cowboy

17

"Lacey? Lace can you watch Tate?" Kayce asks his sister leaning against her doorframe. She had just pulled a scrub top over her head and she looked at her brother.

"Knocking is a thing." Lacey says grabbing a pair of socks as Kayce sighs.

"How long you workin?" Kayce asks and Lacey looked at him.

"A few hours, I picked them up for Rose." Lacey explains as she puts on her socks and her shoes.

"Why do you need someone to watch Tate?" Lacey asks throwing her hair up.

"Going on a ride with dad, somethings up." Kayce explains and she nods her head. The two of them walk down the hallway of the house before down the stairs.

"I would if I could, sorry Kace." Lacey says and he gives her a small smile. Lacey grabs her purse making sure her badge and keys were in her bag  before slinging it over her shoulder.

"We gonna talk about what I saw last week?" Kayce asks and Lacey stopped and turned to him confused.

"Rip in your bedroom?" He asks and she sighs shaking her head.

"No we are not, I'm twenty four. Don't need to be explaining my complicated love life to you, unless you want to hear about all the hot steamy sex I've had in your bed." Lacey says smirking as Kayce looks at her in disgust.

"No, goodbye." Kayce says almost gagging and she smiles proudly leaving the house quickly, it was almost an hour drive to the hospital and she did not want to be late.

*

"Tate what are you doing here?" Lloyd asks noticing the child that was laying on the couch in the bunk house.

"Dad went off with grandpa and aunt Lacey is at work. Told me to stay here." Tate says with boredom laced in his tone. Rip walked over looking at the six year old.

"Guess your dad forgot what here's like. Let's go." Rip says waving his hand for Tate to get up and he does.

"My aunt Lacey will be back soon though. That's what dad told me." Tate says walking out of the bunk house with Rip following behind him.

"Well then your aunt Lacey can find us when she's back." Rip states.

"She's not gonna like that." Tate says making Rip frown at his words. The two of them haven't talked since he was in her room next week, but he thought they were okay. Rip took Tate to one of the horse pens. He made sure Tate stayed close to him as he got the horse running around the pen.

"My dad used to do this." Tate says watching Rip kicking the dirt as he did.

"Oh yeah?" Rip asks glancing at him.

"When he breaks colts he does it, why do you do it?" Tate asks following Rip as he walks in circles to keep the horse running.

"Well I want to get all of the shit out of his system so I can get on him." Rip explains.

"You owe me a dollar." Tate says smiling at the thought of getting a dollar.

"I ain't paying you a fuckin dollar." Rip says quickly.

"So you don't go ass over teakettle?" Tate asks and Rip chuckles under.

"Yeah that's right." Rip says chuckling as he did, he can see why Lacey loves the kid so much.

"Here, here, here, here." Rip says to the horse as it starts walking over. The horse walks over and stops in front of both Tate and Rip.

"See that Tate? That's him submitting." Rip explains as he walks up to the horse clicking the rope to his reigns.