The Other Sister

1

Lucy pulled up the drive and parked her car outside of the main house. She let out a sigh and climbed the stairs to the porch. She had just worked 48 hours in a row in the emergency room and felt totally drained. Lucy walked inside and saw her father and Jamie in the den. Jamie was hunched over John and was messing with her father's forehead. "What are you doing?" She asked confused as she took in the sight of the two, not close enough to see what was going on. Jamie glanced over his shoulder at his little sister. "Come do this please. Dad got into an accident and needs stitches." Lucy's eyes widened slightly at hearing what her brother said. She rushed over to them and took in the sight of her father. "I'm fine," he grumbled as he looked up at his little girl. Lucy was upset and shook her head. "Why didn't you call anyone? You should have came in so I could stitch you up at the hospital." Lucy grabbed the needle and started stitching the gash. Her father sucked in a breath at the pain. "If you went to the emergency room I could have numbed you," she remarked. John rolled his eyes and carried on with his conversation with Jamie. Jamie smirked lightly at his sister's comment and how protective she was over her family. Lucy finished stitching his gash and put the supplies away. John looked at Lucy. She had bags under her eyes and he could tell she was exhausted. She brought him a glass of water and some pain medicine. "Here," she said and set them on the table he was sitting at. "Thank you. Now go relax. I'm alright and if I need something I'll call for you." John stood up and kissed Lucy on the head. She nodded and went upstairs. She showered and then laid in her bed. As soon as her head hit her pillow, she was out. John came and woke her up when it was time for dinner. "How's your head?" She asked him as they made their way downstairs. "It's fine." Lucy rolled her eyes as her father always tried to act tough. Lucy took her seat at the table. Dinner passed by and when it was over she went out to the porch to watch the sunset. She was cuddled up in one of the rocking chairs nursing a glass of wine Gator had poured her. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, enjoying the cool night air. "Long day?" She heard a voice ask. She smiled softly at the sound of Rip's voice. Lucy opened her eyes and looked at Rip. "I guess you could say that," she told him and took a sip of her wine. Lucy looked Rip up and down. He was so handsome. Rip gave her a small smile as he watched her eyes take him in. Rip was leaning against the pillar. "What about you?" She asked him. Lucy and Rip were not together, but they also were not not together. It was complicated. Beth made it complicated. Rip let out a breath and went to sit down in the rocker beside Lucy. "Some of the cows got onto reservation land. Having a hard time getting them back." Lucy nodded and took another swig from her glass. "Always something," she muttered. Rip sighed. "Yeah well we'll get them back. Nothing for you to worry about, darlin." Lucy just nodded and looked over at Rip with a small smile. She melted everytime he called her that, but it also turned her to stone knowing he used to use the endearment for her sister too. At the thought, Lucy finished the rest of her wine. "I think I am going to head to bed," she said and stood up. Rip followed suit and grabbed her arm gently. "Night," he said softly and leaned down, kissing her gently. Lucy couldn't help herself, leaning into his body, kissing him back. Rip wrapped an arm around her waist, the other cupping her cheek. He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. Lucy sighed contently and closed her eyes briefly. "I missed you," she told him honestly. "Oh, honey, I did too," he said. "Now you go on up to bed," Rip encouraged. Lucy smiled gently. "Goodnight," she said and pulled away. Rip just gave her a small nod and watched her walk back into the house. Lucy laid in bed that night thinking about Rip and what they were. Not having Beth here certainly made things easier between them. In the past, when Beth came home, Rip put everything on hold for her and Lucy's heart would break a little each time. Sometimes she just felt like the other sister for Rip to use until Beth decides to drop back in and pick up and leave whenever she pleases.
