Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain | Ryan || Yellowstone

Chapter 17

My steps were lighter this morning as I walked to the barn. I saddled Zeus, humming to myself, and found the mundane work more entertaining than I usually found it.

I looked up at the barn door as the rest of the wranglers filed in to begin the day's work. Ryan saw me and walked up with a smile.

"Good morning," He said as he leaned his elbows on the stall door.

I turned to lead Zeus out of the stall and gave Ryan a short kiss as he opened the door for me. "Morning. You know what we're doing today?"

"Not sure," He said as he went to saddle his horse, Monte. "Kayce's out there, though. Don't know why."

"Kayce?"

Ryan nodded.

"Huh." I walked out of the barn, and sure enough, Kayce was on his horse, waiting for the wranglers.

"Hey, Kayce," I said as I mounted Zeus.

He nodded as he saw me. "How are you doin'? Been a while."

I shrugged. "Things are good. You back on the ranch?"

Kayce looked around, his eyes full of unsaid thoughts. "Guess so."

I nodded and didn't say anything else. Kayce and I were never closer than a surface-level friendship. Not that he wasn't kind, but we both had different opinions on what was required to do for this ranch, and that caused us to never become anything more than acquaintances.

The rest of the wranglers mounted and faced Kayce.

I looked to Rip for instruction, but Kayce was the one who began talking.

"We'll push 'em up the valley then over the saddle to East River Road. We'll take that up the canyon. Ryan, you and Colby got point. Walker, Cowboy... you're on swing. Avery and Jimmy, you got flank. Rip. You, Cassandra, and Lloyd are riding drag. Let's go. Hope you got your wild rags. It's gonna be a bit dusty."

As Kayce led the wranglers to the pastures, I rode up next to Rip and Lloyd. "What the hell's going on?" Lloyd asked and I shook my head.

"Just a little reminder," Rip said. "They may let us stay here and get old and rusted. But we're just tools. And that's all we'll ever be." Rip looked at me and shook his head too.

We began trotting behind the rest of the wranglers, and I tried to hold my tongue so that I wouldn't get angry, trying not to think about why Kayce was making Rip, Lloyd, and I do the low-man's work. 

I shook my head as we stayed behind the cattle, herding them and getting sprayed with dust and mud.

_____

I returned from the stables, disgusting and ready to shower, but saw everyone gathered around one of the smaller arenas.

Rip and Kayce were fighting, and neither was going easy.

"What's going on?" I asked Colby as I came up next to him. 

He shook his head. "Some kind of power thing, I don't know."

Kayce grunted as Rip punched him hard, but Kayce took it and gave him one right back. 

I looked over to see John standing with us, watching his son.

But something changed in Rip's demeanor, and he muttered something to Kayce that I couldn't hear. 

Then, Kayce gave the final blow, and Rip fell to the ground. Kayce spat blood onto the dirt, then looked at all of us. "There ain't no fighting on this ranch. If you want to fight... you come fight me."