Happy Cow Ranch

Flirtin' with Disaster

Kayce shoves his hands in his pockets, strolling down the hall to the living room where his father, sister, and brother are having an incredibly heated argument. He props himself against the doorframe, shaking his head; not just at them, but at the girl too. He felt bad for her, knowing that she would probably have uncomfortably real 'visions' like that for a long, long time. The nightmares she'll have tonight... well, he doesn't want to be around for that. Seeing her bleeding out on that makeshift operating table damn near broke his heart, reminding him of everything Tate went through.

"And where the fuck were you, huh?" Beth storms up to Jamie, poking him in the chest. The coward's hands immediately fly up in surrender as he stumbles back over an ottoman, nearly falling.

"I was meeting with Austin Malloy for Dad, trying to work out a deal to get him the Walker land," He seethes, righting himself while wobbling and gesturing toward their dad. He just folds his arms tight across his chest.

"If I call Malloy right now, would he say the same thing?" John asks, raising his chin. Jamie looks at him dubiously, brow furrowed, yet mouth open in an incredulous grin.

"What am I, thirteen?" He shoots back, hands on his hips.

"Answer the damned question, son," John mirrors Jamie's position, his fingers brushing back his vest. Jamie straightens up, a look of disbelief, then disappointment taking over his features.

"Yes." He says, and when he doesn't get a reaction from his father, he gestures to his phone on the table. "Go ahead, call him!"

"Why the fuck are you limping, Jamie?" Beth lets the question slither up from the seat she had taken beside him. Jamie whips down to look at her, then casts his gaze between the two.

"What exactly are you accusing me of, Beth?" Jamie demands, adding a sarcastic note to the end of his already sarcastic question.

"Maisie got taken, again. Then tortured... then shot. Not sure what she thinks that has to do with you, but... that's the only thing she could be talking about," John fills him in, barely watching as Jamie's brows climb higher and higher up his face with every word.

"She's awake too," Kayce finally cuts in, pushing off of the door frame. His family turns to look at him, Beth raising her chin off her hand. "And asking for you."

Kayce nods his head toward Beth before turning on his heel and heading into the kitchen, looking for a can of Chicken and Stars. For some reason he remembers that that was her favorite soup. Kayce can hear Beth's footsteps as she passes the kitchen, quick and angry.

The door to Maisie's room swings open, and the girl looks over to see Beth in the doorway, looking her over. She looks so small; Beth notes, seeing how the pillows seem to swallow her. Beth goes to sit at the edge of Maisie's bed, taking her outstretched hand.

"Sorry I yelled at you," She mumbles, to which Beth laughs.

"Don't be sorry about defending yourself. Be more sorry about scaring the shit out of me," Beth squeezes her hand, then sets it down.

"Will you tell me the whole truth now?" Maisie's small voice asks, the girl looking up at her. Beth swallows and sighs, sitting back.

"Whaddyou want to know? Why I left that night?"

"No, I know that. You and Rip had a date," I tell her. "I just want to know—"

The door opens again to reveal the vet and the younger Dutton sibling toting a bowl of soup and a prescription bottle of pain medication. Logan smiles at the two, making his way to kneel beside the bed, checking the bandages on her arms before finally peeling off the covers to reveal her stitched up bullet wound. It hasn't completely opened yet, but Logan is contemplating restitching it, as it's come slightly loose. After inspecting it for another minute the doctor nods to himself, deciding that it's for her greater good to restitch.