Upset

"Wow, that sounds great." Justin wasn't the type of person to live off frozen dinners, but even though he usually cooked for himself, he rarely ventured too far out of his normal meal selections. He knew Beth was a good cook too, and was sure whatever she made was going to taste good. "I think I've probably got all the ingredients you need. You can check and make sure if you want."

Taking a sip of his tea again, he leans back, closing his eyes. It's only a moment though before they fly open again and he looks at Beth with question. "By the way... how did you know to come here in the first place?" He remembered considering the option of calling her, but he was pretty sure he hadn't gotten that far. His memory was still quite foggy though.


"Kip?" Gram pokes her head inside the bedroom, glad to see Kip awake and cleaned up from a shower, but he looked so forlorn just sitting in the corner of the bed, motionless with eyes that lacked so much.

Kip moves his gaze to the door, then down. He hated Gram and Gramps seeing him like this. "Yeah?" His voice was soft and almost hard to hear.

Gram lets herself in and comes over to the bed, sitting down at the foot and letting the silence reign for several moments. "I warmed up some soup for lunch," she offers.

Kip gives a little shrug. "I don't think I want any. Thanks."

Gram sighs and gives him a long look. "You know... eating may not do a thing for your soul... but if your body's happy, it's a little easier to feel better sometimes."

Kip still doesn't look up.

"I really don't want to lose you, Kip." Gram smiles kindly. "You're one of my grandsons now whether you like it or not. How long do you think I'm going to sit by and watch you waste away to nothing?"

"Aren't I already nothing anyway?"

Gram's facial expression changes to one more stern. "What do you want me to say? You want me to agree with you so you can continue to beat yourself up? Or you want me to tell you the truth?" When he doesn't respond, she goes on. "The truth is that you are far from nothing. You are bursting with potential that you haven't even tapped into yet. You remind me so much of Kyle... he hasn't always had it easy either, ya know? Where would he be if he would have sat back and let life walk all over him? You're so full of life and energy, Kip... don't let a setback stop you from living. No one, not ever your father can dictate what you decide to do."

Reaching out, she gives his leg a gentle pat. "I'll keep the soup on the stove for a while, so you can help yourself whenever you want."

Kip says nothing as she leaves, and when left alone, the silent tears come once more. For a long while, he doesn't move as the tears run down his face. At least Gram loved him. His own father couldn't, but a pretend Grandma could.

About half an hour later, Kip sits quietly, alone at the kitchen table, slowly working on half a bowl of hot tomato soup.


Mick stands as Rosetta does and stretches tall, not bothering to try and cover up his yawn. It had been a long day and he was beat. His body was aching and all he wanted right now was a soft warm bed. But...

Smiling a little sleepily, he slips his arm around Rosetta's shoulders and leans to kiss the top of her head. "BJ's probably asleep by now. I'll stay and help you... Unless you didn't want a man in your kitchen." He grins teasingly as they head for the doorway. "You work too much. I'd feel guilty if I left you here all by your lonesome."


"You're limping, Baby." Dana walks alongside Eric, tucked under his arm as she turns a little to place a hand on his chest. "Need me to do anything for you?"

Eric continues the route to the bunkhouse and shakes his head. "Naw. My leg just got stiff on me. I'll be fine."

"I could massage it for you."

He grins. "I think you had too much fun doing that the last time."

She giggles and rests her head into him again as they walk. "Maybe."

"I'll be okay tonight. Thanks, though."

Getting to the bunkhouse, Eric makes sure she knows where everything is and is settled before he goes to leave. "Goodnight, Dana." He pauses in the doorway, smiling down at her. He reaches out to tuck a strand of her long dark hair behind her ear. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Mmm... that's too long of a wait." She grins up at him and takes his collar to pull him down closer so she can give him a kiss. As she does, he wraps his arms around her and her hands crawl up to the back of his head where her fingers rake through his hair.

The passionate exchange takes place for several long moments before Eric reluctantly draws back. "You tryin' to get me to stay or tryin' to tide me over?"

Dana grins mischievously. "Take your pick."

"I better make it tide me over or we might be in hot water."

"Better than cold water." She tosses him a sly look.

Despite heat in his cheeks, he smiles and shakes his head. "Sweet dreams."

Biting her lip, she retreats and leans against the open door. "You too, cowboy."

Finally backing away, Eric turns and steps down off the porch to head for his own bunk.


His goodnight to Dana had not gone unseen. Dylan quirks an eyebrow then shakes his head, returning to his route towards his own bunkhouse. He didn't know Eric all that well... but this new development certainly seemed strange. Those two were all over each other. Maybe there was nothing wrong with it, but Dylan didn't think it fit Eric's personality too well, as little as he knew about him.

Shrugging off the whole thing, he trudges up the bunkhouse stairs and inside for the night. It would be an early morning tomorrow... he might as well just go to bed.


