Lucy was finding her feet more and more as time went on and her confidence grew on the ranch, around the cowboys and Kayce.
Beth had noticed that Lucy had become more relaxed as time passed compared to when she first met her in the bar as this tough, sharp tongued girl. There was no denying that Lucy had a razor sharp tongue when she was fired up still but it there was a child still in there.
She enjoyed parenting Lucy but no one enjoyed holding the title more than Rip despite his initial doubts. He loved being called 'Dad' and taking her horse riding, bike riding and watching her play basketball. He loved to show her off and talk about all the things she was doing to the cowboys. None of who would ever tell him to shut up out of fear.
"Hey Dad." Lucy said coming down the stairs to find Rip in his armchair.
"Tell me."
"So can Ryan and Colby come?" She said looking at the time. They would be leaving for basketball soon.
"Where do they want to go?" Beth asked coming down the stairs in casual clothes.
"My game."
"I don't know Lu." Rip said.
"Go and tell them yes Lucy. Go with her Rip." Beth said.
"Now honey, your Dad-."
"Don't worry about him. I'll handle it." She said.
"Come on let's go!" Lucy said pulling his hand.
Rip drove her down to the bunkhouse to find Ryan and Colby already outside cleaning the inside of the truck. They both had clean clothes on and their own Yellowstone jackets.
"What are you guys doing?" Lucy called out from the passenger side.
"Getting ready for your game." Colby said.
"Who told you, you could come?" Rip asked.
"Mr Dutton." They said looking at each other. Lucy looked at Rip confused.
"Here's the address." Rip said passing it to Ryan before leaving.
"Mom. John already said they could come?" Lucy said before going upstairs to get ready.
"What?" She said looking at Rip who nodded. "I had no idea."
"Can you braid my hair?" She yelled from the bathroom.
"Baby, it's nearly time to go." Beth said going upstairs. She taught herself to do French braids a long time. "I'll try." She said before Lucy passed the hair ties. Beth started to braid, Lucy occasionally hissing out in pain.
"Are they tight enough?"
"They'll definitely hold." Beth told her getting up. "Come on we will be late."
"Are you working today?"
"No."
The three got in to Rip's truck pulling out of the ranch with Ryan and Colby behind. Rip walked ahead with Lucy in to the stadium like all the other Dad's did with their daughters on the team. Beth walked in with the two cowboys.
"Far out. He's really a Dad." Ryan said watching them.
"I really thought you were the intelligent one." Beth said dryly. Colby elbowed Ryan.
They found a seat along the bleachers next to Jacky Jones, Ella's Dad again, waiting for the game to start. Rip held Beth's hand while the two cowboys looked around like kids who had been let loose in a candy store.
"Why do I feel like I've got three kids today." Beth said tilting her head to the two cowboys. Rip chuckled.
"They better behave."
Lucy and her team came out in their warmup uniforms doing some drills on the court before someone sat next to Jacky.
"Long time no see, Mr Dutton." Jacky said.
"Same to you Jack. Your daughter playing?"
"Yeah, Ella. She's Lucy's friend." Jacky said pointing her out.
Beth lent across Rip. "What are you doing here?"
"Thought I would come and watch." John said not fussing over her tone.
Jacky could sense some tension between the two. Something he had felt before when he was younger and on the ranch with Lee.
"Do you guys want to sit together?" He asked Rip quietly.
"Not unless you plan on seeing a fight today." Rip said looking straight ahead.
"Got it." Jacky said with a nod.
The game started with Lucy on the bench. Beth could see the scowl on her face as the opposition score went higher and higher. The coach called a sub and Lucy got up to stand court side. The other girl tagged Lucy's hand before she got on the court. Ryan and Colby cheered loudly while the people sitting nearby looked at them.
"What? We're her cheer squad." Colby told them.
Beth didn't think it was possible for 15 year old girls to be as tall as some of the ones Lucy was facing on the court this week. She watched with her hands clenched as Lucy ran up and down the court.
"You all right?" Rip asked.
"Look at the size of them compared to her." Beth said.
Lucy stood on the 3-point line open before another girl passed her the ball. She looked to see if there was another player open closer to the ring to pass to. "Move around!" She called out to her team mates. She dribbled the ball trying to get closer to the ring before moving back. The defender was much bigger than her and Lucy couldn't help but think her arms were like octopus tentacles, that long.
"Shoot it!" Ella yelled out to her.
Lucy took a side step and shot the ball from back at the three point line, getting it in.
The cowboys cheered as her teammates high fives her as they moved in to defence. Lucy struggled through the first half against the size of the girls they were playing but the scores had nearly evened up. At half time they sat on the bench as the coach and assistant coach grilled them.
Lucy looked around trying to find her parents, Ryan and Colby.
