Willow Valley (Frank Adler AU) 18+

18

Hey-hey, oh-oh, I'm a renegade rebel with my pedal to thе floor...

Frank immediately turned the radio over. It was bad enough having to have Hassie around the ranch without having to hear her song for Keaton's stupid movie. Wherever he went he always saw them, out riding, outside her cabin with their guitars or just coming and going to and from town. Roberta had given him an extra caffeine shot the other morning after he'd run into them in the shop. 

"Hey!" Mary looked irritated, "I was listening to that!" 

"Well I wasn't". 

She huffed as she sat on the fence, swinging her feet while he fed the horses. "Why don't you like Keaton?" 

"What do you mean? Love that guy". Frank replied with very little enthusiasm that he muster. 

"Keaton's so cool. He's got a dog as well, and it's so cute! You think Earl and Etta will let me have a dog?" 

Frank now turned and looked at her. "No way are we getting a dog. You have Fred and that's enough. Plus you can pretty much count all these horses as pets, and the cows, and the bull".  Not to mention the amount of wildlife that surrounded them. 

"What about the coyotes? They're like dogs?" 

"They're wolves and yeah, I guess you could count them as that - but you ever see one then you stay away, you hear?" 

She nodded. "Mhmmm, I know - Earl told me before". 

Etta brought Frank out a drink and gave Mary some juice. "You wanna come bake a pie with me? You're looking bored young lady". 

"Because Frank won't let me listen to the radio". 

"Go bake with Etta. I'll come get you around lunch". Frank ignored the comment, thanking Etta as Mary slipped down from the fence and headed off to the farmhouse. 

Just as he was about to go back to getting things done, he felt a clap on the back. "Morning Frankie boy". Keaton said with his usual smug grin (in his opinion), coming into the stable and grabbing a saddle. "Gonna take Mighty out for a ride, you wanna join?" 

"Hassie didn't want the pleasure of your company this morning?" Frank asked, continuing to work. 

"She got that last night. I just thought a morning ride would be a good one - you and me - I feel like you've got a lot to say to me that you can't exactly let out in front of Hass". He said, saddling the horse up. 

Frank kept his cool and turned calmly to Keaton. "And what gave you that idea?" 

"C'mon Frank, you've made it no secret like everyone else that you hate me - probably more than anyone". Keaton stated. "She gets you like that, riles you up so much you can't sleep, can't forget". 

"I dunno what you're talking about". 

"I think you know. I wouldn't be surprised if you and Hass had something when she came back here - especially after yesterday". 

Frank chuckled to himself. "Well, you can get that thought out that empty cowboy head of yours. Hassie's just a friend, she's my boss' daughter and with that I feel the need to protect her, especially from someone like you". 

"Someone like me eh?" Keaton smirked. "Her husband". 

"You forgot to put 'ex' in front of that". He pointed out helpfully. 

"Doesn't really matter anymore now we're back together". 

Frank smiled. "Oh I think it matters a lot. Especially if you pull the same kind of shit like you did last time". 

Keaton chuckled. "Ok, let's weigh out the options here. We have you: ranch manager with your niece who works all hours, likes privacy - then there's me. Husband, singer, actor, knows exactly what she likes and dislikes, knows how to keep the media at bay..."

"And a lot of good it did her before. You did nothing to stop the hate she got so she told me". 

"Just gotta do what my management and publicist tell me". Keaton shrugged. "Hassie has hers - she's a big girl, she can hold her own, but what I'm saying is that if she was ever gonna choose between me and you? I think we know just who she'd go for". 

Frank stared at him. "You say you're back together, so why you so worried she'd choose me?" A small smirk playing on his lips. "You feeling a little threatened, big shot?" It was very clear that behind his perfect and irritating face, that Keaton Slade was most certainly that, and the more Frank thought about it, the more he realised that perhaps the main reason he hated Keaton wasn't just because of what he'd done  - although it played a very big part - but it was because he liked Hassie. No matter how hard he'd tried to deny it, he couldn't shake the feeling every time he saw her, the way she'd go against him, fight him with her sharp tongue. The kiss they'd had - the one that he'd fucked up for them- had been the wake up call. But his stupid mouth and morals had got the better of him, and now here he was, forced to watch her with her ex. 

Perhaps that was his punishment? It was certainly enough.

Keaton kept staring at him, still looking smug. "You gonna be taking part in the rodeo tonight?" 

"Sure am". He always did. 

Taking the horses reigns, Keaton just winked at him. "Break a leg", then leading the horse out, mounting it flawlessly and riding off up one of the trails. 

Frank watched him, hands on hips and then returned inside of the stable. 

War had well and truly been declared.