#kayce

Ever since you had first stepped foot on Dutton Ranch, you couldn’t ignore the incandescent feelings you had developed for your boss’s son, Kayce. From his charming cowboy looks to his talent when it came to wrangling cattle, you couldn’t seem to get enough. 

For a long time, you thought the feeling was only one-sided. Given he had just broken up with his ex-wife, Monica, and was in the process of raising their son, you didn’t think he was looking to be in any kind of relationship, which you understood. But, that didn’t put a stop to your deep-rooted feelings for him. 

But, it seemed as your entire perspective on the man flipped on its head the night Mr. Dutton had treated all of his ranch-hands to a night out on the town as a thank you for all of the hard work. The group had decided on riding up to a honky-tonk bar just outside of Bozeman, which according to Rip, was the only place left for real cowboys. So, it was settled. 

It had been just after dark when you all gathered around outside the bunkhouse, sorting out who was riding with who when you heard your name called out in the distance. 

“Y/N!” it was Kayce, standing in-front of his old red box truck with a lazy smile, his keys in one hand and his cowboy hat in the other placed over his chest. 

You weren’t sure why he had singled you out specifically, you weren’t extremely close, or else you wouldn’t have thought anything of it. But, you weren’t complaining. 

With a quick look around to see everyone else chatting and climbing into trucks, you started towards him with a sheepish but confused smile on your face. 

“Hey, Kace,” you let the nickname roll right off your tongue, tucking a piece of your hair behind your ear gently as you stood on the opposite side of the truck, leaning over on the hood to get a good look at him. 

“You want a ride up?” he offered sweetly, running his calloused fingers through his dark hair and placing his hat neatly on his head. He had dressed up for the occasion, ditching his beat-up barn jacket and dusty jeans for a nice, maroon henley and a brand-new pair of Wranglers to go with his same old boots.

He looked good.

“Sure, if your offering one,” you laughed lightly, to which he smiled and gestured towards the truck. 

“Climb on in.” 

You didn’t remember much of the ride, only the soft hum of the radio playing an old country station, filling in the space between the two of you when you weren’t talking.

“Oh, I love this song!” you laughed, twisting the old knob to turn up the volume for the both of your to hear. Kayce only laughed, watching giddily as you began to belt out the song, occasionally singing directly to him, unironically. 

“You and me go fishin’ in the dark, lyin’ on our backs and counting the stars . . . “

You knew the song like the back of your hand, and you somehow got him to sing it with you after his minimal protests prior. 

“Where the cool grass grows!” you sang together, laughing fondly at the moment you were sharing. You could’ve sworn you saw him smiling out of the corner of his eye, taking his eyes off the road every other second to get a good look at you. 

When you finally made it to the bar, the placed was packed wall to wall. Everyone else had made it there before you, Kayce’s truck taking the last parking spot in the lot. 

Before you could even think about opening your door, Kayce was already hopping out of the truck and running around the front to open your door for you, offering his hand for you to hold as you climbed out. 

“Why, thank you kind sir,” you joked, grasping his hand for a moment and looking up at him with your eyes full of admiration. 

“Your welcome, m’lady.” he responded, pretending his best attempt at a bow before letting go of your hand and walking towards the bar with you. You would never admit it, but you couldn’t help but love the way the silly nickname had fallen so easily from his mouth, almost as if it were habit. You could definitely get used to it.

“You ready to get your line-dancin’ on!” Teeter seemed to come out of nowhere with Colby, meeting the two of you at the doors with everyone else close behind. Her thick southern accent sounded funny when excited, almost like she was yelling at you, but you simply laughed and nodded.

You knew this would be a night to remember, you could feel it. 

The loud, boisterous noise of some overplayed country song bombarded you as you walked in, the low lighting paired with the neon collection of beer signs enveloping you with a certain warmth you couldn’t help but love. 

"I'm gonna get us some drinks," Kayce shouted over the music, pointing towards the bar before heading in it's direction. You simply smiled and watched as he walked away, only before a certain blonde made her way over to you with a sly smile on her face.

"You like him, don't you?" It was Beth, Kayce's harsh yet protective older sister who you hadn't really known that we'll. You'd spoken small talk here and there, but it was never anything personal.

"I'm sorry?" You asked, your voice light with nerves.

"I've seen the way you look at him, baby. Don't lie to me." She laughed, taking a swig of her beer in hand. She had already sent Rip off for another, wanting to get a few in before they hit the dance floor.