"They're over with my Dad." Ella whispered, realising what Lucy was doing. She looked over and saw Beth and Rip talking to Ella's Dad and probably her two favourite cowboys chatting to each other. Next to Jacky Jones she noticed John sitting with his cowboy's hat on.
"Coach?" Lucy asked. "I need the bathroom."
"Make it quick Wheeler. I want you back on the court."
Lucy nodded getting up from the bench for the bathroom.
"Where is Lucy going?" Rip said to Beth stopping what they were talking about.
"I don't know. I'll be back." Beth said making her way down from the bleachers.
Lucy was in the bathroom splashing water on her face before she heard someone else enter.
"You in here Lucy?"
"Uh-huh." She said hearing Beth's voice.
"What's going on?"
"Just needed a second."
"You saw my Dad just then, didn't you?"
Lucy looked at her before nodding her head once. Beth lent against the sinks. "I didn't know either. Just focus on your game. You're playing good just focus on that."
"They're so big."
"I don't know what the fuck they're fed but I'm going to have to feed you the same." Beth said. "Come on." She said as the buzzer went off.
Beth followed Lucy out of the bathroom while Lucy jogged off to her team Beth made her way past everyone back to Rip.
"Everything ok?"
"Yeah. Just about Dad being here."
Rip nodded turning back to the game.
Ella got a few of her own basket's putting the team slightly in front with a couple of minutes left in the game. Ella passed the ball to Lucy before one of the opposition slapped the ball and Lucy's arm before hip and shouldering her. The ref blew the whistle calling a foul before blowing the whistle again.
"Don't make me send you off." He said to Lucy.
"I didn't do anything!"
"Hey ref! Our girl did nothing wrong there." The coach yelled out.
"It's all right coach." Lucy told him. The girl who hip and shouldered her grinned.
"Watch it Wheeler."
"What did you say?" Ella said overhearing the girl getting up in her face.
"You both heard me."
"What's going on down there?" Ryan asked as they all watched.
"No idea, but Luce looks pretty annoyed." Rip said.
"Wheeler, you've got two shots." The ref said passing the ball. She stood on the foul line bouncing the ball twice before taking a shot she had practice one hundred times at home. Her team mates gave her high fives before taking their own positions ready to go up for a rebound if needed.
"Last shot." The ref said passing the ball. Lucy took the shot as her team mates and opposition ran forward under the ring. She kept her eye on the ball not realising that someone else was focusing on her rather than the game.
"Oomph." Lucy said feeling a knock to her shoulder as she landed backwards. She looked up to see the same girl standing over her.
"Bloody hell." Jacky Jones said from his seat.
"What the fuck." Rip said standing up.
"Hey sit down!" The guy behind him said.
"Shut up. That's my kid." He said turning around.
Lucy's teammate helped her up. "You good?"
"Yeah." Lucy said giving her a smile. "Hey! What is your problem? Take a damn chill pill would you!" She yelled out jogging past her.
This just enraged her opponent. "My problem is you." The girl said not focusing on the game. Lucy really only had eyes for the ball.
"Oi Lauren." One of the other players said. Lucy darted around her to intercept the ball as the home crowd cheered, she ran down the court as quick as she could before laying up the ball and getting a basket. The girl who they now knew to be Lauren, stomped her foot like a child making Lucy raise her eyebrows.
The ball got passed in by the opposition again as the buzzer went. Lucy looked up at the scoreboard seeing that they had won by 2 points, she couldn't help but smile. The home crowd cheered loudly for their team, the students whispering amongst themselves about the lack of sportsmanship from one player in particular.
"Damn high school basketball is wild." The cowboys said to each other, leaving the bleachers. Rip, Beth and Jacky Jones behind.
The adults caught up with the two teenagers on the court to congratulate them.
"How's your shoulder Lu?" Rip asked moving her singlet slightly to see it starting to bruise.
"I'm ok."
"What was her problem?" Jack asked.
"I dunno, but she had it out for Lucy. She said to watch out." Ella said.
Beth looked over to see the Lauren girl standing with a man she did not get along with. Malcolm Beck. "Don't worry about it. You girls go get changed." Beth told them both before they left.
Ryan and Colby were standing at the food truck waiting for food.
"Don't you two have somewhere to be?" Rip said to them both.
"Yeah, waiting for our hotdogs."
"No you dipshits. Get back to work." Rip said cutting their fun short.
Lucy and Ella came out of the change room in their casual clothes. Each saying goodbye and going off with their own families.
"Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"My shoulder kinda hurts now."
"Thought so. We'll ice it when we get home. You never met that kid?"
"Nope."
"I know who she is." Beth spoke up.
"What?" Both Rip and Lucy said at the same time.
"She's Lauren Beck. Malcolm Beck is her father. He.. he organised the attack. He's been at war with me at work."
"But how did she know me?" Lucy asked.
"I don't know baby. I don't know." Beth said, letting her own mind wander.
