Always

The bar

It's a Friday, and we have been moving cattle all day.  The ranch hands love to let loose after work, they are considering playing poker or drinking. Rip, Lee and my dad have all told me to stay out of the bunkhouse and yet I still go in there and play poker, and you better believe I win everytime. They all wanted to go to the bar today and asked if I wanted to go along. I laughed and replied with a hell yeah.
    "Where the hell are you going Oakley." My dad said drinking on the couch.
    "Out to the bar with the bunkhouse."
    "No, absolutely not."
     "Daddy I will be fine, rip will be there."
     "I swear to God if rip tells me he had to swing on some guy for trying to get In your pants." He said giving me a stern look. I smiled and nodded. Rip wasn't going to be there as far as I know, but that's the only way dad would have let me leave the house. After I left.
  
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Rips pov

    It has been a long day and I finally get to keep my feet up on the couch and drink a beer. As soon as my ass hit the seat my phone rang. Shit I mom to myself.
   "Sir?" I said over the phone it was Mr. Dutton.
   " are you going to the bar with the hands?" He asked me
   "Um no sir."
    "Damn It Oakley." I here him mumble over the phone.
     "Is she alright sir?" I ask worried.
    "She told me she was going and it was going to be fine being you were going to be there."
    "Damn it, I will get in the truck now sir, you want Me to bring her home?" I asked him throwing my boots and hat on and running out the door.
   "No Rip let her have her fun just watch her." I hear him sigh. " she is worse then Beth I swear."
    I laughed. " I'll keep her safe sir."
     "I know you will rip." He hangs up and I am already driving there. I shake my head putting down the phone.
    "That damn girl is going to be the death of me i swear." I say shaking my head.

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Oakley pov.

   We have been drinking and danceing for a while now. I was dance and I turn to the bar. In the corner there was a awful Familiar cowboy sitting there. I walk up to him.
    " so your following me now?" I ask him and he laughed. "And rip I swear to god if you say, it is my job, I will punch you in the lip."
    "You lied to your dad." He says looking at me.
    "Because that's the only way he would let me go, plus he still thinks I am a ten year old, sweet Innocent girl, I am 23 year old woman and God I would like to have some fun."
   "Hmm, you think maybe next time let me know."
   "Rip your not my fucken mother, I am a big girl and can do things on my own."
    "Darlin, it's not you I am worried about, it these pigs of men."
    "If it's not me your worried about, then why didn't you let me go inside with you?"
     "Thats different, you don't need to be a monster, you need to at least stay innocent on that side."
     "Rip I am to far gone on that side." I say and rip gives me a look. I ordered him and me a drink.
      "You look creepy over here." I say laughing at him.
      "Whys that?" He responded
     "Your not dancing, or drinking, your just sitting over here with you hat tipped down just enough so I can see your eyes." I said giving him a look.
      "What are you saying? I gotta go dance around?" He said as the song changed to a slow dance.
       "You know you can watch me real good if you were dancing with me, and none of these pigs can steel me up." I say walking backwards towards everyone else swaying. Now sober me would have never ever had the nerve to ask rip wheeler to dance. But I was quite a few drinks in and had a lot more confidence. Rip raised his eyebrow and stood up. We walked towards the dance floor and began to sway.
    "Your drunk, darlin." He says in my ear.
     "Yep, so I am so lucky to have Mr. It's my job to keep you safe. Here with me." Rip shook his head.
      "Your doing this cause of lee."
      "Yes sir I am." I said to him.
      "Your gonna be trouble when we get back."
      "Thats a  later problem." 
      "We have to break colts tomorrow, that hangovers really gonna suck." Rip says laughing.
        "I will just ask Beth, she's great with those."
        "Hmm." Rip hummed to me quietly.

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The next morning my head was pounding. I didn't remember much from last night, other then rip was really there. I asked Beth and she gave me some pills. I walked down the stairs ready for the scolding I was about to get.
   "Damn it Oakley." My dad said before I even touched the last step.
    "Dad" I say with a sigh.
    "No, you can't just go around to bars."
    "Hey I told you rip was going to be there and there he was. Keep me safe from all the terrible things that happened to me, oh wait there wasn't anything."
   " Yeah he was there because I called."
   "Father, I am an adult, and I know you hate that but, I am going to find love one day."
    "Your young, young people do stupid things, please just.. be smart."
    " I have work to do." I say back walking out the door missing breakfast. I walked down to the round pin and saw all the horse we broke.
  "Well good morning miss that's a later problem." Rip say laughing.
    "Shut up rip alright, I don't remember what happened last night." 
    " I guessed that, well you yelled at me, called me a creep and then we danced." My brain shut off did he just say, that we..we danced, holy shit, holy shit.
     "Hey Oakley." Rip said snapping me awake
      "Yeah umm sorry, about calling you a creep, and yelling at you." Rip laughed
     "It's fine just let's get to work. Lots of colts to break."