Rip and Beth lay in bed together the next morning before they heard Katie's footsteps and would have to get up.

"When are you leaving?" Beth asked.

"A few days. We are just going to load the trucks up and then I will be off."

"Who's going?"

"Ryan, Teeter, Walker and Jake." Rip told her.

She nodded. "I know I said we would move there but I don't think we can."

"I know Beth."

"I've got to deal with Jamie. We'll visit every week." Beth said.

"Baby, let other people fight him. Focus on us. On Katie. On you, your happiness." He told her, pulling her in close.

"I haven't heard her yet. I'm going to check." Beth said looking at the clock. She went down to Katie's room finding her still asleep. She sat on the edge of the bed, watching her for a moment.

She gently shook her shoulder. Katie groaned before rolling over and cuddling her toy horse that she first picked out with Beth.

"Hey, come on." Beth said shaking her shoulder again. Katie opened her eyes before stretching.

"Time to get up Katie." Beth said pulling the covers back.

"First time I've seen her like that. Wonder if that's what she'll be like as a teenager. You sure were." Rip said from the doorway.

"Daddy!" Katie said excitedly getting out of bed. "Let's go ride my horse."

"Cowgirl. You need to get changed out of your pyjamas."

"Yeah but we can still ride." Katie said looking up at him hopeful.

"She's definitely yours." Beth said leaving him to negotiate with their stubborn kid. She could hear the frustration coming out in Rip's voice as he negotiated with her.

Both came in to the kitchen after ten minutes, Katie still in her farm yard animal pyjamas.

"Guess she won." Beth said.

"I know better than to argue with you both." He said grabbing both his and Katie's hats.

"Hey! Put a jacket on her." Beth yelled after them both. Rip turned around grabbing Katie's jacket off the bench wordlessly. She sat on the porch smoking a cigarette, John sat at the other end of the porch neither talking.

Beth watched from where she was sat as Katie climbed to the top of the fence to get on her horse after Rip saddled her. He watched out of the corner of his eye, warning her to be careful as he saddled his own horse.

"I got it." Katie told him as she tried to put a leg on her horse before jumping.

"Oi!" Rip said catching her. "What the hell are you doing?" Katie looked at him half on her stomach and pulling herself upright.

"Don't do that." Rip told her, helping put her feet in the stirrups.

He got on his own horse giving out instructions to the rest of the wranglers before they all went out towards the trees.

"Jamie is coming Beth, with his boy." John said from the other end of the porch.

"What the fuck Dad. Really."

"I want to get to know his boy."

"No Dad, you're going down a dangerous path and Jamie will fuck you and the ranch over and use his boy to get to you."

"Christ Beth. He's not trying to use the boy."

Beth wrapped her dressing gown around herself tighter. She watched as Rip and Katie came from the field up towards her, overhearing their conversation.

"If you go, will Mama ride with me?"

"I don't know but Lloyd and Uncle Kayce will be here."

"But they're not you Daddy."

Rip was glad they were near Beth knowing she would be a welcome distraction for them both. She was leaning on the porch railing as they got closer.

Katie stopped her horse calling out to Beth. "Watch this!" She let go of the reins, balancing carefully before popping up and standing on the saddle. Rip was furious only knowing what trouble he was about to be in.

"Katie Dutton-Wheeler. You sit down on that horse right now." Beth said slowly and sternly.

"But it's safe Mama."

"Katie. Don't make me say it twice." Beth said louder.

Rip got off his horse and moved to Katie's, lifting her off the saddle before she could realise.

"But Dad!" She whined.

Rip got down to her height slowly. "No. I told you to not to do that." He started as Katie looked away. He closed his eyes frustrated. "Go to your mother."

Katie trudged up the stairs undoing her coat and taking it off. She went to drop it on the chair before catching the look from Beth.

"Inside."

She knew better than to pull a face but slumped her shoulders and went inside to the couch. Beth following closely behind.

Beth sat on the coffee table with her legs crossed, pointing at the couch for Katie to sit. She sat on it, her legs dangling off it, arms crossed and frowning.

"That was dangerous Katie. So reckless. You could have fallen and hurt yourself. What were you thinking." Beth said getting more and more worked up.

"I was having fun."

"Katie, that behaviour is not on." Beth said right as Rip walked in. Beth looked at him, standing up. "You deal with it." She said pointing to the couch where Katie sat behind her.

"Beth -."

"No. Don't Beth me. That was stupid and you know it."

Rip grimaced as she left. Katie looked at him sideways as he looked at her. He sighed sitting where Beth had just been sitting.

"Well kid, that was not a good idea."