***
The next morning she got up and got herself ready for the day. She put on jeans and a hoodie, paired with her boots. Lucy grabbed the smoothie Gator made her and went down to the barn. Ryan smiled when he saw Lucy. "Hey, you! I was beginning to think you weren't ever coming home!" Ryan teased. Lucy laughed and rolled her eyes. Ryan and her had some chemistry, but they both knew nothing would come of it so they were just good friends instead. Lee walked out of the barn once he heard his little sister's laugh. Lee smiled and pulled Lucy into a hug. "I didn't get to see you yesterday," he said, "how was work?" He questioned. "Long," Lucy sighed and hugged her oldest brother back. "I swear I go to work and you all act like I have been gone for years," She teased Lee and Ryan. "That's because it feels like it," another voice said from behind her. Rip. Lucy's cheeks blushed lightly hearing his admission and she pushed her face deeper into Lee's chest. He let out a hearty chuckle. "Come on, you're distracting us!" Lee smiled and pushed Lucy back. Lucy rolled her eyes. "Whatever!" The sound of a car flying up the drive had all of their attention. Lucy turned and paled slightly seeing her sister's car pull up. Lee was well aware of the love triangle between Rip and his sisters. Hell, the whole ranch was aware of it. Lee grabbed his sister's arm lightly but Lucy pushed him off. She watched Rip's face, but it was unreadable. Lucy scoffed and shook her head. She started walking back up to the house when Kayce's truck pulled up. She stopped in her tracks and instantly felt her tense shoulders relax. Lee shot Rip a hard glare. "I hope you know what you're doing this time," Lee told Rip. Rip sighed and felt Ryan giving him a glare as well. "Hi, Aunt Lucy!" Tate exclaimed as he climbed out of the truck and ran over to her. Lucy smiled and pulled him into her arms. "Hi, baby," she greeted him and rubbed his back. Kayce smiled and walked over to them, kissing Lucy on the cheek. "Hi, baby sis," he said gently. "Hi, Kace. It's good to see you guys! It's like you knew I needed it." Lucy nodded towards Beth's now empty car and Kacey nodded, getting the memo. Kacey was the closest with Lucy and was the only one he let be around Tate from the very beginning. Tate and Lucy had a good relationship. "We are going to spend the afternoon with Uncle Lee and Uncle Jamie!" Tate smiled up at her. Lucy smiled gently. "That'll be fun!" She brushed his hair back from his face. Rip watched Lucy from the bottom of the hill. Rip knew he loved Lucy. Beth was just a good time, nothing more. Lee patted Rip on the shoulder as he and Jamie walked past him to go greet their brother and nephew. Their dad and sister came over as well. Rip smiled slightly at the thought that they looked like one big happy family right now, but knew that was far from accurate at times. Once Beth greeted everyone, she turned to Lucy. "Hi, baby," she said gently. Baby was Lucy's nickname among the family. Lucy still loved her sister more than anything, family always coming before everything else. "Hi," Lucy smiled gently and reached for her sister. Beth pulled her close. Beth was always there for her and when their mother died, Beth took Lucy under her wing. Beth went to get herself settled, John went to his office to get some work done, and Lucy's brothers and nephew went fishing, leaving Lucy alone. "You alright?" Rip asked her. Lucy turned and looked at him. "I'm not sure," she told him honestly and refused to break eye contact with him. "Luce, ain't nothing going to happen between me and Beth. You know we agreed that it was just you and me." Rip took a step toward her. Lucy sighed. "I know. I-I..it just makes me uneasy. I know how she is and how you are." Lucy didn't wait for an answer. She turned and walked back to the house. "Fuck!" Rip kicked at the ground and went back to work. He knew he had to work hard to keep Lucy's trust.
