Yellowstone - John Duttons daughter

The unraveling: part 1

Tessa had spent too much time complaining and wasn't even mid afternoon. She'd slept in and then complained she wanted to go outside, watched 3 movies, read some of her book, the complained some more.

"Daddy, why..." Tessa begins

"Go on then Tessa." John gives in angrily, "but if you split those stitches or they get infected again don't come running to me, because I'm not taking you back to the hospital."

Tessa smiled, "thank you daddy." Grabbing a few biscuits out the jar, she disappeared out the door.

"Rip." Tessa calls running over as he was about to leave the barn a horse in his hand.

"What's up kid?" He asks

"Could you saddle me up a horse." She asks

"Your daddy gave in?" Rip chuckles, "Beth didn't think he'd last 2 days, I disagreed I said he'd last a morning."

"I guess you were right." Tessa grins, "I am his favourite after all."

John's favourite was Tessa along with Lee, always had been, and she knew it. The thing was Tessa didn't need the attention. She wasn't spoilt, didn't expect things to be given. She pulled her weight around the ranch, and As long as he showed her love like a father could, she didn't care.

"Don't say that around your sister." Rip warns, "hold him." He adds handing over his horse. Tessa patiently waits as Rip saddles up her horse.

"Where were you off to?" Tessa asks as they walk back out the barn.

"I have to take a wildlife officer out to assess the bear I shot." Rip says grabbing Tessa reins. As if on cue the office rides in on her horse.

"Daddy told me about that." Tessa says as Rip gives her a leg up, "he's not happy with Jamie, he's meant to be helping you get out this mess."

"You the one taking me to see the bear?" The officer asks Rip riding over

"Yes, ma'am." Rip nods handing Tessa back her reins

"Officer Skyles." She tells him "Not ma'am."

"Okay." Rip nods

"Hey rip." Tessa says, "for what it's worth, I believe you." She glanced at officer Skyles.

"Thanks Tess." Rip smiles back, "be careful."

***

Tessa slowly walked through the trees, She'd only been riding for an hour and had plans to go to the lake, but was ready to turn around. her shoulder was beginning to ache, and she was starting to wish she'd listen to her dad and taken it easy.

Turning around the horse made her way back the house. Tessa glanced around as she thought she heard a small yap, pulling the horse to a stop she climbed off heading in the direction it had come from.

The small bark got louder as Tessa got closer, she found a small brown and white ball off fluff sitting beside a bigger one. Tess tied her horse to a tree before bobbing down beside it.

That's when Tessa sees the dried blood all over the larger dogs fur, large cuts down her side. Tessa knew exactly what had happened, the bear had got her. That meant the small puppy hadn't had food for at least two days.

"Hello." She smiles gently as she picks her up, "where'd you come from?" She places him back down heading over to the horse grabbing out the biscuits she had brought.

They were just plain butter cookies, Surley they wouldn't do too much harm. Tessa assumed he was about 7 weeks old, his mum would've been close to weaning him anyway.