Friday
The ranch was bustling early that morning with the truckload of bison coming in. Spencer watched from the side as the men corralled the bison through the shoots, brands being placed quickly. It made the scar on her own back sting a little at the notion. The sound of a truck pulling up caught her attention, along with the yell from a small boy.
"Auntie Spence!" Tate yelled as he bolted from Kayce's truck to her. Spencer hopped from her spot on the fence, swinging the young boy around as she picked him up.
"How is my little Tater Tot this morning?"
"I'm gonna be a cowboy!"
Spencer laughed at her nephew, his excitement rolling off of him making her excited as well. "I heard! You're gonna have a great time, I'm sorry I can't come with you."
Tate froze, looking at Spencer like her hair had caught on fire. "You're not coming?"
"Sorry Tater Tot, I gotta go to town. Stupid adult things to deal with, but next time I promise."
That seemed to appease Tate as he ran off to get settled with his grandfather and dad. Spencer smiled, waving as the boys and the rest of the wranglers saddled up and went off to the fields.
Sawyer had texted Spencer the night before, asking to meet in town to come up with a set list and what not for the two of them to work off of in the lounge. And coming up with ways to get into Dan's office without getting caught, something Spencer was an expert at. Since she still had time before she needed to leave, Spence decided to head back inside and get changed into something that didn't have as much dirt and grime. Plus Sawyer didn't really seem like the kind of person who wanted to deal with dirt, and Spencer did need some girl friends.
After pondering for far too long, Spencer settled on a sundress with a long sleeve underneath. Good enough, she thought to herself as she went for her bedroom door. As she walked out, the door to Beth's room opened, and Spencer swore her heart dropped out of her body. She wasn't sure what feeling was building in her; anger, sadness, pure rage, but she began to feel hot as the feeling grew.
Rip stared at the girl, hands still on his undone belt. He knew what it looked like, could feel exactly what was going through Spencer's mind at the sight of him leaving Beth's room with Beth's robe untied behind him.
"Spence," he took a step forward as he spoke to the girl, but she stepped to the side and around him before running down the hallway and down the stairs.
The resounding slam of the front door made it clear she didn't want to talk about anything at that moment. Behind Rip Beth started to laugh.
"What's her fucking problem?" Beth's laugh grew after that. Rip paused, trying to contain his own anger at the situation.
"No idea."
He forced himself to walk downstairs as the water turned on in Beth's bedroom. He was sure Spencer was thinking the worst, especially knowing how worried she had been about Beth finding out. But it truly wasn't what it looked like. Sure he had gone into Beth's room, but out of kindness to help her with whatever it had been she needed. Rip couldn't even remember he was so pissed off. But Beth had acted quickly, closing the door and undoing her robe before tugging at his belt buckle. Sure Rip had pushed away and stopped her, but it didn't matter at that point.
As Spencer pulled the door of her truck open, she pulled out her phone to dial Sawyer. The blonde answered on the second ring, shuffling, filling the noise in the background.
"Hey, I'm just about ready, you're still okay with picking me up?" Sawyer asked into the phone.
"That's fine, but change of plans," Spencer said as she started down the driveway, "How do you feel about going out tonight?"
Sawyer gasped, and then squealed. "Say less! I'll have Jackson and his friends meet us! I think you'd like his one friend actually, unless you're not single, then I didn't say anything."
"Turns out I have suddenly found myself less tied down,"Spencer laughed as she continued down the road. "I'll be there soon."
Sawyer yelled a goodbye, hanging up the phone as Spencer blasted the radio. She rolled the windows down, just enough to let the air in without causing her to freeze in the March air. The drive to Greenquest was quick, in the grand scheme of quick drives in Montana farmland. Sawyer had been waiting outside for Spencer, waving her arms around frantically as Spencer put the truck into park.
"I think you may be a little too excited," Spencer laughed as Sawyer sat in the passenger seat.
Sawyer stuck her tongue out at the redhead before responding. "I am very excited to shit talk about whatever boy decided to be an idiot. And I'm a little excited to get wine, but that's besides the point. Wait, can we get wine?"
Spencer realized she now understood what people meant when they said someone had golden retriever energy. She giggled as she watched Sawyer bounce around to the music on the radio, the blonde moving a mile a minute despite being in the car. But Spencer was also grateful for the burst of positive energy sitting next to her, it helped her not think too hard about what she had seen. Sawyer even got Spencer to sing along to Morgan Wallen on the radio as they drove down main street in Bozeman.
The first stop ended up being the clothing boutiques, mostly because Sawyer decided they needed the best outfits for that evening. Spencer agreed, watching as Sawyer pulled outfit after outfit for the redhead to try.
Hours later, a much more reasonable time to start drinking as Sawyer had told Spencer, the pair ended up at a wine bar.
