“I’m not sure the horse is going to like me. They only ever liked my sister. That’s why she’s the one running the ranch after all.” I eyed the tan horse in the pen in front of me while my husband, you could say named John Dutton, was getting his horse ready for him to ride.

He tossed the saddle over quickly tying the different straps together in place before moving over to the horse I was going to ride and doing the same thing. “You don’t need to worry. Nobody ever knew if a horse was going to like being ridden until one day someone have enough guts to do just that.”

“If you say so, cowboy. So what exactly do I have to do? It's been a while since I've rode a horse.” I rubbed my hands down my forearms feeling uneasy when he leads my horse over by the reins he was holding in his hands.

John came up behind me offering out his hand that was extended for me with a wooden box sitting beside my horse since I wasn’t as tall as he was and so I needed some assistance. “Just put your right foot in the strup and swing your leg over the other side of the saddle.” He explained where watches me lift my body up onto the horse and I swung my left leg over the saddle, shifting until I felt comfortable on it.

“Follow me, darling.” John declared easily climb onto his own horse with such ease. He kicked his horse in its belly riding off in the direction of the main gate and I followed after him.

During the ride I pushed my cowgirl hat further down onto my head with my body bouncing in every direction it felt like. “Woah! J - John.” I called nervously feeling my butt sliding off the saddle where I nearly fell onto the ground.

“Careful back there. You gotta bounce with the horse.” He reminded me.

I nodded trying to keep up beside his horse where I felt myself sliding off the saddle again where I tugged the reins trying to keep myself on the horse. Yet the horse noticed slightly standing up on its back legs and throwing me off with me landing on my side. “John! Ow - I thought I was getting better.”

“Y/n, are you hurt badly?” He questioned me riding over to me, concern across his face.

Pushing myself up to stand he led my horse back over to me holding onto the reins of mine. “I think I’m okay. I just wish I didn’t appear like I have never rode a horse before.”

“It takes time when you’ve been away for a bit. Don’t worry you’ll get the hang of it back in no time.” John reassured me by waiting until I was seated back on my horse, reminding me of another tip. “I wanna see if this helps you. Are you open to some advice?”

I nodded my head yes in agreement, knowing my husband meant well. “From you, always.”

“You’ve been bouncing against the horse. All right.” He raised his freehand in the air bringing his hand down while he explained. “When the horse bounces up, let it stand you in the stirrups. And when it comes down, sit back in the saddle. Let’s try that.”

Sucking in a breath we slowly started riding forward and I raised my body up with and down with the horse exactly like he had just told me. John tugged on his reins and I did the same until we paused our riding with a glance from him. “So how does that feel now. Do you still feel like you’re going to fall off?”

“It’s a lot better. Thank you.” I smiled before a light smirk crossed my lips. “What would you say to a horse race? First one to the graveyard wins and the loser has to put both horses up in the barn.”

John chuckled, sending me a grin, kicking his horse and taking off quickly. “You’re on!”

Kicking my horse in the belly he starts galloping faster as I hold tightly on the reins loving the excitement this brings me chasing after the rancher in front of me. The wind blew through my loose hair when I passed my husband getting to the edge of the graveyard before I noticed my horse starts neighing and halting in its tracks. "What is it, boy. What do you hear?" I asked brushing its mane as it sticks its nose down smelling.

Suddenly my horse shuffled its hooves backwards in terror. I pull the reins a little searching the ground around but not finding anything. "Easy boy. It's okay." But the next thing I now my horse shrieks bending on its hind legs throwing me off. I drop into the grass and dirt. I grunt seeing my horse run off further away from the ranch. My hat's on the ground as I try to get up but dropped knowing I couldn’t chase after the horse on foot. Something hisses closely in my eyes I see a rattle snake in my face. "Oh shit!" I mumbled under my breath as it nearly bites me.

But a gunshot goes off near me and it drops dead on my feet. Whipping my head in the direction of where the gunfire came from I see John on a horse his shotgun in his hands. "J - John..." I gasped still in shock from the moment.

"Y/n, sweetheart. I thought you were right beside me until I saw your abandoned horse run past mine." He slowly walked over, dismounting his horse holding out an open hand for me to take.

I stood up on my feet with his assistance before I asked, pointing in the direction of where the animal had ran off in. “Thanks. Are we going to go after the horse?”

