Being awake before sunrise used to be exciting for Spencer. She was able to take her time getting ready, actually enjoy her coffee, maybe even read a little. But now, the sight of the sun peeking over the main house was starting to piss her off. Rather than wait for the day to catch up to her, however, Spencer decided to finally use the morning to her advantage. Going for a pointless drive as fast as possible in the hope she woke up more. And stayed out of trouble, but that was a given.
It was because of that need for speed she found herself flying around the bends of the road, the pavement curving to match the river bumbling along next to it. With the windows down and the radio blasting, she almost missed the figure standing in the river.
Almost.
She came to an abrupt stop, well as abrupt as the truck could do, and reversing down onto the shoulder of the road.
"The fuck you doin'?" She called down to the figure in the river as she gracefully strided over the rocky terrain of the river's edge.
Roarke Morris looked up at the intrusion of noise, squinting through the blink of sun that found its way directly to his face.
"Spencer Dutton, I presume? It's an honor to get to hear your voice after that little moody, broody bodyguard stunt you pulled the other day. How is your sister by the way?"
Spencer smiled. That coy smile she always gave men before she slowly started to rip them to shreds. "Plotting to make you wish you were never born I'm sure."
Roarke only chucked, wading through the water to sit on the rock across from Spencer.
"You know, you two are probably the scariest women I've ever met. But we all do things that scare us, things we're not supposed to. Brush things under the rug, make accidents appear out of thin air."Roarke popped his fingers as he spoke, swinging them back and forth as he continued, "Or even rip a family apart from the grave all the way to prison."
Spencer stilled, but she didn't let her smile drop. "You'll learn I'm not a fan of insinuations, Roarke. But if there's some dirty laundry you need to air, I'd be happy to drop you at the precinct in town. But you already know what skeletons hide in your closet, don't you?"
She paused, waiting for Roarke to try and defend himself, but he only held still.
Spencer settled on the rock across from him, leaning on her knees as she continued. "See, no one actually believes your hippy dippy bullshit. I know who you are, I know what you've done, Roarke Morris. You and I? We're more alike than you'd ever care to admit. So when you go home and look in that mirror, that only thing you're going to see is all the terrible shit you've done that's landed you here. In my way. And I'm not someone who steps around inconveniences, Roarke, I barrel through them. So I will fight you, everyday, until you have nothing but that stupid fucking fishing rod left to your name."
Roarke perked up, a smile appearing on his face, but not as cocky as the one he had the other day. "You make me a proposal Spencer, with a price and terms that are more than fair to you and your family, and I will make sure you become the richest woman in Montana."
Spencer smirked as she stood, stepping closer to Roarke until she was directly in his eye line. "I am the richest woman in Montana."
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"You alright Spencer?" Charlotte asked from her seat atop Rebel.
Spencer shook her head, bringing herself back from the conversation earlier that morning with Roarke. "I'm fine, Charlie, zoned out for a minute. I'm sorry. You look ready to start trotting around though! Do you want me to lead or do you want to ride by yourself for a little?"
Charlotte lifted her eyebrows like a challenge as she smiled, lightly nudging into Rebel's to send him on his way. Spencer chuckled as she stepped out of the fence, standing on the bottom rung as she watched intently.
A ways down the dirt road, Rip and Cole walked up to the arena, not surprised to see the two ladies already up and training for the day. Rip had started to see a steep but positive change in Spencer since the Stanton siblings had arrived on the ranch, and he knew it was likely because of Charlotte. Her and Spencer were clearly pulling one another up from whatever hole that had sunken into.
"She's good with Charlie," Cole noted, breaking the silence between them. Rip only grunted in response, making the shorter brunet roll his eyes. "Have you two ever thought of one of your own?"
Rip looked at him sharply, confusion clear on his face.
"Kids, Rip." Cole laughed as Rip's confusion cleared.
