Beth had let Katie have a run around outside before breakfast before it got too cold in the mornings that she would be kept inside.
Beth could hear multiple cars coming down the gravel drive. She looked outside and saw multiple black SUVs with tinted windows. They pulled up and Beth watched as John got out of the backseat of one before Katie ran to him.
"Grandpa!"
"Hi Granddaughter" he greeted ruffling her hair. "You been keeping busy?"
"Yeah just working." She told him.
Summer got out of another car and approached John.
"Your Grandpa's old girlfriend." Katie said.
"Katie. She's not my girlfriend. She is going to be staying with us for a while."
"But why?"
"Now that's a good questions baby." Beth said coming up behind her. "Hello Daddy."
"Honey. Summer is my guest." John said, Beth raised an eyebrow and offered Summer a look.
"Now you're the Governor I guess that's fine." Beth said. "Come on, you need to get inside." Katie held Beth's hand as the pair went inside.
"Good to know she hasn't changed." Summer commented.
"Let's just go inside." John said leaving her standing there.
"Rip around?" John asked shaking his coat off.
"He's out working. The branding is next week." Beth said absentmindedly.
"I know. I'll be here for it." John said.
"Are you staying?" Katie asked.
"I won't miss it Katie." John said confidently. "Looks like things have changed here Beth?" He commented looking around at a fridge now covered in a child's painting and drawings. Toys strewn across the rug in the lounge.
"We've been living here Dad. Actually, Kayce, Monica and Tate moved in to the foreman's and we are going to live here." Beth told him.
"I can show you my room Grandpa?" Katie interrupted.
John nodded as Summer watched the interaction. "I'll find a different room."
"We aren't in the Master Dad. It's still your house." Beth said.
"Beth honey, it's going to be yours and Kayce's one day. Make this place your family home. Her home." John said pointing at Katie. "I'll show you your room Summer." Katie trailed behind John and Summer as he showed her to a spare room.
"Come on show me your room then!" He said letting Katie lead the way to Beth's childhood bedroom.
She showed him all of her favourite things and books as he commented at the right moments.
"All right cowgirl, that's enough." Rip said from the doorway. "Sir." He greeted John.
Katie left her Dad and Grandpa alone to find something else to do. Walking back down the hallway she stopped at the room John showed Summer.
"What do you want?" Summer asked.
"How long are you here for?" Katie asked.
"A while."
"Are you a cowgirl?" She asked excitedly.
"No. I don't hurt animals for a job or fun."
"We don't hurt them." Katie told her confused.
"Run off would you." Summer said.
"You're not very nice." Katie said leaving her alone.
Summer left her room following the sound of John's voice to find him and Rip discussing the branding. "Are you going to be here for the branding? We're short hands, I've called some people to help but we'll need everyone."
"I'll be here."
Rip turned to leave getting the answer he wanted, nodding at Summer on his way out.
"So what am I suppose to do?" Summer asked.
"Go for a walk or something. See how we live." John said standing and leaving her alone.
John sat in his favourite chair for a moment of peace before Clara walked in. John groaned. "Why are you here Clara?"
"Sir, you have three meetings today and one in the morning in Billing's."
"Clara, I'm not going. I'm about to be branding the cattle."
"We could bring the meetings here. It would be a great press opportunity."
"Fine, whatever." John said before catching Katie who jumped at him.
"Clara this is my granddaughter Katie and Katie this is Clara."
"Hello. Do you ride horses too?" Katie asked.
"I do." Clara told her. Katie smiled and sat back. Clara watched him interact with her and understood why he wanted to always be at the Ranch.
"Grandpa, is Lynelle coming? I want to see her."
"I think she's busy."
"But she's your girlfriend."
John chuckled. "She's not Katie."
"I really wanna see her Grandpa." She looked up at him with pleading eyes.
John knew he couldn't deny her much if anything. "How about we call her?" Katie nodded pleased with that.
"Clara do you have the phone? Can you call Senator Perry for me please."
Clara passed over the phone which was already ringing.
"Hello John."
"Hi Lynelle. I've got a little someone who wants to talk to you." He said passing the phone to Katie.
"Hi Lynelle. Are you coming over to play?" Katie asked.
John heard her chuckled at the other end. "Hi sweetheart. I've got to work so I can't come play."
"But Grandpa is here! And you could stay!" Katie said before John took the phone.
"Lynelle, if you want to and have time, you're always welcome. I'm here for the branding."
"Well John, it seems there is a little girl who wants to see me more than you do."
John laughed before hanging up the phone and giving it back to Clara with a thanks.
"Well Katie, should we go for a ride?" John said lifting her up.
"Uh-huh."
They passed Beth on their way out. "She needs her winter clothes on first." She said. John stopped turning around.
"Right. Jacket and gloves and scarf Katie." John said spotting them. Beth got them off a nearby chair and bundled Katie up.
"Beth honey, it's not that cold out."
"She's also four years old Dad." She snapped.
John got his horse out of the stable and the saddle. Katie called out the order of doing up the saddle to him as he did so. Summer watching from a distance. She watched as John got on the horse behind Katie and rode slowly pointing out different things to her.
