"Thanks for bringing me back." Lucy said to John quietly.
"Don't mention it. Do you need anything?" John asked as they got out of the Yellowstone truck.
"Nah. I'm gonna go find my Dad."
John watched as she walked away with her backpack on towards the bunkhouse.
Lucy was exhausted after the day, she wanted to find her Dad to see if he would take her out riding. She turned the corner to the bunkhouse to find the new hand, Fred fighting someone else that she didn't know. Ryan and Colby were there telling him to cut the shit but he wasn't listening. Her Dad had said Ryan and Colby were always around the fights but never involved so he couldn't get angry at them.
Rip had warned her to stay away from Fred and that he didn't think he was a good man. She watched as Fred picked up the other guy and slammed him in to the dirt before kicking him. Lucy winced in sympathy knowing that would have hurt. She couldn't look away, watching as the other man kept getting up to swing at him.
Suddenly she saw someone else come in and pick Fred up before giving him a taste of his own medicine and slamming him in to the ground before picking him up again.
Ryan and Colby grabbed the other man out of the way.
"You want to fight anyone Fred, you come fight me! I'll fight you all day, all night. There's no fighting on this ranch, you hear me!" Rip yelled shoving him against the barn.
He let him go, leaving Fred to catch his breath before going back to the bunkhouse. Rip turned and saw Lucy standing there.
"Lucy, did you see everything?"
She nodded not saying anything, he touched her arm turning her around.
"Why did they fight?" Lucy asked looking back.
"I don't know Lu, but there's not fighting on this ranch. I want you to stay away from Fred."
"Ok." Lucy said still looking back.
"Not just 'ok' Lucy, I mean it."
"Dad I will."
"Good, come here anyway." He said pulling her in to his side as they walked back home. "Why are you home early? Does Beth know?"
"John brought me home. Mom doesn't know, is she home?"
"She went to the office and was going to stay until you got back from the trip, to pick you up. Did something happen?"
"Uh huh. But it's fine, I'll wait til Mom is home and then tell you both."
"I don't like the sound of this. You better call Beth and let her know where you are."
"Can you? Please?" Lucy asked.
Rip shook his head at her before hitting Beth's name in his phone.
She picked up on the third ring. "Hey baby."
"Hi Sweetheart. I'm just letting you know Lucy is with me."
"Why? The school didn't call me?"
"Your father brought her home, I think?" He said looking at Lucy who nodded.
"Well do you know why? Something must have happened? What did Jamie do!"
"I don't know Beth. She wants to wait until you're home." Rip explained walking out of Lucy's earshot. "I'm not pushing it but she seems ok."
"If he's done something to her..."
"I know Beth." Rip said interrupting her.
"I'll see you soon." She said, hanging up before he could reply.
"Lu, don't be surprised if she's here in an hour." Rip told her. Lucy nodded not saying anything.
"You gonna tell Mom you fought Fred?" Lucy asked changing the subject.
"Why would I need to do that?"
Lucy shrugged. "Why is everyone fighting lately anyway?"
"Buckle bunnies was the reason the other night. And that Fred, Lu, he's not a good man. He comes anywhere near your Mama or you, you get me."
"But what's his problem?"
"I don't know Lucy. He's just an angry man."
"Is Lloyd in trouble?"
"Lucy, that's not for you to worry about. It's been dealt with."
She knew she wasn't going to get any further with pushing Rip. She ran up stairs to drop her bag off in her room. She walked over her dirty clothes on the floor, kicking them out of her way.
"You'll have to come down to the pen Lu." Rip said coming up the stairs. He stuck his head around the doorframe, seeing the mess.
"What the hell is this." Lucy turned hearing his tone change. "You better clean this up. Right now."
Lucy nodded. "You've got ten minutes." He told her before going to sit in his chair downstairs.
Lucy picked up the clothes from the floor chucking the dirty ones in her washing basket by the door and making her bed. She tidied the papers on her desk before going downstairs.
"Let's go." Rip said hearing her footsteps coming down to the living area. The pair walked back in silence to the bunkhouse and pen. "I'm gonna ask one more time before Beth gets back. Do you want to tell me why you're home early?"
"I want to wait for Mom." She said with certainty in her voice.
"You can tell me anything Lucy." Rip told her. He knew his relationship with Lucy was different to hers and Beth's but he wanted her to talk to him as well.
"Uh huh." She said climbing up the rungs of the pen fence.
"Don't do anything stupid, I'll be back later." He told her slapping the fence before going back to work.
She jumped in to the empty pen, wandering around until she heard someone clear their throat.
"Mind if I join you?"
Lucy shook her head as John jumped over the fence.
"So, what happened earlier?" John asked with his hands in his pockets kicking some of the dirt.
"I don't even know! He just grabbed me when I said I didn't want to talk to him."
John sat down in the dirt, thinking what to say.
"But I don't even know the guy and he hates me. I didn't ask for this! Any of this!" Lucy said throwing her arms up in the air. She spun on her heel to look at John.
"Hate is a strong word, but you are right you didn't ask for this and his behaviour is inappropriate." John tried. He turned hearing Beth's wheels coming down the gravel, stopping outside the lodge.
