The Other Sister

2

Lucy had moved some of her belongings into Rip's cabin to make it easier since she had been sleeping there every night for the past week. Her relationship with Rip had solidified. They didn't have sex, maybe occasionally some kissing and most definitely cuddling, but nothing intimate. Rip did not want to mess this up again. He remembered Lee's words to him the day Beth came back and he certainly knew what he was doing this time. Lucy was who he wanted and he was determined to keep her. Beth and Rip had an understanding and Beth didn't have any feelings for Rip anyways so she genuinely didn't care. She made sure to keep her distance though, not wanting to upset her sister. Lucy got herself ready for the day. It was her first day back at the hospital and she was working a 6 hour shift, her supervisor wanting her to ease herself back in, which Lucy appreciated. Lucy walked down to the pen to see her dad getting bucked off of the stallion Kayce gave him. She sighed and shook her head. "Last thing we need is for you to get hurt!" She called out. Rip turned to look at her and he couldn't help but stare at her in her scrubs. It did something to him. She walked over to Rip. "He shouldn't be breaking that horse in," she said. Lucy looked around for a minute and her eyes landed on Jimmy. "Get Jimmy to do it." Rip smiled at her idea. "Darlin, you got brains and beauty!" Lucy smiled at hearing that. "Look, now he's my best goddamn friend!" John said in disbelief. He walked away from the horse and out of the pen. "You sure you're okay to head back to work?" He asked with worry in his voice. "I'm fine, daddy. It's a short shift anyways. It's good for me to get back into my routine- I need it." John looked at his babygirl and nodded. "Alright. Be careful. I love you." He pulled her into his arms and she hugged him back. "I love you," she said back. She then turned to Rip. "I'll be home in time for dinner," she informed him. Rip nodded. "I'll see you later, honey." He leaned down and kissed her cheek gently. John silently watched the exchange between Rip and his daughter, making a mental note to talk to Rip. She smiled at how sweet he was to her. Lucy was happy with how things were going between them. She started walking to her car and couldn't help but let out a chuckle when she heard Rip call for Jimmy. Poor kid didn't have any clue what was in store for him.
***
John and Rip were standing alone on one side of the pen watching Jimmy, while the wranglers were on the other side. John tore his eyes from Jimmy and looked at Rip. "Rip," John said, getting his attention. "Sir?" Rip replied and looked at his boss. "What's going on between you and my daughter?" John asked bluntly. Rip was surprised by the question and his mouth felt like cotton, his brain trying to come up with an answer. "Well, Sir, I don't rightly know myself. We are taking things slow. I-uh don't want to mess anything up so I'm sorta following Lucy's lead." John nodded and thought it was a good enough answer for now. "Well, Beth knows to keep her hands to herself. I hope you do too." John stood up a bit straighter and kept his eyes trained on Rip. "Beth is strong and can handle herself. But Lucy, I won't have you playing around with her heart, Rip. You understand me?" Rip curtly nodded. "I understand, sir." Rip looked down at his boots briefly then back up at John. "I love your daughter, sir. Now she don't know that, but I do. I hope you'll trust me when I say that I ain't gonna hurt her." John nodded. "I trust you, Rip. Honestly, I wouldn't want Lucy with anyone else." John smiled gently and rested his hand on Rip's shoulder. John nodded at him and walked off.
