Beth sat on the bar stool as the young bar tender approached.
"What can I get ya?" the young girl asked.
"Double Titos, three olives."
"You know that's a martini right, kid." The other bar tender said with a smirk.
Before Beth could reply the girl rolled her eyes at him. "Come off it. Martini's have vermouth and had with friends and by the looks of it right now. Beth Dutton doesn't have any of those."
The other bar tender let out a low whistle. "Careful Luce, you'll get yourself into trouble."
Lucy let out a laugh, "don't worry, I can handle it." Deep down Lucy knew she probably couldn't handle Beth Dutton but she didn't care at the moment, it was nice to prove someone wrong.
Beth watched their interaction with interest.
It almost felt as if she was looking in the mirror except at a younger version of herself.
"How do you know who I am?" Beth asked taking a sip of her drink.
The kid shrugged. "Everyone knows the Yellowstone."
Beth didn't have anything else to say to that knowing it was true.
"Wait. How old are you?" Beth asked as she went to serve the next customer.
"Old enough." Lucy replied smartly.
Beth closed her eyes, a memory playing vividly in her mind.
"Rip. I'm pregnant."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure Rip. What the fuck am I meant to do. We can't have a baby. My Dad is going to kill me." She ranted pacing up and down by the side of the barn where Rip slept. She had not long turned 17 and just found this out.
Rip ran his hands through his hair, clearly stressed. "We have to tell your Dad. We can't tell Lee, Jamie's a bastard and Kayce he's a damn kid!"
Beth turned and looked at him. "He's gonna kill you."
"I know."
Beth opened her eyes and let out a long breath.
Lucy ducked below the bar out of sight for customers and security cameras. She let out a shaky breath. 'Well this is not ideal.' She thought. She had dressed up and forged her résumé to get this job to help pay the bills after her foster family left her. Again. She had hoped she never bumped in to Beth Dutton because she never knew what she would do, she had heard enough stories around town.
Lucy stood up, instead turning her focus into making drinks.
Beth watched her carefully before finishing her drink and leaving.
Rip was waiting for Beth on the porch of their cabin, beer in hand when she pulled up.
"Hello darling." He greeted her.
She offered a half smile before sitting next to him on the porch swing.
"Everything all right?" He asked.
"Mmmhm. I met a Lucy today." She started. Rip stiffened hearing that name. The same name he and Beth loved since they were 17.
"And where was that?"
"At a bar." Beth said turning to look at him.
"Baby, I know what you're thinking but it can't be."
"Rip. She didn't look old enough to even be working there. Why couldn't it be."
Rip sighed. He didn't really have an answer to that. It was the one thing that connected Rip and Beth so deeply but also broke both of them.
"I made you a plate for dinner. Come and eat." Rip said getting up and going inside, Beth following behind.
Beth and Rip sat at the table. Beth slowly ate as Rip watched. A fresh tear slid down her cheek as Rip wiped it away before tucking her hair behind her ear.
Lucy knocked off her shift, declining an after work drink again.
"Come on Luce, let loose would ya and have a drink with us!" The whinged.
"Sorry! Got some stuff to do tonight." She said leaving. It wasn't a lie, she had to get home and study for her English final in the morning.
She unlocked the door to her musty apartment that she had moved in to a month ago by telling the landlord she was 21. It's not like she had a birth certificate, she had moved from foster home to foster home for as long as she could remember. The only belonging going from place to place was a well worn blue blanket with yellow stripes. On it were the initials 'LW.'.
Beth and Rip both watched the tv, neither really paying attention to the screen.
"I wish Jamie never got involved." Beth said looking into the distance.
"I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice back then." Rip said.
Flash back:
"You arsehole, Rip!" Jamie yelled shoving Rip up against the truck. "You got her pregnant. Now what, huh? What the hell are you going to do."
Rip said nothing just taking Jamie's rage as it came.
"Huh! Nothing to say now." Jamie let Rip go. "Here's what you're going to do. She'll have the baby because that's what Dad wants but then you both are going to give it up. I won't let you ruin her life. You don't do that, I'll take you to the train station myself."
Rip stood there trying to gather his own thoughts. He was nearly 18, a damn adult. He could raise the child even if Beth decided she didn't want to.
"You all right Rip?" Lloyd yelled out.
Rip waved him off, nodding.
Beth met him in the barn that night as he was closing the last stall.
"You're avoiding me."
"I'm not." He said turning around.
"Heard Jamie paid you a visit. What did he say?" Beth asked.
"Nothing." He said too quickly.
"Spit it out."
"Sit down then. You're not going to like it." He started. "Jamie said we have to give her up."
"The fuck. What if I say no."
