Friday
"You sure you don't want me to stay?" Sawyer asked as she pulled her sweatshirt over her head.
Spencer nodded at the girl, "I'll be alright."
Sawyer huffed, looking her friend over once before nodding as she came around the bed to hug the redhead. "I'll be back at four, but you take your time, alright?"
Spencer nodded once more, waving at Sawyer as she walked out of the bedroom. She turned her attention to the black dress Beth had left in her room the night before, dreading putting it on. Spencer was sure the only thing that had gotten her through the week was the fact that Lee's funeral hadn't happened yet. She was sure as soon as it started, the bandaid holding her pain in would be ripped off and her anger would set in fully. Anger at Kayce, herself, shit even Lee, it would all come crashing down around her.
A knock on the other side of the door pulled Spencer from her doom spiral. She opened the door, surprised to see Rip standing there.
"What do you want?" She grimaced slightly at how hostile she sounded, but he didn't seem to mind.
"Your father wanted to make sure you were up. I wanted to check in on you."
Spencer smiled, letting him into the room. Her feelings for Rip were the other thing she was going to have to deal with after the funeral, seeing as she wouldn't have the excuse of it anymore. But she wasn't entirely sure what she should be feeling about it. About him. Spencer forced the thoughts from her mind, focusing on the crooked tie Rip had put on which made her smile. She walked up slowly, looking up to him briefly before focusing on the tie, recentering it properly.
"Thank you," Rip whispered, his eyes dancing over every part of Spencer's face when she looked up at him again.
She only hummed, turning to grab her dress before looking back. "Stay for a minute? I need someone to zip me up."
She didn't wait for him to acknowledge her, rather just placing the dress on the bed and stripping. She chuckled as Rip made a sound of shock and possible discomfort, his shuffling feet turning him away quickly.
"Nothing you haven't seen before," Spencer laughed lightly as she reminded him. "Zip me?"
Rip groaned internally at the girl as he turned back around. He'd have to thank whoever decided to put her in the long, skin tight black dress. If they weren't going to a funeral-
He stopped himself before he could work himself up too much. She was still mad with him anyway, he had to remember. But he also realized she was playing dirty as she gathered her hair out of the path of the zipper.
"I would spend every hour of the day staring at you Darlin'," Rip whispered as he zipped the back of the dress, pulling Spencer into his chest. "You're absolutely stunning, did you know that?"
The deep rasp dripping off his whispers left Spencer trembling a little. Mad, supposed to be mad, she thought to herself as she forced herself to stand up from his grasp and turn around. She smiled, trying to cover her shaking, as she turned to the bathroom and closed the door. She waited until the bedroom door closed, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, but Spencer refused to let them fall. She wasn't even sure why she was crying.
"Tiny, time to go," John's voice rang through the room, muffled by the doors.
"Coming!"
Spencer moved quickly, pulling on her boots before grabbing a hat and her sunglasses from by the door. She gave her father a sad smile as she opened the door, leaning into the hug he gave her.
The walk to the funeral site was short, and the group gathered small. But Spencer knew that's what Lee would have wanted. Out of all her siblings, Spencer had always been closest with Lee, with the exception of Kayce. Lee and her had been the only two to stay, truly stay, on the Yellowstone for both their father and the way of life. Beth would come and go at their father's request, and Jamie was only helpful as long as it better himself down the line. And Kayce, well he left. Even his own brother's burial didn't seem enough to bring him back, which made Spencer's anger rise with her twin. His actions were part of the reason Lee was even being buried in the first place.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Moinca's words broke Spencer from her growing anger.
Spencer smiled, pulling her sister-in-law into a hug. "I'm sorry for yours too, Mon. How is everyone?"
"They're holding it together, we're all just as shocked but I know how bad my brother's temper was."
"It seems our siblings all have that in common," Spencer smiled, causing Monica to laugh. The two women had remained friendly over the years, seeing as Spencer was the only one Kayce kept in touch with. "Speaking of troublemakers, no Kayce?"
Monica shook her head at the girl. "He won't talk to me, Spence. I'm scared he's pulling away."
"I'm sure he just feels guilty, he lost someone on both sides of a silly argument."
Monica nodded, although it seemed to her like Spencer knew more. "Is there something you know that I don't?"
"I only know what I saw, and that wasn't much."
The women fell in silence as they reached the end of their walk. Spencer smiled once more at the brunette, walking off to stand with her father and siblings. She felt the presence of Rip behind her, but she couldn't bring herself to deal with those emotions. But then she felt the looks of Beth from across their father, and her anger began to rise.
"We are gathered here today to say our goodbyes," the pastor started, drawing the attention of those gathered.
At some point Spencer began to faze out the pastor, focusing on the bouquet of flowers on Lee's coffin. It was then she felt the tears forming once again, dripping over and onto her cheek. Shaking her head slightly, Spencer looked around, making sure no one was paying attention to her. When she was satisfied no one was, she reached her hand back slightly, feeling through the air until she felt what she needed.