"Tell me everything," Sawyer said as soon as the waiter dropped off what would likely be the first glass of many for the girls. Spencer rolled her eyes, but laughed as she launched into the story.
"I've been with the foreman at the ranch for a little over a year now. But we had been messing around for years. My sister, Beth, thinks he likes her, which I guess I can see now."
"Well, has he ever given her the time of day?"
Spencer nodded as she continued, "Kind of. They slept together when we were all way younger, but that was it. But I was walking out the door and I see him leaving her room, fixing his belt! And she was obviously there, but her robe was undone, boobs out. God I feel like a fucking idiot."
Sawyer smacked Spencer's hand. "You're not the idiot, he is. But fuck him and fuck her. Cowboys, who needs 'em, am I right?"
Spencer smiled, although it didn't meet her eyes. Sawyer saw, offering her friend a smile before reaching across the table to the redhead. "Well we will just have to make him realize what he's missing. Anyone from the ranch you want to have meet us tonight?"
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Ryan looked to Lee as they read the text that had come through from Spencer, knowing it would be an interesting night based on the photo she had sent. But they quickly got ready, heading into town and meeting Spencer and her new friend at the bar.
The smirk Spencer sent Ryan made Lee cough as the pair walked in, sending a glare at the wrangler. Ryan and Spencer had always joked and flirted with one another, much to the disappointment of Lee and John. But it never went anywhere, Spencer had laid that law down a long time ago, which luckily Ryan accepted with ease. So the two would flirt just enough to keep everyone guessing. Spencer hugged the boys, introducing them to Sawyer who smiled and shook their hands.
"3 shots of tequila and a banquet, oh, and whatever they want," Spencer smiled as she ordered, handing the bartender her card. "You can keep it open too!"
"You really think that's a good idea Tiny?" Lee asked, growing more and more wary of his sister's antics at that point.
She deadpanned at her brother, taking the shots from the man and downing them before he came back with their beers. "I'll be fine!"
It was then that Spencer and Sawyer took off into the crowd of people that was forming on the dance floor. Right now the only thing Spencer wanted to do was get lost in a mass of people and let go. The speakers started blaring some pop country nonsense that was never on at the ranch, which was perfect for Spencer.
At some point, the buzz the girls had began to wear off, sending them off to find more drinks. The music grew quieter as the girls left the center of the dance floor, heading toward Lee and Ryan who were chatting at the bar with Jackson and his friends who had finally shown up.
"Sawyer," a boy smiled at the blonde before turning to Spencer, "Sawyer's new friend. Hi, I'm Dustin."
"Hi Dustin," Sawyer smiled, "You look like trouble."
The boy's smirk dropped at that, only to be replaced by a grin. "You'll do just fine hanging around Sawyer then. She has a nasty habit of finding that."
"I knew I liked her," Spencer laughed, "Who's buying us another drink?"
The boys all scrambled at that point, ending up with a slew of shots, beers, and martinis that would likely last the girls all night. Sawyer nodded her head over to a table, the bartender noticing and bringing the drinks over for the girls to sit and drink. The first round of shots went down hard, but the rest were smooth sailing.
"Time to go, Tiny," Lee wandered over a half hour before midnight, hoping to get Spencer home in one piece.
"Not a chance Big Brother," Spencer shook her head, teetering a little as she did.
Ryan groaned. "Lee and I gotta get back, you know the rules."
"What are you, fucking Cinderella?" Sawyer laughed, her words coming out a little slurred. "Relax, I can have my brother take us, she can stay with me."
"I don't even know you, why the hell would I leave my sister with you?"
Sawyer stood, shakily, before putting a hand in Lee's face. "Sawyer Grace Taylor, daughter of Jessie and Grant Taylor, owners of Greenquest Ranch. It's been a displeasure."
Lee moved her hand away, giving a hard look to his sister. "Call me in the morning, heaven knows you're gonna need someone to pick you up."
Spencer only saluted at Lee, sending a wink and blowing a kiss to Ryan as the pair left. She turned to Sawyer, a wicked smile on her face.
"Let's get this party started!"
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Saturday
Spencer woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing. Rather than checking it, she turned back over only to have to start buzzing once again.
"Can no one let a girl sleep!" She whispered to herself as she finally picked the device up. "Fuck."
Four missed calls from her dad, two from Lee, shit even Jamie had called her. She hurried to answer her father's next call as it rolled in.
"Morning Daddy," Spencer spoke into the phone carefully.
"You best be home in the next hour," was all her father said before the line clicked, ending the call.
"Sawyer," Spencer turned to her friend and shaking her, "I gotta go, like now."