"He's never gonna quit! Why can't he leave me alone? No one seems to answer that one!"
"Anyone want to tell me what's going on?" Beth asked leaning against the fence behind John. Lucy looked up at Beth, her cheeks flushed.
"I'll leave you to it. I've got questions that need answers." John said leaving the pen through the gate as Beth entered. He passed Rip on his way back to the lodge.
"Luce, what's going on?" Beth asked.
"I'm ok."
Beth scoffed. "If by ok you mean yelling about I don't even know what yet and coming home early from an excursion with my Dad then sure, you're just fine."
Lucy looked up at Beth meeting her eyes after her dry response. Rip closed the gate behind him.
"Everything is always fine until Jamie comes around." Lucy said sitting in the dirt, her back resting against the fence.
"What did he do?" Rip asked, standing across from Beth.
"It's really not that bad, John stopped whatever it might have become anyway."
"That offers neither of us any comfort Lucy." Rip sighed. He knew she was skirting around telling them the truth.
"Fine. It was actually cool like the building and the paintings were impressive. And then I met Lynelle, she spoke to everyone." Beth looked at Rip, waiting for Lucy to get to the part that they wanted to hear about the most.
"Then we went through to another room and Jamie was there and like did a talk about I don't even know what. Ella and I were at the back of the group and I was trying to not be noticed. Didn't work anyway, he saw me and then when we were leaving he stopped me 'to have a word'." She said holding her hands up to make air quotes.
"I said no, because I didn't want to. I don't have to if I don't want to." She said looking between Beth and Rip to gauge their reaction.
"We can discuss that later." Rip said, indicating for her to continue.
"Fine. He pushed it anyway and said the teacher had said he could. Ella stayed but I told her to go ahead and that I'd catch up. He said some weird stuff and then I tried to walk away after asking what he wanted but he grabbed my arm."
"Show me." Beth told her.
"John stopped him."
"Show me your arm Lucy." Beth repeated.
Lucy pulled up her sleeve which showed a slight bruise where a former red handprint was.
"That fucker." Rip said. "I should have gone."
It was Beth's reaction that surprised Lucy and Rip the most. They both half expected Beth to be the one to lose her shit and go straight after Jamie. Instead she got on the ground next to Lucy and pulled her in to her side.
Beth took a deep breath. "Next time I'm coming."
"I'm ok you know. But he's like the worst ever, he hates me just for existing."
Rip sat on the other side of Lucy. Neither adult knew what to say.
"But you know what Mom?" Lucy said looking up at Beth.
"What?"
"I think John was really mad. More than you."
"Huh." Beth said. "So he should be. Let's get out of here."
Rip stood offering a hand to Lucy before offering a hand to help Beth up. Beth took his hand as he helped her up before she dusted the dirt off her work skirt.
"Rip, why are your knuckles bloody?" She asked not looking at him.
Lucy glanced at Rip with wide eyes and shook her head.
"Well sweetheart, I had to knock some sense in to someone today."
"Again." Beth said rolling her eyes.
"Can I get a snack from Gator please?" Lucy interrupted. Rip nodded and they changed their direction to go to the lodge. Lucy happily walking ahead not wanting to get in to the conversation between her parents.
"Remember how I said I didn't trust Fred?"
"Who?" Beth asked.
"The new hand."
Beth nodded.
"Well I don't want him near your or Lucy. He's dangerous."
"I can handle myself."
Rip sighed. He knew she could but he didn't trust the man. "I know you can. But Beth, he is someone that will end up at the train station."
Beth slowed her pace down. "Get rid of him then. I don't want him anywhere near her." She said nodding in Lucy's direction.
"I can't yet. We don't need to scare her. I've told her to stay away from him or to make sure I'm with her." He told her as they got to the steps of the lodge, Lucy already in the kitchen.
"Great. So now you're worried about that numbskull as well as my dipshit brother Jamie who clearly has it out for our daughter." She said facing Rip.
"You leave both of those problems to your father and me." Rip said with no room for discussion before opening the door for her.
They found Lucy with a toasted sandwich in front of her and a juice, chatting to Gator. Rip whispered in Beth's ear that he was going to talk to John before leaving.
Beth walked in to the kitchen, not interrupting their conversation but squeezing Lucy's shoulder before making herself a coffee.
Rip knocked on the office door twice sharply before hearing John say 'come in'.
"Rip. I know why you're here."
"Yes Sir. We need to sort out a few things."
John nodded.
"Fred first. He's the smaller of the problems." Rip started. "He's starting fights. I finished it today but I don't want him around my family. If he gets to close to Beth or Lucy I'll take him to the station myself."
"Another fight." John said unimpressed. "What's his problem. Next time come and get me."
Rip nodded, not convinced whether that would be the fix to the problem.
"Sit down Rip."
He pulled out the chair on the opposite side of the desk, sitting down. John passed him a drink.
"Jamie is on his way here. He will be here in half an hour."
Rip looked at John, saying nothing straight away. "What, taking the helicopter or something?"
John nodded. "This stupid little thing ends today."
