Finally Home to Yellowstone: Yellowstone Ranch Series

5

My body self healed within a week but I was back in the saddle by day five. I couldn't stand it any longer.

Winter was right around the corner so there was a lot of work to be done, what dad had referred to when I first got home.

The biggest was bailing hay. Most of which was already done. The next was vaccines. None of which had been done.

Walker and Ryan roped the calves and Llyod helped me hold them down while I shot the vaccines into the little guys. Jimmy leaned against the fence, just watching how things worked.

"So you can't rope?" I hollered at him.

"Uh no. I don't know how." He stuttered.

"What kinda cowboy is he?" I chuckled and shoved the needle into the steer then injection the liquid into him.

"He's a rescue." Walker rode up next to me,"Didn't even know how to ride a fucking horse at first."

I nodded,"Damn. I'm surprised. He can break a horse like nobody's business." I wiped the swipe off my upper lip.

"He use to be a bull rider." Lloyd grumbled as he took the next steer to the ground.

"Ah. I see." I injected the next steer.

"Mary Margaret!"

I jumped as I heard my full name yelled. Dad was yelling it. But where the fuck was he?

I looked around carefully.

"He's over there." Lloyd said quietly and took the shots from me while pointing towards the barn. "You want me to come with?" He whispered.

I stared at my father, stomping towards us. He was pissed.

"Uh," I chewed on my bottom lip,"I think I'm okay. I haven't done anything yet."

Except hit on Rip. But Rip wouldn't have said anything.

I walked to the edge of the pen then climbed over the gate as dad was approaching it.

"Yes sir?" I asked rubbing my hands together to brush the dirt off.

He clenched his jaw,"We have a problem." He looked around then shoved his hands in his pockets.

"What's going on?" I readjusted my hat.

He lowered his voice,"We've got people snooping around down by pasture 9. Caught 'em on the cameras."

Cameras? When the fuck did we get cameras?
I put my hands in my pockets just like he did. A habit I made myself do when I was a kid, so I could look and act like him. Now it was natural.

"There was some fence cut down there the other day. What do you think they want?" I asked.

"I don't know. But I want you to take a camp down there and stay for a couple nights. Maybe scare um away." He started to walk away.

"Yes sir. I'll see who Rip wants to keep here to work first-"

"Don't ask him. He's not your boss, Mary. You have the name. This is your ranch. You take who you need and he can do his job around you." He raised his voice a little.

I swallowed hard.

"Do you understand? You're not a wrangler. You don't work for him. He works for us. And you tell him that." Dad had a look in his eyes. Something had happened that he wasn't telling me.

"Yes sir." I nodded. "I don't work for him."

He looked out at the world around us, watching Jimmy badly rope. "Mary, you never know if there's gonna be a time where you have to run this ranch. You need everyone to respect you and listen to you. You're a Dutton. This is your ranch. You don't work for it, you own it, dammit. Start acting like it." He mumbled and started to walk away. Then he stopped,"The wranglers treat you like a wrangler. Not like a Dutton. And if you don't start acting like a Dutton, I'll put you in the bunkhouse like a wrangler. You take your pick. Got it?"

I nodded nervously.

"Good. Be careful." He dropped his head and started to walk off.

I kicked the dirt around with my boots, cussing myself. Rip and I were finally not trying to kill each other and my father had to throw this into the mess. All I wanna do is work. Just help the cattle and that's all. I just wanna be a wrangler.

*****

We finished up work that day and I followed everyone into the bunk house like I normally would. I tried to think hard about who Rip would need tonight and in the morning. But I drew a blank.

"Dad wants us to set up a camp on pasture 9. Says there's someone sneaking around down there. Colby, Jimmy, and Clint, pack your shit. Going camping boys." I grabbed a beer out of the fridge and took a long drink.

"Rip wanted me to load the mules in the morning. They're going to that training camp. So I'm out." Clint chuckled.

I nodded, and started to ask Ryan. But I heard my dad in the back of my head. This is your ranch. Rip works for us.

"And?" I said out loud.

Clint sat down at the dinner table and looked up at me,"I already got shit to do, tomorrow. I ain't gonna waste my time camping."

Lloyd stood up,"Just do what she fucking says. No reason to be talking back." Dad must've talked to Lloyd.

I kicked myself internally. If Lloyd knows then I'll have to play it on in case dad gets him anything.

Clint shook his head,"Why? Cause she's a damn woman?"

Here we go. I swallowed hard, not want to say what I was about to say.

"Cause it's my fucking ranch." I spoke loud and clear. Everyone looked over at me. Most nodded with approval. They all respected me and I had never had a problem until now. "We leave in an hour." I started for the door.

"It's your daddy's ranch." Clint said.

I stopped and spun on my heals. My blood boiled. Then walked up to him. I stood between his legs and leaned down to his face.

"It may be my daddy's ranch but it doesn't run without me. Or Kayce. Or Beth. Or fucking Jamie. It would've been in the ground if wasn't for Lee. So you listen here," I sat down and straddled his lap. He leaned back as far as possible and moved around. He put his hands on the chair, trying to find a place for them to go. "It's my fucking ranch too. You may work for Rip. But Rip works for my daddy. You should really just do as you're told-" I leaned in closer to making him uncomfortable but the door slung open.

"What the fuck is fucking going on?!" Rip kicked the trash can by the door and it flew halfway across the room. Everyone jumped but no one had an answer.

"Great timing." I whispered to Clint. I rested my extended arm on his shoulder and looked back at Rip. His face was bright red and his fist were clenched. "Just talking about going camping with my new best friend here." I patted Clints chest. He swallowed hard, eyes wide.

"Camping, huh? Don't look like camping." He huffed.

"It will later." I winked at Clint and stood up slowly. "Anyway," I stretched the word out. "Colby, Jimmy, Clint and I are camping in pasture nine tonight because of what was on the cameras. Clint said he had other shit to do tomorrow. We were trying to work out the kinks." I took another drink out of my beer.

Rip drew her anger from me to Clint,"When she tells you to do something you do it.  She may be a pain the ass but she still owns this place. You hear me?"

"Yes sir." He nodded.

"Mary. A word?" Rip started out the door.

"Yeah," I grabbed myself another beer and one for Rip,"An hour." I winked at Clint.