Yellowstone Scenarios

Hurricane Rip

I'd awkwardly shuffled away before we passed the threshold of making out and walk-of-shamed myself back home. I can't believe I let myself do that... I can't believe he did that! I tried to make sense of it, my head still spinning. We must've just been wrapped up in talking about Ryan and Beth, I'm sure that's all. 

Then... why didn't I want to stop..?

I felt as if I could puke as I shut my bedroom door behind me, my heart racing a little. I tried to shake it off and get ready for bed, guilt oozing off of me. 

I tossed and turned throughout the night, I couldn't believe myself.

---

The next morning I was in the round pen with a customer's horse; a palomino mare named Lady who was afraid of the world. 

Ryan leaned on the fence with a wide smile, "Morning." 

"Morning." 

"Heard Lee's comin' home today, that true."

"Far as I know." I clicked for Lady to walk faster.

"Hey, where were you last night?"

I tensed in the saddle causing Lady to throw her head and try to jump to the side, "Whoa, easy now, easy." I stroked her neck then looked back at Ryan, "In bed, why?"

He shrugged, "You just weren't at the bunkhouse, that's all."

"Yeah, I, uh, needed some extra sleep."

He nodded, "Fair enough. You comin' over tonight?"

I pulled her to a stop and finally looked at him, "You want me to?"

"Of course I do."

I swallowed hard, everything was changing and I hated it, "Okay, yeah, I'll be there."

He smiled and pushed off the fence, leaving to do some job. 

I leaned into her ear, "Sorry about that, Lady." I clicked and we resumed walking around the pen.

I felt horrible, even more so when I caught a glimpse of Rip walking into the barn. I felt his gaze linger for a moment, which I tried to ignore. I clenched my jaw as I thought of last night, Lady snorting in response.

"Yeah, maybe it is time for a break..." I hopped off and walked into the barn, "Hey, Jimmy, do me a favor and cool her off when you get done."

He nodded and I put her in her stall. Walking out, I was too far in my head to realize Rip was standing in my way. 

"Sorry," 

He looked down at me nervously, "You okay?"

"Yeah, um... do you think we could talk?"

"I got a lot to do, Kymberly." he didn't look at me, he was obviously deflecting and it hurt a bit.

"Please. We need to talk about what happened."

"No, we don't." he brushed past me which caused me to groan in frustration as I started off in the other direction. 

I couldn't handle being around all of my problems so I went back to the house to clear my head, Jamie in the kitchen on the phone; 

"How bad is it, Mike?" he walked away from his phone to pour himself coffee.

M: "Place burned to the foundation, Jamie."

J: "Wow."

M: "When we said make this go away, this isn't what we fucking meant!"

I sat at the kitchen island, all too invested in the newest Dutton drama I'd somehow missed out on last night.