Beth woke the next morning to no Rip or Katie and their beds cold.
She wrapped her dressing gown around her going downstairs for a coffee. From the kitchen window she saw two horses one with Rip on it and behind him a smaller person. She knew instantly who it was.
"Too fucking early." She muttered before going outside.
"Remember you hold these." Rip told Katie pointing to the reins.
"I know. Can we go faster now?"
"No, Beth will not be happy. We can go in slow circles." Rip watched as Katie huffed. "We can put them away if you're going to behave like that." He warned.
"I'll be good." She said from a top her own horse.
Rip lead her around the pen before letting her control the old horse herself.
"I did it!"
"Pay attention Katie." Rip told her, he opened the gate so they could go for a longer ride together. He spotted Beth coming over in her dressing gown and boots. He wasn't sure that this was going to go down well.
"Morning Darlin'" he called out to her. She looked at him, taking another mouthful of coffee.
"What are you doing?" She finally said.
"Riding." Katie answered. Rip nodded.
"Yeah. I see that. Why is she on a horse. By herself."
"Well Beth. She lives on a ranch, she needs to ride." Rip said.
Beth said nothing but looked at him.
"Don't let your fears stop her Beth."
"It's got nothing to do with that Rip." Beth spat turning on her heel. Rip could feel his own anger rising.
Katie was watching them from the horse where she sat. "Dadda, I want off." She said softly getting Rip's attention.
"What's wrong?"
"Everyone gets so angry when I wanna ride."
"It's not anger Katie. It's not about the fact you're riding either. You can keep going." Rip told her.
She shook her head and Rip could see her starting to worry. Rip knew once Katie thought she had upset someone that was it for her.
"All right, we will walk back to the stables and then you can get off." Beth had managed to really piss Rip off as much as he tried to hide it from Katie.
He got off his own horse and helped Katie down before tying the horses up.
"Come on then, I'll take you back up there and then I'll go to work." Rip said walking in the direction of the lodge. They found Beth at the table having a coffee and her breakfast.
"I'm just dropping her back off. I'm going to work." Rip told Beth before kneeling to Katie's height.
"You did good cowgirl. I love you." He said before standing up.
"I love you too Daddy." Katie told him as he left, Beth staying silent. Katie looked at Beth and where she normally sat for breakfast before choosing to sit in the seat across from her. She lent half way across the table for some toast before eating it dry.
"What's going on kid?" Beth asked.
"You and Daddy are fighting and my old parents did that. A lot."
"Baby we aren't fighting. Your Dad just doesn't understand how I see something." Beth told her.
"But why don't you like me near horses?" Katie asked innocently. Beth sighed, she knew it would come up eventually and Katie was too smart to not notice.
"You don't have a grandmother because she died on a horse on a ride with Uncle Kayce and me when we were kids. I don't want you to get hurt near or by one." Beth told her, she wasn't sure how Katie was going to react but she didn't want to sugarcoat the truth.
She slid off her chair and went to Beth. "Do you miss your Mama?" Katie asked. It was something Beth avoided thinking about.
Beth held back a tear that threatened to fall trying to think about what to say
"I miss my other Mama." Katie said resting her head against Beth's arm. "My other Mama was tall and smart and gave good hugs."
Beth didn't know if Katie was going to continue. "But you make sure I'm always safe and make sure bad people don't come back."
Beth tried to take a deep breath holding back tears. "Katie, I'm just trying to say when you're on the horse I'm nervous but that goes away because your with your Dad and you're happy. Sometimes we will fight and that's ok because we still love each other."
"But you fight bad people lots? Do you love them?"
"No. Those bastards I'm fighting because I need to." Beth said.
"I don't get it." Katie said turning away from Beth putting her hands up in the air dramatically.
"You will one day." Beth said watching her. "Come on, you need to be dressed in warmer clothes now it's colder."
"I'm not cold."
"Yeah and I'm not a fan of this talking back." Beth told her sternly. She walked down the hallway, Katie dragging her feet behind.
Beth kept her in her jeans. Changing her in to a long sleeve top, sage green knitted jumper and vest. The jumper finished above Katie's wrists now slightly too small.
"Huh, looks like we need to go shopping." Beth said. Katie groaned throwing her head back.
"None of that." Beth said. She grabbed her handbag and took Katie's hand in her own out to the car.
Beth entered the children's clothing store with Katie holding her hand. They went to the winter jumper section and Beth picked out a few new jumpers in the next size up before turning and seeing Katie touching a navy winter coat with a hood.
Beth took it off the hanger and helped Katie put her arms in it. "Is that the one you like?"
"mmmhm. It's warm." Katie said wrapping her arms around herself.
Beth added it to the pile before taking it to the counter grabbing Katie a winter dress and new pair of tights. She paid the bill leaving the store and taking Katie further down the street.
She had never been in the store in all the years she had been living in Montana, they entered the store and Beth watched Katie's eyes bulge at all the colours.
"Can I help you at all?" A young girl asked in a cheery voice."
"I'm after some paints and stuff for my daughter." Beth said. Katie looked up grinning at the lady.
"Oh do you like to paint?" She asked Katie in a sickening voice making Beth roll her eyes.
"Yeah. I painted the bunkhouse yesterday." Katie told her proud of herself.
"Wow!" The girl said, she looked at Beth and back to Katie. "You wouldn't happen to be Dutton's would you?"
"I'm a Dutton-Wheeler!" Katie said proudly.
The girl stood a bit straighter and said "I hope Mr Dutton wins the race for Governor."