***
Later that evening Lucy heard a commotion outside. She walked out onto the porch and her jaw dropped in shock at the sight of all the wranglers, livestock agents, and vehicles on the property. She walked over to Lee who was wearing his bulletproof vest. "What the hell is going on?" She asked him. Lee looked at her. "We're going to get our cattle back, little sister." Lucy's eyes went wide. "What? Are you all crazy?! You're going to get yourselves killed!" Lee just smiled and shook his head. "We're going to be fine," he assured her. Lucy shook her head. "Fuck this!" She said upset. Lee sighed and watched her storm off to their father. "Daddy!" John turned from talking to Rip to look at his daughter. "What the hell are you thinking?!" She exclaimed. Lucy was the only one that could get away with talking to him like that. "Someone is gonna get killed!" Rip watched the interaction in silence. "Honey, everything is going to be fine," John said. Lucy's eyes practically rolled out of her head from hearing the same thing from Lee. She shook her head. "This is going to end in bloodshed," she told her father. She walked passed him and stood in front of Rip. "Be careful," she told Rip seriously. "You know I always am," he told her back. Lucy nodded slowly. She faced her father and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Lee walked over and pulled her into a hug. "Stop worrying," he murmured into her hair, planting a kiss on the top of her head.
***
That was the last time she saw Lee alive. A wave of nausea ran through her as she watched Kayce riding up in the distance, her other brother's body draped across the horse. She walked down the porch steps as her father took off to meet Kayce. A sob escaped her lips and she collapsed onto the grass. Jamie ran to his little sister and pulled her into his arms. Rip ran up to the house as he heard Lucy's screaming sobs fill the air. Rip took in the sight before him. Jamie holding a hysterical Lucy, Beth trying to be strong watching from the stairs on the porch, and Kayce riding over with blood all over him-John walking the horse with his dead son to the family cemetery. Rip swallowed hard and walked over to the pair huddled on the grass. "Let me, Jamie," Rip said quietly. Jamie kissed Lucy's head and stood up. Jamie walked over to Kayce. Rip got down in front of Lucy and pulled her into his embrace. "I-I t-told them! I knew something was going to go wrong!" Lucy sobbed into his neck. She was gripping onto Rip's jacket. "I'm sorry, darlin," Rip kept repeating over and over into Lucy's hair as they sat and held onto one another. Rip didn't know how much time had passed when Beth walked out of the house and over to them. "Baby, let's go inside," Beth said gently and knelt down beside them. Lucy pulled back from Rip and looked at her sister. "Oh, Lucy," Beth said heartbroken at the sight of her baby sister over the death of their brother. Beth pulled Lucy into her arms and held her protectively. All everyone wanted to do was keep her safe and never let her hurt. "Come on," Beth encouraged and stood up. Lucy did what was told of her. She looked at Rip. "Thank you," she whispered to him. Rip sighed and cupped her face, kissing her forehead. "I'll come check on you in a little bit, alright?" All Lucy could muster was a nod. Beth and Lucy walked into the house. Kayce was sitting on the couch staring into the fire while Jamie paced back and forth. Lucy went straight to Kayce. She knelt down in front of him and he broke his gaze from the fire down to his little sister. "Lu-" he choked out and collapsed forward into her arms. She grabbed her brother like her life depended on it, whispering reassurances that nothing was his fault and everything would be okay. John choked back a sob at the sight he saw when he walked into his home. Lucy was on the floor holding a crying Kayce, Beth sitting on the couch beside them, and Jamie sitting in the armchair on the other side. John approached his living children. He pulled Beth up into his arms and one by one he took a moment to hold each of them.
