Spencer Hope Dutton. Tiny. The youngest of the Dutton household, if only by a few minutes. She swore those few minutes after Kayce popped out were the only moments of peace she had in life...
Now Spencer's family is being pushed to the brink and her...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Spence, wake up."
Spencer startled immediately, surprised to see Sawyer standing over her. Her confusion continued to grow as she saw Kayce talking to Rip at the front door. She hadn't even realized she had fallen asleep, but wasn't surprised it had happened.
"What's going on?" Spencer's voice drew the attention of the men standing in the doorway.
"The boys. After you left we all went to the bar. They got dusted up pretty badly." Sawyer filled Spencer in, looking down to her cut up knuckles. "I even threw in a few."
Spencer smiled at her friend before turning to look at Rip and Kayce, who only nodded. "Let's go."
"Go? Go where?" Sawyer questioned as she followed the trio back to the bunkhouse.
Spencer paused, nodded the boys on to load what they needed. Her eyes looked to Sawyer, who looked completely confused. "We are going to go teach the people that did this a lesson. I don't expect you to come, this isn't exactly legal. But the boys will come, they'll point out who did it. Lloyd, Rip, Kayce, and I will handle it."
"I'm coming."
"You sure?"
Sawyer nodded, a fresh wave of adrenaline running through her. "I wanna help."
Spencer could feel the nerves rolling off of Ryan and Sawyer. It was almost pathetic enough to make her laugh. Ryan looked terrified to hurt someone in front of Sawyer, and Sawyer, well she just looked nervous. But her eyes held a conviction that could rival Spencer's.
"Head to the back, we'll meet you there." Spencer spoke, not waiting for the couple to acknowledge her as she hopped from the passenger seat of the truck.
Kayce and Rip had already opened the doors to the bar and were waiting for Spencer. She smirked, winking at Rip before pulling the latch and letting the bull out of the trailer and walking to the side door. She chuckled as Colby bowed, handing her a bat.
"Why thank you good sir," she joked, curtseying back at the man.
"Jimmy, call them out!" Rip hollered, as the door began to open. Everyone stood at the ready, even Sawyer had a bat in her hands at the fringe of the group.
One by one Jimmy called out the men, and whoever was closest sent him to the ground, doubled over in pain. The last one slipped past, despite the shouts of the group for Walker to get him. He stood, watching as the man ran, which set both the girls off. Sawyer ran yelling at the man, swinging her bat into his gut. Her mark was a little off, but he still went down to the shock of the wranglers. Spencer, however, turned her bat on Walker. She swung, hitting him dead in the gut.
"I'm fucking coming for you Walker," she whispered, her tone lethal underneath. "If you ever get off this ranch, you better run far because I will find you."
Walker moved to make a response as the redhead turned, but Rip stepped up as she moved, slamming the cowboy into the front of the truck.
"You live up to that brand, or you lose it," Rip's voice was equally as lethal as Spencer's, the couple's threats sending a chill over the group.
"C'mon Tiny," Kayce nodded his head toward the bar, "We got shit to finish."
Spencer's ice cold gaze turned to her brother, shouldering past him as she walked into the bar, bat still in hand. The bartender gulped, fear taking over his senses as Spencer, Kayce, and Rip walked toward him. Spencer continued to stalk to the man behind the bar as Rip and Kayce loaded the bull.
"The next time I hear my men get hurt at your bar, and it's not from you, there will be no more bar." Her voice was even, strong, and downright deadly. "You throw my men to the fire like that again, next time I will. Burn. It. Down. Do you understand me?"
The bartender nodded vigorously, his eyes flitting between Spencer, her bat, and the men behind her. Sawyer tapped on Spencer's shoulder, causing the redhead to turn her focus to her friend. The blonde's face looked concerned, but it didn't seem to be for the man in front of them. It was for her sister beside her.
The next morning Spencer and Sawyer found themselves laughing at the disgust that riddled Avery and Jimmy's faces. Rip, Ryan, Colby, and the rest of the wranglers stood on as well, all finding the situation amusing.
A tap to Spencer's shoulder pulled her away, her father at the other end.
"Morning Daddy, how was breakfast?"
John sent her a knowing look as the pair continued to walk. "I ran into Jenkins, I thought we said nothing too brash Tiny."
"Blame Kayce, he spurred the horse on."
John nodded, stopping to cough for a moment. Spencer waited, her eyes growing wide with fear as her father continued to cough.
"Daddy?"
Her father didn't respond, holding his hand out which Spencer immediately took, helping settle him to the ground. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the blood on his face.
"RIP!"
Rip spun around, rushing to Spencer as she screamed. Her scream drew the attention of everyone else as well, sending them into motion. Kayce and Cowboy grabbed John, following after Sam as she ran into her trailer. Sawyer rushed after them as well, offering to help however she could. And Rip sat on the ground with Spencer sitting between his legs, rocking her back and forth as he whispered in her ear.
To Spencer, the only thing grounding her to reality was Rip, his heart beat on her back and his words in her head. She watched as her father was loaded onto the helicopter, Kayce following in after. But the only thing she could think of was her mother, and how her father had sworn he would never leave her side after her mother died.
"Spence? Spence, he's going to be okay," Sawyer spoke softly as she leaned down in the dirt across from Spencer. "Sam said it was just a ruptured ulcer, no cancer, okay? She patched him up, the doctors at the hospital are just going to look him over and send him home."
Sawyer and Rip shared a glance as they saw how frightened Spencer was. Slowly Rip pulled his arms from around Spencer, handing her off to Sawyer to bring to the main house. A hard look from the blonde sent the men looking on back to their tasks. To them, it was the first time they had ever seen Spencer crumble. And that may have scared them more than John's condition
