A few weeks later the new birth certificate arrived. Beth and Katie had moved back to the cabin the previous week and all was well. Katie's nightmares were much less frequent and she was nearly back to her normal self.

Beth decided to frame the picture and put in on the table before they all had dinner at the lodge tonight. Monica had called her earlier to let her know that Jamie was planning to come to the family dinner, Beth was pissed that he would be there but didn't want to take away from the excitement of now officially having a daughter.

Rip finished work early for that day. He couldn't wait to go home and hopefully spend some time just him and Beth. She was waiting on the porch for him when he got home, glass of wine in hand in a green dress and brown boots. Rip liked what he saw.

"Hey baby."

"You look beautiful." Giving her a kiss

"Hmm. Did you forget we are all having dinner at the lodge."

"mmhmm, we could just not go?"

"We're going tonight. Go get changed into something nice, I got you that shirt the other week. It's on the bed."

"That fancy huh?" Beth nodded.

"Hey cowgirl."

"Hi Daddy." Katie replied absentmindedly, drawing on the coffee table.

"Honey, I can't find it?" Rip yelled to Beth.

"It's on the bed. I'm getting Katie ready."

Beth dressed Katie in a light blue floral smock dress with a peter pan collar and her navy shoes. Rip could hear the familiar negotiation of Beth trying to do Katie's hair next door as he got ready. Beth walked in to their bedroom admiring Rip from behind.

"Ready?"

"I'll grab my keys and we can drive up. Why am I having to dress up."

"It's a nice change for you. No hat either." Beth thought he looked great in his new black shirt. It had small bit of embroidery across the chest, she couldn't wait to take it off tonight.

"Let's go then." Rip grabbed her hand and they met Katie downstairs. Katie twirled in her dress showing Rip before they drove up to the lodge. Rip's hands tightened on the wheel when Beth told him quietly that Jamie may show up. She didn't want Katie to overhear her and be anxious before they got there.

"Wine, beer or whisky darlin'?"

"I'll have a beer thanks baby."

"Me too!"

"I don't think so cowgirl."

"You can have milk baby, I'll get Daddy to put it in a glass but you'll have to sit down to drink it." Rip gave Katie the glass after telling her to sit with Beth, not wanting her to break it.

"You lot look nicer than the rest of us. Any reason?" Kayce was surprised to see Rip in anything other than his work clothes. He didn't know he owned other clothes.

"Doin' as I'm told Kayce." Kayce nodded knowingly.

"Tate, I told you not to run. Sorry, hello everyone." Monica seemed frazzled entering the room behind Tate. Rip passed the cold beer to Monica that was meant for Beth thinking she needed it more.

"Thanks Rip." Monica looked at the three of them. "You lot look nice. Did we miss something?"

"Not at all. Just wanted these two to not be covered in dirt for once." Rip rolled his eyes at Beth's comment.

"Maybe you can convince my two." Monica laughed. "Let me take a photo of you three." Rip sat with Katie on his knee and put his arm round Beth whilst Monica took the photo on Beth's phone.

The kids were playing whilst the parents and John sat around watching.

"Hello everyone." Beth instinctively stiffened hearing the voice and Rip put a hand on her knee.

"Jamie, nice of you to come. Who have you brought?" Hearing this Beth turned around and saw Jamie had Christina on his arm, his old campaign manager. They both approached the family. Katie dropped what she was playing with when she saw him and headed towards Rip.

"You're ok, Mama and I are here." Rip whispered to her. She had a hand on each of their knees before Rip picked her up and put her on his lap. Kayce had heard what Jamie did to Katie and in turn what Rip had done to him. Kayce nodded at Tate to come over to him.

"This is Christina. My partner and future mother to my child." Beth nearly spat out her drink.

"I'm sorry what?"

"You heard me Beth. I see you've still got your fake spawn. Still playing happy families too." Rip could feel the anger coming from Beth, he grabbed her hand before she could do or say anything.

