Mae smiled as she watched Rip and Beth talk out of the kitchen window. Was it a little stalkerish? Yes. Did she really care? Not at all.
She just loved to watch them smiling with each other. Mae believed in soulmates, she always had and she always will, but after their mother died the idea made the five year old extremely sad until she saw Beth and Rip. Back then the little girl only knew that something bad had happened to Rip's family, just like something bad happened to their mom. She knew that Rip and Beth were soulmates because they were brought together to help each other. Beth helped Rip process the reality that he killed his abusive father who killed his mother and little brother. Rip helped Beth live with their mother's passing, but everyone knows that she's never processed it and she never will. It left an open wound in Beth's heart but every time she's with Rip, that wound scabs over piece by piece.
"What are you looking at?," Mae jumped and turned to see her dad standing behind her.
"Jeez, Old man. Make some noise while walking, please," John laughed as he walked towards her, exaggerating his steps to make extra noise, Mae chuckled at him.
"They're cute together," Mae grinned as the father and daughter watched the two talk.
"Yeah, just both as stubborn as mules."
"Has she talked to you yet? About him living in the bunkhouse," Mae asked as she turned to look at him.
"Not yet," John replied, a grimace already forming on his face.
"Good luck with that," Mae laughed and John just shook his head as he poured himself another cup of coffee.
"Lets go get breakfast," he kissed her head and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The two walked into the dining room to see Kayce and Jamie already waiting. Charlie was still sleeping and Ryan had morning perimeter check otherwise he would have joined them, but from the sounds of Beth's angry stomps into the house, he was better off out there.
"Morning, Brothers," Mae greeted. Kayce and Jamie both smiled as they greeted her back.
"Even your walk's angry, Sweetheart," John stated as Beth took her seat next to Mae.
"With good reason," Beth replied as she poured herself some tea. Mae didn't miss the stink eye her big sister was giving her father.
"I've checked the airfield, deer lodge. I'm starting to think that plane is from another state," Kayce tried to change the subject. Mae was relieved and surprised, he never really bothered to try and intervene in any fights before, maybe he was growing up.
"Yeah if I could get a warrant, I can check the flight logs out of the air traffic control out of Bozeman. It's a lot of data to sit through but I think I can-," Jamie couldn't finish his suggestion because Beth interrupted.
"I thought we were not supposed to talk about work at the dinner table," Mae and her brothers shared knowing looks. Ticking time bomb Beth was about to go off and Mae didn't want to be near when that happens.
"In the morning it's the breakfast table, Beth. We can talk business at the breakfast table," John explained while taking a bite of bacon.
Mae knew Beth's attitude was because of Rip being demoted and moved to the bunkhouse. Hell, she was still pissed about it and if Rip didn't talk to her that day in the stable, she still would have been pissed. She couldn't blame Beth for her feelings, she understood, she knew it was even worse for her because Beth was in love with Rip.
"This is not a breakfast table, this is a dining room table. How do I know it's a dining room table? Because it's in the fucking dining room. Breakfast tables are in the kitchen. We don't even have one there, we have a bar in the kitchen. So I guess the point is, Dad, that you can discuss whatever you want at the dining room table and it's just us that have to navigate the algorithm of ways in which you control what is discussed," Mae was highly amused by the look on her dad's face after Beth said that.
"Honey, I don't even know what the fuck that means," Mae put her hand in front of her mouth to keep from laughing, Jamie turned his head to hide his amused grin and Kayce looked on as his big sister left the table.
"This is what it means, Dad," Beth grumbled as she left the room.
"Stop wasting your time, Son, just go to the source, alright. I want him to know what we know," Mae sighed as she finished the last bit of fruit on her plate. She still didn't agree with her dad and the rest that it was Jenkins that killed their cattle. It didn't make sense to her.
"And you think that's a good idea?," Jamie's question had Mae raising her eyebrows at him. She agreed that it wasn't a good idea but Jamie had some balls to question their dad after he was just allowed back into the family the day before.
"If I didn't think it was a good idea, I wouldn't have suggested it."
Mae started to get up, Kayce following. They were done with their breakfast and needed to get to work.
