Darling

3. long way done

"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.