Finally Home to Yellowstone: Yellowstone Ranch Series

18

We walked into Rips cabin early that morning. Maybe 3am. The sheriffs department had taken a few things. The big one was the rug that was soaked in the guys blood I shot. I walked over to it. The rug was gone but blood had soaked through it and stained the hard wood floor.

"I'll see what I can do to get that out-" I turned to tell Rip but he was already grabbing the rug from the kitchen. He threw it on top of the drain with a loud plop.

"I don't wanna think about that every time I walk by." He grumbled and walked on to the bathroom. I heard the shower turn on.

I was left standing alone in the middle of the cabin where I had just shot a man, beat the hell out of a man, and almost died. I looked around. Everything looked normal until you got to the bed room. It was trashed.

I grabbed the chest off the bed and started putting papers back into it. I didn't even take the time to be nosey and read them.

Rip stepped out of the shower shortly after, just with a towel around his waist. I looked at him momentarily before realizing I was staring. My face turned red as he walked over to grab his clothes. As if this was something new and I didn't both him all the time with it.

I had taken a shower in the bunkhouse earlier while waiting to be able to come back to the cabin so I just changed clothes. I finally got most things cleaned up in the bedroom. And although I've been the one sleeping in the bed, it felt wrong this time. I didn't wanna be in there. Alone.

I walked into the living room quietly. Rip laid on the couch, facing the door with his pistol on the night stand.

I waited for him to say something but he didn't. So I sat down in the chair beside the couch. I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them. I rested my face on my knees. Rips eyes stared wide open at the door.

"You are." His tired, raspy voice sounded weak.

"What?" I asked, confused.

He looked at me,"Pretty." Was all he said. My heart skipped a little beat. A smile pulled on my lips. It had been a long time since anyone had called me anything like that. "Better get some rest. We're breaking horses tomorrow."

I looked down the hallway were I shot a guy only hours before.

The good thing about Afghanistan was you never saw the same place once. Maybe we were there for 48 hours straight but we never went back to where we killed someone. And here I had to look it straight in the face.

"That guy... he said Dad stole something from him." I mumbled.

Rip cleared his throat,"Mary... you know I think a lot of your father," He turned to look at me,"But he's taken a lot of things from a lot of people."

The words sent chills down my spine. I already knew but never let myself get too far into it. I nodded slowly,"This felt different. This can't be about the land-"

"People want ground. They want land. And they'll done stupid shit to get it." He kept turning me down and not listening.

I sighed loudly and rolled my eyes.

"Come on, now, don't pout about it." He turned his head but to the door.

"I am not pouting." I furrowed my eyebrows and leaned forward in my chair, pissed at what he said.

Then he chuckled and glanced at me.

I huffed and leaned back with a thump. I glanced back down the hallway.

"You not going to bed?" He asked quietly.

"I don't know if I can." I whispered back.

He turned to me again. But with a different look. "We're gonna find out who's doing this. And we'll find that fucking guy. I'll make sure of it."