Rip had seen Spencer's hand push back, a sense of relief washing over him when she grabbed his hand. He gave her a gentle squeeze, running his thumb over the number of rings she never seemed to take off. His movements grounded himself almost as much as they grounded Spencer. Although she was certainly quick to let go as the pastor finished his sermon.
Like nothing had ever happened.
Rip looked to the ground, nodding his head at nothing in particular. He knew he had to talk to Spencer, and soon. If not for her sake for his own. He had been going damn near crazy the past week, wanting to be close but always being frozen out. When he looked back up, he saw Spencer lagging behind at Lee's coffin, and he knew it wasn't the right time to talk then either.
"She'll come around," Lloyd comforted Rip as they walked back to the bunkhouse. "She's too strong-willed for her own good that one. But, in my experience, it makes for a much more interesting life."
"The hell you talking 'bout Lloyd?"
"Don't bullshit with me Rip," Lloyd laughed, "I'm old but I have eyes."
Spencer had lingered at Lee's grave, waiting for the rest of the crowd to clear out so she could walk alone. It also gave Kayce time to talk to their father before she confronted him. She had seen the stallion Kayce had brought when she had let go of Rip's hand earlier, locking eyes with her brother quickly. It seemed the twins both had some secrets to air out.
"Looks like you've been hiding something," Kayce calls to Spencer as he walks over.
"Don't try and come at me about secrets Big Brother," Spencer practically snorted as she turned to look at her brother. "Someone hasn't been honest with his wife."
"At least I'm not fucking the help behind Dad's back!"
Spencer turned to look at Kayce, staring her brother down hard as she walked up to him. She shoved him once, keeping up as he stumbled into a tree.
"Rip is more of a man than you'll ever fucking be Kayce," Spencer's finger was pushing hard into her brother's chest, "He owns his past, and his mistakes. Which reminds me."
Spencer swung her fist around into Kayce's face, sending his head jutting to the right. "That's for making me clean up your fucking mess, again."
With that Spencer walked away, holding her breath until she was out of ear shot of Kayce to let her tears fall once more. She walked quickly back to the house, both because she had to leave and because Kayce wouldn't follow her up. He'd take his bruised ego back to the reservation, live to argue with his sister another day.
Sawyer was sitting on the hood of her car, talking with Ryan when Spencer finally made it back to the house. And she certainly didn't miss the flirtatious touching her friends were giving one another.
"I feel like a mom walking in on a first date," she laughed as both Sawyer and Ryan jolted apart.
"It's not-"
"I don't give a shit Ryan," Spencer laughed as she cut him off, "Just know I know where both of you fucks sleep if one of you hurts the other, got it?"
The pair nodded, offering an awkward smile as Ryan departed so the girls could leave. Spencer was still smug as she sat in the passenger seat of Sawyer's car.
"Don't fucking say a word," was all Sawyer said as she got into the car, sending Spencer into a round of laughter as they pulled down the driveway.
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Despite being at Paradise Valley for four extra hours, the girls were unable to get anything accomplished in terms of finding out information on Jenkins and his plan. Although they were starting to realize he was kind of a sleaze. Spencer felt a shiver run down her spine as she thought of the man's hands on all his female guests.
It was after curfew on the ranch, so Spencer did her best to sneak in without disturbing too many people. She nodded to Jamie who had been asleep on the couch, waving as she walked past and up the stairs. She should've known someone was going to be waiting in her room, although who it was shocked her.
"Beth?"
"Are you fucking Rip?" Beth asked as she sat up in Spencer's chair.
"What the fuck? No."
Beth stood, stumbling slightly, "Then who are you sleeping with? Whose got you sneaking around like this?"
Spencer stared at her older sister in bewilderment. "Beth what the actual fuck are you on right now? I'm doing what I can to help Daddy, same as you."
That seemed to set Beth off more. "Bull shit."
"Bull shit?! Beth I don't know what's going on but I'm helping. I don't know if your alcoholic fucking brain can understand that, but that's all that's going on. Sorry you're not getting the attention you think you deserve but that seems like your problem."
"Fuck you," Beth seethed at her sister, "You think you're all that 'cuz your Daddy's favorite?"
"God Beth you sound like fucking Jamie! Go to bed, I don't have the energy to deal with your drunk ass!"
That seemed to shut Beth up, at least long enough for Spencer to push her from the room and lock the door. She swore the only thing she needed was to sleep all fucking weekend and not deal with her family anymore.
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Monday
The weekend remained uneventful, with Beth and Spencer doing everything in their power to avoid one another. Although everyone across the ranch had felt the chill setting in from their standoff. It wasn't uncommon for the sisters to fight, given their similarities in personality, but it could certainly get dangerous when they did. Fists were hurled more commonly than insults, but it only took one of those to set the ranch on fire.