***
Lucy couldn't eat dinner. The thought of food made her want to throw up. She needed air. She walked out of the house and made her way to the bunkhouse, aware that the guys just wrapped up for the day. She walked inside and heard Rip talking about their plans for tomorrow. Rip stopped mid sentence and looked to see who walked into the bunkhouse. Lucy closed the door behind her. Lloyd walked over to her and pulled her into his arms, signaling Rip's conversation with the wranglers had come to an end. Lucy hugged him back as he gave her his condolences. The wranglers all stood and walked over to see her. "I just came to make sure everyone was okay," she said quietly. Lucy always treated the wranglers like family and they reciprocated that back. Besides Lee, she was the only other Dutton that came down to the bunkhouse to check on them and stopped to say hello and ask how they were. After everyone hugged her and said how sorry they were, Rip approached her. Lucy's bottom lip quivered slightly as his scent wrapped around her like a blanket. "Let's go to my cabin," Rip offered gently. Lucy just nodded and thanked the wranglers for helping get the cows back and told them goodnight, all while trying to keep it together. Rip guided her outside and up to his cabin. The moment they got inside she broke down again. Rip quickly pulled her into his arms and held her. "Have you eaten?" He asked softly and got a shaken head as a response. "Sweetheart, you need to eat." Lucy just kept shaking her head. "I just want to lay down. You need to hold me." She looked up through her thick teary lashes to look at Rip. He nodded. "Whatever you want," he said and brought her to his bedroom. She changed into his boxers and a shirt while he took a quick shower. They laid in bed together. Rip lulled her to sleep with the sound of his heartbeat under her head. Rip was worried about Lucy, but knew that she was strong and he was determined to be there for her no matter what.
***
Lucy stared blankly down at the coffin, the priests words were droned out in the background. She could not comprehend that her brother was in there. Lee, who was her protector, her biggest fan, one of her 4 best friends, was laying lifeless in that coffin. Lucy felt numb. The hospital had given her the week off to be able to grieve and assured her that it was okay if she needed more than that. Lucy didn't even realize that the funeral was over until she felt her father's hand on her shoulder, breaking her from her trance. "Honey," he said quietly. Lucy turned to look at him. It was evident that Lucy hadn't been sleeping, her eyes puffy and the sparkle her hazel eyes usually adorned was dull. She walked back to the house with her family. Her dad pulled the three of them close, confiding in them of how much he needs them and that they must do whatever it takes to protect the ranch. Lucy just nodded her head. "Whatever it takes," she told him and John placed a kiss on her forehead.
***
Later that evening, Lucy found herself sitting between Ryan and Jimmy at the table in the bunkhouse watching the guys play cards. It was what Lee would have wanted them to do, not sit around all sullen, so that is why Ryan and Colby dragged Lucy out of the house and down there with them. Lucy took a swig of her beer and leaned over to see Ryan's cards. He gave her a smile and let her look. Lucy didn't show any emotion, not letting any of the wranglers catch on to what kind of hand he had. Lucy felt better being down there with them than sitting by herself in her room. "Hey! Have any of you seen Lucy?" Rip stormed in and visibly relaxed when he saw her sitting at the table. "Your father was looking for you. Said you didn't come down for dinner." Before Lucy could respond, Ryan said, "that's my fault. I made her come eat with us. Thought it was better down here than being alone up there." Rip looked at Ryan and Lucy sighed. She knew they respected one another, but there was also a jealousy between them over her. Rip walked outside for a second to call and let John know that his youngest was safe and accounted for before he came back inside. He saw Lucy saying something to Ryan and a smile broke out on his face. Rip felt anger boil within him. He walked over to the fridge and grabbed himself a beer. "Jimmy! Move your ass over!" He said and Jimmy scrambled over to the next empty chair. Rip sat down where Jimmy had been. Lucy looked next to her and smirked lightly. "You could have asked nicely," she told him. Rip just gave her a smile and shook his head, taking a swig from his beer. Lucy enjoyed being with Rip and the other wranglers. It made her feel better and helped distract her from thinking about the events from the last few days. When the wranglers called it quits for the night Lucy and Rip headed back to his cabin. Lucy slept peacefully with Rip. The night before, when she slept in her bed alone, she was restless and kept dreaming of Kayce riding up on his horse, with Lee's body draped over the saddle. Lucy told Rip about it the morning of the funeral and he practically ordered her that she was going to stay with him so she can get some sleep. Of course, he asked John first who agreed, also wanting his daughter to sleep and take care of herself.