"I'll be going to the train station."
"Rip. There is no train station."
"It means they'll kill me and throw me off a cliff." He explained.
Tears threatened to fall from Beth's eyes. "I won't have it." She said before leaving.
Lucy rode her bike to school the next morning, arriving just in time for the start of her English exam.
If she finished the exam before the final 15 minutes she would still be able to leave and get to work on time for the evening shift.
"You may begin." The grumpy senior school English teacher said.
Lucy picked up her pen and began writing.
Beth was working at the office in town and people were pissing her off left, right and centre. The only thing on her mind was the girl from yesterday. She didn't know why, or if it was just hope for what could have once been but she wanted to see her again.
She resolved herself to the fact that she was going to find out more of the girl Lucy and go have a drink at the bar again on her way home.
Lucy put the final full stop on her essay and glanced up at the clock. Twenty minutes until the final was due to end. She stuck up her hand and her English teacher who was a kind older lady collected it before she was excused from the hall.
She rushed to where she locked her bike and pedalled to the bar as quick as she could. She arrived with five minutes to spare to change into her uniform in her locker.
"Nearly late again Lucy." Daniel teased. "What is it you get up to before and after here? You're so secretive."
"Ha-Ha. That's for me to know Daniel." She said with a wink.
He shook his head. Lucy grabbed the nearest tray to collect the empty glasses from tables. She made her way over to where the 'highly important' customers sat and collected their glasses. A few of their eyes lingering on her for too long.
Lucy was walking back to the bar when someone whistled and she turned to see who was being an arsehole but not before colliding with someone and dropping the tray of glasses.
"Oh shit." Slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it.
"What the fuck. Watch it." Beth said annoyed. She looked to see who the idiot was that wasn't watching what they were doing realising it was the Lucy girl.
Lucy looked up realising who she ran in to. She looked over at the bar seeing Daniel grimace knowing she was about to cop a spray from their boss but also probably Beth Dutton.
"I'm.. sorry. Sorry, it was my mistake." She said bending down to pick up the broken glasses. She could feel the flush rising in her cheeks as she looked at Beth's heels. She hissed as a shard of glass got her hand, cutting her.
"Woah. Watch it. Maybe don't do it like that." Beth said getting down to her height. She grabbed Lucy's hand taking the shard out.
"Please you don't need to help me. I'll lose my job if my boss see's" she said quietly.
Beth didn't know what came over her but she wanted to give her a hug. Instead she stood, looking for another bar tender. She spotted Daniel watching on before pointing at him. "Hey! Numb nuts. Yes you. Are you gonna stand there or help her?"
He managed to mumble out a 'yes ma'am' before coming over. Beth went and sat at the same bar stood as the night before.
"Miss Dutton. Sorry to interrupt you." A man said. He was dressed in a suit with a badge that said manager.
She looked over at him, waiting for him to continue.
"I apologise for the incident before. Lucy the girl is.. just between you and me.. hopeless. Today will be her last day. I thought I would let you know so you understand it won't happen again."
He had her full attention now. She had a second glance at his name badge seeing Stephen written on it. "Here's the thing Steve. If you fire the girl for doing her job, you'll lose my business and everyone else I know. Maybe you should be more concerned about why she dropped the glasses considering you're happy to let every old fuck sleaze on her."
Stephen looked at Beth unsure what to say. He opened his mouth before closing it and walking away.
Lucy wrapped her hand that she cut in gauze before getting on with her shift. She noticed the infamous Beth Dutton still hadn't been served. She tentatively walked over, "can I get you something?"
"Are you all right?" Beth asked.
"Yeah I'm fine. Nothing that can't be fixed with a Band-Aid." She said holding up her hand, offering a small laugh.
Beth nodded before asking for the same as yesterday. Lucy made the drink quickly before passing it to her.
"So. I know you're not old enough to actually work here, how did you get the job."
"I don't know what you mean?"
"Oh please, you're wearing your school shoes."
Lucy glanced down at her well worn leather lace up shoes that desperately needed a polish. It was true, they were her school shoes.
"...and you've got a bracelet with the local high school colours on it."
She looked around to see if anyone overheard. "Fine you're right but I have to pay the bills somehow."
"At least tell me how old you are."
"Just turned 15."
"Where are you parents?" Beth took another sip to steady her nerves. Her heart was racing.
"Don't have any. They died I was told. Just moved from home to home. Damn. I don't even know why I'm telling you this."
Beth shrugged. "Safe with me."
It was a loaded phrase and Beth knew it. "Look, here's my number if you need anything call me." She said standing and grabbing her bag.
"Why are you being nice to me?"
"Why not." Beth said leaving Lucy standing there.