"Yeah, but it's not like that." You told her sheepishly, it sounded so pathetic you couldn't even believe the words coming out of your own mouth.

"Why not?"

"Because, I don't want to mess anything up. If I tell him and he's not interested, I'd have to leave the ranch. I wouldn't be able to handle that awkwardness." You told her truthfully. It was the only thing holding you back.

Before she could counter what you were saying, Kayce and Rip appeared with drinks in hand, looking as dazzling as ever. 

“Why, thank you babe,” Beth told Rip as she took the cold beer from his hand and lead him towards the dance floor, shooting you a knowing look that seemed to go straight over Kayce’s head. 

“Thanks.” your gratitude was more dull and less sultry, an awkward sense falling between the two of you. Thankfully, the slower dance song playing over the loud speakers of the joint cut off and a faster pace song took it’s place, and you practically giggled when you saw Kayce’s eyes light up. 

“Now, this is my song,” he laughed, subconsciously grabbing your hand and pulling you along behind him and joining everyone else on the floor. 

The satisfying sound of boots hitting against the wood floors to the beat of the song made you smile as the two of you joined in, catching onto the dance quickly. 

“ Tonight I gotta cut loose, footloose . . . “ 

Laughter bubbled around you as everyone had a good time, dancing and singing along together as if it was their last night on Earth.

“Please, Louise, pull me off of my knees!”

You seemed to dance all night long, not stopping until it was well into the night and everyone decided to start making their way back to the Ranch, since it was starting to get around closing time and everyone had to get up early in the morning. 

After a long line of drinks, Kayce had you propped up with his arm slung around your waist and your arm snug around his neck, leaning into him as the two of you walked out together and bid goodbye to everyone in a drunken stupor. Well, you did. Kayce was stone-cold sober, since he had to drive back.

“Kayce, you big stud!” you laughed, hanging all over him as he tried his best to maneuver you into the truck but having no luck as you clung onto him for dear life. 

“That’s me, honey,” he played in, quoting the iconic movie line. 

“Take me to bed or lose me forever!” you had no control over your words at this point, it was purely the alcohol talking now. There was no way in hell.

Kayce didn’t seem to think much of it on the car ride home, given your drunken state. He would be right, but what he didn’t realize until he pulled into the driveway of the foreman’s house on the ranch, was that he enjoyed it. 

He had always felt something there when it came to the two of you, but everything with Monica and Tate was taking over practically his entire life, trying to figure out to co-parent the best they could. He just wished it didn’t control his every decision.

“All right, let’s get you to the bunkhouse,” Kayce sighed, opening the door to help you out. You had sobered up a little, but still stumbled and slurred a bit every now and then. 

“Thank you,” you mumbled, subconsciously wrapping your arms around his waist and stopping him from walking you out to the bunks. “I had a lot of fun tonight.” 

“Yeah,” he agreed with a nod. “Me too.”

A comfortable silence fell between the two of you as the universal sound of nature surrounded you, closing in on you as you stared up at him with big, wondrous eyes. You hesitated for a moment, letting your gaze fall to his lips before bringing them back up to his eyes. It was now or never. 

His lips were already on yours before you even registered what was happening, his hand hand snug around your waist pulling you into him as the two of you fell back against the truck, devoting yourselves to the kiss. 

You pulled away for a moment, panting as your emotions seemed to overtake you. Your hands made their way to the back of his neck, playing at the short hairs peeking out of the rim of his hat, until suddenly, you got an idea.

Carefully, you placed your hand on his hat and pulled it from his head, placing it on your own with a sly smile. Something changed in his eyes when you looked at him, a look of lust overtaking his features. 

“You know the rule about that, don’t you?” he said barely above a whisper, his lips ghosting over yours as you nodded slowly. You were in for it now. 

Without a word in warning, he quickly hooked his hands behind your knees and pulled your legs around his waist, securing you closely to his chest before and carried you around the truck and into the house, making you giggle uncontrollably. 

Your mouth was on his the second you got in, his hand reaching down to your ass and giving it a gentle squeeze as he walked you over to the couch and sat down with you perched atop his lap. 

“You know how many times I’ve thought about this?” he whispered, sending shivers down your spine as he hands continued to roam. “When I lay awake at night, thinking about how good you would feel.” 

His seductive words were sobering you up, you were starting to become impatient. You needed him. 

