and then over to the hills.
"This is pretty fun, Rip." She told him. "Do you reckon I could build some bike jumps?"
Rip remembered what what Beth had said earlier that day about not spoiling her. "Ahh I'm not sure where they'll go?"
"Near the cabin? Or in the park?" Lucy suggested.
"How about we talk to Beth about that?" Rip said more than asked.
"I'll race you to the bunkhouse." Rip said pedalling ahead.
"That's not fair! You had a head start!" She yelled riding after him as fast as she could. She didn't manage to catch Rip on the ride back to the bunkhouse but was happy to find a BBQ already cooked.
Lucy quickly got off her bike, hurrying over to Beth who had a wine in hand.
"Beth, can I build a bike jump?"
"No."
"But why?"
"Because I said so. What did Rip say?"
"He said to ask you!"
"Answer is still no." She told her.
"Why?" Lucy asked again.
"Hey, you heard the answer. Go and get some food." Rip told her steering her shoulders away.
"Don't make me the bad cop, Rip." Beth said getting some food for herself.
Lucy got herself a plate of food, still annoyed she wasn't allowed to build a bike jump.
"What's wrong kid?" Lloyd asked.
"Beth and Rip won't let me build a bike jump."
"Oh, I see. How come?"
" 'because I said so' " she mimicked Beth. "Will you help me Lloyd? I just need a shovel."
"I'll get in to trouble kid. Rip's my boss you know."
"I won't tell him you helped me! Promise."
Lloyd shook his head. He understood how she managed to get Rip wrapped around her finger. "All right kid. I know you're the one who feeds the calf so I'll leave one by the stall."
"Thanks Lloyd!" Lucy said leaving with a skip.
"What is she up to?" Rip said to Beth watching Lucy talk to Lloyd.
"I guarantee she is trying to get Lloyd to help her build a bike jump." Beth said.
"She better not be."
"Let's see what she does first."
"Honey, if she builds that bike jump after we told her no, that's all you in smaller size. You never did as you were told."
Beth shrugged. "I did sometimes."
At home that night, Rip put the rodeo on while Beth read to Lucy. It was well passed her normal bedtime before they sent her upstairs.
Lucy fell asleep quickly and was still sound asleep when Rip got up early the next morning. He closed her door quietly, meeting Colby and Ryan down stairs.
"Right. Let's get this done and done quietly. I don't want her to wake up before it's dry."
Colby and Ryan gave him a thumbs up. They had already been there for an hour priming the court.
The trio marked out the lines before the cowboys started painting.
Lucy woke up and changed quietly to not wake Beth and Rip. She snuck downstairs and out the door, grabbing her bike.
"Ah Rip." Ryan said. "She's right there."
Rip turned to see Lucy riding down towards the stables. "Ok. We're nearly done anyway. So just finish here and I'm going to keep her distracted and away from here for a few hours." He told the pair.
He grabbed his own bike from the porch riding down to the stables as well. He found Lucy with the calf talking to her sweetly.
"Hey kid." He said noticing a shovel off to the side.
"Hey. I was just feeding Betty."
"Oh yeah. Did you name her that?"
"Yeah. She looks like a Betty don't you think?"
He smiled leaning against the stall door at her innocence considering everything she had experienced. "I was thinking we could go for a ride." He suggested once she had finished feeding Betty.
"Where we going to ride to?"
"I know a place I think you'll like." He said grabbing some saddles. He explained to Lucy how to saddle her own horse, helping her occasionally.
Father and daughter rode out in to the park up the mountain. Half an hour in to the ride Rip noticed that Lucy was starting to look more comfortable on the horse.
"How you going?"
"Yeah. Did you bring any food?" She asked. "I missed breakfast."
Rip pulled out a muesli bar, throwing it to her which she easily caught.
"Thanks." She said with a mouthful of muesli bar.
"Just over here and then we can have a rest." He told her leading her through a clearing in to an open space.
"Wow." She said her breath catching in her throat. She jumped off her horse, walking out in to the meadow.
"I brought Beth here last year and she had the same reaction." He watched Lucy lay down in the grass. He got off his own horse taking the saddle off before Lucy's horses.
He rested against the tree while Lucy looked up at the clear sky. After a while she got up to sit across from Rip.
"Am I going to meet Beth's Dad?"
Rip didn't know how to answer that. "Do you want to?"
"I don't know. I don't want to him to make me have to go away again you know?"
"Absolutely not going to happen, Lu." He said.
"I hope so!" She said hopping up. "We going back now?"
Rip nodded helping her re-saddle the horses before they went back. It was nearly lunchtime but the time they got back, putting the horses away and riding up to the cabin.
"Where have you been?" Beth asked.
"Riding horses." Lucy said, opening the fridge.
"I made you lunch. It's on the bench behind you." Beth said. Lucy grinned and scoffed it down.
Rip went outside to check on the court before calling Lucy outside. Beth following behind, telling her to go around the back. Colby and Ryan had put the ring in place on the court before taking a seat on the bench.
"Don't you two have somewhere to be." Rip said before Lucy turned the corner.
"Wow! What is this!?" Lucy said.
"It's for you to practice. Since you made the team." Rip said passing her the ball.
"Awesome." She said as she shot the ball making the shot.
"Huh. Look at that." Ryan said to Colby.
"It's even got lines."
"All accurate to measurements!" Colby chimed in.
"Thanks Rip! I'm gonna practice." She said giving me a quick hug. Beth sat down on the bench watching as Rip and Lucy played one on one.
"Who knew he was such a softie." Ryan said.
"Ah everyone." Colby said, both still sitting on the bench.
"All right then. Ryan and Colby you two verse us." Lucy said. "First to ten wins."
"You're on." Ryan said grinning.
Lucy passed the ball in to Rip who dribbled around Colby before going for the shot and missing. Ryan took the rebound and shot the next basket. Colby passed the ball in to Ryan who easily shot from the three point line, high fiving Colby.
This time Rip passed in to Lucy who effortlessly got around Colby and Ryan with a layup.
"Damn." Ryan said. Rip quickly worked out that he was better at passing it to Lucy who had no trouble finding the basket every time and he was better at blocking Colby from the shot.
"7-8, Ryan and Colby currently winning." Beth said.
"Bring it in Lu." Rip said. They turned their backs to Ryan and Colby. "So I'll pass it to you, you reckon you can shoot a 3?"
"Yeah I think so." She told him before taking up her position. "Ready to lose boys? It's gotta hurt losing to a kid."
Beth chuckled hearing Lucy trash talk the cowboys.
"That's something we won't have to find out. Not today." Ryan said back at her.
Rip passed the ball while Ryan was too busy talking to Colby about their game plan and Lucy took the shot.
"Ryan! You weren't paying attention!" Lucy teased, jumping up and down. They all shook hands before the pair left. Rip and Beth left Lucy to play outside until dinner time.