Honey - Rip Wheeler

Chapter One

As she loaded the last suitcase in the back of her truck, Isabella dusted her hands and looked back at the apartment she'd called home for the past four years. The dingy white paint peeled off the sides, and the gutters surely needed fixing, but it wasn't her problem anymore.
Her roommate, Lexi, had already left the day prior, the day filled with tearful goodbyes and promises to come see one another.
After she'd finished undergraduate at A&M, she decided to move out of her dorm and into an apartment to finish her studies. Lexi had been the supple choice for her seeing as though they were both Pre-Vet, now Doctor's of Veterinary Medicine.
Isabella climbed into her truck and glanced at the rear view mirror. Her blonde hair she'd obtained from her mother's gene pool was tied back into a long tight ponytail. Her green eyes seemed to somewhat sparkle at the idea of seeing her family again.
Her father and sister had visited her several times over the years, but it was nothing compared to going home.
She grinned and pulled out her phone, calling her sister Beth. It rang several times and she was sure it'd go to voicemail but Beth answered in a solemn voice,
"Hey, Bella." She said quietly. Isabella could sense something was seriously wrong and she put the truck back in park and waited.
"What is it?" She asked. Beth sighed heavily and she heard the phone being placed down and sounded like speaker phone.
"I think daddy should tell you." She said and Isabella tapped the steering wheel nervously as she asked, "Daddy?"
"Bells, are you on your way home yet?" He asked avoiding the question.
"About to be. What's going on?" She asked. Her father coughed and Beth said, "I think you should tell her. She was the closest to him."
Now Isabella was worried. Either they were speaking of her brothers, or they were speaking of Rip.
"Lee is dead." Her father said coldly. Isabella sucked in a breath and bit her lip to keep from sobbing.
"How? Lee was always so careful." She said to them.
"Murdered by someone on the reservation." Beth answered. Isabella sniffled and nodded her head.
"I'll be home soon." She said and shut the call off quickly. She threw the truck back into drive and headed home.

It was around ten o'clock that night. She'd been driving since eight that morning, and she yawned. Ten hours to go and she didn't think she could keep driving.
She picked up her phone and called her brother, Kayce.
"Bells? What's wrong? Why are you calling so late?" He asked. She sighed and felt the exhaustion fill her body.
"Been driving for fourteen hours and I need someone to keep me awake for the next ten." She said.
"Alright. Sorry I missed your graduation. Congratulations by the way, Monica and I are happy for you." He said and Isabella laughed.
"Thanks. I'm just ready to be home. What's new around the ranch? How's my baby Tate?" She asked and Kayce stayed silent for a moment before she quickly told him, "I already know about L-Lee. Trying to keep my mind off of it."
"Not sure what all is new, I don't go around there much." He said. Isabella thought that was odd considering he loved it there.
"Tate is fine. He was so excited when I told him you were coming home. He couldn't wait to meet his Aunt Bells, I'm training some horses around here for money, and Monica is teaching at the reservation school." Isabella felt her eyes droop and Kayce said loudly, "Bella, don't fall asleep."
"I'm not," she promised but knew she needed something interesting to stay awake.
"I don't like the prick, but you should call Rip. You two used to talk for hours and never got tired." He told her. She rolled her eyes and chuckled,
"He would come get me." She told him and Kayce laughed.
"Just call him. Unless you wanna hear war stories or about my sex life, I have nothing interesting going on." She gagged and rolled her eyes.
"Alright, love you Kace." She said. She let her hair down from the pony tail and heard him say, "love you too, bells."
Her finger hovered over Rip's name in her phone before she hit dial. She almost canceled it as soon as she called but decided to let it ring.
She almost gave up before she heard Rip's gruff voice say, "Hello?"
Isabella sniffled and answered, "R-Rip."
"Bells? Where the hell are you? What's wrong?" She heard shuffling and what sounded like a gun being loaded and jeans being thrown on.
"On my way back to the ranch, I just needed to talk to stay awake." She said quietly between sniffles.
"Didn't answer my question. Where are you?" He asked. She sighed and glanced down at the gps on her truck.
"Says here I'm almost to the Wyoming border, near Laramie." She said.
"See any hotels?" She looked around and saw on her map a Hampton Inn.
"Yeah Hampton Inn." Rip coughed and she heard the door open and shut to what sounded like the bunkhouse.
"Ryan, with me. Lloyd, you're in charge." Isabella sighed and shook her head turning on the exit to turn into the Hampton Inn.
"When you get to the hotel, go inside and book a room." Rip ordered. She rolled her eyes and looked back at the stuff in her truck.
"All of my things are in the bed of the truck, Rip." She said quietly.
"Where's that gun I gave you?" He asked. She grabbed it out of the console and loaded it.
"In my lap now." She replied.
"Keep it in your lap, I'm on my way." He said and shut the call off. She sighed and looked around, locking the doors and leaning the seat back. Her gun laid on her lap while she fell asleep.

Isabella 👇