You hurriedly helped him rip his shirt over his head, leaving his hair a mess as he clumsily played at his belt buckle to undo his jeans and shimmy them down his legs and kicking them off onto the floor. 

“I’ve thought about you too,” you admit as you stand up, your fingers playing at the buttons of your jeans as you began to strip as well. “When everyone’s asleep in the bunkhouse and I can’t help but slip my hand past my panties, thinking about how you would touch me. How good you would make me feel.” 

You could see a tent form in his boxers as your spoke, and he found himself struggling to wait as you finished stripping your clothes until you were down to your lacy lingerie and climbed back onto his lap and wrapping your arms around his neck. 

“You don’t know how many times I’ve had to hold my hand over my mouth so I didn’t wake anybody up. It was torture.” A low groan escaped from his chest, his hands holding your hips down onto his crotch to get some sort of friction. 

“Your killing me, baby,” he sighed, his head falling back on the couch as your began to roll your hips, using your free hand to hold onto his should while the other held his hat on your head, and Kayce swore he could’ve came just at the sight. 

“Then we might as well get to it then, hm?” you hummed, reaching your hand down to free him from his boxers, pumping him in your hand slowly, his muscles tensing underneath of you. His tip was a deep pink and leaking with precum, running messily down the side of his shaft, your thumb collecting it and rubbing it over his tip, the sound of his breath hitching satisfactory to your ears. 

Though you still wanted to torture him a little more, you could tell he was getting impatient and eager to feel you, so you didn’t hesitate to pull the crotch of your panties to the side and hover over him momentarily before finally sinking down. 

A low groan escaped his chest, small pants falling from his mouth as he held your gaze with his, your hips slowly falling into a comfortable rhythm atop his lap. The grip around your waist tightened, his fingers digging into your supple skin, sure to leave a mark. 

“Fuck, you feel so good,” he told you, his hand climbing up your back to pull you closer to him, his forehead falling to your collarbone as you continued to move. The warmth of his skin enveloped you, heightening the pleasure that grew bigger and bigger in your stomach. At some point, his hat fell off your your head, watching it tumble to the floor as he raked his fingers through your hair and gave it a good tug, earning a moan from your chest. 

“Oh my god,” you chanted over and over, breathless and overwhelmed by the man beneath you. your hips began to lose control as he secured his muscular arm around you and began to ram his hips up into you, fucking you into an oblivion as you began to feel your high take over. 

“You fuck me so good, Kace,” you admitted through wanton moans. “I love it.”

Your words seemed to push him over the edge, his rhythm coming to a halt as he stood up from the couch with your legs still wrapped around him and laid you down when he sat, before beginning his movements at a faster and harder pace. 

“Yeah? You like it when I fuck you like this?” he grunted in your ear, holding your body close to his with such passion and lust your brain was foggy. You could feel his heart beating against your chest, his pleasureful moans invading your brain.

“Yes, Fuck!” you practically screamed. Your hands clawed at his toned back, your nails trailing down his skin to leave harsh red marks in their wake. You didn’t realize in the moment, but you had drawn blood in the heat of your pleasure that possessed you blindly. 

“God, I’m gonna cum,” he groaned, his head falling to the crook of your shoulder once more. You almost didn’t hear his words, your mind too distracted by your own high that you so desperately needed to reach. 

“Fuck it into me, Kayce,” you pleaded. “Fill me with your cum.”

He tipped over the edge at your words, his hips rutting into you recklessly as the two of you reached your high together as one, a sense of euphoria bursting in your chest mixed into your cries of pleasure. 

The warm feeling of his release filling you made you ecstatic, the sticky substance beginning to pool out of you and staining the inside of your thighs.

His hips began to still, and your chest began to fall up and down heavily, tired and pleased as you laid beneath him lazily. 

“Fuck,” you laughed, your hand palming his bicep next your head you he looked down at you with a wide smile and heavy eyes. He had never seen a more beautiful sight, your bare chest and tousled hair beneath him. Something he couldn’t even begin to dream of. 

“Yeah,” he laughed. “Fuck.” He felt the need to tell you everything. To tell you how he had full in love with you since the moment you stepped foot on the ranch, how he couldn’t stop thinking about you. Even when he was still with Monica. 

Before he could speak, a hard knock fell at the front door. The two of you looked at each other, you knew this couldn’t be good. 

