Home is where the heart is [Rip Wheeler]

7

The days following Lee Dutton's funeral were crucial. Briar new this to be true as she vividly remember the days after her moms funeral. It was much the same now. All eyes were on her and her family as they tried to morn another lost loved one taken before their time.

Briar hadn't shed a single tear in front anyone. Her tears were reserved to be seen by her horse who would often offer her a shoulder to cry on and for Rip who had found Briar more than once asleep curled up next to Ducky or Spartan a the pasture. Both Briar and the horse were comfortably asleep but only one of them had dried tears stuck to her face.

Briar rode Spartan out to a field of wild flowers at the edge of their property that touched the Reservation. She felt her phone buzzed from its place on her hip. Pulling it out to look at it she read the message. A message from Tate asking if she could come over that weekend and play cowboy with him. He had been staying with his grandpa on the reservation the past week so Kacey and Monica could recoup from the weight that Lee's death had put on Kacey.

Tate had been begging her to come over and cook with him all week. This weekend was as good as time as any she surmised. As she rode hard back to the ranch she had a small smile on her face. The wind caught her hair as Spartan went into a full canter. Briar loved to ride fast and on Spartan she loved it that much more.

Rip spotted her well before any of the other wrangles. He opened the gate and waited.

"What's going on boss?"

"Coming through! On your left!" Briar yelled as she and Spartan jumped a fence post. Her hair whipping around her face as giggles erupted from her and she looked at awe struck expressions stuck on the faces of the wranglers and ranch hands. Spartan pranced around the arena he and Briar had jumped into. Lloyd smiled at the sight. It had been too long since Spartan had been ridden by an experienced rider. His owner was finally home and giving him a run for his money if the way he breathed was any indication.

"Lloyd can you take Spartan and get him cooled down and fed? I'll take him to pasture later." Braid dismounted and walked Spartan over to Lloyd.

"Yes, ma'am. Good to have you back Miss Dutton."

Briar nodded her head a small smile etching itself into her face. The only person Briar would accept being called Miss by is Lloyd. She didn't know why and he didn't either it just had always been that way. After hugging Spartan Briar handed his reigns to Lloyd.

"Rip?" Briar asked from the fence.

"Yes Darlin?" Rip responded turning to look at her.

"Are all your tasks done for the night?"

Rip hesitated, confused by the lack of context with in the question. "Yes, ma'am they are."

"Can you take me up to the store?"

"I suppose so. Does it need to be done right now?"

"No, I'd like to shower and change before I go anywhere." Briar wiped sweat from her brow as she shuttered from the cold and crisp autumn air.

"Hey Briar?" A male voice called out having Briar turn around to see who it was.

"Hey Ryan." She smiled brightly her dimples popping out as the handsome blue eyed wrangler approached her. "What's up?"

"Me and some of the other wranglers are going out later and I was wondering if you wanted to go with us?"

"That depends on what time y'all are leaving here and where y'all are going."

"Probably leave around eight and be back by eleven. Don't want to stay out to late got work in the morning."

"Well..." Briar looked around trying to figure out if it was socially acceptable to go out drinking a week after the death of an immediate family member. "I've got a couple errands to run in town but if I'm back by the time you all leave I'll be sure to go."