"You misspelled replacement," Oakley's eyes shifted over the paper. "Twice."
"It happens," Tate shrugged from where he sat across the dining table from her.
Oakley looked up at him and raised her eyebrow.
"There's spell check on the computer, Tate," Oakley said. "You didn't see that red line showing the error?"
"It's the first paper of the year," Tate shrugged.
"That you got a fifty-eight on it," Oakley folded her hands over the paper. "Tate, you've never failed a paper before."
"It was a hard subject," Tate shrugged again.
"It was tribal relationships and how they've evolved in the twenty-first century..." Oakley sighed. "That's literally you, Tate."
"I'm not tribal relationships," Tate made a face.
"No, but you're the face of the twenty-first century when it comes to Native Tribes in this country," Oakley smiled.
"Just because I'm half doesn't mean I'm the face of it," Tate said, making Oakley's smile dim.
Tate was picking at the table in front of him, not meeting Oakley's eyes. She thought it was weird, this...anger that Tate seemed to have right now. Tate wasn't a straight-A student, but he was a good student. Oakley pushed the paper to the side and sighed.
"What happened?" She asked him.
"What?" Tate finally looked at her.
"What happened?" Oakley repeated. "Why are you upset?"
"I'm not," Tate mumbled as Kayce walked into the dining room, just now getting home.
"Hey," Kayce kissed the top of Oakley's head as he squeezed her shoulders. "What's up?"
Suddenly, Tate's eyes were wide as he almost pleaded with Oakley to not say something. Oakley shifted, looking up at Kayce with a smile.
"We were trying to debate on whether to have pizza or burgers for supper," Oakley said.
"Should have called," Kayce mentioned. "I could have picked something up."
"Hence the debate," Oakley stood up. "But I'd love you forever if you drove me into town and we grabbed some burgers for us?"
Kayce sighed but smiled at Oakley.
"Alright," He turned around.
Oakey glanced back at Tate who at least looked thankful toward her.
"When I get back, you're gonna tell me what's wrong," Oakley said. "So think about how you want to explain it to me."
Tate nodded as Oakley walked out of the room,
**
"So why am I driving you to get burgers?" Kayce asked, pulling his truck out of the drive.
"Because Tate failed his first paper and he won't tell me what's wrong," Oakley crossed her arms.
"Just one paper," Kayce shrugged.
"Kayce," Oakley looked over at him. "He's never failed a paper before...and when I pushed I could tell there's something there. And it was about tribal relationships, which should be a breeze for Tate to write about but he...didn't."
"Still don't see why I had to leave?" Kayce glanced at Oakley.
"I was the one talking to him," Oakley smiled. "And I was also hungry."
"What do you think it up with him?" Kayce asked, smiling as he looked forward.
"I don't know," Oakley sighed. "Have you talked to him about what you're working with the Reservations on?"
"Not yet," Kayce said. "And before you start on me...I will, I just wanted a more established product before I started telling people about it."
"Tate's not people, Kayce," Oakley said.
"Well...I don't want to tell my son I'm doing something unless I'm sure of it," Kayce shifted in his seat.
"Sure of it?" Oakley asked and then remembered. "Is this about the casino?"
"Yeah," Kayce nodded.
"You still don't know if you'll continue helping them?" Oakley frowned.
"A lot of things still up in the air, baby," Kayce pulled into the drive-through line.
Oakley didn't push it, forcing herself to lean back in the seat as they waited for Kayce to order. He pulled his truck around and handed some things to Oakley before heading back to the ranch. Oakley held the two bags in her lap as she listened to the music playing. When Kayce pulled up to the house he turned off his truck but didn't move. Oakley looked over at him.
"I want to help them," Kayce told her.
"I know you do," Oakley nodded. "It's just..."
"Complicated," Kayce said.
"It always is with you, baby," Oakley gave Kayce a sad smile.
They got out and brought in the food and drinks to the kids waiting.
**
Oakley leaned against Tate's doorframe and cleared her throat. He looked up from the book he was reading on his bed. They stared for a minute before Tate sighed and lowered the book to his chest. Oakley pushed off and walked over to his bed, sitting down and looking at Tate.
"Well?" She asked.
Tate sat up slowly, leaning back on his hands.
"I didn't want to write about that stuff," Tate said.
"I could figure that much," Oakley smiled. "But why?"
"I just feel like I'm always the one that gets stuff like that," Tate shrugged. "I'm always the kid from the reservation...the one who had a mom who was an Indian...sure, Tate knows all about that stuff. Tate knows what that's like...I'm just tired of being that kid."
"You don't want to be connected to that part of you?" Oakley asked, trying to understand.
