Spencer Hope Dutton. Tiny. The youngest of the Dutton household, if only by a few minutes. She swore those few minutes after Kayce popped out were the only moments of peace she had in life...
Now Spencer's family is being pushed to the brink and her...
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Friday
Spencer woke up from the groans of Rip behind her and the buzzing of her phone in front of her. Bleary eyed, she looked at the alarm clock, her concern growing at how early it was, even if it was her father calling.
"Cattle's back," John said in lieu of a hello, "Gotta get them settled."
"Okay, I'll be there in a minute," Spencer responded, a yawn following her words.
"Good. Bring Rip too, we're gonna need all hands on deck."
Had Spencer been a little more awake, the shock of her father's words would have been less surprising. However, her brain was unable to even compute how her father knew.
"I know everything that happens on this ranch Tiny, don't you forget that," John laughed at his daughter's lack of response.
"Yes sir."
The phone line cut at that point, John hanging up to guide the trailers into the ranch. Spencer blinked, internalizing what her father said as she swatted her hand around to find Rip. He groaned when her hand came in contact with his face.
"I know it's still too early to be getting up," he grumbled as he tried to pull Spencer back into his side.
"Rainwater had the cattle returned, we gotta go. Oh and Daddy knows." Spencer slid the last sentence in, hoping it would glaze over in Rip's mind as he woke up. It, however, did not. Rip's eyes shot open, turning to stare at the redhead as she crept around the room. She turned, giving him sarcastic jazz hands before tugging her jeans on.
The morning air held a deep chill as the couple walked down to the barn, guilty looks on both of their faces. John smirked as he held out a coffee mug to his daughter, who smiled but kept her eye line down.
"Morning Daddy," Spencer squeaked as she walked past to get Rebel ready for a day of moving cattle.
"Spence!" Rip called through the radio, waving her down to pull up the side after John called about stragglers in the woods. Spencer smiled, her heel pushing into Rebel's side, sending the horse off. She let out a yelp as she weaved Rebel along the side of the cattle, making everyone holler back in good spirits.
Rip chuckled as followed Jimmy into the woods, his heart feeling light at the sight of the wild redhead doing what she loved.
"She's crazy!" Jimmy yelled as he watched Spencer stand taller in her saddle.
"She's more cowboy than you'll ever be Jimmy," Rip's smile fell as he yelled over to the new hand. "Now get on the cattle!"
Leave it to fucking Jimmy to ruin Rip's mood. Rip cursed as Jimmy fell from his horse, rolling through the grass like an idiot. He called for Lloyd, no longer wanting to deal with the mess of a hand, riding back to fill in Lloyd's spot in the formation.