Beth smiled and nodded before the girl directed them to the paint section, leaving them be.
There were all different colours of paints and glitter paints as well as colouring books and canvasses. Beth could see out of the corner of her eye that the young girl was telling the other shop attendant who they were and they were both now watching them.
She crouched down so they couldn't be seen, to Katie's height. "No more painting on bunkhouses. If you want to paint, Dad and I will get you stuff that is ok to paint on."
Katie nodded.
"We'll pick some paints and paper and you can have one canvas ok." Beth told her.
"Thank you!" Katie said in to Beth's arms, she nearly lost her balance from where she knelt.
Katie picked out the paints she liked and a canvas Beth said she could hang in her room and a colouring book with pages you could paint on. Beth popped them on the counter and the two girls were acting star struck. Beth paid and said thank you, ready to leave.
"Mama they acted funny."
"They did baby. Let's go home."
At the ranch, Kayce was sitting on the porch. "Hey kid." He said when Beth got Katie out of the car.
"Hi Uncle Kayce." Katie said, Beth saying hello from behind as she carried everything inside. Kayce took most of the bags from her arms following her.
"We need to talk Beth."
"What did you do Kayce?" Beth said putting the bags down, shooing Katie off to play.
"I want to move off the res."
"So talk to Monica about it."
"I have. We want to move here for a while."
"Kayce, it's your home. If you want to move here then do it."
"Beth we are trying to not step on your toes with your family now."
"Dad isn't here Kayce. The lodge is big enough for us all."
Kayce sighed.
"Kayce, you're my brother but just say whatever the hell you're trying to say instead of dancing around it."
"We want to move in to your old house -"
"Ah there it is."
"Beth, Rip is running the place practically, the lodge should be yours. Hell the place is yours."
"No Kayce, I told you it will be yours."
"Beth. That changed when you had a kid. Trust me it changes everything."
Beth looked away from him. She didn't disagree. Once she thought she wanted nothing to do with the ranch, she would have given it all to him in a heartbeat but not now. Now she was fighting to make sure Katie would get it.
"I'll talk to Rip. It is his home too."
"Thank you." Kayce said standing up before leaving.
Beth found Katie in the kitchen with Gator helping make cookies.
"Mrs Dutton-Wheeler." Gator said nodding his head.
"Call me Beth, Gator."
"We make cookies." Katie said.
"I can see that, you always manage to find the mess." Beth said pouring herself a coffee. "If she's bothering you Gator let me know."
"She is fine. I don't mind." He replied.
Beth nodded. "I'll be outside then." She grabbed her own coat and sat on the porch, her mug in her hands. The snow had started to fall earlier than usual and was visible on the mountain tops. She could hear Katie's giggles inside and squeals of delight.
"What you thinking about honey?" Rip asked. Beth didn't hear him coming up the stairs, too busy in her own world. She was tired of fighting people but that was all she knew. Kayce was right, all that mattered to her before was saving the ranch for her Dad and giving it to him but now it was for Katie. She wanted to just be Katie's mom but knew she would never be just that.
"Mmm nothing." She told him.
"It doesn't look like nothing."
Beth shook her head.
"It's cold out. We should be inside." Rip said opening the door for her. He hung his hat on the hook.
"Daddy's home!" Katie said running down the hall in socks sliding to a stop. Her eyes widened when she slid, Rip catching her before she fell.
"Woah, careful. Let's not run inside ok." Katie nodded.
"That was a bit scary." She said. "Wanna see what we got today?"
He looked back at Beth who smiled before making her way to the couch. "Come on, show me then cowgirl." He let Katie lead the way to where Beth had left the bags.
Katie pulled the clothes out of the bags putting them on Rip's lap where he sat across from Beth. "Did she need these?"
"Baby, she grows like a weed." Beth said.
"I got paint too."
"Did you?" Rip said dryly, looking at Beth.
Katie pulled everything out and showed Rip. "Can I paint now?"
"I like that you asked but it's nearly dinner cowgirl. Maybe tomorrow." Rip told her.
"Oh okay." She said going over to Beth. "Can I have a cookie?"
"Half." Beth said as she ran off.
"Half Gator!" Beth yelled behind her.
"I saw Kayce's truck leaving earlier." Rip said.
"Yeah we should talk about that."
"All right." Rip said watching Katie run in to the room. "Hey! What did we agree on about running inside."
"Sorry Daddy." Katie said climbing on to the couch in to Beth's lap now preoccupied by the cookie.
"They want to move here." Rip nodded for Beth to continue. "They want the foreman's house. Our house."
Rip said nothing. "Where makes you happy to live Beth?" She looked at him, her eyes telling him she didn't know.
"Honey, if you want to move back to the foreman's house we will. If you want to stay here at the lodge we will do it. Our home is with you." Rip told her.
"I know." Beth said with a sniff. "You know I despised this house and what it meant to me for some many years but I think this is our home. This lodge is it. I want it to be her safe place."
Rip smiled. "It already is."
"Excuse me!" Katie piqued up. "Can I have my own room?"
Beth and Rip smiled at her timing knowing she probably hadn't comprehended what they were talking about. She was still in the camp bed Rip had set up weeks ago at the end of their own bed.
"Yeah cowgirl, I think we can do that." Rip said.
"Paint the walls?" Katie asked.
"We will see." Was all Beth told her.
"I can start moving stuff tomorrow for Kayce." Rip said getting up and pouring a drink. "Beth." He started with his back to her. "When is he coming home. We are nearly about to brand."
Beth sighed. "I don't know. I'll talk to him."