"Wear your badge today, Kayce, and take Ryan with you. Keep it official. Are you going to be back before Travis and the Texans get here, Sweetheart?
"Yeah, you know I don't miss a chance to take Travis' money," John and Kayce laughed at her words.
"I have no doubt that you will, Sweetheart," Mae kissed John's cheek before the two youngest's left the house.
The two walked down to the stables. Ryan had just gotten back and was watching Rip slide, practising for when Travis and the Texans show up. Mae kissed Ryan's cheek as she sat next to him. Kayce was telling the rest of the wranglers what needed to be done today.
"Daddy wants you to go with Kayce today, take your badge and please be careful."
"I will," the two smiled as they shared a kiss.
"Man, this horse can slide like a motherfucker. You ready to loose all your money, Cub?," Mae laughed at Rip's question.
"That was impressive, Bear, but we all know that no horse can slide like Hades. I look forward to filling my pockets with your cash," Rip just shook his head laughing. They both knew that this was just some teasing, they always equally split their winnings.
"Alright now, I got to go to work, I'll see you all soon, some of us have to work today."
xxx
Ryan and Kayce drove out to Jenkins' house. Nobody was home so Ryan stayed by the truck while Kayce took a look around.
"Can I help you?," Jenkins asked as he slowly climbed out of his range rover.
"Mr. Jenkins, Hello," Ryan cautiously walked forward when he saw Jenkins reach for a gun at his side. Ryan, being more experienced, had his own gun already pointed at Jenkins before he even properly aimed his.
"Gun! Gun!," Ryan called out so Kayce would be notified of the weapon, "No no no! Put it down! Put it down! Listen to me, Listen to me. I will shoot you in the fucking face if you don't drop the weapon!"
Ryan was uneasy by the psychotic look in Jenkins' eye, something about this guy was not right. He didn't move at all while Ryan kept inching forward, he just kept the weapon aimed.
"I'm a god," Jenkins muttered as he placed his finger on the trigger but before he could shoot, Kayce disarmed him from behind and pointed his gun at Jenkins' throat.
"Pull the trigger and you're the devil," Jenkins taunted the youngest Dutton son.
"I'm already the devil," Kayce sneered as he thought back to all the shit he had seen and done in the navy before hitting Jenkins in the throat and dragging him into the house.
Ryan stared at Kayce shocked: "What the fuck are we doing?"
"We're not doing anything. Stay here," Ryan placed his hands on his hat in shock. He really was in love with the sanest Dutton. He had hoped that the rest of the mission went smoothly but he should have known that nothing ever goes smoothly when the Dutton family is involved.
"How you doing?," a dark skinned man asked as he jogged up the path towards Ryan.
"Can I help you?," Ryan asked as he held out his arm to stop the guy from going further.
"Is Mr. Jenkins here? I'm with Big Sky Roofing, he's got a leak," Ryan glanced up at the man's hat, that had the company logo on. He sighed and turned to look at the house, wondering what to do.
"Yeah, uh, just give me a minute to-," Ryan's sentence got cut off by a fist slamming into the side of his head. He caught himself on the ground before he hit his head. He turned and reached for his gun but the guy was already pointing his own at him. Ryan rolled his eyes as he sat and held his hands out.
"Toss the pistol," the guy ordered and Ryan grabbed it, throwing it to the side.
"Now the radio," Ryan sighed but did as told.
"Got cuffs?," the guy asked and Ryan scoffed as he turned his head. He was becoming beyond irritated by this guy.
"You know the drill," the guy grinned.
"I'm a fucking law enforcement agent," Ryan glared as he reached for his handcuffs.
"You're not the only one," the guy showed off his California registered badge to Ryan.
Ryan couldn't believe his shit luck and smirked up at the guy: "Doing a little moonlighting, are we?" He cuffed both his hands and gestured mockingly at the guy to show him.
"Alimony is a bitch," the guy replied," Now get up."
"Are you fucking kidding me?," Ryan glared as the man opened Jenkin's car's boot and forced him inside.
"Asshole!," Ryan shouted as he closed the door before walking away.
"And idiot," Ryan smirked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys for the handcuffs and freed himself from the car.