***
Lucy smiled at seeing Rip sitting on his front porch waiting for her. "Hi," she said gently. Rip smiled and stood up. "Hi, darlin." Lucy took the beer from him that he extended and leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek. "How was work?" He asked her. "Fine. It was good to be back. I missed how fast paced everything was." Lucy smiled. She was doing better and had accepted Lee's death, but she couldn't bring herself to move out of Rip's cabin. It felt right living with him, Rip feeling the same way. "I made steak and baked potatoes for dinner," he informed her. Lucy smiled. "Thank you. Let me go shower real quick then we can eat." Rip nodded and let her go. A few hours later they were curled up together on the couch watching the rodeo. Lucy got up and grabbed them both another beer. She sat beside Rip and swung her legs over his thigh. Rip felt a surge of energy rush through him at the sight of her legs over his. He reached down and rested his hand on her calf. He set his beer down and with both hands began gently rubbing her calves and feet. Lucy let out a moan at the feeling and laid her head back against the sofa. That moan did things to him and he instantly felt himself hardening in his jeans. Rip glanced over at Lucy and tried to memorize every detail of her beautiful face. "One thing I didn't miss about work was how sore my feet and back always were," she broke the silence. Rip smiled gently. "I'll rub your back too," he said. Lucy smiled to herself and opened her eyes to look at him. "You just want me to take my shirt off!" Rip shrugged and she noticed how his blue eyes seemed much darker. "Maybe I do," he told her. His gaze was intense and she felt a wetness pool from her center. She swallowed hard and looked away. She took a gulp of her beer and set it down. This was new territory for their relationship and she was ready to have him - all of him. She stood before him and began stripping herself of her clothing. The 3 beers she had in her system gave her the confidence she needed. Rip watched and felt himself going insane as his eyes took in her full breasts and toned stomach, down to her thick thighs and nice ass. Rip swallowed hard. Lucy smiled seeing the effect she was having on him. She wanted to fuck the memory of Beth right out of his mind. Lucy straddled his waist and began unbuttoning his shirt. His hands instantly went to rest on her hips, squeezing lightly. Lucy could feel his erection beneath her. "God, you're gorgeous," Rip said quietly and moved a strand of hair behind her ear. Lucy smiled and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on his lips. Rip savored the kiss and groaned into her mouth as he felt her hands running up and down his bare chest and torso. Lucy pulled away and began working on his belt buckle. Rip came back to reality for a moment and laid his hands on hers, stopping her. "You sure this is what you want, darlin?" He asked and gazed into her eyes. Lucy nodded. "More than anything," she whispered and crashed her lips against his. That was all he needed to hear. He lifted her up and carried her to their bedroom, setting her on the bed. He got up and shed the rest of his clothing before he climbed back in bed, hovering over her. They kissed one another passionately, hands roaming every inch of one another. Rip began teasing her, leaving kisses all over her body. He began taking it slow, wanting to savor their first time together. He made his way down to her center and pleasured her with his tongue. Lucy was a moaning mess under him, forcing her hips up. "I need you, Rip," she whined and looked down at him. Rip pulled away and smiled at her. He positioned himself and sunk into her inviting center. He groaned deeply at how she wrapped tightly around him. Rip thrusted slow and hard. Lucy wrapped her legs around him, relishing in how he felt inside of her. They took their time and before they knew it, their releases came. Lucy arched her back, gripping onto Rip's arms as she writhed under him, moaning continuously. Rip watched her and felt himself falling over the edge. He groaned and hunched over her, burying himself deep within her. They both panted and clung to one another as they came down from their highs. Rip rolled off of her and pulled her into his arms. Lucy quickly fell asleep. Rip had had his share of sex with women, but nothing like this. With Lucy, it was different. It felt different and he hoped that she felt it too.