"Can I help you?" A wrangler asked her.
She turned surprised. "Ah no."
"It's a beautiful place. Good to see him back." The hand commented.
"Yeah. Sure."
"You don't get all of this do you?"
"Not a single thing."
"If you want to understand, you should get to know that kid and his family." The wranglers said before leaving her to her own thoughts. John had gotten off the horse with Katie letting the horse graze as they chased each other falling over in the grass.
The cowboys rode past waving on their way, Rip and Lloyd both stopping at Katie and John. Lloyd spoke to John whilst Rip picked Katie up to take her home. Her cheeks flushed from the cold.
"Daddy I saw people standing on saddles!"
"Where?"
"On the tv. Can I try?"
"Your Mama won't like it."
"Please." She begged.
"You can stand up when we've stopped moving."
She clapped her hands excitedly. Rip pulled the horse close to the fence holding him as still as possible.
"You can stand now." He told Katie helping lift her up. He kept his hands around her incase she slipped as she held her arms out wide.
"I LOVE IT!" She squealed.
"Oh boy. Rip you're going to be asking for it." John said passing them.
"Look at me Grandpa!"
"I can see you granddaughter."
Rip sat her back down. "Now no trying that ok. Remember the rules." He got off the horse before lifting her off as she ran back to the lodge.
"'Scuse me!" Katie said loudly running through the lodge looking for Beth. She turned the corner and ran in to someone's legs bouncing backwards hitting her head on the hallway table.
Instantly cries were heard throughout the lodge. Summer took a step backwards realising what had happened. "Shit. Are you ok?" She asked kneeling down.
Katie cried harder putting her hand to her head. Beth came down the corridor still in her work clothes, "What the fuck is going on?" she said looking between Summer and Katie.
"She just ran in to me and hit her head." Summer said looking down at Katie.
Beth moved Summer out of the way crouching down to Katie's height. "Move your hand kid."
Katie held on to her hair tears still falling.
"Let me see Katie." Beth said prying Katie's away to see her hand now covered in blood. "Fuck. Get me a fucking towel." She yelled at Summer who took a second to move.
Beth put her hand over Katie's head and held her close, blood now on her hands and her blouse that Katie was gripping.
"I'm sorry I..." Summer started before passing Beth a tea towel. The back of Katie's blonde head of hair was now a dark red and sticking together. Her cries had stopped but the whimpers continued.
"Just fuck off." Beth said picking Katie up and taking her in to the kitchen. She put her on the bench taking the tea towel away to see the blood had stopped flowing. Rip happened to walk in at that exact moment.
"What the hell happened?"
"Get me a bowl of water Rip." Beth said. He moved around the island bench putting warm water in to the bowel and grabbing a clean towel.
"Let me see Beth." Rip said as Beth moved to the side. "What happened?" He asked as he tried to move her hair to see where the blood was coming from. He found a small gash at the back of her head but not deep enough to need stitches, just.
"I was running. Sorry!" She cried.
"All right then what?" Rip asked.
"And I ran and turned the corner and then ran in to Grandpa's lady and fell. But I said 'scuse me."
Beth was out of the kitchen before Rip had said anything. "Where is she!" Beth said raising her voice.
"Who Beth?" John asked.
"Your little friend Dad. Where is she?" Beth said catching a glimpse of Summer's blonde hair outside.
Beth went outside, "what the fuck is your problem?"
"My problem? Are you joking. Have a look at yourself." Summer said.
"You just knocked my kid over and her head is bleeding."
"She ran in to me. Maybe teach her not to run."
"Oh sorry yes, forgive me for my four year old running inside. How irresponsible!" Beth started.
"Lady. Your kid is not my problem." Summer said walking off. Beth was infuriated.
Inside Rip was telling Katie what he was doing as he cleaned the cut. "Ok cowgirl, it might sting but it's just warm water." She gritted her teeth as he wiped the blood away.
"I think we will have to wash your hair cowgirl."
"I don't want to."
"Too bad. I know you used your manners but we spoke about running inside yesterday. That's how these accidents happen." Rip told her.
"Sorry Daddy."
"Yeah well it's all over now." He said lifting her off the counter throwing the bloodied tea towels in the bin. "Take it easy." He told her taking her hand through to the lounge room where John was sitting.
"What happened to her?" John asked surprised seeing her head red rather than blonde.
"Ran in to that Summer of yours and cut her head open. You seen Beth?"
"Outside." Rip nodded taking Katie outside to her.
"She's all right Beth." Rip said. Beth put out her cigarette and let out a puff of smoke.
"Good. Let me look at you." Beth looked at Katie's now pale face and smiled. "I need to wash your hair baby."
"Daddy said that too."
"You better get changed too Beth." Rip said nodding at the blood on her white blouse. The trio went inside, down to their bathroom before Beth ran a bath for Katie washing her hair.
"I know it hurts but it'll hurt more if the blood dries too much." Beth told her. Beth put her in fresh pyjamas before changing in to her own fresh set of clothes.
"What a day." Rip said rubbing his brow from the armchair.
"You could say that again."