Cowboy Kind of Love

Son

I walked to the arena and saw Rip feeding the horses. He finally noticed me as he turned to grab hay from the barrel.

"Feel kind of silly feeding animals today. I should be helping."

"No matter what we're going through, they still gotta eat." Rip turned looking at me before walking up to me.

"What's going on Alexis?"

"Walk with me." He stopped what he was doing and followed me. There was one more cabin on this property, a big one.

"You know we have horses, right, Lexi?"

"Just, all right trust me."

"What are we doing?" I pulled the paper from the envelope and opened it.

"I'm going to read to you." I said looking at him.

"Okay."

"My great grandfather had a dream. All of his sons on the same road, the same ranch. Working toward the same goal. That dream survived a hundred years. Until me, with me, it died. I didn't have enough sons. They just kept dying or quitting." I looked up at him for a second before continuing. "Then one day, not too long ago, I realized that I have enough sons after all." I looked back up at him as he looked around.

"I don't understand, Lexi." I smiled at him looking at the house.

"He's saying it's yours." I said before looking back at Rip. He looked at me before looking over the house.

"Mine."

"Yours." He grabbed my hand as we walked to the house and I stepped back letting him open the door. He walked in while I waited by the doorway. I heard him sniffle.

"Well taste is kinda blah but it's the thought that counts." He exhaled deeply before walking past me and out the door as he took a seat on the steps. A low grunt left him before I sat next to him. I glanced at him again, tears in his eyes he was trying to fight.

"Will you read the, um the end of his letter again?"

"They just kept dying or quitting. Then one day, not too long ago," I said looking at him. "I realized I have enough sons after all." I watched him as he smiled.

"He called me his son."

"Yeah, baby. He sure did." I handed the letter to him before hugging him as he finally cried. He had always looked at dad as a father and now he saw that dad felt the same way. Rip was definitely not an emotional man unless that emotion was anger. So him being damn near in tears was new for me. I saw Kayce walking up to us.

"What do you know Kayce?" Rip asked.

"He's with a militia up in the Crazies, we don't have time."

"How can I help?"

"It's a big ask. Can't attack a fortified position without knowing the strength of our enemy In Afghanistan, we'd send an armored vehicle into ambushes. Draw fire to know how many we're fighting."

"Let me guess he's the armored vehicle?" They both paused looking at me as if forgetting I was sitting here.

"Lex, I'd do it myself-"

"I'll draw your fire" Rip said cutting him off. Rip stood handing me his beer as he walked off. I put it down running past Kayce and grabbing Rip's arm making him turn and look at me before I kissed him. His hand immediately going to my hip. I pulled back touching his face as I looked into his eyes.

"I love you." Rip smiled gently at m a hand coming to brush my hair from my face as he kissed my forehead

"I love you too." I turned walking back to the house stopping by Kayce.