That morning Spencer had been up and out of the house early, knowing her father was going to try and tame Kayce's stallion. She was still pissed at her brother, but she could at least appreciate the gesture he was trying to give. Spencer had to hold back a few rounds of laughter as she watched her father try tirelessly to break the horse down.
"Oughta take him chest high in the river, see how much buck he's got then," Rip offers as he walks up, making Spencer jump at the sudden change in noise.
"You'd break his spirit," she states as she looks at Rip briefly, "The Kayce really would never come back around."
"Want me to give him a go?" Rip turned his attention to John, who only waved the man off.
"This is a job for a man with rubber bones," John chuckles as he walks over to the pair. Spencer perks up, nodding her head in the direction of Jimmy, a mischievous smirk growing on her face.
"Gotta make him a hand somehow," she offers as Rip smiles and heads to grab the boy.
Spencer ran to grab Ryan and Colby, knowing they wouldn't want to miss this. The three stayed hunkered to the side of the corral, laughing amongst themselves as John and Rip worked to tape Jimmy into the saddle.
"I'd expect resistance," Ryan chuckled as he yelled to Jimmy, who had the fear of God in his eyes.
Jimmy was quick to look over. "Define resistance."
"Hold your hats boys, it's gonna be a bumpy ride," Spencer hollered as she reached over, patting the horse with some force, sending him off to the races.
Spencer laughed as she watched the horse start to buck, doing his best to get Jimmy off. She had to admit, Jimmy had some decent form for someone who had never ridden a day in his life.
"Tiny!" John called from across the corral, waving her over to the barn where he and Jamie were heading. That couldn't be good.
"The state's ruling Robert's death an execution," Jamie informed John and Spencer once they were in the barn, "They want to know if Spencer remembers anything about this third shooter."
"I thought we told them who it was?"
"Based on the lack of anything Kayce told me, we decided to change the story," was all Jamie said to answer Spencer's question.
"Well did they identify Kayce?" John asked after a moment of swearing under his breath.
Jamie paused. "No, but agents identified a rider with Lee."
"Who?"
"Toby Reynolds and Aaron McCreery," Jamie stated as he looked over his notes from the earlier meeting.
John looked to Spencer who shook her head. Reynolds would be an easy fix, John had been friends with his father for years. But McCreery was new, and becoming more untrustworthy by the second.
"McCreery's from the south end of the valley, big on his religion," she informed her father and brother. "Had enough to say about me being an agent, I wouldn't be surprised if he would be happy to yap."
"He won't lie?" John asked, to which both his children shook their heads. "Alright, get me the name of his church. What else?"
Jamie took another pause, unsure of how the two most stubborn people he knew would take the news. Spencer cleared her throat, prompting a response from Jamie.
"The medical examiner's report, it's not helpful."
"And whose seen it?" John asked, rubbing his face in exasperation.
"Those that have seen it want it changed," Jamie tried to offer, "This doesn't help anyone. How Spence is still in the clear I have no idea."
Spencer flipped him off. "Then why has no one fixed the report, Jamie?"
"It's not that simple. These doctors take oaths, and they aren't oaths to this family," Jamie tried to reason. "The photographs, the bodies, the evidence. None of that's going to change. We should be proactive-"
Jamie was cut off by a slap from Spencer, the sound resonating in the quiet barn. "Don't you fucking finish that sentence."
Spencer turns to her father at that point, knowing what would likely be the best solution. "Give me Rip, we can fix it."
"Let's not be hasty, Tiny," John smiles at his daughter. "No one knows who shot him, that's the advantage we have right now."
"Kayce shot him, point blank, in the forehead," Jamie argued. "Five bullets in a perfect circle. There's only one agent you have capable of that, and she's been cleared. Name any other livestock officer that can do that."
John looked between his two children, both willing to fight this in their areas of expertise. But he shook his head, looking to the ground before walking away. "I gotta hear him say it first."
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It didn't take long for John to get back from the reservation. From the look on his face Spencer knew it hadn't gone well, and Jamie had come home looking mighty worried.
"Examiner needs a new oath," John grumbled as he walked up to his children.
Jamie shook his head, "Didn't work. He sent the autopsy to the tribal police instead."
John cursed, turning to Spencer. "What do you know?"
"Former medical examiner in Chicago," she informed him, "Turns out he has a thing for embalming fluid. Chief of medial found out, forced resignation sent him our way."
John nodded, weighing the options as Jamie and Spencer stared on.
"If that leaks, every ruling he's made will be deemed inadmissible," Jamie offered, clearly trying to win back some favor. "I can push it."
"We don't have time, and they already have the report," John countered, turning to Spencer. "Fix it. I don't wanna know how, but I want you two to fix it. I'm not negotiating with a damn drug dealer."
Spencer nodded, smirking at Jamie who just looked pissed, and headed off to find Rip.