"Jamie, you better watch yourself. That's my kid and fiancé you're insulting, so that means you're insulting me. Remember how that worked out last time." Rip was standing by this point facing Jamie. Rip stuck out his hand to Christina. "Nice to meet you." She shook it with a look of fear in her eyes.

"Ah right, well I think dinner is ready." John moved towards the dining table. Gator had prepared a roast for them all and in the middle was the birth certificate framed.

"It says.. 'Birth certificate. Name Katie Bethany Dutton-Walker –'" Tate read out loud.

"Oh congratulations! I'm so happy for you both." Monica gave them a hug each. Kayce and John shook Rip's hand and gave Beth a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, we wanted to tell you but thought we would make it a surprise. Rip didn't even know the certificate had arrived."

"That's me!"

"Yep, you're a Dutton officially now Granddaughter."

Everyone sat down for dinner, the kids between their parents. Beth to John's right, Kayce to the left. Jamie and Christina opted to sit at the other end of the table, leaving a seat between Monica and Jamie empty. Rip tried to serve Katie dinner on her plate, but her stubbornness and independence meant that Rip took on more a supervisory role guiding her hands using the tongs.

"I do it myself."

"Tate was just like that at her age." Monica and Beth laughed.

"She's starting to push us away to do things herself more and more lately." Beth watched Katie struggle with the heavier dining cutlery before getting up to get a smaller knife and fork for her from the kitchen.

Noticing Beth had left the room, Jamie decided to speak up. "Seems like my father and now my sister have trapped you Rip."

Rip knew he was being baited by Jamie but couldn't stop himself from saying something. "The fuck is your problem Jamie? You waltz in here as if your shit doesn't stink and throw insults around this table. You're a weak man. You choose to leave every single time it gets tough so don't walk in here and try to insult me and my family."

"Jamie, son. I think that's enough. Stop trying to cause an argument." John shook his head frustrated. Everyone was quiet when Beth came back in.

"What's goin' on now?" She passed Katie the cutlery.

"Thanks Mama."

"Well, anyone care to share?"

"Nothin' sweetheart, enjoy your dinner." John was the only one to answer. Rip reached behind Katie and squeezed Beth's shoulder.

"We're going." Christina was the one who spoke. Jamie got out of his chair.

"Sit down and finish your meal." John told them leaving no room for discussion. The rest of dinner was finished in silence.

"Can I leave the table Grandpa?" Tate asked breaking the silence.

"You can."

"Me too? Please?" Rip replied before John could or Katie got down from her hair.

"A few more bites first." Katie went to groan but saw the look Rip was giving her and thought otherwise.

"All done!" Katie opened her mouth showing Rip she had finished.

"Go on then."

"Don't you teach her manners?" Jamie snarled at them.

"Brother. Give it a rest would you." Kayce was sick of Jamie's jabs at Beth and Rip.

"Don't worry little brother, I can handle him." Beth turned to look at Jamie down the other end of the table. She got out of her chair and sat in the seat between him and Monica.
"I'm going to check on the kids" Monica excused herself from the table.

"You know Jamie, you sure do love judging a three year old child. Why is that? Oh that's right, it's because you know she will be more valuable to this family than you could ever be. Do you enjoy trying to scare a child in some sick twisted way? Jamie, I promise you this, that, that child of mine will grow up to know exactly the kind of man you are and like you've been told and experienced once already, you know what will happen if you try to hurt her in any way." Beth had grabbed a knife off the table whilst she was talking and stabbed him under the table with it causing him to jump up. Christina gasped.

"You didn't know? He has celiac disease." Jamie left the room with Christina running after him.

"What did you just do Beth?" John asked.

"Protecting my family like you taught me Daddy." Jamie's tires could be heard speeding off.

The kids appeared in the doorway, Tate nudged Katie telling her to ask. Katie looked nervous.

"What is it granddaughter?"

"Umm…" Katie looked to Beth who nodded that it was ok. "Can we please have some cake?"