Rip shrugged as they continued to walk closer, even as their pace greatly decreased from the conversation. "There's a lot of baggage that comes from my bloodline, but if Spencer wants them-"
He trailed off as they finally reached the girls, but Cole nodded in understanding as Charlotte stopped in front of them. She had been beaming since Spencer had let her start using Rebel a few days before; beyond excited to get to ride around on the title winning horse.
"Did you see me riding by myself?" She asked her brother giddily as she practically vibrated off Rebel from excitement.
"She's looking good enough to maybe ride out to the camp barn with us," Spencer added, a silent, questioning look sent Rip's way. He nodded once, watching her face light up at the confirmation. God, he could look at her smile like that all day and never need anything else.
"We'll head up after lunch, the last thing Charlie's gonna want to eat is hotdogs and beans with Colby and Ryan," Rip chuckled as Spencer's face blanched at the idea of being around those two after one of those lunches. It never was fun for anyone involved.
"Good idea, plus I can make sure Jimmy leaves on time for the rodeo."
"Rodeo?" Cole asked as he climbed onto the fence.
Spencer nodded, "Jimmy's got it in his head he can buck with the best of them so I agreed to let him go for his pro certs."
Rip looked at Spencer hesitantly, "You're actually okay with that?"
Spencer nodded, her eyes crinkling in question at Rip's concern, but she brushed it off nonetheless as she turned back to Charlotte quickly. "Okay, lunch and then to the barn, yeah?"
The younger girl bobbed her head excitedly before racing off with Rebel to get him squared away.
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"Hey Spencer, what time is it?" Jimmy asked as she, Rip, and Charlotte made it up to the barn. She looked at her watch and was about to answer, but Colby spoke first.
"Jimmy, if the sun is directly above you, what time do you think it is?"
"You got somewhere to be?" John asked as he stepped out of the truck, having followed up behind Spencer to keep an eye on Charlotte.
Jimmy gulped, looking between Rip and Spencer.
"The qualifier in Livingston is today," Spencer answered for Jimmy as he continued to look like a dog with his tail between his legs. "Starts at three. I told him he could go if we had the barn all squared away."
"What, we don't pay him enough?" John asked his daughter, whose only response was to roll her eyes at her father as Jimmy clammed up even more.
"N-no sir, I've been saving up," he tried to explain, "I've finally got enough for my pro card. Tonight's the first night that would count toward my standings."
"It's hard to stay on any man's payroll chasing buckles," John states, making Jimmy fall silent again.
Spencer patted her father's shoulder, "That's why he's not on any man's payroll."
"You know what I mean," her father rolled his eyes. "But you're really okay with this?"
Spencer nodded, "He's pretty good. I told him he can give it a shot, but first sign of injury or a trip to the hospital and he's done.
John looked to Spencer with a disgruntled look, but kept his criticism to himself. It was the same rules he had given Spencer when he finally budged and let her barrel race. And he knew she would hold true to her word. He looked over her shoulder, seeing a truck pull up, his mood souring more at the sight of Jamie.
"There goes the day," he whispered to Spencer, chucking his head behind her. She whipped around, mumbling curses under her breath at the sight of her oldest brother.
"Governor wants to see us."
Jamie waited until both Spencer and John were at the truck window to speak, not wanting to yell about possibly sensitive issues in front of the rest of the ranch.
"No she wants to see you and maybe Tiny," John corrected smugly. "I'm retired and a freeloader and I'm enjoying every minute of it."
"She wants all three of us."
Spencer groaned, "That bad?"
Jamie shrugged, but his nonanswer was answer enough. "Look I can get the chopper out here, we could be in Helena in an hour."
John looked to Spencer, silently agreeing to do whatever she wanted, but he saw the gears turning in her brain as a devious grin came across her face.
"If it's really that important, she wouldn't mind coming to see us. We have a rodeo to get to tonight in Livingston."
Jamie went to argue, but John spoke first, "I'm sure her voters would love to see her."
He walked away, effectively ending the conversation. Spencer smiled smugly at her brother, who looked beyond frustrated with the old and new head of the family. He began muttering to himself as he drove off.
