A Girl On The Yellowstone Ranch by madski at Inkitt

Chapter 1

It was just another day at the diner. Waiting tables, making tips... the usual work day. The morning rush was between eight and eight-thirty which meant all the booths were taken. The families would come in, a husband and a wife with a few kids, and take a seat. They'd order stuff like Frank's Famous Mound of Pancakes! or Frank's Endless Eggs and Bacon! The counter always had some people who dined alone. Some were divorced, others widowed. They were nice folks.

Someone came in, though. When he came in, the day was different. Everyone either respected him or feared him. I respected him. His name was John Dutton. And he owned Montana.

John Dutton was the head of the Wild Life Association here in Montana. He also owned the largest ranch in Montana, the Yellowstone Ranch. He has four kids, Lee, Jamie, Beth, and Kayce. Lee is just like his father, he's always wanted to run the ranch. Jamie is a defense attorney. He defends his dad when he gets into trouble. Beth works for a company in Seattle. She comes into town sometimes when her dad needs her. Kayce is the one who doesn't speak to his father anymore. He is married to Monica and has a child named Tate. Monica is an Indian and John didn't approve.

I know so much about this family because John Dutton comes in here a lot. It's my job to take his order and serve him food. But, he talks to me about his life and his problems. I think he likes talking to me because I give him my real opinion. I don't lie and tell him what he wants to hear.

When he walked in, he sat down at the counter. He chose the seat on the corner closest to the door. I walked over and grabbed my pad of paper and a pen.

"Good morning, Mr. Dutton." I gave him a big smile.

He smiled back. "Good morning, Maddy. And like I say every time I come here, call me John."

I laughed a little. "Well, John, like I say every time you come here, I call you that since I respect you."

He rolled his eyes, but did it politely. In a sarcastic voice, he said, "Are you gonna take my order or keep arguin' with me?"

I laughed again. "Sure, John. What'll it be today?"

He told me his order. Like every other day when he comes in, it was a black coffee and two eggs with a side of toast and sausage. I told the chef the order and got his coffee myself.

I walked over with the warm mug and placed it on the counter. "So, how's the family?"

"Where do I start?" He said, laughing. He took a few sips of his coffee and returned it to it's place on the counter. "Lee is growing more like me everyday. He handles the ranch so well. I know once I pass that it will be left in good hands."

I rolled my eyes politely, as he did earlier. "John, you won't be dyin' for awhile. You are a healthy older gentleman and will live a long and happy life."

He smiled. "I hope so." He took a few more sips of his coffee. "Jamie is doing good with the attorney thing. He keeps getting me out of trouble. Beth is coming down later today and staying for awhile. I need her to help me with some stuff. And God only knows with Kayce. I'm gonna reach out again and try and get to know my grandson."

"I hope it works out, John. Everyone makes mistakes, but only the good people in the world try and fix them." I gave him a sincere smile.

He gave me one back. "That's what I like to believe. So, enough about me. What about you?"

I thought for a minute. I leaned towards him a little and whispered, "I think I'm going to be stuck working in this diner for the rest of my life." I pushed myself back.

"And why is that?"

"I don't know. I took medical in high school, but I didn't have money for medical school. To become a doctor, it's four years in college, then four years in medical school, then three-seven years of residency. It's too long. I went to college and studied animals. That's all I have and no one wants to hire off that. Once I realized I was screwed, I moved from Ohio to Montana, thinking I could get a job working for a ranch. They all denied me and I saw an opening here. Now, I've been working at Frank's Diner for the past three years."

He finished off his coffee. "That's a long way to move."

I nodded. "You wanna know the worst part? My family is back in Ohio and Pennsylvania being free and I'm stuck here."

