Beth sat on the porch each morning in the days that followed. She would prop her feet up against the railing and smoke a couple of cigarettes as Rip and the boys worked.
Laughter grabbed her attention where she turned to see Jamie Jr. and Tate chasing each other before tackling one another to the ground. She could help the bitter taste it left in her mouth.
"Hey Aunty Beth!" Tate yelled out before running towards her, Jamie Jr hot on his heels. They both stopped perfectly in front of her.
"Can we have something to eat?"
Beth raised an eyebrow.
"Please?" Jamie Jr added.
She got up and headed to the kitchen, both boys following her.
"Help yourselves." She told them waving her hand towards the pantry.
Both boys looked at each other with wide eyes before grinning and looking for sweets.
"Just don't make yourselves sick." She told them before leaving to resume her seat outside.
Jamie Jr. came back outside after 20 minutes with chocolate in the corner of his lips. He stood in front of Beth.
"What?" She asked glancing at him.
"Where is Katie?"
Beth couldn't look at him, she felt her throat constrict slightly.
"She's not here."
"Is she with her Dad? Maybe she can play later?"
Beth was pissed, not at the kids but at the entire situation. And how her bastard brother who took everything from her and tried to make her little girls life hell and now he had his kid and would dump him on Kayce and Monica.
"No. Go play with Tate, kid."
Jamie Jr looked at her puzzled before running off.
Rip walked up the gravel path towards the lodge, he saw the two boys hanging off the fences laughing. He watched them for a moment before seeing Beth sitting in the same spot her had left her that morning.
"Sweetheart, come inside." He said holding out a hand for her. She took it as he lead them to their bedroom. He wrapped her in his arms as she began to cry.
"I don't want to be bitter but I want my baby."
Rip nodded. "I know."
Katie was tired, her legs hurt and she wanted to sleep but her Uncle kept yelling at her to do. She was becoming accustomed to the familiar sting of her Uncles hand against the back of her legs when she didn't move quick enough for his liking.
The days felt never ending and he was always the worst at night. She was too scared to sleep incase something happened. The other day she had got her top caught on a broken door as she tried to run from Shane, her top now had a rip in it and the graze underneath was getting redder and more painful as the days went by.
Beth decided that afternoon she was going to drive in to town to do some work in the office, she past her Dads Yellowstone truck at his favourite diner and noticed it parked next to Jamie's car. She did not have the energy to even think about what that was right now.
She entered her office, glaring at anyone who dared try and talk to her. Her usual receptionist rushed after her, in to the office.
"Ms Dutton."
"It's Wheeler." Beth replied slamming her bag down.
"I have these notes for you."
"Leave them there and leave me alone. Close the door on your way out." Beth told her pointing to the coffee table.
She opened her laptop to begin the torturous job of going through her emails.
"Hey Dad." Jamie said sliding in to the booth at the diner. He was surprised to get a call from John asking him to meet.
"Jamie."
"What is it?" Jamie asked. "Is Jamie ok?" He asked referring to Jamie Jr at the ranch.
"I don't know. I assume Monica would have it under control." John started. "Look Jamie. There is a family issue, I don't have the full story but CPS took Katie from Beth and Rip a few weeks ago now because a biological Uncle wanted to look after her."
Jamie listened.
"Is that legal?"
Jamie paused before answering. "If it was in their adoption papers then yes. They won't be able to do anything but hope whoever this person is makes a mistake along the way."
John nodded, he slapped the table before sliding out. "If he doesn't manage it himself, he might need some help." He said before leaving.
Jamie shook his head. He followed John in to the parking lot. "You can't get involved. CPS will never give her back if they find out you've done something."
"They're family Jamie." John reminded him before getting in his truck.
Beth couldn't focus on her work. She went through the notes deciding that it could all wait. Nothing was particularly urgent. She slammed her laptop shut before leaving the office. She had a fair idea of where Gator lived and decided that she was going to pay it a little visit.
She drove out to the outskirts of town and turned down a road she would normally ignore. A dirt road lined with a few trees. Some of the paddocks had trailers on them as she passed.
She pulled over about halfway a mile down on the side of the road when she realised she had just passed Gators house and was looking no at what must have been Katie's family home. It was a rundown shack at best. She could see a beat up car parked out the front and that one of the front windows was smashed. The house undoubtedly cold. She saw no sign of Katie and absolutely no sign that a child lived there. She sat in her car and waited, watching to see if there was just the slightest bit of movement.
"Here." Lloyd said passing Rip a beer.
"Thanks." He said opening it and taking a mouthful.
The two men sat there for a while, neither sure what to say.
"If there's anything Rip..."
"There isn't. I need to make sure she's back safe with us before I go South. It will kill Beth if she isn't."
Beth kept a watch. She didn't want to go home, it felt nothing but empty with just her and Rip. She hated how quiet it was. Her breath caught in her throat when she noticed the front door swing open and a man stumble out towards the car, reaching out to stay upright. She noticed a smaller familiar figure in the door way. It was Katie. Dressed only in a pair of leggings and t shirt, barefoot. She must be cold. She saw the man wave his arms and she assumed yell something at Katie because she was quick to duck inside as he followed. She turned the car around and sped back to the ranch.
Rip could hear Beth's heels on the floorboards followed by the slam of the door. He was surprised to not find her at home when he finished for the day. She strode straight past him on the way to their bedroom before stopping and turning back to look at him.
"What is it?" He asked as soon as he saw her face.
"I saw Katie." She said. Rip said nothing before she continued. "That man is a definite bastard."