The night didn't seem long enough, and too soon, the sun was rising again. Before the guests even thought about getting out of bed, the ranch was already starting to come to life as the hands began chores in the barn.

Eric makes his way to the barn a bit slowly this morning, not having yet spoken to anyone. After last night, he was feeling rather irritable this morning, but he knew he needed to pull his share of the weight around here when he was off the road. Today wouldn't be any different.

Mick looks up from where he was cutting open a bale of hay, as Eric enters the barn. Though he had his reservations about Dana, and though he and Rosetta both had discussed their concerns to each other the night before, he didn't want to start a feud, so he does his best to act normal. "Hey, Eric. Good morning."

Eric just nods and wanders over to the hay, stepping right in where he could see help was needed. "Morning."

Mick manages a smile. "Thought you might bring Dana out this morning."

"She has a headache." Eric cuts open another bale and slips his knife back in his pocket. "I told her to sleep in."

"Ah." Mick grabs some hay and nods down the aisle for Eric to follow and assist with feeding. There were questions burning in his mind... did he dare ask them? He really did want to straighten things out and get the real picture - when Eric was alone, that was the best time, right? He and Rosetta both didn't want to offend Eric, but both wanted to make sure he really had the right motives and perspectives too. "So, um..." He slides open a stall door and tosses in a couple sheets of hay. "...I guess we were all a little surprised you showed up with Dana yesterday. Glad you're happy though."

Eric's shoulders drop, his eyes narrowing. Mick sounded just like his sister now. "Yeah," he responds dryly. "Maybe I should have called first."

Mick catches the irritation in his tone, and sighs. "I'm sorry." He shuts the stall again, glancing to his brother-in-law. "You have to admit though, that it's kind of a shocker for the rest of us. I mean... finding a girl is one thing, but finding a girl and being that close to her when last we knew you were still alone, it's just... well, a surprise, that's all. You can't blame us for feeling a little awkward, can you?"

Eric shrugs and moves to the next stall with his armful of hay. "I guess I just expected too much."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh you know... a little more happiness for me? A little excitement? We got pretty close to cold shoulders last night."

Mick purses his lips, caught between feeling badly and wanting to warn Eric for what was happening. But he'd seen Eric's reaction to Rosetta last night... did he dare say anything? He'd feel badly if he didn't, then later on found out if he would have said something, it could have changed the outcome. "Well... you know us. We're overprotective of our family. We care about you, Eric. Most of us probably didn't even know you were on the lookout for a girl, let alone get into it that quickly."

Eric rolls his eyes and feeds the next horse. "Quickly. Why is everyone so concerned with the time frame anyway? Just because the "normal" is to hang around each other for years without going anywhere doesn't mean it's right for everyone. I've seen people get married a week after meeting each other."

Mick tries not to get upset, but it was hard. He wanted to slap Eric upside the head and ask him what he was really thinking, but that wouldn't get him anywhere. He grabs some more hay and moves to the next stall. "You're right. I mean, when you fall in love, you fall in love - it doesn't put a time limit on it. It's just... usually..." He fishes for the right word. "Wise... to not jump in so quickly."

"Look..." Eric slides another stall shut, continuing to multi-task. "I gotta take advantage of what I got now, ya know?" He throws up his arms. "I'm not exactly the number one eligible bachelor here, Mick. I'm on the road three/quarters of the time, I'm not a young buck anymore, and my brain don't work quite right either." He taps his skull, referring to his accident years prior. "I'm a truck driver for a reason - there's nothing better out there for me. I ain't got the smarts for anything better, and no woman has ever seen me as fit to be her own... until now. Why would I want to wait around for years before making a move? It might be too late then."

He sighs, setting his hands on his hips and pausing in the barn aisle. "Dana is a breath of fresh air. She likes being with me. Having company these past couple weeks... it's reminded me of how much I've missed out on. I'm lonely. Dana takes me for who I am without judgment. She and I have so much in common, it's scary. She loves being on the road with me. She doesn't want to stay at home alone and I don't want to be on the road alone."

Pausing, Eric searches Mick's eyes, begging for understanding and support. "I know she's different than the rest of the group here, but living in the city is all she's ever known. Yeah, she's a bit outspoken, but so am I sometimes. She deserves love just like anybody else." He shakes his head slowly. "I gotta take the chances while I still have some left. Opportunities like this don't come every day for a guy like me."

Mick is silent for several moments, really not knowing what to say. He knew the way Eric felt - he'd felt that way himself, and still did every time he looked at Rosetta. But he couldn't shake the bad feelings he had about Dana - the bad feeling he and Rosetta both had, and probably others, if he were to talk to them. "You really do sound pretty serious about her."

"I am. She and I both are."

"How... serious?"

"We've already talked about getting married."

