Finally Home to Yellowstone: Yellowstone Ranch Series

20

"Mary!" Someone yelled my name.

I spun my horse around in the snow covered ground. It was dad. I sighed. I had too much to do today to worry about what he wants. I glanced over at Rip, as if to get his approval for me to leave. He gave a quick nod. I nudged my heals into my horse and headed in Dads direction.

"Yes sir?" I asked approaching him. He pointed his finger up and gestured to the ground. I swallowed hard and dismounted my horse.

"Put your horse up. Let's go the house." He nodded towards the barn.

I did as I was told but was anxious. My horses hooves clicked on the concrete floor as I lead him to the stall.

"Hey, Mary." Jimmy walked through.

I smiled at him,"Hey." He stopped walking and waited for me. "You need somethin'?" I rubbed my hands together to warm them up a little.

"Uh, yeah," he glanced at his feet then beside him and then finally looked me in the eyes,"Can you touch me to rope?" He squinted a little. The sun beaming off the snow and onto the concrete floor positioned itself directly to his eyes.

I tried to not seem excited but I definitely was. "Of course. Glad you wanna learn." I gave him a quick smile and walked away.

I made my way out to Dad and then we road the side by side over to the house.

I hadn't been in the house in months. It felt eire. He walked to his office, I followed. He sat down at his chair, I sat down across from him.

"You look terrified, Mary." He chuckled.

I tried to force a small laugh,"I am, sir."

His smile faded. "I know." He cleared his throat. "The night that..." He paused and shook his head,"That everything happened. Rip said there was a man who talked to you. Right?"

I blinked. Surprised Rip shared this with Dad. I guess I shouldn't be because I told the Sheriff everything. He easily could've told Dad too. I just didn't expect Rip to bring it up. "Uh, yeah. Yes." I nodded.

He stared out the window. "It was Jamie's dad."

"Oh." My eyes widened a little and my mouth slightly hung open. I was now even more surprised. Typically this was information I would have had to fight to get. Or found out in some extraordinary way. But no. He just told me. "Oh." I said again. "I never met him."

He still stared. "You did. You just don't remember him. Probably best you didn't. Anyway..." he readjusted and looked at me. "I think he was looking for a deed for some land-"

I wanted to roll my eyes. It's always about some fucking land.

"-and Rip can't find that deed. I had him keep a bunch of those papers a long time ago. I didn't think anyone would check his place for them but-" Dad stood up and looked behind his desk on some shelves. He pulled out a certain binder and opened it, flipping through the pages. He stopped flipping and pulled one out. "Here's a copy." He tossed it onto the desk. I leaned over and looked at it.

My heart thumped fast. "Is that the..."

"Yeah, it's the same land the Indians want for their casino." Beth walked through the doorway and grabbed the copy of the deed. She turned to a printer and started to copy the copy.

"So what's this mean? Why did he say you stole it from him?" I leaned back in my chair.

Dad opened his mouth but Beth started talking. "Because we did. Actually-" She handed me the new copy of the copy,"You did."

"What?" I furrowed my eyebrows. I looked down the bottom. Sure enough, my name signed at the bottom. "What the fuck is going on?" I looked up at Dad.

He pursed him lips together. "Beth couldn't be name of it because she's the attorney, Kacey couldn't because he's commissioner, Lee's dead, and I don't trust Jamie."

I stood up,"And I was in Afghanistan!" It was dated for three years ago. I wasn't here.

"I know, it sounds bad-" Dad said quietly.

"This is bad! If he's got that deed, how the fuck are you gonna explain I signed a deed when I was in the fucking desert?!" The paper crumpled slightly under my grip.

"I don't know!" He raised his voice. Then we were all three quiet. I swallowed hard.

I wanted to start in again about how I didn't want anything to do with the business. I just wanted to raise cattle. But it wasn't going to get me anywhere. It never does.

I glanced at the deed and then sighed. "Why'd we steal it?"

He wiped his face then sat back down. "Technically Jamie stole. During one of his many... many fuck ups, I asked him to have his dad write us for the land." He opened a desk draw and pulled out a bottle of Johnny Walker Black.

And two glasses.

He poured the liquor in both and sat one in front of me.

"And he did it?" I questioned then tossed the burning whiskey to the back of my throat.

"No," Dad did the same,"Jamie stole and forged it."

"And then you put my name on it?" I grabbed the bottle of Johnny and took a swig, then started to sit it back down. Dad motioned for me to give it to him.

"Yeah." He took a few swallows from it then put it back under the desk.

"So what... we just got wait now?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

Suddenly I heard the front door slammed. Rip quickly walked into the office.

"Sir, we've got a problem."

Dad opened the drawer and pulled the bottle back out.