As he walked around the house, he could hear Kayce fighting the guy that attacked him. He rounded the corner to see Kayce holding a shard of a broken glass table to the guy's throat and Jenkins pointing his gun at Kayce's head.
"What a fucked situation this is," Ryan stated as he placed his own gun to Jenkins' head and disarmed him. "You forgot to ask me for my keys," he told the guy that Kayce was holding down, "I guess I'll be the only grown up in the room."
Kayce let the guy he was holding down go, only to grab Jenkins and push him up against the wall. Ryan turned his gun on the unnamed guy and shouted a warning: "Kayce!"
"You're going to tell me the truth right fucking now, you prick. Now!"
"I don't know how to kill cows but I wish I did. I see the pain it has caused you and your family. I wish it had been me," Kayce could see he was telling the truth. He really didn't kill their cattle. He let Jenkins go and picked up his hat before approaching the new guy.
"My guess is that you're from a California office? I'd go back to it if I were you."
"Make me," the guy glared.
"Rules are different around here," Kayce shrugged.
"I know these rules."
Ryan and Kayce knew that this guy had no idea what he signed up for: "Yeah we'll see."
Ryan tipped his hat at them before following Kayce out of the house. The two got in the truck before driving away.
"So Mae was right. It wasn't him," Ryan stated.
"Yeah, she's not going to let us live this down," Kayce grumbled and Ryan grinned. He was just glad that it wasn't him she was going to tease, endlessly.
"Speaking of my sister, 'I'll be the only grown-up', you've been spending way too much time with her."
"Well now that I'm spending more and more time with your family, there's a damn good reason she says the tings she does," Ryan replied.
Kayce nodded: "Fair enough."
xxx

Mae got home before Travis and the Texans showed up. She was glad, it gave her a chance to change into some riding gear. She waited for them to show up with a heavily pregnant Charlie in her dad's office, they were watching the sheriff's statement on the accident a few days ago. Kayce and another livestock agent went to investigate a cattle murder claim but when they tried to arrest the person responsible, his son pulled a shotgun on them, they tried to call the cops for back up but no one showed up. The other agent killed the kid. The Dutton's were all convinced that the sheriff would blame her dad and his agents for this and that he wouldn't take responsibility for assisting John like he had asked.
"The County's Sheriff Department failed to provide back up to the livestock agents involved, increasing the likelihood of a violent response from the suspect. Although our investigation is just preliminary, the shooting was justifiable and the only action available to the livestock agent, who's life was in clear danger. Now currently we are conducting an exhaustive internal investigation on the procedures of our dispatchers and the reaction time of our deputies. And I would like to express our sincerest apologies to the Montana Livestock agent involved as well as the agency as a whole for our failure to respond, aggravating the dangers those agents faced."
"I can't fucking believe it. I thought he was up Jenkins' ass," Charlie exclaimed and everyone nodded in agreement.
"How'd you get him to say that?," Beth asked and everyone turned to look at John.
"I didn't," he replied.
"Then who did? He wouldn't have done it without someone telling him to and Jenkins would push for the opposite," Mae replied as she drummed her nails against his desk.
"I think you might have been right from the start, Sweetheart. There's a third party," John walked out of the room before she could start with her teasing.
"Drop the 'I told you so' smirk," Charlie laughed as she nudged her best friend.
"I wouldn't have to use it if more people here just accepted that I'm always right."
xxx
The two girls walked outside as they heard Travis and the Texans pull up. Every year on this day, Travis brings different friends from the rodeo to compete in friendly sliding competitions on the Dutton ranch. Mae and Rip have been taking part since the first time. Even when Mae was in university, she would take a trip with Travis up to the ranch and back down to Texas. She has been the raining champ for the last four years. Mae and Charlie were even more excited since the people Travis brought were one of the ranching families they grew the closest to in their university days. Hell Mae used to babysit the little boy, Cade, and now he was eighteen.
Charlie sat on a camping chair by the Texan family and laughed with them as they caught up. Mae was sitting on Hades in between Travis and Rip as they watched their competition. Colby has been their designated judge since he joined the ranch. Ryan and Lloyd were sitting on the wooden fence watching. Ryan couldn't keep his eyes off of Mae. She looked so happy and relaxed as she laughed at something her surrogate brothers said.