***
Lucy felt like she was on cloud nine- she was so happy. Everyone from the bunkhouse thanked her, stating that Rip was in a much better mood and not as stern with them like he usually was, and that she was the reasoning behind this new foreman. It made Lucy happy. Rip had gone off to work early that morning, leaving Lucy to have the morning to herself. Seeing as today was the anniversary of her mother's death, a pang of sadness ran through her. She mostly mourned over the fact that she didn't get to have her mother while growing up. Lucy left the cabin to walk to the main house to have breakfast with her father, assuming that her other siblings were going to avoid him at all costs today. Lucy sighed, taking a mental note to steer clear of Beth today. As she walked to the top of the hill, that mental note blew up in flames as she watched her sister saunnter towards the house completely naked, Rip watching her walk off. Once she was out of view, Rip turned and his eyes widened as they landed on Lucy. Lucy didn't know what to think or how to feel. She stormed right past Rip and when he called her name and grabbed her arm she spun around and yanked her arm from his embrace. "Don't fucking touch me!" Lucy made her way through the same door her sister walked in and went up to Beth's room, slamming the door open. "Hey!" She called out and turned to see who it was barging in. She had clothing on now. Lucy was fuming. "Is that what you wanted?!" She yelled at her older sister and Beth just stared at her completely confused not knowing Lucy had caught the tail end of her and Rip's exchange. "You decided to cry out for attention today and look who came running! You're something, Beth, you really fucking are! You come back here and have everyone fucking bend at your will. I hope you feel good. You can fucking have him! I'm through being the other sister. Why don't you take your goddam clothes off and go lay on the table in the fucking bunkhouse for the wranglers?!" Lucy had tears streaming down her face. Beth's jaw dropped. "Lucy, that isn't-" she started but Lucy cut her off. "Fuck. You." Lucy walked out of Beth's bedroom and went down to the den. She grabbed a vase from one of the tables and screamed, throwing it into the fireplace. Jamie and John came running out of the dining room. "Lucy, what happened?!" John asked his daughter worried and pulled her into his arms. "I hate this place!" Lucy cried out. Jamie turned and saw Beth standing on the stairs in shock, not able to comprehend how this turned completely upside down. Rip had been going off on her to get back in the house and to have some respect for herself and everyone on the ranch. She wasn't trying to get Rip's attention. He was pissed at her for what she did anyways. Lucy pulled away from her father. "I gotta get out of here," she said. John looked at Jamie and spotted Beth. He could see the guilt all over her face. "What the fuck did you do?!" He yelled at her once Lucy walked outside. The whole ranch could hear the yelling coming from the house. Ryan spotted Lucy leaning against her car sobbing. He ran over to her. "Hey," he said and pulled her into his arms. "Get me out of here," she begged him and forced her keys into his hand. He looked down at her confused but nodded and helped her into the passenger seat. He started the car. As Ryan started to drive, Lucy could see Rip watching them and if looks could kill, she knew Ryan would be dead right now. Ryan brought her into town and they walked around. Lucy told him her side of the story, not aware that there was another. Jamie brought Rip up to the house and him and Beth explained the situation to John. "What a fucking mess," he sighed and held the bridge of his nose. "Of course Lucy's mind was going to go one way. Beth, you gotta fix this. I've never seen her that upset before." John stood up. "Jamie, go call Ryan. Tell him to bring her home and that the situation wasn't what she thought." Jamie nodded and left the office. John looked at his oldest daughter. "I know today is hard, but Beth you gotta start thinking about who your actions can effect. It's a hard day for your sister too and you just made it worse." Beth started crying. An hour later Ryan brought Lucy back to the house. "Thank you," she told him sincerely. Ryan smiled. "You know I would do anything for you, Luce." She nodded and walked over to Jamie who was waiting for her. He hugged her and made sure she was alright before he led her to their father's office. She rolled her eyes as she saw Rip and Beth sitting there. "Sit," John ordered. Lucy sighed and took a seat in the chair pulled up next to her father. Beth swallowed hard. "Lucy, I wasn't trying to get Rip's attention. I don't know if you believe me or not considering I was naked in a horse trough in the middle of our yard where anyone can see, but my intentions were not what you were thinking." Beth looked at her with pleading eyes. Lucy looked from her sister to Rip. "Then what were you doing standing in front of the trough and watching her butt ass naked walk away?" Lucy questioned Rip, venom dripping from her words. Rip sighed and ran a hand down his face. "I was trying to teach Jimmy something and he kept looking and I got pissed off because she was distracting the men from their work and I can't have that. I told her she needed to get back in the house and to get some respect for herself. The only reason I watched her walk away was because I wanted to make sure she was really going inside and not gonna do something else stupid." Lucy knew they were telling the truth. She sighed and stood up. "I can tell you both are being honest, but this is going to take me some time to get over. I-you don't even know what that did to me." She left the room. Beth and Rip both knew they fucked up. "Goddamn it, Beth!" Rip said upset and stood up. He put his hat back on. "I'm sorry about this, sir," he told John. John just nodded and let Rip go. Beth knew she fucked up and that she was going to have to find a way to make it up to her baby sister.