“Kayce? I need to talk to you.” A voice said on the other side of the dark mahogany door. 

“Are you sure about this?” I shake my head no. I am not sure about this or many other things but when I think of that one thing, it makes everything feel right. “You could always do it here at the ranch. I can tell all the workers to leave for as long as yall need” Rip bumped my shoulder with his and the glare I gave him set him back right again. “Sorry. Have to be careful with your state nowadays”

“Shut up or I am revoking your rights” he lifts his hands in defeat. “Plus it's still not set in stone until Kayce says yes” I turn around noticing Rip wasn’t following beside me anymore.

“So I am doing this for nothing?” I laugh looking at his stupid expression as he holds the last pieces I needed to finish what I had planned for Kayce.

“Your love for me should be enough” I continued walking knowing he would follow eventually. “It's not even that far away either” I roll my eyes looking at the distance. It is far but I wasn’t going to admit it knowing he would offer to ride the horse down to the water.

“You know what I just realized?” I don’t turn or respond knowing he would just continue talking. “Recently you have been letting yourself go” I stop at the remark, turning to look over at him.

“What is that supposed to mean?” My eyebrow rised and a hand on my hip.

“Not in a bad way” My head turns a little to the side still waiting for him to continue. “You came down here with a wardrobe and it has gradually changed and it's good on you” I was still waiting. “You looked great before and it was what you were used to, do you like what it is now? You used to say you would never get used to this and how it wouldn’t look good on you” ah.

“Things changed Rip” I shrug, turning around to continue walking. “I certainly never saw myself staying in a place like this. I was born in the country but my heart always belonged to the city. A place where people don’t sleep. As early as 5 in the morning people are already out and about. You don’t need cars because you turn a corner and everything you need is there. But things change. I was never afraid to get myself dirty. I had boundaries and now it has expanded. Kayce made me love this place even more and settling here is what I crave more than anything now”

“Love changes you” I burst out laughing shaking my head. “Yes, big guy. Love does change you” Beth has certainly done a number on him since they got officially together. Before he could ask I left him with a bigger question in his head. “When are you two going to get hitched?”

“That's personal” I rolled my eyes.

“Aww. Is Rip the big bad wolf getting nervous?” I chuckle setting down what I had on the floor.

“I pick my timing. It's not time yet” He lowered his voice and I nod understandingly. What Beth and Rip has gone through hasn’t been easy and now that they are together, they aren’t rushing it.

“Alright big guy. Last trip.” I smile walking back to the ranch. By the time we reached the ranch it was 10 past 6.

“I will go ahead and take the last thing there and I will be on my way”

“Thanks” I smiled heading to the main house. I walk in seeing Beth, Tate, and John sitting in the living room talking. “Hey” I smile at them before taking a seat.

“I heard you’re doing something special for my little brother” Tate stands in attendance curious when he hears his dad mentioned.

“Something like that” I smile leaning further into the seat. I didn’t tell them what I was doing purposely. “I felt like it was my turn to do something for him. I know I am no romantic but I better up my beat if I don’t want to lose him”

“Trust that boy won’t leave unless he is ripped away from you” We laugh hearing the front door open.

“Can we have a talk in my office for a minute?” I look over at John and nod. We both stand heading to his office. I look back noticing it was Kayce walkingt through the doors. I leave him with a smile before walking into John’s office and closing the door. I turn around and take a seat before eyeing the folder he was sliding across his desk.

“Can you talk to me?” When John found out about Kayce and I, it wasn’t a pretty ride. It took months before he could even turn to look at me. But of course like a true Dutton he came to find me when he needed a lawyer who knew how he liked things done. I didn’t deny him since I owned him for everything I was. I still wasn’t going to stay if he didn't do something bad against me because I am still a person. But since then we have been getting closer and closer. He leans forward resting his elbows on his desk.

“When I saw you on my land years ago I wanted to do what I do with everyone else” Get rid of them one way or another. “I wanted to, but that was until I looked into your eyes. Scared. Alone. Broken. I saw that look constantly in my kids” They have had their share of it. “When I decided to bring you in I was going to make you a cowboy but I knew with those clothes you wouldn’t last a minute” I laughed knowing he was right. “You gave so much prospect to someone who belongs in a place like this.” He stands up reaching around the desk to lean against it infront of me. “And one day when I saw you and Kayce speaking. I saw the conversation unfold and it was like seeing two old people '' I furrowed my brows unsure on where he was going with this. “I didn’t want anyone messing with his future since he left. I wanted him to learn when he decided to leave this land that he wasn’t going to get better.” Tingles in my legs start moving all over my body. “I knew you being here would change his mind” I stood up and was a little dumbfounded.

