I walk into the kitchen and see Jamie talking on the phone "No, you're not running again because I got you a partnership at the largest fucking law firm in Helena. Is it a possibility, Mike? Answer my fucking question!"

I slip behind him and grab some coffee while listening to him yell at whoever was on the other end. "Morning Jamie" I whisper to him

After a few seconds of silence the person on the phone replied "Yeah, it's possible."

"Sounds like a simple case to me." Jamie looks out the window "What the fuck? Mike, I gotta go."

I look out the window to see Beth making her way to the house from the water trough out front. "What the hell" Jamie exclaims.

Beth walks into the house and heads straight for the champagne in the mini-fridge."What are you doing?" Jamie questions Beth but no reply came. Jamie runs after Beth outside and I trail behind. Jamie keeps asking her what she's doing with still no reply. A gust of wind moves Beth's robe to expose her bare behind. "Hey, hey! What the hell are you doing?" Jamie questions

Beth faces me and Jamie "You better turn around, Jamie. I'm in no mood to explain why we don't have the same pee-pee." Jamie stares at Beth with a cold face. "Suit yourself." Beth unties her robe and steps into the water trough.

"Oh God" Jamie exclaims

Beth grabs one of the champagne bottles and opens it. "I know it's a lot for you to process, Jamie. Only yesterday you were dreaming of a penis."

"Yeah, the only thing on my mind is how am I gonna clean that trough." Jamie quips

"Every now and then you say something that makes me think you're smart. And then I look at you and that thought fades."

Jamie leans down beside Beth "All right, I know what this is. It's a cry for help but nobody cares to offer any, Beth. Nobody."

" Look me in the eye and tell me what today is." She demands

"It's Thursday."

"You are so wrong." Beth grits

"No, I'm not. I'm the only sober person in this conversation and the only one with a calendar on his watch. So, yeah, it's fսcking Thursday." Jamie shouts

"It's the day our mother died." I butt in. They both turn to look at me.

"I bet he remembers," Beth says, pointing at the house. Jamie turns and walks away without another word. "You probably don't even remember her," Beth says as she takes another drink.

I look around to see if any of the cowboys were looking, which they were, took off my boots and socks, and started to unbutton my shirt "I remember her reading to me every night before bed." I shed my shirt and unbutton my pants to take those off too. "I remember having to grow up without her" I shed my pants and set them next to the rest of my clothes. "I remember after she died, Lee started taking me everywhere with him" I say as I climb into the trough.

"It's because you look like her," Beth says as she hands me the bottle. "You reminded us of her. Same eyes, same hair. Lee was the only one who could be around you after she died. After a week or so of avoiding you, we all just came down for dinner like nothing happend"

Me and Beth look over towards the house to see Governor Perry leaving. She starts to walk over to us but stops and finishes the walk to her car.

"Take the fucking reins. Eyes down." I turn to see Rip walking towards us.

"The fuck do you want?" Beth solemnly asks him

"You both need to go in the house." He demands

"The last thing I need is you telling us what we need." Beth says

Rip takes off his jacket and holds it out for her "Beth, it weren't a question. Hey. I'm the one thing you can't out-wrestle here."

"Don't bet on that." She replies to him

"All right. Come on." He says

Beth stands to get out "No. Everyone suffers today. Including you." She makes her way towards the house completely naked.

Rip watches her and as soon as she's inside he turns to me. "She hasn't been back for two weeks and she's already corrupting you."

"Hey, I at least kept my underwear on" I smirk and take a sip of the champagne. Rip rolls his eyes and leaves.

A few minutes later, Ryan comes jogging over to the trough. "I heard there was a show going on over here, just didn't think you were the star of it."

"Beth was the star of it. I'm just the closer" I joke as I get out of the trough and gather my clothes and Beth's discarded robe. He takes off his light jacket and puts it over my shoulders as we walk to the house. "Ryan, what I have on now isn't more scandalous than any swimsuit I own," I say as he opens the door for me.

"I just didn't like the way they were looking at you," He says with his arms crossed.

I shrug off his jacket and hand it to him "I can handle myself just fine" I say as I pull my jeans on.

"Think you can handle watching me kick ass at roping this afternoon?" He says changing the subject.

I put my unbuttoned shirt on and smile "I can sit on the sidelines just this once"

\

"Oh, shit! You just got beat by some women." Rip shouts at Lloyd and Ryan

"You rope like shit," Lloyd says loudly to Ryan

"Hey, I learned from the best, you're the one that missed." Ryan retorts

"Y'all rope like shit. I'm gonna take those women with me today. And y'all can just go fսcking pack it in." Rip jokes with them

Me and Beth laugh from our spot on the fence.

"Girls, can we talk for a minute?" Dad says from behind us

"Sure," I say

"Beth, I need to ask you something." He says as we all walk toward the house

"I need to ask you something first. Of all the days to have her here, why today?" Beth asks

Dad sighs "Because of all the days, today's the one... I want to forget the most."

Beth looks at me then back to Dad "What did you wanna ask me?"

"I need you to stay, Beth." He says

"I already said yes. I'm here as long as you need me." Beth turns towards the driveway to see two black suburbans pull in.