He gave me a look of confusion. "Free?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Ever since my dad was a kid, his dad, my grandfather, has owned property basically in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania. We'd go there every weekend and take care of it. We rode dirt bikes, four wheelers, and dune buggies. My dad taught me how to drive a tractor when I was fourteen. It sort of stuck. When we weren't having fun, we were helping my Great Uncle Tom with his farm. We bailed hay and did construction work around our property. I used to hate it when I was a kid, but then I grew to love it." I sighed and shook my head out of the day dream. "Anyways, that was the hardest part of moving, leaving that place behind."

I took his coffee cup and refilled it. His order was ready and I grabbed it off the kitchen counter. I placed both of them down on the table. "Here's your breakfast, John. Enjoy." Talking about my past made me upset. I missed home, but I loved it out here. It was nature. I always wanted to live near the mountains with all types of wildlife surrounding me. Nothing would make me leave. I started to walk away.

"Wait." John's words, or word, has stopped me. I walked over to him again and waited for him to say something. "I have a proposition for you. The cowboys at my ranch get hurt a lot. Plus, we need them for more cowboy work than maintenance. The fields need cut and bailed and the stables need cleaned. You could come work for me."

I gave him a concerning look. "John, there has never been a girl working on your ranch except for your late wife and Beth. I don't think the cowboys will like that."

I took a bite of egg. "Listen, if the other boys have a problem with it, Rip will take care of 'em. A girl can do as much as a guy can do. If they can't see that, he'll talk some sense into 'em."

I thought about it. It was a good offer. He'd definitely pay me enough and this Rip guy has a reputation that is remarkable. There was absolutely nothing wrong with his offer. "Are you sure, Mr. Dutton?"

He smiled a little. "It's John, Maddy. And yes, I am sure."

I gave a smile back. I'd give anything to do farm work again. "Alright, Mr. Dutton. I'll come work for you, but on one condition."

"I'm listening..." He ate some more of his breakfast.

"I'll only work for you if you don't give me one of those famous Yellowstone trucks that your cowboys drive."

He laughed. "I mean, if you say so."

I laughed with him. "As nice as they are, I like my old Dodge truck. I bought it and fixed it up with my dad."

"I get it." He smiled. "Its like me and the ranch. It runs in the family and I'll never part with it." He ate the rest of his breakfast and finished another coffee. "Your dad sounds like a nice guy."

I rolled my eyes. "As if." I laughed. "When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be like him. When I got older, I realized how much of an asshole he was. I tried my best, but it was never good enough for him. he only saw me as a girl. Another reason why I moved out here was to prove myself. I think working for you will finally show him I'm stronger than I was before."

"Whatever motivates you is fine, as long as you don't slack off. That's the same rules for my cowboys." He pulled out his wallet. "How much for this?"

I added it up in my head. "Fourteen dollars, sir."

He pulled out a fifty. "Keep the change." He put his wallet back in his jeans. "Be at the ranch at seven o'clock tomorrow mornin'. Rip will show you around and get you on our schedule. Also, give me your number so I can give it to everyone so if they need you, they can call."

I wrote my cell phone number down on a napkin. "Here." I said as I handed the napkin to him. "And thank you for this opportunity."

He nodded as he walked out the doors.

I told the rest of the staff that today was my last day and I was quitting at lunch. When lunch came around I told Frank I had a better job lined up and it started tomorrow. He understood and gave me my final paycheck. I went to my car and got in.

*********

I was laying at home on my bed when I got a call on my cell phone from an unknown number. I looked at it for a second, then answered.

"Hello?" I asked.

A voice came on the other line of the phone. "This is Jamie Dutton. We need you here at the ranch. Bring your medical stuff."

I was shocked to hear from him. I stood up from the bed. "Wait wait wait. You need me there now?"

"Yeah. Just bring your stuff and come to the main house, alright?"

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can."

The line hung up and I was standing alone in my house. I rushed to my closet and rummaged through everything until I found my medical bag. I grabbed it along with my cowgirl boots. I slipped them on over my jeans and grabbed the keys to my truck off the counter. Within one minute, I was in my truck, driving on the road towards the Yellowstone ranch.