Mick can't help it that his eyes widen. He'd known they were moving fast, but not that fast. "I... already? I mean... soon? Or... gonna be engaged for a while?"

"Soon. Really soon."

"Seriously?"

Eric grits his teeth and moves on to another horse, trying to keep his irritation at bay. "Yes. We love each other and we both know what we want. Why postpone it and risk screwing things up in the meantime? She's in between places to live and jobs - honestly, it's perfect timing."

"I..." Mick really didn't have an answer. Or maybe he was just too shocked to think straight. "Don't you think it... well, it would be wise to wait a little while longer? I mean, you hardly know her."

"I have spent hours on end in the same truck cab with her for two weeks." Eric couldn't believe Mick was saying the same things Rosetta had the night before - had neither paid attention? "Unless one person is a mute, you get to know each other pretty quick. She's been open with me and I've been open with her."

"Yeah, but-"

"I know her, Mick. She loves me, and loves the Lord - what more could I ask for?" Eric's defensiveness started bubbling below the surface. "Day and night we've spent together. How much more can I learn about her, especially if I'm on the road and we're apart?"

Mick clears his throat. "Yeah, about that... the nights, I mean. I, um... well, I just hope...."

Eric quirks an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"I just hope you're smart, ya know? I mean, I know you're both lonely and all, but... well..."

Eric waits, baffled by Mick's stammering until the realization hits him and his own eyes widen. "You think we're sharing a bed?!" He blinks, dumbfounded, then angry. First he and Dana got a cold shoulder, then he was being interrogated, and now he was accused of being immoral. Where did it end? "I cannot believe you!"

Mick frowns, crossing his arms, his own defenses rising in reaction to Eric's tone. "Well it's not my fault! You two are all over each other and with Dana saying how you talked in your sleep and all that - well what else were we supposed to think?!"

Eric's mouth hangs open for a moment. He was amazed and utterly disgusted. "I cannot believe... I don't care what was said, you should know me better than that! This is me you're talking to, Mick! Remember me?"

"Yes, but-"

"Look..." Eric had had enough, and his tone matched. "I know you don't approve. I know that everything I said to you was a waste of my breath. So if it's gonna be that way, just keep your mouth shut and I'll stay out of your way, alright? You never have to speak to Dana again if you don't want - I don't care. Just take your judgmental self out of the picture and you go your way and I'll go mine. Thanks for your support." Spinning on his heel, he starts to walk away.

Desperate not to make things worse, Mick reaches out and takes his shoulder to stop him. "No, wait."

In no mood for more discussion, irritated by Mick stopping him and angered by the whole situation, Eric whirls around. And without thinking, his fist is thrown.

Being punched in the mouth, Mick staggers backward and falls into the stack of hay before sliding to the barn floor. Eric catches his eye for one last glare, then turns once more and stalks away, leaving the barn.

Mick tries to catch his breath and puts a hand to his bleeding lip. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen. Hadn't he had a right to state his reservations though? Technically, maybe it wasn't any of his business, but he and Eric had been extremely close at one point and now they were family. Didn't Mick have the right to share his concerns? He was sorry Eric was being so sensitive, but did he deserve to be punched? A shadow makes him jump and he looks up quickly, almost afraid it was Eric to come finish the job. But who it really was surprised him.

Dylan purses his lips and glances down the aisle to where Eric had disappeared, then looks back at his father again. Not saying anything, he reaches down a hand.

Mick smirks a little and sighs, then accepts his son's hand up. "Well, I feel stupid."

Dylan shrugs. "Not as stupid as Eric's gonna."

"Yeah, well, maybe he had a right to slug me."

"I wasn't talking about him and you." Dylan searches Mick's eyes for just a moment before going back to work cleaning a stall just a short ways away. He'd heard the entire thing.

Mick sets his hands on his hips. Dylan was talking about Eric and Dana? Interesting that he had come to that conclusion. Maybe the troubled teenager pondered things more than anyone knew.


Eric isn't seen for a while after his confrontation with Mick, making himself scarce until he reappears from Dana's bunkhouse. Heading to the main office, Eric steps up to the door and knocks out of respect before letting himself in and finding Rosetta at the desk. His eyes were clouded... full of a blurred mix of emotions. Looking down at his sister, no smile is on his face as he searches for the words he was going to say. Most likely, she hadn't seen Mick yet and didn't know what had happened in the barn. Even so, she'd just have to accept his decision.

"Dana and I are leaving as soon as I clean out my rig," he informs. "I haven't gotten my call yet but I thought we'd head to Nevada anyway and stop by and see Trent and Jeff since they're at Katie and Jasmine's." Still no smile appears. "Maybe they'll be more accepting of someone I love."

His eyes drop and he turns to leave, but stops for a moment, looking back over his shoulder. "I'm sorry this visit wasn't as good as it could have been, and you can tell your husband I'm sorry too. You'll probably hear from me while I'm on the road."