“Nah. Rip and the bunkhouse cowboys are working in the closet field. They’ll catch it and bring it back to the barn for us.” He shook his head no, scooting back on his saddle gesturing with his head for me to climb on in front of him. “Let’s head back to the house. I owe you a cooked meal after all you did win the race.”

I grunted climbing up onto the saddle of his horse sending him a weak look feeling guilty for what had happened. “John, you don’t have to cook considering my horse got spooked and ran off. Plus you saved my life from that rattle snake.”

“Don’t worry about the horse and I am a man of my word. So I’ll make dinner like we agreed on.” The older cowboy said tucking some hair behind my ear, taking the reins.

I leaned my body back against his chest giving him a quick kiss before we made our way back to the main house to go eat dinner. “You’re a good man, John.”

John and Rip followed Sheriff Haskell out into one of the barns on the ranch. The three stops in the entrance seeing someone peaking their head over one of the hay bails. John slowly walked forward trying to not scare the girl off that looked to be a young teenager reminding him of meeting young Rip. “Hey there, kid. I ain’t gonna hurt you. Do you wanna come talk with us?”

“Where’s the girl from?” Rip crossed his arms looking at Sheriff Haskell.

He responded to John’s right hand. “She’s been bounced from foster home to another. She’s got a bad streak of breaking the law. I got a call saying the foster system was sending her to him until she bolted. Thankfully she ended up where they we’re taking her. Bringing her to John.”

Lifting my gaze up to the older cowboy guy wearing a tan cowboy hat I watched him bend down to her level. “Are you going to send me back to foster care….I don’t do good in that place. They all say I’m too old and reckless.” I had been moved around where I just started running away every time they sent me back in the system.

“I ain’t sending ya back. My name is John Dutton, what’s your name darlin’?” The rancher asked me offering his hand and I allowed him to pull me to stand up with him seeing another guy by the sheriff that was dressed in black with dark hair and hard eyes staring at me.

I nervously responded back to him. “Y/n. My name is Y/n, sir…what are doing now?”

“You come work for me.” John said looking at the man calling his name so I could put it with his face before he left us in the barn together. “Rip, you’re gonna teach her the way I did you.”

It had been a few months since that day and this is the longest that I have ever been in compared to my other foster homes. Placing a dark brown hat on my head I slide my brown boots on heading to the Yellowstone barn. Throwing a saddle on Lioyd’s horse I started tying it on until I heard one of the bunkhouse cowboys coming over to me. I believe Walker was his name. “It looks like a a cowgirl doesn’t know how a saddle goes on a horse.”

“What…what did I do?” I panicked beginning to twist the sterups and the back sinch backwards before I ran my hands through my hair.

Walker came over on his horse. “You put the saddle on backwards kid.”

“Crap, crap.” I mumbled under my breath quickly fixing it until John came over to me seeing that I avoided his gaze mumbling to myself unknown that he could hear me. “How could I put the entire saddle on backwards. That was stupid. I should have known that.”

It wasn’t the first the older rancher had seen her be hard on herself after she made some mistakes or didn’t be s quick as what the cowboys had told her to do something. And she would end up beating herself up over failing. John just hoped the girl saw that she was a good hand like he did. Because she was almost the same way when he found Rip years ago.

Walking through the barn I nodded to my boss Rip Wheeler who was walking with his horse when he noticed me. He climbed up on his horse addressing in my direction. “Y/n, got saddle Mr. Dutton’s horse. You’ll be riding it today with us to learn how to ride.”

Running inside the barn I took the reins of the boss’s horse tying the rope on the side of the wooden fence. Tossing the saddle over the horse I quickly tied it together. Putting me foot in the stirrups up Rip called my name. “Woah you think you’re forgetting something kiddo.” Shifting my gaze down to the ground I hadn’t noticed my hat fell off during the process.

“Ah shit…sorry sir.” Snatching it up I placed it on my head quick climbing back on the horse knowing he didn’t like wasting daylight and I always followed his instructions as fast as he said them.

Rip had me following behind him where I griped the reins in my hands bouncing with the horse watching the others herding the cattle in front of us. Normally he was leading the pack but not today. “Go herd up the ones on the side that get loose. You got that?” He kicked his horse to go when I nodded in understanding.

Running down the valley I followed after one cafe that got loose leading it back to the group. Staying close to the group another one got loose where I grabbed my rope throwing it over it head trying to lead it back but it just picked up sped. I screamed when it managed to pull me off my horse and I fell into the dirt. “No, no,…ah fuck!”