“So you paid for my schooling to teach Kayce a lesson?” This has to be a cruel skit. I don’t know why I was angry. I believe in things happening in the right time so I wasn’t angry at the missed opportunity to be with Kayce years ago, I was upset that I was part of a lesson.

“You have to understand that back then you were just a little girl who came into our lives. A chess piece” I let out a frustrated chuckle shaking my head. “Since that day I saw the attraction between you two and my eyes were blinded with anger to see Kayce just give up”

“Wasn’t that what you wanted years ago? It would have made him come to his knees and beg you to come back” I sigh letting the upsetness defuse. I go to take a seat again. “What is your point in telling me all of this?” He takes the folder and places it on my lap as he kneels infront of me.

“I wanted you to know everything. You are about to be family although I considered you family for a long time "I look up in disbelief. “I was telling the truth when I told you, you are better than this place. You were already broken and this place would finish breaking you but when I saw how Kayce helped you and how you helped him I realized you two are strong enough for eachother to stay together.” He moves to open the file and reveal papers that needed signatures. “And for it to work properly with no further headaches I need you not to be attached to us professionally.”

“You’re firing me?” I was shocked.

“I need you to make your own choice. If you want to continue with the Dutton Ranch you are more welcome but if you decide not to, you are still part of this family regardless” I smile nodding my head.

“Either way I am here to stay” I close the folder and throw it on the desk. “You will be receiving an updated contract in a couple of days. I can’t let my number 1 client go” I smile standing up.

“Send it to my lawyer” He smiled gently, motioning me to follow him to the door. He stopped me by my arm as soon as I tried to open the door. “Thank you” I only smiled at his words, nodding before I left towards the living room.

“Is everything okay?” I nod going over towards Kayce and wrapping my arms around him.

“Everything is fine.” I look outside seeing the sun setting. “But nothing will be for what I have planned if we don’t leave right now” It was already past 6 so I was running behind schedule.

“You know you can’t get rid of me right?” I nudged him a bit as we walked down the path.

“Not like I have an option now” He furrowed his brows looking confused at my comment. I hold up my hand. “I would have to return the ring and it's too pretty” I smile, grabbing onto his forearm.

“So all it took was a pretty ring” I shrug

“Yeah! You put a ring that sparkles in front of a girl and a man with pretty eyes and they would fall to their knees in a second”

“I didn’t have to put a ring in front of you to get you on your knees those other times” I turned around shocked.

“Shut up” I slap his arm pushing him away. “And for your information I wasn’t as happy those other times” I cross my arms and speed walk to get to the destination faster.

“You seemed pretty eager” I try my best not to chuckle as I feel him wrap his arms around me making us tumble a bit until he caught balance.

“Yeah well, I was pretending. It helps the moment” I look away. I hear his low chuckle and his head falls inbetween my neck. I almost melt to the touch of his lips placing careful kisses.

“Baby,We both know that is a lie but.” He grabs on to my jaw making me look at him. “If you don’t like it, I am more than happy to be the one on my knees all the time” I held on to what I could but my legs were functioning less and less as he pulled me closer.

“If you don’t stop we won’t get to the surprise” I whisper as he hover over my lips. I want him to kiss me. Just like a couple hours ago.

“Alright” He sighs. I cursed at myself. I wanted him to see the surprise I had for him but the feeling for him was stronger. “Ready?” I nodded with my eyes closed trying to take a deep breath in and suddenly those strong feelings slowly started turning to sadness. “Are you okay?” He cups my face as I try my hardest to hold in the tears. “My love, talk to me” I shake my head as I tried to speak but no words came out. I feel his arms pull me into a hug and that is when the tears start to spill. “Whatever it is we promised to talk about it and figure it out together” I feel a kiss on my head before he pulls me in closer. “If you are not up for it can we go back? I won’t be disappointed” I lift up my head to look at him shaking my head no. He goes to remove the hair that was now sticking to my face due to the tears. “You sure?” I worked too hard on this and it was something important to not due today because if I wait any longer I will die.

