We were back to where the killing had occurred. Hopefully this was the last day. We had managed to keep this officer alive with no wounds. Or fence post coming out of them. So yay for us.
I watched as they declared it self defense. A smile broke out in my face. Rip came over to where I was mounted. I grabbed his hand a squeezed it. He looked up to see me smiling. A small smile came to his face. I was so glad this was going to be behind us. I looked over to my dad. He didn't look happy.
" The whole county's turning against me. The whole fucking place." He said to the two of us. My smile fell.
"We just got to keep showing em what we are fighting for." I said with a shug of my shoulders.
I sat on the fence watching the boys rope. I decide not to rope today since others needed a chance to win.
"How come you can't rope like that when we are roping for money?"
"Then I'm thinking about the money not the fun."
"Its not supposed to be fun. It's fuck practice. Jimmy, Walker get your asses in there." Rip said.
"On a scale from 1 to 10 how bad' s the luck from putting your hat on the bed?" Jimmy asked. He really believe that? He was apparently very gulable. But this new hat look much better then the last.
"Bout as bad as changing a horse's barn name."
"Hey what's this horse's name?"
"Jimmy, you've been riding this god damn horse for a month and you still don't know it's name?"
"Its Ray." I called.
"I thought Ryan rode Ray?"
"He rides Owen."
"All right that not the same as changing it." My mouth dropped from his stupidy.
"Jimmy I went to prison for 7 years. I say you're probably the dumbest mother fucker I've ever meet. That's really saying something." I let out a chuckle at this. Walker turned to look at me. He hadn't spoken or looked my way since I put him on his ass.
The steer was realized. I watched as Jimmy roped it. I smiled that he had finally caught one. But the smile was short lived. Jimmy s cinch broke. The saddle slipped off the horse. Jimmy still had a hold of the rope and was getting dragged around.
"Let go of the rope!" I yelled as I dropped into the arena. "Let go of the damn rope!" I yelled as I ran over to him. He dropped the rope. I went over to him. Rip right behind me.
"That's why we take care of our tack Jimmy." I said as I helped him up.
"Ogh. Oh. I put my hat on the bed and I called Owen Ray." I sighed.
"You need to stop listening to them in the bunkhouse."
"All right? There ain't no such thing as luck." Rip said. "But I sure belive in stupid because you prove it every fucking day." I put my hand over my mouth to keep from chuckling.
I sat in the porch watching the sun go down. I turned my head to watch Rip walking up the drive making me smile. "What's up baby?" I asked as he came and sat next to me.
"I need your help with something." My eyebrows went up in question while a sly smile came to my face. "Have to ask Avery to help us with something. And since she likes you better then me. Thought you could go with me and help me out."
"Sure I'll go with you. And your right. She does like me better." He laughed as he pulled me closer to him.
I pulled my hat down lower. We were at the strip bar where Avery worked.
"Hey you want a drink?" A girl asked Rip totally ignoring me. My eyes narrowed at her.
"Ya water."
"We got a two drink minimum."
"Then make it two bottles of water." I snapped at her. She seemed to finally get the message and walk away. I watched as Avery came in and put a bridle on the counter. I tapped Rip and pointed. He nodded and we went over.
"How would you like to make 1,000 bucks?" Rip asked.
"I don't do that anymore." She said as she looked up. "Hey Carly." She said with a smile.
"Hey Avery." I said smiling back at her.
"No. It's not that kind of thing. I need your help." She moved her eyes over to Rip.
"What kind of help?"
"Well, the kind that pays. Look, it ain't dangerous and it ain't illegal."
"Why can't I have a real job?"
"Why does this always have to be the conversation with you?"
"You need help with horse. You need help with tack. I can do that. Hell I'm doing that right now."
"How are you gonna help me with horses?"
"I can break colts."
"Oh you break colts?"
"I bet I could out ride every hand on the Yellowstone."
"Avery, I can't have you in a bunk house with a bunch of lonely cow punchers. It's not a place for a women."
"Don't worry about me Rip. I fight men off for a living. If one of the cowboys get handy. I'll break their fucking jaw." Her eyes wondered over to me. I grinned at her and gave her a nod.
"She's got a point there." I said with a laugh.
A knock came to the door of the house after we got into the house. Rip was showering so I got up to get it. I went and open the door. There stood Kayce. "Hey Kayce didn't know you were coming over. Come on in." As he passed me I noticed the bags under his eyes and his shoulders were slumped in defeat. I closed the door and went to sit next to him.
"What's going on?"
"She left me."
"She left you? Why?"
"She took Tate. I'm back to living in the bunk house." He said breaking down. Instead of talking I just wrapped my arm around him.
I sat on Sprite looking at a Dan Jenkins who was hanging from a tree. Rip and Kayce was talking to him but I ignored it. My eyes looked him up and down till he was looking in my eyes.
"What do you have to say?!" He yelled at me. I conditions to look at him while I licked my lips. He wiggled under my gaze.
"This is your first and final warning. Don't make us regret it. But I'm sure you'll blow this. So then you deal with me. And trust me you don't want that."
"Your just a girl!" He screamed. My eyes narrowed at him in response as my nose twitched.
"Because I'm not as nice. I wouldn't cut you down I'd let you hang. Cut him down Jimmy." Jimmy just stared at me. I nodded my hand. He went down and cut him down. I turned Sprite to leave.
"I thought you would let me hang?!" I stopped Sprite and turned in my saddle.
"John Dutton said to cut you down not me. Remember that." I then kicked Sprite up, I would do anything for my family and this ranch. And if I had to kill that son of a bitch. I would.