Happy Cow Ranch

Kerosene

I exit the small bedroom wearing a too-big pair of sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt that either says that I am, or the shirt is, property of the Yellowstone. It's certainly a hard distinction to make, especially considering everything they've done for me. But when they found me in the middle of the plains they didn't start shooting immediately... I've been thinking about that for some time.

"That shirt's gonna swallow you whole, Maise," Rip chuckles, not even hiding it until I shoot him a glare. He turns away as he whispers: "Just sayin'."

"Rip..." I bite my lip, scowling. My head cocks as I contemplate how to word my question. When I raise my head I can see him looking at me expectantly, not saying a word. "I need your help."

"What is it, Maisie?" He prompts me, yet doesn't sound patronizing. I take a deep breath, grab his hand, and drag him away from the window, as though I'm afraid a sniper lies in wait for my next statement.

"I know who did this... everything. I remember everything." I watch Rip wince, and force out my final sentence. "And I don't think I can tell the Duttons."

This catches Rip's attention, swerving his head up to look at me.

"What do you mean?"

"It was Jamie," My voice barely climbs above a whisper, the words strangling me, garbling my voice. Once I tell someone, I can never go back. I clear my throat, trying to suppress the good memories and remind myself of what he did. "It was all Jamie."

Rip's nostrils flare, his shoulders rising. I attempt to speak again, but can't find the strength to form any sort of coherent sentence. I can't talk Rip down when his fists clench and his lips twist into a snarl, but I can lunge forward and grab his arm, and that's just what I do.

"Please, I just... I need to know what to do," I breathe into the space between us, holding my head down. Rip laughs sardonically, echoing Mr. Dutton's typical stance.

"Hell, Maisie, if anything's going through your mind other than killin' him, I admire your strength," Rip remarks, and I give him a look.

"I'm not going to kill him. I wanna put him away," I affirm, standing as tall as I can.

"For good?" Rip quickly replies, sounding slightly hopeful.

"No, Rip—" I sigh, and cup my chin in my hand. "Legally, Rip, legally."

"Well, girl, you're on the wrong ranch for that," Rip informs me, and I drop my hands.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that," I raise an eyebrow, and Rip smiles.

"Fair 'nough," He crosses his arms, a look of curiosity overtaking him. "But then, I don't know what you want my help with."

"Should I tell them? And if I should, how do I tell them?"

"You have to tell 'em, Maisie."

"But he's their family!"

"Well..." Rip trails off, rubbing the back of his head.

"And what if they don't believe me? What if I've lost them forever?" I can barely keep the boiling pain and fear from my voice, choking after my first question. With one hand I hold my other arm, resting my other hand on my shoulder.

"You haven't been up here for a while, kid. They'll probably believe you. I mean, I believe you," Rip offers, grinning. I give him a look.

"Yeah, but you've always hated Jamie." I cross my arms, raising an eyebrow. He snickers, looking down at the floor. Finally, he looks back up at me. Cocking his head to the side he turns, wraps an arm around my shoulder and leads me over to the couch in the living room.

"Maisie." He kneels in front of me as soon as I sit down. "You are strong, and you are brave. Everyone here knows that. You can let some of us carry these burdens now, alright?"

I suck in a breath, turning my head to look up to the ceiling like a man in a medieval mosaic. I glance back at Rip and remind him: "It's not your problem, though. It's my mess, and I have to fix it."

Rip stands up, backing away.

"Your mess? Maisie, he kidnapped you, he tried to kill you. This is the third time. It's his mess, not yours."

I wince, inhaling sharply and swiveling my head.

"That still doesn't make it your problem." I can barely get the words out before Rip cuts me off.

"Enough, Maisie... That's enough. Come on, let's go talk to Mister Dutton." Rip claps my shoulder, hooking my arm and lifting me up. I whine the whole way out the door, up until he halts me in front of the rancher. "Tell him, kid."

I gulp, glancing up at Rip before meeting Mister Dutton's curious eyes.

"Mister Dutton, I have to tell you something." I fidget, then shake my head. "It's not going to be easy to hear."

Mister Dutton nods toward the ground, as if to say 'out with it.' I step forward and cross my arms so tightly that I might never be able to pull them apart.

"Jamie kidnapped me. Every time it's happened, Jamie has been the one to control it," I begin, hesitating as I'm afraid I'll be laughed at or yelled at. When I look up, there's nothing on his face but pity, and quiet anger, and something else I can't read. He gestures to the Adirondacks on the porch, moving toward them.

"Take a seat, Maise," Mister Dutton offers, and I oblige. He lowers himself into the seat beside me, huffing and grunting like the weight of the world has just been lifted from him. He inclines his head slightly, and I know what he means: 'Go on.'

I tell him everything. Every little detail that he would probably rather not hear, everything I remember from when I was young, and what he said to me because I'm grown. How the beatings felt, everything. It's funny how guilty I feel, just because I'm telling the truth. I keep worrying about how this will affect Jamie—I mean, certainly, this would ruin him—until it finally hit me. I hope it does. I hope it burns that motherfucker to the ground.

When I'm done, Mister Dutton rubs the knees of his pants and stands up, looking down at me.

"You stay here." He looks over at Rip, who was listening as well, and cocks his head to the right, leaving the porch. Rip follows immediately.

"Where are you going?" I stand up, rushing to the railing on the porch.

"To get my son," Mister Dutton shoots back, climbing into the truck. I can hear him telling Rip to call Kayce before the door slams shut. After my initial shock wears off, I run out to meet them, but I'm too late, and the truck speeds out of the ranch.