A Gambling Man // Ryan x OC

54

"Again, not my girlfriend," John sighed, "This fucking state is so tied up in lawsuits over wolf hunting and bison leaving the park and sage grouse that can't figure out if they can cross the road and I don't understand any of it. I don't understand any of the reasoning behind it. But Summer does because she thinks like the people who run these groups."

"Because she is the people that run these groups," Beth replied, "She is not going to help you, Dad. You have invited your worst enemy to sleep in your bed and if you think that she was fucking you last night, give her three months - the real fucking is coming. And I'll give you the reasoning: the reasoning is you. The wolf is their weapon. So is the bison. So is anything that gets your cattle out of the national forest and off the BLM land, and ultimately off your land? It's no different than Dan Jenkins wanting a private club or-or Market Equities wanting their fucking airport. They want the land, Dad. That is all you need to understand." 

Beth stormed into the house when John didn't reply. 

"You want to say anything?" John asked Mae. 

"I'm not going to be as harsh as Beth. I don't trust her, she hasn't given me any sign to. We've lost too much these last couple of years to lose everything to some girl but I trust you. I trust you more than most and if you believe in her, if you think she's worth it - I will back you, even against Beth. I just really hope that you're right about this one," Mae kissed his cheek and then walked off to the Jeep where Charlie was already waiting. 

xxx

Mae and Charlie were just closing the clinic when Kayce's truck pulled up and an excited Tate jumped out, running towards Mae. 

"Aunty Mae! We're going to the branding with you! Can I please, please ride Hades or Autumn?" Tate begged her. Kayce wanted to bring Tate one of his horses but Tate insisted on asking his aunt first. 

"Wow, Tater tot," Mae laughed as she placed her hands on his shoulders to calm the over-excited teen, "You can take Autumn. Hades is a little temperamental on long journeys if you don't know how to calm him." 

Tate cheered, hugged his aunt, and raced back to the truck that Monica and Kayce were in. He excitedly told them that she agreed. 

"This was a surprise," Mae laughed as she approached them. 

"Dad invited us, we were in town to pick up some things before heading up to the ranch," Kayce replied, "Tate saw you and insisted on asking now." 

"We'll follow behind you," Mae smiled as she flicked Kayce's hat and waved at Monica and Tate. 

The two best friends climbed in the Jeep and Charlie said, "It's good to see them, they look good considering the circumstances." 

Mae nodded, "I think they're going to need this trip. It'll be good for them, for all of us." 

xxx

At dinner, Mae and Ryan sat on the right side of John, and Summer, and Kayce with his family sat on John's left. Charlie and John's new assistant sat across from him with Evie in her mom's arms and three empty seats sat between Charlie and Tate. Mae couldn't remember the last time they had to bring the extension out for the table, there haven't been this many people in this room ever. 

"Do you want me to serve them out there?" Gator asked John, referring to Beth, Rip, and Carter who were sitting at the new table they'd been using for dinner. 

"Common sense would say yes," John sighed, "But for once this family's going to eat together." 

John got up to go get them and Mae sighed as she took a large sip of her wine before telling Ryan, "I'd do the same if I were you, this might get nasty."