Sawyer rolled over, letting the sleep fade from her eyes before turning to Spencer and then looking at the time. The blonde's eyes reached sky high when she saw double digits on the alarm clock. Turning to Spencer, the girls nodded, bolting around the room to get ready.
"Extra toothbrushes under the sink, take whatever you need to wear," Sawyer yelled as she pulled clothes from her closet, "Oh my mother is gonna murder me!"
Spencer was out of the house within ten minutes, racing out to her truck and gunning it down the road. She walked through the front door, bracing for whatever yelling was about to come her way. Almost thirty and still getting scolded by her father, she laughed internally at the thought. Spencer followed the voices into the dining room to find her father, Rip, Ryan, and Beth all standing around. Ryan looked guilty, but the black eye was likely the case for that.
"Where the hell were you?" John asked his youngest sternly but calmly. Spencer knew she was fucked from the tone.
"I stayed at Sawyer's house," the look Rip shot at her made Spencer decide she wouldn't tell them Sawyer was a girl just to piss him off.
"Whose Sawyer?" Rip asked, as calmly as he could.
Spencer smiled, glancing at Ryan who was shaking his head at her. If they thought he had let Spencer go home with a boy he was all but fired.
"A friend."
"She's Grant Taylor's kid, over at Greenquest," Ryan blurted.
"You're no fucking fun Ryan," Spencer groaned as she watched the rest of the room visibly relax, "Did you all forget over night I'm not a teenager? I don't need to be treated like one!"
Spencer didn't let anyone respond, storming outside, knowing one of them was bound to follow. It took a few minutes but someone eventually did, causing the girl to swing around. Rip.
"Of fucking course," she whispered, shaking her head and walking away but leaving the door open. "Daddy sent his guard dog."
Rip's anger was growing with the girl at that point. He had been worried sick all night when she hadn't come home with the boy's, letting his anger get so far as to get into a fight with Ryan.
"I don't have the energy for your fucking attitude today Darlin'," he seethed as he paced the room. "I was worried fucking sick about you."
"I'm sure you were so worried with Beth's fucking throat around your dick."
Rip slammed against the side of the barn, storming over to Spencer, gently but quickly. If she didn't want to listen, fine, he was going to make her. Spencer, however, had other plans, waiting until he was close enough before shoving him back slightly and walking outside. The first person she laid eyes on was Ryan, and she felt bad in that moment, knowing he already had a black eye forming.
"Ryan!" She yelled to him as she jogged over, "I'm sorry in advance."
He sent her a questioning look, but his eyes quickly went big when he saw her wind her fist back. He tried to move, only to run into the fence. Spencer hit him hard enough to swing Ryan's head to the side, but not hard enough to cause any damage. She just needed enough push back from him and enough people around to get what she really wanted. Ryan put his arms up, blocking the second punch she sent his way.
"What the fuck Spence?" He yelled as he blocked punch after punch. "I didn't do shit what is this!"
That seemed to draw the rest of the ranch's attention, murmurs of a fight rippling around. Rip stormed out of the barn at Lloyd's request, swearing under his breath as he watched Spencer swing down on Ryan. This girl is gonna be the death of me, he thought as he walked over, putting distance between Spencer and Ryan.
"If you wanna pick a fight, you come find me," Rip seethed as he looked down at Spencer, "You know the rules, Spence."
"I don't know, that seemed to do the trick mighty fine," she smiled, although it wasn't at all friendly. "We gonna fight or what?"
"You really wanna do this?"
Spencer nodded, "Absolutely I fucking do."
Rip sighed, handing his hat to Ryan as everyone that gathered backed up enough to give the two space. Spencer smirked, slowly circling across from Rip. She knew he wouldn't move first, so she took the first swing. Hard and to the chest, sending Rip stumbling back a few steps. Spencer swung immediately after, trying to catch him on his back heel, but Rip caught her hand, sending her an exasperated look. He let her hand go, going back to circling. He knew she just needed to get it out of her system, push the fight out before he could talk to her and calm her down. And her punches didn't seem to have all that much bite to them today.
"C'mon, if you're gonna hit me, hit me," he whispered, stepping forward into her space. Spencer grunted, throwing back to back punches to his ribs, knocking the air from him. "There ya go, now it's actually startin' to hurt."
The rest of the wranglers watched on, grimacing at each unanswered blow from Spencer. Ryan looked to Lloyd who only shook his head. He knew Rip would stop it before it got bad.
"Fucking. Fight. Back." Spencer seethed as she pushed at Rip hard. She pushed again and again until he lost his footing. Rip laid on his back, looking up at the redhead, seeing the tears forming in her eyes.
"I already hurt you enough."
"Fuck you Rip," Spencer's voice surged with the last bit of strength she had before she ran off, the tears overflowing. She wouldn't let any of them see her cry.