It took me about fifteen minutes to get to the ranch. It took me another five minutes to drive to the house. As I drove, I looked out the window. I saw all the fields and cows. It gave me flashbacks to my childhood.

I arrived at the house and parked my truck in the front by the fence. As I got out of the car, I saw some cowboys in the corral. They watched me as I shut the door to my truck. I ran towards the house with my medical bag in hand. When I reached the door, I knocked three times.

All of a sudden, Jamie Dutton arrived at the door with a phone up to his ear. He gestured with his had the "follow me" signal. I did as he gestured and followed him through the kitchen into the living room. John Dutton was sitting in the chair near the window. Jamie did another gesture saying, "over there." Again, I did as he gestured and walked over towards John.

"Hi, Mr. Dutton," I said as I sat my bag down on the table. I could see a slit on his forehead near his temple. It was bleeding and needed stitches. He also looked a little ruffed up, but not from a fight. "What happened?"

He shook his head slowly. "Jenkins' construction equipment was in the way and a semi was going by it the same time I was. I had a horse trailer on the back of my truck and it swung on impact." He took a breath.

I rummaged through my bag for skin glue, a needle, and thread. As I placed it on the table, I talked to him. "What happened to the horse."

He shook his head again. "She was bleeding real bad. I had to put her down."

I got the needle and thread ready. "I can't numb you, John. This is going to hurt."

He nodded. "I've felt worse."

I put some skin glue on the gash and started to sew the wound shut. He flinched at first, but never did again. John Dutton was a brave, tough son of a bitch, and everyone knew it. i finished stitching up his wound and put a bandage on it.

"There you go, sir. Just like new." I gave him a smile as I packed up my bag.

"While you're here," He started to say. "Do you want to meet who will be showing you around tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Actually, that would be nice. It's better to get the awkwardness out now."

We both laughed. "I'll walk you out and introduce you two."

I grabbed my bag and followed him out the way I came in. He walked me over to my truck and I put my bag on the passenger seat. Next, I followed him to the fence of the corral.

He gestured with his hand as he said, "Rip. Come over here for a minute."

I saw a man in jeans and a black long-sleeve button up shirt turn around on his horse. He rode it over to the fence and got off. He held the reins as he spoke.

"Yes, sir?" he asked. He didn't look at me, just Mr. Dutton.

John cleared his throat. "This is Maddy, you know, the girl I was talking to you about earlier. I wanted to introduce you guys before tomorrow." He looked at me, and nodded his head towards Rip.

I reached my hand forward. "Hi, I'm Maddy. Nice to meet you."

He finally turned his head in my direction. "Rip Wheeler." He shook my hand then pulled his away. "I guess I'll be showing you around tomorrow."

"Yeah, I guess you are." I looked over at his horse. "You have a Morgan. She's beautiful." I reached my hand out slowly and placed it on the horses brown covered forehead. I lowered it towards her snout, then removed my hand and returned it to my side.

"Mr. Dutton did say you were good with animals." He smirked a little.

I smirked back. "Yeah. I went to school for it. Didn't really get me anywhere until now. It was really nice of Mr. Dutton to give me an opportunity to use it." I rested my arms on the fence and looked out into the corral.

He nodded. "Yeah, he is a nice guy like that. He gave me a chance when no one else would. He's been there for me ever since."

"I believe it. Where I worked, he'd always talk to me. Lots of people told me stories when I moved here, but you can never take someone's word for it. I always have to make my own judgement about someone."

He nodded in agreement. He looked back at the other cowboys, then back at me. "I have to go, but I will see you tomorrow morning at eight. Wear work clothes."

"I know better than to wear a dress to work." I smirked.

He let out a small laugh as he got back on his horse. "See you tomorrow." Those were Rip Wheeler's famous last words as he rode off into the corral.

He seemed really nice. All the stories I've heard about him seem like lies or legends that are told. Rip Wheeler was a gentleman. He didn't look at me until he had a reason to. He didn't hit on me like the other assholes at the bar. He was a nice guy... and I never knew how hard I was going to fall for him.