"I don't want that part of me to identify all of me," Tate said. "I'm...more than just that, right?"
"Of course you are," Oakley nodded. "And you could also be anything you wanted to be...our pasts don't dictate our futures, Tate. You don't have to be an Indian just like you don't have to be a cowboy."
"Why does it matter that I'm anything at all?" Tate asked her. "Why can't I just be?"
Oakley smiled at Tate.
"You can just be too," Oakley nodded. "But if you get an assignment for a paper, you need to follow that assignment."
"My teacher just gave that to me because I'm from the reservation," Tate rolled his eyes.
"Wait..." Oakley thought. "Everyone didn't have to write about that? Just you?"
"Yeah," Tate nodded.
"Hold on," Oakley stood up. "Your teacher just assigned the topic of tribal relations to you? No one else in the class?"
"We all got different topics," Tate looked up at her. "Seems to be how it always is. Why do you look like that?"
Oakley wasn't sure about what she was hearing right now. She took a deep breath.
"Because that's not right, Tate," Oakley told him. "It would be one thing for every student to have to write about the same subject, but your teacher can't single you out like that...that's not okay."
"Okay?" Tate still looked confused.
"Don't worry about it," Oakley shook her head. "But I'm going to speak with your teacher."
"Don't make it worse, Oaks!" Tate cried as Oakley walked back to his door.
"I won't," Oakley looked over her shoulder. "I'm going to make this right."
She left his room and walked downstairs to find Kayce sitting on the couch. His head was tilted back, eyes closed as he listened to the fire crack in the middle of the room.
"Kayce?" Oakley said softly as she walked around to him.
He opened his eyes and tilted his head down to look at her. She sat down on the coffee table in front of him.
"This don't look good," Kayce eyed her.
"No," Oakley sighed. "It's not."
**
"What are you thinking?" Oakley asked an hour later after explaining everything to Kayce.
It was late, the clock chiming eleven times a few minutes ago. Oakley watched Kayce run his fingers through his hair and sigh. His tired eyes found Oakley's.
"Do we want this battle too?" Kayce asked her.
"It's Tate," Oakley said. "I'll take this battle over any of the others."
"Alright," Kayce nodded. "Meet with his teacher."
"You don't want to come?" Oakley asked.
"What I want to do is go to her house tonight," Kayce took a deep breath. "But I also know where that would lead me and I don't think the Livestock Commissioner needs to be put in jail tonight."
Oakley softly smiled at Kayce, glad he held the same feelings as she did toward Tate's teacher at the moment. She ran her hands up and down her thighs.
"He didn't seem upset," Oakley said. "Just tired of it."
"As he should be," Kayce nodded. "I thought we were well past all this nonsense."
Oakley pressed her lips into a thin line.
"I don't think Tate will ever not have this with him," Oakley shrugged. "But he's got a good head about it so I think as long as we can stop the stupid adults from screwing with him...he'll be okay."
Kayce leaned back against the couch.
"It's funny," Kayce said.
"What is?" Oakley asked.
"When he was little...he called himself an Indian," Kayce looked at Oakley. "He didn't view himself a cowboy or whatever."
"He was a kid," Oakley shrugged. "Probably followed Monica around and took to heart anything she said."
"Then...after coming back here," Kayce nodded. "He wanted to be a cowboy."
"Saw his father in a healthy light," Oakley smiled. "If I had to guess...and we know how little boys idolize their fathers at that age."
"Then you came along," Kayce smiled. "And suddenly he was content with being both."
Oakley blinked back at Kayce.
"Well, I do think it's easier living your life happy than not," Oakley smiled.
"Yeah," Kayce reached out and hooked his hands around Oakley's knees. "Don't get mad at me for asking this..."
Oakley raised her eyebrow.
"You say it's because you felt like you owed Monica this...making Tate still have that part of him," Kayce said. "But you did this before she died. Are you just that much of an angel or is there something more behind this want for Tate to have that part of him?"
"I'm not an angel," Oakley shook her head, leaning forward. "I'm stubborn, emotional...usually, I act before I think...I know I drive you crazy and others I'm sure."
Kayce was smirking at her.
"I think there was always a part of me that felt like I took something from Tate when I got together with you," Oakley thought. "That because we got together, he lost what was normal to him."
"What he had wasn't healthy, Oaks-"
"I know," Oakley nodded. "But it was normal for him. And maybe somewhere inside of me felt some responsibility in that. And it was only heightened when Monica died...that definitely was and still is survivor's guilt."
"Think you'll always have that?" Kayce asked her.
"I think I might," Oakley nodded. "I'm sure it'll change when he's...not living with us?"