John laughed. "You can."

"And Tate?"

"Tate is a big boy, he can ask himself." John told them. Tate looked at Kayce who shrugged his shoulders.

"Can I please have some too."

"Yes grandson. Next time ask for yourself if you want something."

"Yes sir." Tate told Katie to follow him to get the cake from the kitchen.

"Bring it to the table to eat Tate and Katie." Monica called after them. Katie was first to come back carefully carrying her plate giving it her full attention. Tate came rushing after her accidentally knocking her arm causing her to drop the plate and trip on the rug.

"Sorry Katie! I didn't mean to knock you." Tate looked at his parents and then John worriedly. John waved it off telling him accidents happen. Monica bent down to help Katie up and pick up the broken plate.

"It's all right, no one is mad." Monica rubbed Katie's back. "How about I help you get some more." Monica took Katie's hand in hers to the kitchen to help her get another piece.

"I can carry it." Monica let her carry the plate watching closely as she got to the table to sit between Beth and Rip.

"Look at my knee Daddy." Rip saw Katie had a decent carpet burn on her knee from where she had fallen over.

"You're very brave." Katie distracted by the cake consumed it quickly, her face covered in icing. She tried to squirm away when Beth wiped her face clean.

"I see Katie's birthday is in a few weeks. Anything planned?" John asked as he poured himself a drink.

Rip and Beth had discussed a small party at the ranch just with family and the wranglers but nothing finalised yet.

"Not yet Daddy. We've got time yet."

Kayce and Tate were wrestling on the ground and Katie occasionally jumping on Kayce who feigned pain. The sugar had well and truly kicked in. Rip got up and picked Katie up, throwing her in the air and catching her. "Again! Again!" She giggled.

Rip continued for another ten minutes before Beth interrupted them.

"All right. You'll make her sick Rip."

"She's fine, she's having a great time." He caught her one last time before putting her on the ground. Beth noticed the colour draining out of her face, reaching for a now empty salad bowl.

"I don't feel good –" Beth managed to get the bowl in front of her before she threw up. Rubbing her back as the tears came.

"Shhh, it's all right." Beth wiped her face before throwing the vomit down the toilet.

"Now I feel a bit bad."

"This has been an eventful night." John said as he sat down.

"I think we might get ready to leave. Tate has school tomorrow." Monica gathered her coat and put Tate's on. Kayce grabbed his keys.

"Same here, I think I'm going to be on spew duty tonight after that." John chuckled at Rip knowing he probably wasn't wrong. Rip picked up their jackets and the certificate as Beth carried Katie to the truck.

John waved goodbye as they drove back to the cabin.

"You're on spew duty Rip."

"I know, honey." Beth got Katie changed and put her to bed before they both went to their room.

"You know, how good that dress looks on you."

"I know." Beth said taking it off, moving around the bed kissing Rip. It was cut short by Katie throwing up and calling for Beth. Rip groaned, getting up to see if she was ok.

"What's wrong cowgirl."

"I feel sick." Rip noticed she had missed the bucket and was wearing most of her vomit.

"Beth! Can you come in here." Rip called out, "you're going to need a bath cowgirl." Fresh tears filled her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Rip moved so Beth could see her now vomit filled pyjama top.

"She doesn't want a bath."

"You have to baby."

"Please." Beth was too tired to negotiate with her stubborn three year old, Rip was busy cleaning up the floor and bucket.

"Ok, a shower then." Beth pulled off the dirty pyjamas giving them to Rip and took her to the en-suite, learning from last time, she got in the shower with her.

"All clean darlin'. I've put pyjamas for her outside the door." Rip called through to the en-suite. Beth dressed her in clean summer pyjamas before putting her in their bed. Rip looked at Beth confused, hoping to go back to what they started.

Beth shrugged. "She's going to be back in here in a few hours anyway." Rip put a sippy cup of water on the bedside table. Katie snuggled in to Beth's side leaving Rip on the outer.