“Am sure” I grabbed his hand and removed myself from him and continued on walking. “Am okay” I say, feeling his eyes on me. “I don’t understand my emotions right now but I can tell you that showing you your surprise will make me feel much better” I look back sending him a smile and pull him closer so I could wrap myself in his arm.

“Baby-”

“Shh” I quickly quieted him seeing the lights lit up. Fairy light hanging around the closest trees. A blanket on the floor with pillows just like he set up for me. But with the exception of something big in the middle of the set up.

“You got me a horse?” I laugh seeing his expression. His small smile with confusion trying to be nice to me. I grab on to his hand and pull him forward. “Baby?-” I roll my eyes walking around the young horse and pull the rag around his neck so Kayce would see it. I lift my eyebrows trying to give him a hint to go on and read what it said. As he walks forward I walk around to move behind him. I wait and I wait for a good 5 minutes.

“Kayce?” The humor in his reaction soon became anxiousness. I was worried to look at what reaction he had to the words. I took a step forward but soon froze as he turned to look at me.

“You are not joking with me right?” I shake my head quickly. “Because if this is a joke, it’s one cruel one” Soon I was on the verge of crying again.

“It's not a joke Kayce” I walk forward taking his hands and placing it on my stomach. “This is real”

“A baby?” A smile finally appeared in his face allowing the stress and fear to slip right off my shoulders.

“Our baby” I smiled bigger, pulling his eyes to look at me.

“Our baby” He connects our lips for a short second before wrapping his arms around me. “You are having our baby” I laugh feeling even happier than when I found out. “A baby,” He whispers, still holding on to me. “Really?” He pushes me back carefully to look at my face.

“Yes Kayce. I confirmed it with the doctors last week”

“You went to the doctor without me?” I roll my eyes laughing at his sadness.

“I just went to confirm there was a baby. I promise, you didn’t miss anything that important. You will be invited to further doctors appointment when it really counts”

“I better be. That's my baby in there.”

“Sure is Cowboy.” I smile grabbing onto his face to pull himin for a kiss but he takes them off but doesn’t let go. He only pulls me around so my back is now leaning against his chest.

“How are you feeling about it?” I sigh. I was content. There was nobody else I would rather do this with. He is caring and respected my wishes to wait until I was ready. Truthfully when the positive test came I forgot how to breathe. Tears came and I fell to the floor crying. It felt like hours before I could stand up and take another test to make sure. Once that one came out positive too, that was when the tears were happy tears. Saying I wanted to have a baby was one thing. Knowing it actually is happening and now it's a reality, it stomps you. “I can’t lie and say I was 100 percent ready. My heart stopped and all the confusion and uncertainty came to mind.” He rubs my hands and arms listening to me. “But then I came to feel happy. I realized that I wouldn’t be doing this alone. This baby is going to have a wonderful father” I look up smiling at Kayce. “A crazy family”

“Yeah they can count on that” I laugh.

“You forgot to mention me!” We looked out to the darkness as now the sun had gone down and the only light was from the fairy lights.

“Tate?! What are you doing out here?” We looked left and right and didn’t see any small figure.

“Oops” I hold in my giggle looking over to Kayce. “Forget I am here!” That was when I lost it.

“He is part of this. I felt it wouldn’t be right without him here” I whisper. “But he was supposed to come way later when the food arrived” Kayce smiles. “You can come out bud” We turn our heads hearing footsteps.

“Did I mess it up?” He came out shyly towards us.

“Of course not” I motioned him to come closer. “Do you want to tell him about that” I point at the horse.

“Yeah!” He takes Kayces hand and starts pulling him. “I picked it all by myself for my baby!” I smiled hearing him call the baby his. Of course I had to tell Tate about the baby. Well truthfully I had no other choice. I was in the bathroom for too long. He came to check on me. He wasn’t oblivious when I told him the test was a thermostat. Since that day he has been calling the baby his baby and I couldn’t be more happy about his reaction. I smiled at Kayce who looked back as Tate ran around the horse telling him how he is going to prepare and train the horse for the baby. As Kayce turns his attention to Tate again I tell myself this is what I needed. I needed someone like Kayce to come into my life. So I could love and be loved and getting Tate is a bonus.

"You know, I hate how much I care about you." Kayce's eyes burn into yours, scanning from right to left continually.

He balls his hand into a fist and speaks through clenched teeth, "Because I know..."

He pauses, loosens his stance, and hangs his head sighing, "I shouldn't."