"What?" Kayce asked.
"I haven't talked to Tate about what's next for him," Oakley said. "He's got another year but isn't it time to start those conversations?"
"I don't know," Kayce shrugged. "I'm just as new to this as you are."
"Well...I started talking about college when I was a junior," Oakley said.
"I know," Kayce smirked. "I remember fighting with you about going to Wyoming."
"Said the guy who ultimately went into the Navy," Oakley rolled her eyes.
"Yeah..." Kayce's eyes softened.
Oakley watched him for a moment.
"You hardly ever talk about your time there," She said softly.
"Ain't much good about it," Kayce sighed, his fingers pressing into her jeans.
Oakley looked down and pushed the sleeve of Kayce's shirt up his forearm to reveal his intricate compass tattoo. It was the only one he had which she hadn't been with him when he got it. Oakley traced over the design with her fingers.
"But you don't think the military is for Tate?" Her eyes found his.
"Not Tate," Kayce shook his head. "Evie maybe."
Oakley snorted, rolling her eyes. Kayce watched her for a moment as Oakley went back to tracing over his tattoo.
"You know how much I love you?" Kayce asked with his voice low.
Oakley paused her fingers and looked up at him.
"I know Tate's yours," Kayce nodded. "But that doesn't mean I get over seeing you love him as such in moments like these...even after years of doing it."
Oakley smiled, moving to gently sit on Kayce's lap. She curled her knees up and wrapped her arm around Kayce's neck. He leaned his head against hers as they settled back into the couch.
Surely his teacher ain't dumb enough to do that to him," Oakley mumbled.
"Guess we'll find out," Kayce sighed.
**
"Mrs. Dutton?"
Oakley looked up from where she had been sitting in the front office of the high school the next morning.
"That was the bell, so Mrs. Walker will be up shortly," the receptionist smiled.
"Thank you," Oakley nodded.
Oakley waited for about five more minutes when the door opened and an older woman walked in. She looked over at Oakley.
"You must be Mrs. Dutton?" The woman asked.
"Yes," Oakley stood up. "Mrs. Walker?"
"Yes," She nodded. "Please, come with me."
She let Oakley down a hallway to the classroom in the far right corner. It wasn't as bright and colorful as the twins' classrooms Oakley was used to being in. This one was gray and had thirty desks and two large chalkboards. There was a window on one wall, and an American flag hanging next to the doorway.
"I'm sorry, all I have are desks," Mrs. Walker held her arm out.
"Oh, I've been sitting," Oakley shook her head. "Thank you for meeting with me."
"Have to say, we don't get a lot of parents invested in meeting high school teachers."
"I'm sure," Oakley held only to the strap of her bag. "I won't take much of your time."
"Alright," Mrs. Walker nodded.
"Tate's paper," Oakley said. "The one they turned in last week for your class?"
"Yes?"
"Um..." Oakley felt awkward. "He failed it."
"There were grammar errors all over," Mrs. Walker said. "Spell check alone...there shouldn't be a kid who turns anything in with that many mistakes."
"I don't think it was because he didn't know he had them," Oakley said. "He didn't care, that was the problem."
"Well, I'd suggest you tell your son that not caring this early in the school year won't work out for him in the end," Mrs. Walker smiled, trying to joke.
"He didn't care, because of the topic," Oakley frowned.
Mrs. Walker blinked back at Oakley.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Dutton," Mrs. Walker sighed. "I have over one hundred essays I grade so forgive me, but I don't remember his topic."
"Tribal relations in the twenty-first century," Oakley repeated from her memory. "Tate said you gave him the topic."
"Oh...that's right," Mrs. Walker said.
"Why did you give him that topic?" Oakley asked.
"What do you mean?" Mrs. Walker tilted her head to the side.
"Look, Mrs. Walker," Oakley glanced at her boots for a brief second. "Let's just get to the point...did you give Tate that topic because he's half Indian?"
"Excuse me?" Mrs. Walker glared at Oakley.
"I'm just asking a question," Oakley shrugged.
"Accusing is what it actually sounds like," Mrs. Walker huffed. "No, I did not give him that...I would never do that to a child."
"There's no need to get upset," Oakley held up a hand.
Mrs. Walker glared at Oakley as the last bell of the day rang out.
"No, Mrs. Dutton," She said slowly. "I did not give Tate that topic because he's half anything. How would I know he's half? You carnally don't look it, since we're being honest."
"What?" Oakley was confused.
"Well, I know the Dutton family," Mrs. Walker shrugged. "Hell, I taught most of them. So I know that's not where Tate's other half came from."