“Woah girl, are you alright?” Lioyd came over on his horse holding the reins of mine since it ran off towards him so he brought my horse back over to me.

Holding my right wrist I winced when I tried to bend it a little. “I think I just tweaked my wrist a bit….I thought I roped it the right way.”

“You roped it around the neck when it should have been around the waist so he wouldn’t run on ya. Climb back on your horse and help us finish this out.” Rip responded sternly beside his older friend.

Scurring to my feet I put one foot in the stirrup using my left hand to support most of my weight than my right. I should have done better, sir.” I apologize when Rip glared at me watching me ride off with Lioyd figuring that she meant well.

Once nightfall had come and everyone had their horses up for the night I didn’t come down to the bunkhouse for dinner since I was staying in the spare room of Rip and Beth’s house. Brushing my hair away from my face I had banded my wrist as best as I could and put everything I had in the duffel bag foster care had given to me. I just needed to wait until everyone went to bed to run rather then wait till morning already knowing what would happen. I had messed up way more than someone my age should. “I’m too old to get adopted….I will be better off just waiting until I’m eighteen. Only two more years left being someone else’s problem..”

“When I said don’t think you deserve this. I meant it literally but I didn’t you’d run from it.” Whipping my head around I gasped through tears seeing Rip was leaning in the doorway of my bedroom.

Croaking through tears I scooted up against the pillow and headband avoiding his gaze. “How did you know I’d be here?”

“Cause you didn’t come down for dinner and you ain’t missed a meal since the day you came here. You want to tell me what’s going on with you?” He presses on with his tone being both stern but went softer when he could hear me lightly crying in front of him.

Hugging my knees to my chest I buried my face into them sobbing even more when I struggle to get the words out already sensing what he was going to say next. “I’m a screw up here, Mr. Wheeler. I can’t do half the jobs you give me right…I don’t have great confidence even when I put in as much effort as I can. You see me exactly like everyone else does…a reckless teenager who won’t make it any longer in getting adopted. Cause I don’t follow directions good….so you’re done with me. You’re going to send me back tomorrow.”

“Where the hell did you get an idea like that, sweetheart?” He blurted out raising his voice in shock.

Peaking over my knees with my hair in my eyes I whispered back to him. “That’s what every family I have been with does. Why would you be any different to me?”

“Because you are the hardest working foster kid I have seen. You’ve got good manners and put in almost more effort than any of those bunkhouse boys do. And you ain’t any reckless than most teenagers are.” He came over and sat beside me on the bed removing his black hat when he went to take something out of his jacket. He unfolded a paper and handed it to me. “You are a darn good kid, Y/n. I am hoping to help you improve your confidence in time being here.”

Scanning my eyes over the paper in my small hands I couldn’t hardly believe it. “You want to adopt me..but I….thank you Rip.” Flinging my arms around his neck he was taken back not used to seeing me giving any kind of emotion like this.

“You’re welcome, darling. But promise you will still work as hard as you would if you weren’t gonna be my kid.” He hugged me briefly until he made me look in his eyes when he barely broke the embrace.

Nodding through happy tears I grinned up at the cowboy and lead hand of John Dutton. “Don’t worry I will..uh dad.”

Footsteps came down the hallway where we both glanced over over shoulders noticing that it was his wife. “You better call me mom and come eat this hamburger helper otherwise you’ll face the bear.”

“Yes ma’am.” I jumped off his lap rushing down the hallway making it to the kitchen table almost shoving food into my mouth overjoyed to actually have a place to call home.

Beth smiled at her husband when he stood by her in the hallway watching you. “She’s our kid now, baby.”

“She’s our second change at one and I gotta say she’s a pretty good one.” He responded looping his hand with hers giving her a gentle and the pair joined you at the dinner table.

Wheeler's as Tough as a Beer

The rain was hitting the glass windshield harder than I cared for. When I left the doctors office it was only lightly raining and you could hear some thunder in the distance. Gripping the steering wheel I gulped in nervousness feeling the car kind of fighting me when I drove through some puddles. Moving one hand to my phone laying In the cup holder I saw it was my husband calling me. “Hey honey, I’m on my way home now.”

“That’s great. Although the storm is picking up here. What did the doctor say about the baby?” Rip asked through the phone where I could hear the barn door shutting behind him meaning they were putting the horses up before it got worse than it already was.