Earlier that day:

Driving down the familiar driveway, you began to reminisce on all the time you spent on the ranch as a child. With each spin of your tires, the car filled with dust; the smell taking you back to a time when things were easy, and playing with boys was just that: playing.

You hadn't returned to the ranch since your best friends, Kayce and Monika, married. It was too much. Too much pain. Too much hurt. Too much love.

In fact, you weren't even sure you could consider them your best friends anymore. Now, they were each other's best friend. And you? You were just the third wheel now. Sure, you talk to Monika on occasion, mostly through texting. But even that hadn't happened in months. There hasn't been any contact with Kayce at all. Except for the occasional grocery store visit. But even then, it's not like it used to be. Your hellos now feel hollow. But at least the goodbyes don't hurt as much anymore.

You weren't really sure what to expect when you got to the ranch. You knew John and Beth, and Rip would probably be happy to see you; you never really saw them at all anymore. The ranch hands were always fun to spend time with. But now, it feels different. Now, the childhood magic has drifted away, not just from the ranch but from you.

You continue to drive, spotting the tall white silo. Instantly, you're envisioning three little kids chasing after each other, round and round the silo. The side of your mouth curves into a smirk.

You put it in park and take a deep breath, leaning your head back and closing your eyes. When you've conjured up enough courage, you step out and make your way toward the corral. Your steps are slow, hands in your back pockets, head down; until you hear someone yell.

"Y/N! That you?"

You look up to see Rip, slowly trotting over to you with a smile. You tilt your head and smile with a shrug.

"Well, I'll be damned! If it ain't little Y/N." He swings his leg around the horse and graciously hops down. He wraps his arms around you, as you wrap yours around his waist.

He grips your shoulders and pushes you away from himself. "Let me get a good look at ya." He clicks his tongue a few times as he shakes his head.

"You look just like your momma. Beautiful. Whatcha doin' here, kid?"

"Well, looks like you and your boys are obviously starving." You say sarcastically, waving your hand toward the horse corral. "You're lookin at the new Dutton Ranch chef. John called me a while back and asked if I could come help out while Gator was away. I couldn't turn it down. I mean, who says no to John?"

"I sure as hell don't." Rip lets out a quick breath. "See ya later, kid. Can't wait for dinner. I always miss your mommas cooking."

You make your way to the house slowly, letting the wind flow through your hair. You stop dead in your tracks when you spot the small circle of Adirondack chairs in the front yard.

You recall it being the last weekend of summer, all those years ago. A soda bottle filled with whiskey from John's stash was being passed around between the three of you. The fire gently lights the faces of your friends. All that was heard was the crackling, the laughter, and the crickets.

"Dance with me?" The boy with dusty blonde hair reached his hand out to you. You took his hand as he delicately helped you out of your chair.

You draped your arms over his shoulders, as you began to sway slowly. Although the musk of whiskey was strong, you could smell faint bits of his cologne; pine began to fill your nostrils.

"I've gotta pee!" Monika shouted, stumbling toward the house.

You rested your head on his chest as you both continued to sway in sync, his hands resting on your hips.

"This is so perfect, Kayce. I don't want it to end. The stars. The fire. You." You mumbled.

Kayce stopped moving and lifted your chin with his finger. "What?"

"You heard me." You smiled.

Kayce slowly began to dip his head down, until you both heard Monika assert herself by asking when it was her turn for a dance. Kind and caring Kayce pulled you back into a hug and kissed the top of your head, barely whispering, "Me neither."

"You gonna stand there all day? Or are you gonna come cook some supper?" Someone hollared from the porch.

You blinked to reality, seeing John leaning on one of the stone pillars. You smiled as you began to walk towards him, him now walking toward you.

"How are ya, darlin? We sure have missed seeing you around here." John says, pulling you in for a hug. "I'm sorry about your Mom. She was my favorite chef, you know. Well, you might change that."

"Thanks, Mr. Dutton. I missed it here, brings back a lot of memories though." You spoke into his chest.

"Its John, especially to you. You know that. Where's your stuff?"

"It's, uh, in the truck. Should I -" He cuts you off.

"Eh, well have Rip grab it later. Let me just show you where you'll be staying real quick."

John escorts you up a log staircase and to one of the bedrooms. After informing you where everything was, he motioned for you to follow him to the kitchen. Nothing had really changed in the Dutton home. Maybe some updated furniture, but that's about it. You almost felt like it was a time capsule.