"Wait..." Oakley shook her head. "I'm not...that's not what I meant."
"Then what do you mean?" Mrs. Walker asked.
Oakley blinked back at the woman.
"Never mind," Oakley said softly. "Mrs. Walker, I apologize...thank you for your time."
Oakley walked out of the room and back toward the front entrance as fast as she could. Her cheeks were bright pink as you got outside, the cooler air helping her as she walked over to her truck. She got in, peeled out, and hit Kayce's name on her phone.
**
"Tate!"
Oakley's voice echoed throughout the main lodge. She walked into the kitchen where Kayce and the twins were.
"Hey?" Kayce leaned up from where he had been helping Lee with his writing homework.
"Where's Tate?" Oakley snapped.
"Went for a ride," Kayce frowned. "What happened?"
Oakley looked at the twins who were eyeing her. She walked over and gently kissed each of their foreheads before motioning for Kayce to follow her out on the back porch. She wrapped her arms around her as she faced him. Kayce shut the back door and stuck his hands in his pockets.
"Mrs. Walker didn't give Tate his topic because he's half anything," Oakley felt her anger coarse through her. "She didn't even know he was half!"
"Alright?" Kayce looked a bit confused. "Ain't that a good thing?"
"Sure, we don't have to deal with our son having a racist teacher," Oakley shrugged dramatically. "But I do have to deal with him lying to me!"
"Did he lie to you?" Kayce asked her slowly. "Maybe he's just confused."
"Do not defend him right now to me," Oakley narrowed her eyes.
"I'm not defending anyone," Kayce held his hand up. "I'm asking before you say something to him you might regret."
"I'm not the..." Oakley paused and took a deep breath. "Kayce...I need you to let me handle this with Tate. You're not part of this, it's between him and me."
Kayce blinked slowly as he looked at Oakley.
"And I don't need the two of you, and your little bond to get in the way of disciplining him when he needs it," Oakley cleared her throat.
"Our little bond?" Kayce asked. "That's not fair."
"No, it's not," Oakley said, trying to make her voice sound calm. "And while I usually love every second of it...not right now."
"I'm trying to be helpful," Kayce said.
"He lied to me, Kayce," Oakley said. "I want to crawl in a hole and cry right now. Tate's never lied to me...he and I don't do that. But what's worse is he made me accuse a woman of being racist when she wasn't. He just didn't want to do his stupid homework."
"Okay," Kayce stepped closer to Oakley and held her shoulder. "Take some breaths and wait until he comes back."
Oakley took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. Kayce's hand moved to the back of her neck as he gently massaged her skin. Her anger was leaving her, the longer she was out there. But what was left felt worse. Oakley's eyes looked up at Kayce's and started to water.
"You're okay," Kayce mumbled as he pulled Oakley into his arms.
"I wanna kick him I'm so mad," Oakley mumbled into Kayce's shoulder.
"I know you do," He chuckled as his hands rubbed up and down her back
He held her for a few minutes. Oakley sighed, pulling back and snuffing from the cold weather around them.
"Come on," Oakley wiped under her eyes. "I'll start some supper."
She moved to walk back but stopped. Kayce and she looked over and saw Tate walking up the path toward the house. Oakley breathed hard but ended up shaking her head and walking inside the door. She held it open and looked back at Kayce.
"Go on," Kayce told her.
"It's my fight, Kayce," Oakley said but her voice gave her away.
"You can do whatever you need to him," Kayce said. "But I ain't having him lie to anyone here, you especially. The shit you've gone through for me? For me? No, we're not doing that."
Oakley watched Kayce walk off the porch. She blinked a few times before closing the door and walking back into the kitchen. The twins both smiled at her as she walked to the freezer and pulled out two frozen pizzas.
**
Oakley sat at the dining table with the twins. They were waiting on Kayce and Tate who had still yet to come inside. Oakley rested her chin on her fists as she listened to Evelyn tell her about something at school that day.
"Sorry," Kayce said as he walked in.
He took his spot at the head of the table and placed his napkin in his lap. Oakley looked up but didn't see Tate anywhere. The twins started to eat as Oakley looked at Kayce.
"Tate's eating in the bunkhouse tonight," Kayce placed a slice of pizza on his plate.
Oakley frowned but didn't push it, Lee started to tell another story from the day.
After supper, Oakley was rinsing off dishes and placing them in the dishwasher when Kayce walked up to her. The twins were upstairs getting ready to bathe.
"What happened?" Oakley asked him.
"He had his ass handed to him for lying," Kayce sighed.
Oakley shut the dishwasher. She placed her hands on the sink counter.
