"To thine own self be true" Yellowstone fanfiction

chapter 2 "the breath you take"

"atta girl twitty!! Atta girl!!" My father calls as I wrangle a a calf in seconds. I Quickly tagged it's ear. "You've got a talented little lady on your hands Dutton" Lloyd, my father best hand smiled. "Unfortunate for her mama" my father laughed "and why's that" Lloyd questioned. "Cuz I'm deciding to keep her around for good" my father said proudly. I looked up at my father as I held the ropes in my hands. "Really daddy!? You mean it!?"
My father laughs happily "of course I mean it darlin! I ain't gonna tease you!"
I smiled big as I hugged him tightly "thank you daddy! Thank you thank you thank you!!" I squealed. "Alright baby none of that squeaking! You sound like a girl! Now you listen to me! These now it's of mine, they're gonna be rough on you. Maybe even mean. I don't want you messing around with them either. These boys are pigs!"

"Never daddy! I promise"

spring 1997
Lee 16, Jamie 15, beth 13, Casey 7, twitty 21

"Get em Jamie! Get em! You gotta be quicker!" I yelled as I hovered behind Jamie and lee teaching them both to wrangle and tag calfs. "You're stronger than that Jamie! Come on!" I paced the ground watching while also distracting the distraught mother of the calf. "Shit!" Jamie grumbled under his breath as he finally tags it. I smacked the back of his shoulders. "atta boy!! Atta fuckin boy!!"

"Yyyeee!!" The other cowboys Hollar.
"Your turn lee. Go on get it" my father pushed him forwards. I watched as lee lassoed around the calfs feet yanking it to the ground. Instantly he clipped the ear then quickly stood up. "They just keep getting better and better huh pop!" I smiled wildly. My father walked over smacking lee on the back. "Alright! That's the last of em! Wrangle them into the center fields!" My father announced loudly. they opened the fences releasing them out into the open. I blew a piece of hair out of my face as I watched the cowboys do their job. As I looked to my left I noticed my 13 year old sister crying hysterically stumbling through the fields. My heart sank. "Daddy!" I yelled as I bolted on horseback to Beth. My father looked over in confusion. "Beth!?" He yelled. I quickly dove off my horse kneeling beside her. "What happened Bethany!?" She cried holding her arm. "It's broken! It's broken!"
My father kneeled beside her too"what happened"
"M..mom...she..she needs help! I...I fell off..m..my horse...and and..."

"Where beth? Where is she? Where?" She shook her head "I..I don't know daddy! I...I don't know!" She cried. I looked at my father "you go find mom. I'll take care of her" my father patted my shoulder after a quick nod before he got onto his horse and vanished. I helped beth up holding onto her arm. "I...I didn't..m..mean to...I
..I...don't...I..don't like horses I..I told mama that!" she sobbed. "Shhh beth don't worry about that now. Let's get your arm fixed up"
"My horse scared me..knocked...knocked her off...I..I killed her"

"Beth! Enough just think of something else"

"I can't connie! I can't! I..I.. killed mama" I sat her down at the kitchen table. "You didn't do nothin. Stop talking like that before i smack them words right out of you" she stayed quiet. I began to take care of her arm. I spent a lot of time last summer learning from our veterinarian. He taught me everything I could know about wounds, broken bones, stitches you name it, I know it. I began to make a homemade cast. I slowly bent Beth's arm into place. She cried as she watched me. she was pale and cold. For 13 years old she's seen too much, More than I would wish for her. After I was done I held her face in my hands. "It ain't your fault baby. You had nothing to do with this. It was a freak accident. It. ain't. Your. Fault. Now... Go on upstairs... I'll be up in a minute" she stayed quiet as she went upstairs. I sat on the front porch anxiously waiting for their return. Jamie watched form the front porch as well. He was bouncing his leg anxiously. "It'll be alright baby. Just relax. He'll be back soon" I reassured him as I paced the porch. "You should relax too" he pointed out. I chuckled slightly. "Guess You're right huh" we both glanced up at lee carrying Casey up the driveway. I frowned heavily at his sights. "hey ..Jamie..put Casey to bed would you?" I asked as I looked at him. "No I Wanna wait for dad" Jamie replied. I gave him a look. "Now Jamie" Jamie took Casey inside leaving lee and I together. Lee looked at me with tearful eyes. I knew what that meant. "... shit" I mumbled as I looked down. Lee sniffled trying to act tough and not let out any sobs. "Oh honey..." I pulled lee into a long tight embrace. He began to sob in my arms. His sobs turned into hysterical tears. I rubbed his back swaying back and forth. Without a word I comforted him in the loud sounds of crickets. We stood in each other's arms for awhile. I glanced over seeing my father walking back. "Go on to bed honey. We can talk in the morning okay?"
Lee nodded "I'm gonna check up on beth" he says as he goes upstairs. I put my hands in the back of my jeans watching my father migrate his way up to the porch. He didn't speak a word. He didn't have to. The silence he gave off could tell a thousand stories. He sat in his porch chair with his head in his hands. I stood watching out into the distance silently but still comforting. I felt my fathers pain. I absorbed his depression. I leaned against the railing post. I didn't cry. I didn't speak. The only sadness I felt was for my family. Not for my mother. "You're the best girl I have going yet twitty" he wipes the tears from his eyes and looked up at me. "you're all I got left connie. I need you the most now" I didn't respond. I just listened. "I need help with these kids honey. I need you to take care of them while I'm gone working all the time"

"....yes sir..but...daddy...I..I like ranching"
He shook his head "that ain't an option for you anymore baby doll. It's up to you now. Casey and Bethany need you too. I know you're 21 and wanna start doin your own things but... Darlin I really need you. Until Casey is old enough. I need you to care for him can you do that?"

"No questions asked daddy. I will do anything you from now on. No questions asked" my father gleamed up at me. His heart was still there, still in the right place. he held my hand and kissed it. "I knew I could count on you" .....