Rip got the bag of peas out of the fridge throwing them and a tea towel to Lucy on the couch for her shoulder, while Beth was upstairs. Lucy sat there with the ice for a while until it felt numb. She went up the stairs to see what Beth was doing.
"Mom?" She called out to no answer. Beth sat on hers and Rip's bed with her back to the door. "Mama." Lucy said going in the bedroom, the word 'mama' catching her attention.
"Are you ok?"
"Of course Luce."
Lucy looked at her skeptical. "Everyone is ok, you know." She said sitting on the bed next to her.
"I know that. It seems that keeping you safe is harder than I thought. That's nearly a full time job itself." Beth said chuckling, lying back on the bed. Lucy lay back on the bed next to Beth.
"Oh damn!" Lucy said wincing. "My shoulder. It was numb but seems the numbness from the ice wore off."
"There you both are." Rip interrupted, leaning against the doorframe.
Mother and daughter turned their heads looking at Rip upside down.
"Fair is on tonight, if you want to go?"
"Are there rides?" Lucy asked.
"Think so." Rip said.
"I'd like to go." She said.
"All right then." Beth said getting up. "I'll get changed first."
"You better feed Betty, kid." Rip told her. Lucy nodded heading for the bathroom to freshen up and change before they would drive together to the stables.
Lucy was more than happy to feed the calf by herself. Rip caught up with the cowboys who were mucking around with some of the horses in the arena. Beth had zero interest in watching the horses. She saw John walking towards her with one person she did not want to see. Jamie.
"How's Lucy after her game?" John asked.
"She's fine. Sore shoulder but fine."
"Yeah that kid roughed her up a bit."
"Who's Lucy?" Jamie asked.
"My daughter. The one you tried to get rid off." Beth spat at him.
"I did what was best for you."
"Oh Jamie, sweet little Jamie. You always thought you were doing the right thing but you only ever tried to do anything to benefit yourself."
"No Beth you're wrong."
"What so killing Rip was going to be fine with you? You were going to kill him yourself if you didn't get your way?" Beth argued.
Lucy put the empty bottle away coming out of the stable to see John with a man in a suit she didn't know and Beth arguing with him. She saw Rip walking quickly over to them.
"It was the right thing for you both. You could never look after a child. You still couldn't!" Jamie fired back.
The cowboys in the arena had gone silent, listening to the conversation.
"Jamie. Shut up." Rip said. Lucy heard the name and felt her blood turn to ice.
'So this is Jamie'. She thought making her way over. John cleared his throat to hint that Lucy was there.
"You bastard!" She said lunging for him. Rip managed to catch her before she could reach Jamie who took a step back.
"Control her. This is exactly what I meant."
"You ruined my life!" She yelled at him. "You wanted to kill my Dad if they didn't do what you and John wanted." She was fighting against Rip to get closer to Jamie who stood there.
"Kill? No one was going to be killed." John said.
Jamie swallowed hard. "You fucker Jamie. You always had to be the big dog." Beth said realising Jamie had made that up to scare them. She could see the tears in Lucy's eyes.
"You did what?" John said to Jamie.
"I did what was best, Dad."
"No Jamie. How can you not see it wasn't. Just look." John said.
In front of everyone there was a small 15 year old girl who's knees were buckling as her Dad held her. Tears were threatening to overflow the dam walls. They could all see her breaking. Rip lowered to the ground as she started to cry, Beth reaching out to wipe the tears.
"I hate him!" She cried out.
"I know Lucy." Beth told her. "I know."
Rip could feel everyone's eyes on them in the moment but didn't care. The most important thing were the two women in front of him breaking. The cowboys watched on. No one liked Jamie but there was even more reason to dislike him now.
Rip scooped Lucy up in his arms like she was no bigger than a five year old and the three went to the bunkhouse.
It was Kayce's reaction that surprised most people once the three had left. He got off the fence where he had been watching on and strolled over to Jamie before landing a right hook.
"The fuck Kayce!" Jamie said. John walked off too angry to deal with Jamie any longer.
"You are a real piece of shite. You never would have done that to Monica and I. Is Tate a problem too?"
"That's different."
"One year is the difference to when I had him. One damn year." He told him, leaving Jamie in the dirt.
"He's a real dick Mom." Lucy said sitting on the bunkhouse couch.
"He is." Beth held her like she was a baby wiping the occasional tear.
"I still wanna go to the fair."
Beth and Rip laughed. "We can still go."
"Everyone. Can't everyone go?"
Rip sighed leaning back in to the couch. "Normally I would say no but I'm going to allow it this once. Only this time."
"Thanks Dad!" She said springing up, going for the door.
"You are such a pushover Rip Wheeler." Beth told him, making her own way to the car.
Rip muttered under his breath before telling the cowboys and getting in his own truck to drive his family there.