The kitchen was small but extremely functional. You walked through, gently grazing your fingers across the beautiful stove. You turned to meet John's gaze.

"Things have changed a bit, but this will work for you, right?" He asked.

"Absolutely." You said with a smile.

"I'll leave you to it." He said, turning and walking away.

You pulled ingredients from the fridge and various cupboards, chopping and prepping. You began to feel the frustration build in you from not knowing your way around the kitchen. You grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge, popped the top, and chugged as much as you could down in one gulp.

You tilted your head back to finish the bottle and turned to put it in the sink, only to be met with another body next to you. There stood Kayce with his back and hands leaning on the counter, smiling cheekily at you.

"Just like I remember." He said.

"Hi, Kayce." You replied, placing the bottle in the sink and going back to the stove.

"You know, I thought I was seein' a ghost." He laughed. "What're you doing here?"

Not taking your eyes from the stove, you replied. "You're looking at the new chef. I'm filling in for Gator while he's gone."

He nodded with pursed lips. "Well, I'm gonna go get washed up."

You turned and nodded with a smile, as he began to walk away. Why was Kayce here? Last you heard he was living on the reservation with Monika.

You filled large serving dishes with the meal for the night and began to place them in the middle of the table, in front of John, Kayce, and Beth.

"Enjoy, guys." You forced a quick nod, wiped your hands on your apron, and moved to leave the room.

"Y/N, stay. Eat. Please. You're not just a chef here. You're family." John spoke.

"Oh...okay. Uh, thank you." You said meekly, pulling your apron over your head and laying it over the back of a chair. Kayce slid the chair next to him out and gestured for you to sit. You obliged.

As you sat and ate, everyone caught up with each other's lives and reminisced about the good times that were had years ago. You noticed that your wine glass never seemed to be empty, but you didn't mind. There were a lot of emotions going on, so a little numbness was welcomed.

You couldn't help but notice that Kayce continually touched your shoulder with his, and you seemed to be the focus of his attention tonight. During dinner, you found out why Kayce was here, and not with his wife and son. He expressed that Monika wanted nothing to do with the ranch and didn't feel it was a good place for Tate. She told him she needed space.

As dinner finished, you piled the family's plates on top of yours and began to balance them into the kitchen, only to realize upon standing that you were much more inebriated than you thought. Before you could even stop it, one plate fell right after the other; shattering on the ground.

The tears began to flow, out of embarrassment and fear combined. You quickly dropped to your knees and attempted to pick up the tiny pieces scattered all around. Unknowingly, while picking up the shards of plates, you were also cutting small slices into your hands. You felt hands on your shoulders.

"Y/N? What happened? Stop, stop. It's okay." Kayce shouted.

You stood and brought your shakey hands over the sink, small drops of blood dripped into the basin.

"I thought I could do this. I thought I could come back here. I figured it'd been enough time. I didn't know it would hurt so much. Between everything that happened with you. And now with Mom..." You cried.

Kayce stepped behind you, his chest pressed to your back. He turned on the faucet, took your hands in his, and gently rinsed each finger and cut slowly. You leaned your head back against his collarbone, wincing at the water stinging your nerves.

After he finishes rinsing your hands, he turns you around and blots your hands tenderly with clean paper towels.

"You know, I hate how much I care about you." Kayce's eyes burn into yours, scanning from right to left continually.

He balls his hand into a fist and speaks through clenched teeth, "because I know..." he pauses.

He loosens his stance and hangs his head sighing, "I shouldn't."

You rest your forehead on his.

"Why?" You ask.

You both pull away to face each other, the eye contact almost unbearable.

"Because I fucked up...I fucked up a long time ago. And if I didn't, well, maybe things would've been different." He shook his head and stared out the window behind you. "I wouldn't trade Tate for the world. But I don't know why I didn't just speak up. I didn't want to be with Monika. But we were having a baby, what was I supposed to do?"

"Hey, you did the right thing." You cupped his face in both your hands, forcing him to look at you again. "You were having a baby! What else were you supposed to do?"

"I was supposed to be with you. I wanted to be with you. I love you, Y/N. There's no one else I ever saw myself making a life with." He lamented.

You moved your arms to drape over his shoulders, memories of that night flooding back to you again. In the same fashion, Kayce hooked a finger under your chin to align his lips with yours. Warmth flowed to your cheeks. His lips met yours, soft and tender. It felt like home.