The first contestant went and Colby announced that he did about twenty five feet. The aim of the sport is to run on your horse and bring it to a sliding stop, whoever slides the farthest wins.
"Goddamn you really bring the sharks when you come here Travis," Rip laughed.
"What are you talking about? That's just a God-fearing family from North Texas, man," Travis replied.
"Oh come one Bear, we can take them, or at least I can," Mae teased and Travis laughed.
"Oh well fuck it," Rip replied as he got ready to start his turn.
"You want me to hold your beer?," Travis offered but Rip shook his head, "Alright, the beer is going with you."
Rip slid a decent amount and everyone cheered.
"Even with a beer in my hand too, see?" Rip boasted.
"That's not going to get it done!," Travis teased from his spot next to Mae.
"Why don't you just slide?!," Rip called back.
"It's not going to happen, Buddy," Travis called out referring to Rip winning the round. He smirked as he got ready and took off.
"Money, money, money, money," Travis rubbed his fingers together to tease them since he went the farthest so far.
"Go on, man. It's looking like a long thirty, Colby," Travis urged the man to measure.
"Thirty one," Colby informed.
"Thirty one," Travis teased as he drew out the "o".
There was one more guy that had to go before it was Mae's turn and he surprised everyone by sliding even farther than Travis.
"I'd say that's the winner right there," Rip commented.
Mae's eyes caught on to a fucking idiot entering the ring on horseback, trying to challenge these cowboys. She watched as Ryan called Jimmy over and hoped that he was warning the idiot to back out before Travis and Rip decide to make an example out of him.
"Listen I've been watching these guys, I don't know if you can choose who you ride against but don't go against him and whatever you do don't go against him or Mae," Ryan pointed at Mae, Travis and the guy that just slid.
"You saw him slide this morning," Jimmy gestured to his horse, "I'm feeling kind of lucky."
"You didn't see what I saw," Ryan shook his head, Jimmy was about to get eaten alive.
Mae let Hades trot over to the fence nearest to Charlie, she wanted to wait before taking her turn and see what happens.
"Look I knew the kid was slow but I think you should have him tested. This is just plain right fucking dumb," Charlie declared as they both watched him.
"I don't know what the fuck he's thinking. He's looking for a lesson and he's about to learn it the hard way," Mae replied as she took a sip of her beer.
"Hey, you!," Travis called out to Jimmy, "What's your name?"
Jimmy sat up taller in his seat and boasted his chest out before saying: "Jim."
Mae and Charlie snorted and kept their hands over their mouths to stop from laughing too hard. They knew it was probably bad to laugh at him but they couldn't help it.
"Jim? Alright Jimmy, come over here, let me explain the rules. Do you know what a pay-up is?"
"Uh remind me?"
"So it kinda works like this. If you come in last, you pay everyone ahead of you. If you come in second-to-last, you're going to pay everybody but the bottom. If you come in fourth, you pay the top three. Come in third, pay the top two. Like that, alright?"
Jimmy nodded in understanding before Travis continued: "So you're the new guy, you got the first horse. You go first. Run back down there and slide this way."
Mae slapped her hand over her face as Jimmy went the other way. Travis and Rip both had to tell him.
"Are you guys running a special needs program on the ranch now? Is that what this is? Is he the janitor? Who is this fucking kid?," Rip laughed at Travis' questions and yeah Mae and Charlie might have chuckled too. They were nice people but this was too good.
They watched as Jimmy slid and it was barely four feet. He had no idea what was waiting for him.
"I don't think you'll have to measure that one, Colby. I don't know if that's going to get it, Jimmy, I don't know. Tom, go down there and do it! Come on," Travis called out.
Tom obliterated Jimmy, obviously, and so did Matt, Cade, Mandy and Travis twice. Travis even beat Jimmy on his own horse, without the stirrups.
"Mae, do something! I can't watch this anymore," Charlie begged as Lloyd begged Jimmy to get off of the horse and Rip made sure that Jimmy payed everyone.
"Okay hold on, hold on!"
Everyone stopped to stare at Mae: "I'll take his place. If I win, he doesn't have to pay but all of ya'll do. If I lose, I'll pay double to anyone above me."