"It should have never started but it ends today." Rip said finishing his drink and leaving. He found Beth and Lucy waiting for him on the sofas. Lucy flicking through a magazine she had found, legs hanging over the end of the sofa and Beth scrolling her phone.
Beth looked up hearing Rip's footsteps. He sat on the sofa next to Beth, putting an arm around her.
"I'm going to ask even if you say not to."
Rip smirked. "He's on his way here. Your father and I will talk to him. Half an hour."
"What are you whispering about?" Lucy asked looking back at her parents.
"Jamie is on his way here. John and I are going to put a stop to it all."
"Oh. Right." She said rolling on to her stomach. "Mom are we gonna go then?"
"No. I don't want you to go home yet. After we speak to him, we will all go home."
Beth looked at Rip strangely.
"Just something Fred said to me earlier, I don't trust him."
Beth patted his thigh. Lucy sighed, "What are we gonna do here? No bikes or basketball."
"We can watch a movie? I'll show you my old room and I'm sure the tv will still be in there." Beth suggested.
"It's the same as the day you left." John said from the hallway. Lucy moved to sit upright in case John didn't like her lying on the couch.
"Come on." Beth got up leading the way, Lucy leaving the magazine discarded where she once sat.
"This room is massive!" Lucy said looking around before making a beeline for the bed. "I'd never leave if this was my room."
Beth rolled her eyes. "If that's all it will take for Rip to keep you on the ranch forever, he'd make it happen."
Lucy grimaced. "That would mean I have to work here. And I don't love mowing the lawns and scooping the poo."
"No one does but everyone starts somewhere." Beth said with a smirk.
Lucy said nothing before flipping on to her stomach to face Beth who was sitting in the armchair. "What do you think John and Dad are gonna do?"
"I really don't know." Beth said truthfully.
Lucy pouted, changing to the other subject that was bothering her on the ranch. "Why is Dad like extra worried about that guy Fred?"
"Hitting me with the hard ones today, kid." Beth said lightly. "I don't know where Fred came from but your Dad doesn't say things like that unless there is a good reason to. You promise me you'll do as he says on this."
"But I don't understand."
Beth had spoken to Rip about Fred when he first started fighting and Rip had filled her in on the need to know details only. "Not even I know the whole story, but this is one thing that Rip is firm on so you do as he says."
Lucy went to say something before shutting her mouth as they could hear the blades of a helicopter.
"That'll be Jamie." Beth said finding the tv remote. "You and I are going to watch anything but the rodeo whilst Rip is not here."
Jamie held on to his tie and jacket as he approached his father, noticing Rip half a step behind John. 'Typical' he thought.
"Dad." He said holding out his right hand.
"Jamie. We need to talk." John said not shaking his hand. Rip keeping his eyes trained on Jamie.
Jamie followed his father down the the stables, Rip behind him. "What's this about? You didn't give me any information." He asked as they slowed down.
"What's this about? You know damn well what this is about." John growled. "This is about you Jamie. And your actions. And your choices."
Jamie scoffed. "Me? Everything goddamn thing I do is for this family. Saving this damn place. Don't you see that!"
"Saving this place? You single-handedly ripped it apart and god only knows what you were going to try today!" John told him.
"I didn't do anything today. What are you talking about?"
"Only because I stopped you." John told him shaking his head.
"You laid a hand on MY daughter. Left your handprint on her arm and you think you did nothing?" Rip said in his low voice.
Jamie turned around. "Maybe she needs some discipline. Just like you did and like my sister still needs."
"You don't talk about my wife, you hear me." Rip said before John could get a word in.
"Here is how it's going to work. You." John said pointing at Jamie. "You're going to leave. You're going to stay away from Lucy, Beth and Rip and you stay away from this Ranch until you realise what an idiot you're being."
"This is my home!" Jamie said angry that John was siding with Beth again.
John shook his head. "No Jamie. This is my home. There is a truck out there that will take you back to town." Just outside the headlights of a Yellowstone truck could be seen.
"This is a mistake." Jamie said walking off.
"I'm going to find my family, Sir." Rip said leaving as the truck pulled away, leaving John standing there.
"Did you fight him?" Lucy asked as Rip entered Beth's old bedroom.
"No Lucy. I don't fight unless I have to."
"Yeah but you could have got him good." Lucy told him. Rip shook his head knowing she had well and truly missed the point.
"Hasn't changed a bit in here." Rip said running his finger along the chest of drawers noticing there was no dust. "Let's get going."
Beth was more than happy to leave the lodge, leading the way to her car before driving them all home.
Lucy was up the stairs and in her bedroom before Rip and Beth were in the door. Rip went to say something while Beth waved it off telling him it was normal for a teenager to do that.
Rip sat in his chair with a sigh before running his hands through his hair.
"No secrets Rip."
"I'm not trying to keep them from you sweetheart." He told her as she sat on the arm of his chair and began to fill her in on Fred and Jamie.
"Tell me if we need to worry about her." Beth said referring to Fred. "I told her to follow what she said but she doesn't understand why and she doesn't need to know the full reason but I don't want anything to happen to her."
"I'd never allow it to." Rip told her sincerely leaving a kiss on her temple.