"Did he tell you why?" She looked at Kayce.
"Didn't ask," Kayce shook his head. "Didn't really want to look at him after he admitted it."
"I need to talk to him," Oakley frowned.
As if on cue the back door opened and Tate walked in. He stopped when he spotted Kayce and Oakley. Kayce squeezed Oakley's arm before walking out of the room.
"I'm sorry, Oaks," Tate said, looking down.
"I don't understand," Oakley shrugged her shoulders. "You've never lied to me before."
Tate kept staring at the ground.
"You've never..." Oakley frowned. "We've always been a little team, Tate."
She waited until Tate picked his head up. He had tears in his eyes and while all Oakley wanted to do was run to him, she held off.
"Why did you lie to me?" She asked him.
"I'm..." Tate breathed out. "I thought that...if you got angry enough, you'd just pull me from school."
Oakley blinked back at him.
"Pull you?" Oakley asked.
"Yeah," Tate nodded. "I hate it there."
"You hate school?" Oakley tilted her head.
"It ain't what it used to be," Tate said. "I just...I wanna be here, on the ranch."
Oakley took in what he was saying.
"Well... you can be," Oakley said. "After you graduate."
"Oaks-"
"Don't," Oakley snapped. "Tate, you will finish high school. You have this year and next."
"It's pointless though," Tate argued.
"No, it's not," Oakley shook her head.
"You don't understand," Tate sighed.
"Tate..." Oakley walked over to him. "You love school."
"You want me to love school," Tate looked at her. "I hate it."
"Why?" Oakley asked. "And don't lie to me again by saying it's pointless."
"I think I need to be here," Tate said. "Learning how to run this place with Dad."
"Well...your father is thirty-seven," Oakley raised her eyebrow. "He's got another thirty years god willing of running this place before your name goes on any piece of paper."
Tate sunk down onto one of the bar stools. Oakley's eyes softened as she sat down next to him.
"Tate?" Oakley asked. "What happened?"
"Nothing," Tate mumbled.
Oakley sat there, trying to figure out what could have happened to Tate. She racked her brain over the past few weeks but nothing came to mind. It had seemed pretty normal for Tate so far. Tate was picking at his lip before he rested his arms in front of him on the counter.
"I kissed Brandi," Tate said.
Oakley sat up straight in her seat.
"Oh..." Oakley cleared her throat. "Um...okay."
Tate glanced over at her.
"I take it...it didn't go well?" Oakley asked.
"She slapped me," Tate tapped his fingers on the counter.
Oakley shifted in her seat.
"When did you kiss her?" She asked.
"A few weeks ago," Tate said. "At the school's bonfire night."
Oakley remembered Tate coming home early that night. She and Kayce had expected him to stay out late with his friends afterward, but he was home before ten.
"Why did she slap you?" Oakley asked.
"Because..." Tate turned to face Oakley. "She said she didn't like me."
"What?" Oakley asked. "Did she tell you that after you kissed her or before?"
Tate looked guilty.
"Before," Oakley said softly.
"Thought maybe if I kissed her she'd...like me," Tate sighed. "Now I know how stupid that was."
"You better," Oakley snapped.
"I didn't mean to make her uncomfortable," Tate said.
"I know you didn't," Oakley said. "But Tate, you can't ever do that to a girl...you can't do anything to anyone who doesn't give you permission."
"Yeah," Tate nodded. "She's made all her friends hate me too."
"Well, they're probably just being her friend right now," Oakley reached out and smoothed back some of Tate's hair. "Did you apologize?"
"She won't let me," Tate said. "I've tried."
"You keep trying," Oakley told him. "Even if she doesn't listen, you keep trying."
"Yes, ma'am," Tate nodded.
"Give her some time," Oakley said. "She'll come around and at least listen to you...that doesn't mean she'll be your friend again, but hopefully you two can move past this."
"Maybe," Tate shrugged and then looked up at Oakley. "I'm sorry."
"Tate, when we have problems in our lives like this, you can't just leave," Oakley said. "Leaving school wouldn't have solved anything...it only would have made you a coward."
Tate nodded slowly.
"When you make mistakes, you have to own up to them," Oakley smiled softly at him. "It hurts and it's awkward as hell...but you're a good person, Tate. Don't let being embarrassed ever make you not do the right thing, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am," Tate nodded.
"Okay," Oakley nodded. "Now, I love you. But I need your phone and you need to go up to your room."
Tate sighed but leaned back to get his phone out of his pocket. He placed it in Oakley's upturned hand. He stood up from his seat and finally smiled at Oakley.
"Love you too," Tate said.
"Goodnight," Oakley watched him leave the room.