"Uh-huh." She said nodding her head. "Mama is not happy."

"Darlin' sometimes we've just got to think about how it's going to make her feel. She doesn't want to see you get hurt. That was something you knew better than to do and you did it anyway."

Katie sighed. "But I am a good rider. You say that."

"You are, but even good riders hurt themselves."

"I guess I should say sorry."

"I think we both need to. You go to your room and pick out some clothes to wear and I'll talk to her." Rip told her watching as she went down the hallway.

He found Beth in John's study alone pouring a drink.

"Bit early isn't it?"

"Are you fucking kidding. Our kid just stood on the back of a horse and you don't think that's a problem?" She said throwing one back.

"Darlin', I get it. I spoke to her. She knows she hurt you."

"Baby, she didn't hurt me." Beth said tiredly. "She scared the shite out of me."

Rip chucked. "Beth, that kid is a sucker for a risk. Exactly like you. She thrives on it."

Beth glared at him. "I never did shite like that on those fucking things."

"Maybe not, but you got up to plenty of other shite Darlin'. I'm going to work. Be kind to you and her." He said kissing her forehead. He stopped by Katie's room to check on her as she pulled her boots on.

"Be good cowgirl." He said before leaving.

Katie pulled out her pencils and paper in her room drawing a picture before going to find Beth. She found her in the lounge room sitting in the chair with her laptop.

"Mama.." she said cautiously unsure what reaction she would get from Beth.

"Yes baby." Beth said absentmindedly. "What is it?" She said after realising Katie wasn't going to say anything further. Beth shut her laptop, putting it to the side.

Katie stuck out the paper in to Beth's lap. "I wanted to make you proud of me on the horse. Sorry I didn't."

Beth looked at the drawing of what she knew was meant to be her, Rip and Katie holding hands on the ground and two horses in the distance. Above their heads was a big love heart.

"Katie. I am proud of you, you're so like me it's frightening. You just scare me when you do things like that but you'll learn."

"So I'm not in trouble?" She asked with a small smile on her lips.

"No you are. But you know I love you." Beth said. She knew it wasn't that often that she told Katie she loved her and wasn't sure how she would react.

Katie beamed and quickly scrambled on to the couch. "I love you too." Hugging Beth's neck.

"Oomph! I guess I should tell you that more often." Beth said more so to herself.

"Can I have the water?" Katie asked reaching for the glass on the coffee table.

"No. That's not for little girls." Beth said knocking the rest back. "I'll get you some." She said leading Katie in to the kitchen.

John walked in to the kitchen at that moment. "Hi Granddaughter, why you frowning?"

"I'm in trouble."

"What did you do?"

"Stood on the horse saddle."

"Hmm." He said. "Jamie's going to be here soon." He told Beth.

"You're asking for trouble Dad." Beth told him. He shook his head not wanting to argue with her and left.

"What are we doing today Mama?" Katie asked.

Beth quickly checked the weather on her phone to see if the rain and cold would stay away.

"You can do some painting at the counter if you want while I work. Do you want to do that?" Beth offered. Beth always thought that if anyone from her professional career or life away from the ranch saw her with her family they wouldn't believe it was her and sometimes neither did she.

"Can I do the big one?" Katie asked referring to the canvas they had previously bought. Beth nodded pulling out old newspaper to line the counter and the paints. The canvas had an outline of mountains and typical farm yard animals for Katie to paint.

Beth set herself up on the other side of the bench and got to work making her Dad that multi million dollar deal she promised.

Beth would glance up occasionally making sure paint hadn't gone everywhere. She noticed that for a small kid, Katie had managed to stay in most of the lines of the animals.

"Baby, do you want me to help you make different colours?" Beth said going and sitting next to her. She mixed different colours explaining how it would change and then she would have more options. Katie grinned before putting a brush in each hand and using it. Beth had not seen her use her left hand to paint or draw before, just assuming she would be right handed.

Twenty minutes later Katie had, had enough, climbing from the chair, to the lounge to play with her other toys. Beth engrossed in her own work, let her go for a little bit more piece and quiet.

Beth heard the gravel under someone's tires before Katie let her know someone had arrived. She shut her laptop and cleaned up the paint. Katie stood in the doorway telling her that Jamie was here.

"I know. Come on." She said going down the hallway, Katie following as she put her things away. Beth checked the weather and saw it was only going to get colder.

Beth grabbed her own big winter jacket and Katie's before getting in the car.

"Where we going?" Katie asked from her car seat.

"Bozeman."

"But why?"

Beth was dropping some things off at the office but wanted to get off the Ranch and out of the lodge whilst Jamie was there.