"Honey?"
Rip turned in Spencer's direction immediately, much to the amusement of the other ranchers. Spencer's smile turned sickly sweet as she walked over to Rip, his gaze on her light despite the snickers behind him.
"Decide who's staging tonight please, we have a rodeo to get to."
The laughed quickly sobered up, although Spencer could still make out giggles from Charlotte as she stood with John. The men all held pleading looks to their faces, knowing whoever was chosen was going to have to stay with Teeter, and no one wanted to be her first solo encounter.
Rip zeroed in on Colby, who had been the first to laugh, and the man practically got on his knees to beg Rip to pick someone else. He shook his head at the younger man, smiling as the others all piled into the awaiting truck.
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"Showtime," Spencer whispered to her father as Governor Perry joined them. The pair smiled, looking as thick as thieves as Lynelle sat by John.
"I see you're learning from him more and more everyday," Lynelle said to Spencer in lieu of a greeting. Spencer only smiled, holding her beer up in salute.
"Wanna beer?" John asked. Lynelle paused, surveying the plastic cup in John's hand before accepting it.
"Sure, let's have a beer."
The rest of the group took that as a means to scatter, Rip pressing a kiss to Spencer's forehead as he brought Charlotte to the concession stand. She watched with a smile as Rip pulled Charlotte into the air, her laughter reaching all the way up the stands. Cole had been more than happy when Spencer offered to take Charlotte off his hands for the night, giving him time to give his undivided attention to their own cabin.
"How's forced retirement John?" Lynelle asked once everyone else disappeared. Spencer did her best to keep her attention on the first few riders as she tried to keep her drink down at their flirting.
"Look, how about I give you the solution tonight, and the problem tomorrow." Lynelle offered. "If you two agree to the solution, we can all play friendly for the rest of the night."
Spencer visibly shuddered at the underlying terms of Lynelle's offer, causing the older couple to laugh at her. "I'll agree as long as you never say that again."
"What's the solution?" John asked.
"I appoint Jamie as interim Attorney General," Lynelle starts, "He then appoints someone of your choosing to be the new Livestock Commissioner."
John nodded solemnly, "Something happened?"
Lynelle and Spencer shared a look, Spencer slightly shaking her head at the older woman.
"Something could happen. Is what I'm proposing best for the state? I don't know. Is it best for the two of you and likely this valley? Yes, at least I think so."
"What's the goal in mind?" It was Spencer's turn to question the Governor. She needed to know where Lynelle stood before setting her sister loose. They had talked earlier in the morning about Beth's plans for Roarke and his agenda.
The knowing look on Lynelle's face was not what she wanted to see. "To negotiate an acceptable surrender."
The rest of the group began to return, Rip telling them that Jimmy was next, causing Spencer to finish up.
"The problem is we don't have anyone to replace Jamie."
Lynelle tilted her head in question, prompting Spencer to continue. "I'm not suited for politics, we all know that by now. Beth won't do it and Kayce doesn't want it."
"Did he talk to him?" Lynelle jabbed a finger at John, causing Spencer to nod. "If I convince Kayce, do we have a deal?"
Spencer looked down to her twin, smiling and laughing with Monica and Tate. She had seen how lost he had become since she came back, since the ranch became hers. This was a way for her to give him something that he could be good at, something that they would never compete over. So she turned to her father, who was clearly thinking the same thing.
"We have a deal."
A collective gasp from the crowd sounded, Spencer realizing she had missed Jimmy's start. The ambulance came out, and that sent her running down the bleacher stairs and hopping the fence almost as fast as Lloyd. The other riders tried to stop her, but she shoved against them.
"That's my fucking wrangler you assholes," she yelled, finally getting them to let her go.
She got to Lloyd, who looked as shocked as she did. He shook his head once, "It doesn't look good."
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author's note. i was wondering where this chapter was, silly me never posted it. this is the correct chapter 4, the only update to chapter 5 (the future) is that it's now the correct chapter.