"Alright we'll take that action," Travis agreed before Rip could protest, he knew how much money wrangler's made and he really didn't want to take Jimmy's.
Everybody watched as Mae and Hades did a forty feet slide, breaking her own record. People cheered and Jimmy almost cried in relief, the only reason he joined this stupid competition is because he needed the money to save his grandpa from those goons, he couldn't afford to lose any.
"Thank you, thank you, I promise to pay you back," Jimmy thanked her.
"I don't want your money, Jimmy, just never try and get in a ring with professionals if you only started training that morning again. That brand on your chest makes you family but I can't always be there to save your ass," Mae replied as she walked away from him.
"And make sure that whatever you need the money for, doesn't come back to bite me and my family in the ass!"
xxx
Mae and Charlie spent the night with Travis, Rip and the Texans at one of the pubs in town. It was really nice to see Rip smiling and having fun again, especially after the whole situation with Kayce. She hoped he would try and have fun more often. Charlie was staying with her brother in town for the night, she was too tired to try and stay awake the whole drive back to the ranch. Mae and Rip, however had to go back.
It was really late when Mae walked in to her house, she was surprised to see her dad awake, looking through old photos of his time in the war.
"Hi, Daddy."
"Hi, Sweetheart. Did you have fun?," John asked as she sat down next to him.
"Yeah, Rip and Travis took turns trying to see who could stay the longest on the mechanical bull."
John chuckled and asked: "Who won?"
Before Mae could answer the door to the hallway was slammed open and Beth came marching in, dragging Jamie by his hair.
"You tell him. You tell him, motherfucker. You tell him!," Beth shouted as she pushed Jamie down to the ground. John and Mae stood up to intervene but Beth grabbed Jamie by the hair again and held him on his knees in front of the two.
Beth smirked as she saw that Mae was there too. She was the last of their family to love Jamie fully and this would surely break that bond. Jamie would be all alone now: "You tell them."
"I think I can take it from here, Beth," John walked closer and watched as she let go of Jamie but he remained on the floor on his knees.
"What do you have to tell me, what did you do this time?," Mae could see the terrified tears in Jamie's eyes. He's done some shit to this family but Mae had a feeling this one will take the cake.
"Tell him, you motherfucking, mutt!"
"Beth!," Mae called out hoping to stop her sister from continuously hitting him.
"Oh trust me, baby sister, when he tells you, you're going to want to take a swing too."
"I can take it from here," John told her and picked Jamie up by the arm after Beth delivered a last kick to his ass, "Go wait outside."
John and Mae helped Jamie to sit on the couch while Beth called after them: "Don't let him Jamie his way out of this, okay. Once he tells you, you two come find me so I can make sure he told you the truth."
Mae turned to glare at Jamie, Beth was scaring her right now. She's never acted like that before, she wasn't used to seeing her fearless big sister look so terrified. Jamie flinched at her glare, Beth showed her anger so often, you become desensitised to it but if Mae was angry, then you really did do something wrong.
John sighed as he turned around: "For a woman, who's mastered the art of mad, I can't say that I've ever seen her that angry. So tell me, Jamie, what did you do that scared the only person I know, that doesn't get scared?"
"Answer him, Jamie," Mae glared at her brother, when he just looked up at them, not saying a word.
It wasn't just Mae that was getting annoyed with his lack of an answer, John threw his whiskey glass against the fireplace, in anger.
"What the fuck did you do to me?"
"It was after you kicked me out, I was angry and I'm sorry. I never should have-"
"What did you do, Jamie!," Mae cut him off.
"There was a reporter, she joined my campaign under a false identity. She was writing an article on you and I-I gave her a statement. I was angry and I shouldn't have. I'm so sorry, she's going to publish it."
Mae clenched her fists in anger and muttered: "Beth was right."
"About?," Jamie asked.
"You don't care about this family, you forgot that he got you where you are today. You forgot that if he goes down, we all go down, Jamie. A name holds power and the Dutton name's power, that you are privileged to have, could be taken away at any moment, if we don't cover our asses. We have enemies trying to break us from all sides, we don't need you to do it from the inside. You really are the weakest Dutton," Mae turned on her heel and stomped up to her room, even John was surprised by her outburst.