For Him, I Would

Chapter Thirty-Five - There's always one sibling...

Oakley had gotten up before the sun, sneaking out past Kayce asleep on the couch to get to the bunkhouse right when the wranglers were rising. Llyod chuckled when she knocked on the door, but she also usually wasn't alone when she would come down there. The past week, Kayce had walked her down, barked his orders, kissed Oakley goodbye, and left for work.

"You're up early, ma'am," Lloyd said, opening the door wider as they all piled out.

"Just wanted to get up to the house early today," Oakley nodded.

"Colby and Teeter will be with you today," Lloyd nodded. "Kayce ain't with you?"

"No," You frowned. "If you see him, could you tell him I'm already up there?"

Lloyd nodded his head. Oakley walked with Colby and Teeter up to the barn, their breaths showing in the cold. After saddling their horses, they took off up the trail to North Camp.

Oakley worked straight through lunch, and into the late afternoon, keeping her head down and blocking out everything going on inside her mind. It wasn't until she heard the sound of an engine that she looked up from where she knelt on her knees.

Beth stood out of her car, looking around the place as she walked up. Oakley met her on the front porch, her back thanking her for the relief of not being bent over.

"You know it's easier on a horse," Oakley said. "We don't have the road fixed up yet."

"I ain't getting on one of those fucking things," Beth sneered, coming to a stop on the last step.

"Did you need something?" Oakley asked.

Beth let out a laugh, though there wasn't any humor to her.

"I didn't realize it would be this serious to you," Beth said.

"What would be?" Oakley stood there.

"All of this I guess," Beth shrugged. "I guess what I'm trying to say is,"

"I don't need you to defend your brother to me or apologize for him to me," Oakley interrupted her. "I'm tired of it. Tired of the lies...I just don't want to talk about it anymore because I can't seem to figure it out."

"What does that mean?" Beth asked.

"I don't know," Oakley sighed, walking over to the railing, and leaning her hands against it, looking out on the pastures.

"Well, you're still here," Beth walked up and mimicked Oakley's pose. "You didn't run away from him this time."

"This time," Oakley leaned her head down. "What'll be the next time, though? Or the one after that?"

Beth was silent for a moment.

"I meant what I said to you yesterday," She said, looking out herself.

"Which part?" Oakley looked over at the older woman.

"The part where I thanked you for loving my brother," Beth sighed. "I don't think anyone has loved him, truly, since our mother."

"That's not an excuse," Oakley reminded her. "And I'm not going to be collateral damage for helping cure something your father helped cause over the years."

"I hear love is pretty powerful," Beth shrugged.

"He lied to me," Oakley said.

"So did I," Beth pointed out. "So why am I not sleeping on the couch too?"

Oakley looked over at her and frowned.

"I don't know how else to get it through to him," Oakley swallowed. "He's got to tell me things. He can't keep things from me, even if he thinks he's helping because clearly, he's not."