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...
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Sawyer reached the front porch of Yellowstone as the first rays of light started to peak over the mountains. She hadn't realized how far apart the two main houses of Yellowstone and Greenquest had been, and she knew in her heart that it was too late.
Colby saw her first, racing toward Sawyer as he shouted for the rest of the ranch. They had been out all night looking for Spencer, after Tate came inside saying she left with her friends to look for Sawyer. No one had thought much of it until Tate had asked to see Rip.
"She asked me to give this to Uncle Rip," he had said, holding what Spencer had given him up for everyone to see. Beth had gone rigid for a moment, before running up the stairs as fast as she could. She flung the door to Spencer's room open, startling Rip from his sleep.
"You need to come downstairs," she said, trying to catch her breath. "Spencer's in trouble."
The pair came barreling back down the stairs, and Rip's breath caught in the back of his throat. He leaned against the counter, trying to keep his anger in check and his knees from buckling under him. Confusion spread around the room, Kayce, Ryan, Monica, and John looking between Beth and Rip, waiting for an explanation.
"I-," Rip fought with his voice to keep his composure. "I had asked her to marry me this morning, with- that's her ring. That's her damn ring!"
Tate peaked out from behind Monica as Rip held onto the ring. "She said her friends would've taken it, that their best friend wouldn't be happy to see it. So she asked me to give it to Uncle Rip so it could be safe until she came back."
Rip hadn't spoken since Tate had given him the ring. He didn't know what to say, what words even were anymore. He had helped look, but he knew Spencer would've made Tate wait to come inside until she was out of range. She would have made sure he stood frozen to that spot until she couldn't see him anymore, until she knew he was too far for anyone who took her to take him.
He heard the commotion going on around him, but he didn't look up. His gaze stayed on the ring. She knew who had come for her, and had made sure he would know too. And now the only thing he had left to do was track them down...