Using my turn signal I stopped at a red light waiting for it to change to green. "She said everything was good. In about 3 months we should have our baby boy or girl." The ranch was only two different turns and one stop sign before I was back on the family home.

The light finally changed from red to green where I slowly hit the gas pedal. Turning my steering wheel I was making the turn but there was a car coming down from the way I was turning. But the car instead was on the wrong side of the road coming directly at me. “Oh my god, Rip!” I screamed before I attempted to move my car but the wheels hit a big puddle where I swerved and the other car still barreled straight into me.

My head hit the steering wheel harshly before it hit a wooden poll that was for the power lines. My phone got thrown and it shattered the screen. Blinking my eyes I lifted my head when the air bag went off. Looking at the mirror there was blood on my forehead and I gasped feeling sharp pain in my pregnant belly. It would be a few minutes before I blacked out on the wheel. Someone was shaking me lightly making me wake up a few hours after that where I could make out my husband’s voice. “Y/n, y/n! Come on, darling wake up. Don’t die on me.”

“Rip….ahhh!” I winced when I felt him gently picking me up by my knees and underneath my arms. I felt so,e blood running down my side meaning that the air bag or something must have cut me.

He slowly walked me to the ambulance while the medics checked me out. Rip pushed my hair back out of my face crying some tears which he never die really unless we were alone. So the bunkhouse guys knew who was the boss. “Sssh you’re alright now. You’re with me, Y/n.”

“Everything hurts, Rip. And I…I was on my way home and the storm….it got worse….where this car was on the wrong side of the road.” I began sobbing through heavy tears.

He wrapped his arms around my body after the medics had went off to read the tests that they had done. Wrapping my arms around his neck I buried my face in the crook of his neck crying. "Excuse me, Mr. Wheeler. But we need to get your wife to the hospital. The baby she is carrying is in distress." One of the medics came over to us explaining with concern.

Rip immediately got in the back of the ambulance with me laying down on the cot. I grasped his hand tightly in mine while we rushed there. The second that we got there I was rolled in with a wheelchair and a doctor bursts into the room. "We will have to do a C - section if we want to save the baby in you."

"Okay...I love you." I croaked up at Rip squeezing his hands before I was rushed into surgery. I'm not sure how long I was out for but I moaned blinking my eyes feeling the medicine they gave me wearing off. Lifting my head up from the pillow I saw Rip sleeping at my bedside. "Rip...Rip wake up."

He rubbed his eyes where I instantly saw tears in his brown eyes. "Oh my gosh, Y/n. Thank God I was so worried...I love you." He kissed the crown of my head tucking hair behind my ear.

"Rip, where's the baby. Is it okay?" I asked him when he brushed his fingers through my hair that was sticking to my forehead.

He sucked in a breath resting his forehead against mine when he spoke his next words. "The baby is in the nick-u. She came out a premi. But she's beautiful. The doctor said she'll have to be monitored for a while. But she's alive honey...she's here."

"I love you...and I'm glad she's okay." Wrapping my arms around his neck I began crying happy tears. Rip wrapping his arms around my waist holding me as close as we could get. Releaved that his family was alright.

Kicking open the front door of the I giggled stumbling over my own two feet a little tipsy from the bar tonight. Kayce followed behind me grabbing me by my hips pushing me against the front door to shut it. "I can't believe the bartender wouldn't give me my keys back. Like he thinks I was...drunkie off my ass." He chuckled pressing his lips down onto mine sluring his words.

"Maybe he was...jealous of your...sexy ass." Draping my arms around his neck leaning up on my toes smirking at him.

Kayce pressed his chest against mine with our hot breath mixing together. He wrapped his arms around my waist where I jumped up wrapping my arms around neck and my legs around his waist. “Hmm possibly. I am certain that you are…the most beautiful woman in the entire world.”

“We need another drink don’t you think?” I asked him leaning forward whispering into my ear before he stumbled into the kitchen with me hanging off in his arms giggling until he sat me down on the island in the middle of the room.

He rummaged around in the cabinet finding a bottle of Bourbon opening it and handing it to me. I took a long sip holding it out to him where he took one too sitting it down beside me. Kayce rested his hands on either side of me trapping me on the island crashing his lips onto mine hungrily. Wrapping my arms around his neck I pulled him down on top of me until my back was on the table. "I want you so bad right now...Kayce John."