"I know. I need you to stay longer, honey. There's two open seats in the assembly. We'll pick the weakest."

She scoffs "Jamie is the politician. I have no interest."

"I know. That's why it's gotta be you."

"I will never tell you no, Daddy, but uh... gotta be honest, I'm not sure I'll withstand the vetting."

"They quit vetting politicians a long time ago, sweetheart. Let's go figure out the how."

"What about me?" I question as they go to walk away.

Dad stops and turns back towards me. "I talked with Thomas Rainwater–"

"From prison?" I interrupt

"–and I'm assuming all the cows still on the rez will be here by the end of the week. I need you to get the cowboys to set up the pens. Also, run by my office to grab the paperwork from the other ranchers so we can get the cows split up when they get here." Without another word, Dad goes to join Beth and the hoard of politicians in our driveway.

I hear hoof beats from behind me. "I'm surprised you didn't want in on the major ass-beating I got"

I turn to face Ryan "He's trying to turn me into Lee"

"What?" He jumps off his horse and comes face to face with me "Listen, it's almost quittin time so why don't you come have a few beers in the bunkhouse with us?"

I grab my keys from my pocket "Actually before you do that, can you grab the others and set up sorting pens for all the cows from the rez." I ask as I make my way to my truck

Ryan follows behind me "When will they be here?"

"Any day," I say as I climb in my truck and start it. Ryan knocks on my truck window and I roll it down. "Yes?"

"When you get done doing whatever you're going to do, stop by for those beers."

"I'll think about it," I say as I

\

A couple of hours later I found myself knocking on the bunkhouse door. After a minute without an answer, I opened the door to find the place empty.

"Ryan" I yell as I walk around the bunkhouse. As I walk by the bathroom I hear the shower shut off and the curtain draw back.

"Help yourself to whatever's in the kitchen. I'll be out in a minute." He finally replies

I head over to the fridge and grab a couple of Coors Banquets. "So where is everyone?" I yell as I head over to rummage through the pantry.

"At the Red Horse," Ryan says, startling me from behind.

I turn around to face Ryan standing there in nothing but black athletic shorts "You didn't want to join them?" I ask trying to distract myself from his bare chest, which was still damp from the shower.

He comes closer and grabs one of the beers from my hand "Don't tell them this but, I think we all spend too much time together"

I chuckle and change the conversation to a more serious note "How's Jimmy adjusting?"

"Same way we all did when we were low-man" Ryan replies as he opens his beer and takes a sip. "Did you get everything you needed from your dad's office?"

"I have a box full of papers on every rancher's missing cows that I need to compile into one list. But all I want to do is eat dinner, shower, and go to bed." I say as I rub my face.

"Why don't you take a shower while I make dinner, then we can tackle that box of papers together." Ryan offers with a smile

I lean against the pantry and ponder my options. Go to my house to eat, shower, and try to avoid all of the uptight politicians, or stay here with Ryan. "Well I would but I don't have any clothes here and there's no sense in making a trip to my house and then back here."

Ryan walks over to the fridge and opens the door "You can wear some of mine. Besides, there's a couple of steaks in the fridge with our names on it."

I smile "Well, when you put it like that I can't say no."

\

"And that's the last one," Ryan says as he sets the paper in his hand down.

"Thank God" I set my laptop down and start putting all of the papers from the coffee table back into their folder.

Ryan grabs our empty beer bottles and takes them into the kitchen "So your dad and Governor Perry… " he says as he walks back to the couch.

"Please don't ever mention those two people in the same sentence ever again," I say as Ryan sits back down next to me on the couch. "That woman is the reason I had to see my sister naked this morning"

Ryan opens his water and takes a drink "Yeah, that was the last thing I was expecting to see today"

"Me too," I say as I set my unopened water bottle on the coffee table and turn to Ryan "Since you're a lot older and wiser than me can I ask you something?" I say with a smile.

Ryan laughs "I'm sorry, 'older and wiser'? Last time I checked I was only 32…"

"I just…" I interupt "Do you think things will ever go back to normal?"

Ryan puts his hand on my knee "Honestly Clara, no. But eventually, you'll have a new normal, without Lee"

I feel tears welling in my eyes "It's hard without him."

"It'll get easier, trust me," Ryan says as he moves his free hand to my cheek to wipe a stray tear.

I gaze into his blue-grey eyes "Why do you always know just the right thing to say to make me feel a little better?"

"That's what people who are 'older and wiser' do," He says, trying to lighten the mood

I smile at him. My eyes wander to his lips then back to his eyes. Ryan moves his hand a little higher and leans a little closer. I thought about leaning in and seeing what happens but I quickly squashed that thought from my mind "I uh… I should get back to the house"

Ryan moves his hand off of my thigh "I can walk you up there"

I stand up and grab my bag from the coffee table "I mean it's not that far so don't worry about me." I ramble "Well, I'll see you tomorrow"

"Let me at least get the door for you," Ryan says as he makes his way to the door

"Thanks," I say as I reach the now opened door. Without another word I make my way up to the lodge and into my room, ignoring Jamie in the living room. I fall asleep while wondering what would've happened if I did kiss Ryan.