"We're going to the office."

"It's boring there."

"Too bad. You can't go with Daddy." Beth explained.

Beth walked in to the office, Katie bundled up in winter clothes behind her.

"Miss Dutton. I didn't expect you." Her assistant said. "And smaller Dutton."

"Dutton-Wheeler." Katie corrected, making Beth smirk. Her assistant was not a fan of children, particularly her child. Katie knew her assistant didn't like her and occasionally would play childish pranks and try and scare her.

The assistant rolled her eyes, Beth was about to comment before Katie asked for water. Beth reached in her bag passing the small pink water bottle to her.

"Don't wander to far Katie and don't annoy anyone." Beth told her before sitting down to sign some documents.

Katie wandered out of Beth office, seeing if there was anyone she knew was around. The building security guard stopped and spoke to her at her level before going about his way.

She couldn't find anyone that she knew to talk to other than the receptionist that she didn't like. She noticed the receptionist was giggling a lot on the phone and talking in a high pitched voice. She approached and asked what she doing before being swatted away by her.

Beth could tell Katie's patience was running thin and soon all hell would likely break loose. She called out for Katie who stood in the doorway.

"Baby I'm almost done. I need to make one call and then we will go."

"'kay Mama." She said turning on her heel. She went back to the assistant. She noticed she had just gotten herself a coffee. Katie crept around to the back of the desk without being noticed. She waited until the receptionist was about to take a second mouthful of coffee before jumping up and roaring as loud as she could like a bear.

"YOU LITTLE SHITE!" She yelled, jumping up as hot coffee went over her clothes. "What the fuck is your problem?" She growled at Katie pointing her finger.

"What the fuck is going on?" Beth said coming out of her office, phone still in hand.

Katie looked between Beth and the receptionist with a little smirk.

"The kid scared me on purpose to make me spill the coffee all over myself. I'm sorry Miss Dutton but that kid is a nightmare."

Beth nodded slowly. "Yep. So you see, that nightmare is mine. You're right though that she is a kid." She took a few steps closer to the receptionist, "The thing is though, you've got no right to swear at her. If you think you're better than that. There is the door." Beth finished.

Normally she would have just fired them but she was feeling generous. "And you." She said to Katie. "Get your water bottle we're going."

Katie ran to Beth's office to grab her things before pulling a face at the receptionist who did the same in return behind Beth's back.

"I know what you did." She said before closing the door. The receptionist blushed but said nothing.

"Am I a nightmare?" Katie asked when Beth unlocked the car.

"No."

"You said I was your nightmare."

"I did. It's just a phrase baby."

"Where are we going? I'm hungry."

"All right. We'll eat at the next stop." Beth said closing the door. She drove to the local museum, somewhere both had never been before.

Katie marvelled at the t-rex statue in front of the building. "Woah. What is this place."

Beth smiled, taking her hand inside. She bought some fruit and a sandwich sitting at a table to eat. Katie wriggled on her seat trying tosee around Beth at the displays.

"Hey. You said you were hungry. Sit still." Beth told her.

Katie sighed putting a piece of cut up fruit in her mouth before swelling and telling Beth she had finished.

Beth rolled her eyes. "You're not but you've got ant in your pants. Come on then."

Katie sprung out of her seat, ready to run off before thinking twice and waiting for Beth.

"You can walk ahead but not too far." Beth told her, letting Katie skip off ahead, still within eyesight. They stopped at each of the exhibits, Beth reading the information where necessary to Katie.

The dinosaur exhibit was Katie's favourite. Gasping in delight. There were a few other young families enjoying the exhibit also. Beth hung back near the other parents to let the kids get up close to the display.

"Only boys can like dinosaurs." One boy said looking over at Katie. She didn't realise he was speaking to her.

"I'm talking to you!" He said tapping her shoulder.

Beth watched their interaction to see how Katie would respond, she glanced at the other parents to see if anyone was paying attention to the boy.

"I didn't hear you." She told him.

"I said girls can't like dinosaurs. They're only for boys. Go away."

"No. I can like them too." She told him.

"No you can't."

"Who made you the boss. You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do, so run off." She told him firmly. The boy stepped back confused before turning on his heel. Katie moved to the next display, Beth following behind.

"Do you like the dinosaur's Mama?"

"Yeah baby. Grandpa and Tate found one once." Beth told her, Katie's eyes widened at the new information.

"Awesome."

Beth strolled a few paces behind Katie letting her explore at her own pace. A jungle gym in the centre of the museum caught Katie's attention, Beth sat down while she got more energy out of her system.

Beth felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up to see a lady looking down at her.