***
Rip found Lucy standing on the porch overlooking the property. "Lucy," he said gently. Lucy looked over her shoulder at him then turned back to look ahead. She sighed quietly and turned to face him. "You need to get back to work. We can talk about it tonight." Rip nodded, not wanting to argue with her. "I'll take you to the park. We can sit in the car and watch the wolves," Rip suggested. "That's fine," Lucy agreed. Rip leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry, honey. I never want to hurt you." Lucy looked into his eyes. "I'll see you later," she said gently. Rip nodded and left Lucy standing on the porch while he went down to the barn.
***
Later that night, Rip came back to the cabin to find it empty. He cursed under his breath as he realized Lucy's few belongings she had kept at his cabin were gone. She had moved them back in the main house. Rip felt his heart break a little but knew he deserved it. Even though he did nothing wrong, he still felt guilty because of what Lucy thought had happened. He didn't want Beth, he wanted Lucy and Rip was determined to tell her that he loved her. Rip walked back out and drove up to the main house. He got out and saw Lucy sitting on the porch drinking a glass of wine. She had her eyes on him as soon as he got out of the truck. Rip walked up to her. "Still want to go?" He asked her. Lucy nodded. "Yes. Let me run inside. I'll be right back." She got up and came back out with a bottle of whiskey. Rip raised his eyebrows at her and she just walked past him and got in the truck. Rip just let out a small chuckle and looked up at the night sky before following suit and getting in the truck. They parked and Lucy instantly opened the whiskey bottle, taking a swig. Rip looked at her. "You staying at the lodge now?" He questioned. Lucy didn't look at him. "I thought it would be best for now. Just let me cool off. This isn't permanent unless you want it to be." At that, Lucy trained her eyes on him. Rip shook his head. "No, darlin, I don't want it to be permanent. I liked you living with me. I know what you thought you saw and how bad that hurt you." Rip leaned across and grabbed her hand. "I want you to know you can trust me. There ain't no one else for me. Lucy, I love you." Lucy's eyeballs shot wide open and her jaw hung open slightly. Lucy pulled away and took a large gulp of the whiskey. She didn't know what to do. She loved Rip too but she was terrified to say it back. She looked out the windshield at the sound of the wolves eating a dead elk. Lucy got out of the car with the whiskey bottle in her hand. She took off running towards wolves and began yelling, scaring them off. "What the fuck!" Rip exclaimed and ran after Lucy. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. "You're fucking crazy," he muttered. "I love you too," she said and kissed him lovingly. Rip froze and pulled away. "Say it again," he almost demanded. "I love you too," she said a bit quieter, feeling self concious. Rip smiled wide. "But, if you ever hurt me, Rip, I-I don't think I could recover." Rip could see the vulnerability in her eyes. "I swear, sweetheart, that I will never intentionally hurt you." He hugged her tightly. Rip dropped her back off at the loadge then went to his cabin where a sleepless night awaited the both of them.
***
The next day Lucy saw her dad sitting in the den. "Hi, daddy," she said gently. John looked at her confused. "You stayed here last night?" He questioned and she nodded a yes. "I thought you were staying with Rip?" She sighed and sat down. "I don't know. My brain is overwhelmed." John rubbed her back soothingly. "Love is a strange thing isn't it, honey?" Lucy just looked at him. "How do you know?" She asked in disbelief. He chuckled. "Lucy, it's written all over both of your faces when you are with one another. It doesn't take a goddamn rocket scientist to figure out that you two love each other." Lucy felt a smile form and she blushed. John chuckled and stood up. "Walk with me," he said and held his hand out for her. She followed him and they approached the family cemetery. Lucy looked at her dad confused. "I-uh had to have Lee's body cremated to cover up that Kayce killed Monica's brother. Thought you would want to be with me when I did it." Lucy felt tears in her eyes as all she could muster was a nod. They stood in front of her mother's grave and her father spread the ashes over it. Lucy felt tears slide down her cheeks. She had been doing good but with everything going on, she yearned to have her mother help her through everything or her big brother to talk to and protect her. John pulled his youngest into his arms and they stood in silence.