"Sorry. But I think your daughter is about to jump from the top." She said pointing up to the top of the equipment. "I think she's yours? She looks like you."

Beth looked over to see Katie looking down to the ground from the highest platform. "Oh fucks sake." Beth said. "Yeah thanks. She is mine."

The lady chuckled. "My kids are the same, although a little older now."

Beth smiled and stood up, noticing the lady's three kids stood off to the side. The eldest of the three playing on their phone while the two younger ones bickered.

"She's a handful." She said to the lady before turning to Katie. "Hey! Don't even think about it." She called out to Katie.

Katie looked over at her thinking, Beth could tell she was trying to weigh up whether the trouble she would be in was worth it.

"I've seen that look on my own kids faces." The lady commented making Beth chuckle.

"I'd like to say the risk-taking behaviour is her Father but it's all me." Beth told her before waving goodbye. "Katie Bethany, do not jump from there." She said slowly.

"I'll be fine Mama." Katie told her matter-of-factly.

"That's twice now. Don't make it a third time. Climb down now." Beth said getting frustrated and knowing that Katie could tell. She could feel other parents eyes on her, judging her. She wasn't use to being around other parents or having them judge the way she dealt with Katie as they usually spent time on the ranch of as a family of three together.

Katie put her other foot back on the platform, taking a half step back. Beth turned and looked at some of the other parents who all had eyes on her.

"Is there a problem?" She snapped. The adults immediately averted their eyes. She watched Katie slide down to a lower platform before jumping from around the same height as her old cubby house before going to Beth.

"You are going to be the death of me kid."

Katie looked up at Beth somewhat sheepishly. "But I do it at home with Daddy." She said holding her arms to out Beth.

Beth easily picked her up. "Oh yeah, I'm sure Daddy lets you get away with a lot. Come on, it's home time." Beth carried Katie in her arms as she rest her head on her shoulder.

"Wow, some parenting. Not even going to tell her off properly." One lady commented as they walked past, making Beth bristle before stopping.

"What the fuck did you say?"

The lady dressed like an out of towner turned to Beth, looking her up and down in her work clothes and heels. The lady's son standing nearby, a boy that Beth recognised from earlier.

"You heard me. Not even going to discipline her for not listening to you the first time. She's going to end up being a trouble maker."

Beth narrowed her eyes. "Listen here lady. Clearly you're not from around here, thinking that you have a right to judge me and my child. Let me give you a hot tip, considering you're happy to hand out parenting advice. You should watch your own brat because the way he talks to others, clearly he's been around some judgemental people."

"Hmm clearly you don't know what you're doing." The lady said.

"Oh go fuck yourself." Beth said before leaving.

"Mama, are you mad?" Katie asked innocently.

"No, kid. Not at you." Beth said before reversing out of the car park. "What did you say to the boy about dinosaurs earlier?"

"He said I couldn't like them because I'm a girl. But he's wrong. I can like them if I wanna, right Mama?"

"Yeah baby. Don't let other people tell you what you can and can't do. Especially boys." Beth said.

"What about you and Daddy?"

"Ok. Not everyone then. You listen to Daddy and me." She told her looking in the rear view mirror.

Beth parked the car at the lodge, glad to see Jamie's car gone.

"Is Dad home?"

"Go inside and see." Beth said letting her out of the car. Katie knew to always check around the porch first because that was where Rip would always wait for them at the end of the day. Unsurprisingly there he was as she leapt in to his arm telling him all about her day.

'..and I scared Mama's receptionist and she spilt coffee EVERYWHERE! and then we had food and saw dinosaurs and a boy told me I can't like them because I'm a girl but he's wrong and then a Mama told a lady to go fuck herself." Rip raised his eyebrows at the last bit as Beth found them both.

"Hi Darlin', did you swear at a lady today?" Rip asked.

"God, which one?"

"The one in front of our daughter?"

Beth looked at Katie. "Baby, don't you use those words." She said before telling Rip what happened.

"... I don't want to be judged by people for how we choose to raise her. She's a fucking great kid. It was just the last straw. My receptionist called her a nightmare today too after she played a childish prank. Wasn't Katie's fault she spilt the coffee on herself." Beth said getting annoyed again.

"She is darlin'." He said holding her hand. "No one could do a better job with a kid like her. But maybe we should stop her playing pranks on that receptionist of yours, I'm not sure she'll last any longer."

Beth rolled her eyes. "The kid should be the least of her worries working for me."

"Let me get you a drink." Rip said getting up and stretching before calling Katie inside.

"Hmm you know exactly what I need." Beth said kissing him.