"Me too darling...shit I want to make love to you...right now...here." He whispered in my ear moving his hands underneath my shirt about to lift it over my head breaking the heated kiss.

Lifting my arms up he shrugs it over my head not noticing how close the bottle was before he knocked it off with his elbow right before we heard John's voice come into the kitchen. "It is six in the fucking morning. What the hell are you two doing out this late?"

"John!...uh Mr. Dutton." I gasped, blushing as red as a tomato gripping the front of Kayce's brown shirt in my fingers.

I couldn't believe that I was literally in front of him and my jeans sitting in the middle of the kitchen island. Kayce and I were only engaged for a few months. So it was even weirder considering we weren't married yet and his dad really liked me. But I don't think he intended on seeing me like this. "Do you two want to explain to me what exactly is going on here cause I was just coming to get some coffee and I heard this commotion."

"No dad...I'd rather we didn't have this conversation." Kayce shook his head blushing almost as red as me. He tugged me into his chest trying to cover my bra and chest since he didn't dare look down for my discarded shirt.

John passed us and went to the coffee maker that was by the fridge. There was awkward silence for a few minutes making us both more uncomfortable than we already were. "I'm heading to the front porch now. So you two need to go to bed cause I can tell ya two are drunk. Then when you two wake up hungover you're cleaning up the mess."

"Yea sir." I immediately responded.

"Yeah dad...sorry." Kayce mumbled under his breath.

John opened the door sending us a half sympathetic look before stepping out onto the porch with his coffee. "Oh and a piece of advice. If you two can't wait until the wedding I suggest going to a hotel. Cause I don't want to think that my son and daughter in law were trying to have sex on my kitchen counter."

"I'll never get this out of my head...I'm so embarrassed he saw that, Kayce." Covering my face with my hands I buried my head into my knees remaining in my spot.

Kayce began cleaning up the shatters of glass slumping his shoulders. "Be thankful he caught us before we went any further...cause I don't think he would want to hear us moaning the others name."

"Kayce, shut up!" Gripping my hair I pull his black cowboy hat over my face. "I hate you!"

He threw away the glass and wiped away the liquid as much as he could finally coming back over to me. He gently pulled my hands away from my face cradling my face in his hands. "You love me, honey and I love you too, Y/n." Burying my face against his chest he rested his head on top of mine.

"I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't love ya cowboy. Now can we go to sleep...please." I mumbled into his embrace before he picks me up bridal managing to stumble up the stairs and we laid down in his bed passing out.

Throwing my phone across the room I screamed seeing the unknown text message number from my ex. I wish he would stop calling me. I had moved back to Montana a few months ago and he had followed me wherever I went. He was a complete stalker of my life never wanting to let me go after I left his ass on the back porch of his parents house. Coming out of the bunkhouse I passed Kayce my bosses son. “Hey Y/n, where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“It’s not your business, Dutton. I’ll be back to finish up my missed work later tonight.” I brushed past him in a huff climbing in my truck and tracking his phone since he had told me where he was if I wanted to change my mind and take him back.

Walking up the stairs if his porch once I parked the truck slamming the door. I pounded my fist on the door seeing Joseph answer the door smirking at me. “Y/n, I was hoping you’d finally come to your senses. Come in and let’s make you for lost time.”

“Actually no that’s not why I’m here.” Crossing my arms over my chest I snapped at him.

He raised a brow at my words. “And why not?”

“Because you have been stalking me since we broke up. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I can barely breathe because I am so terrified that might come back and abuse me like you did when we were together!” I raised my voice at him stomping my foot on the ground trying not to cry in front of him.

Joseph stepped out onto the porch harshly grabbing me by my shoulders throwing me into the wall. “We are meant to be together, Y/n!”

“Joseph, I don’t care about you anymore!” I croaked out when he moved one of his hands around my throat until I heard a truck pull up and I gasped seeing the youngest Dutton. “Kayce?”

The cowboy made his way up the stairs grabbing my ex by the back of his jacket throwing his body against the fenced railing of the porch. “Get your hands off of her….are you okay?” Kayce came over to me gently pushing hair from my face seeing that my elbow was bleeding from when he threw me.

“What are you doing here…not that I mind it. But how did you know where I was going?” I asked gripping onto his forearm when he helped me to stand.

He responded before Joseph punched him in the rib. “Beth told me about what you told her. Then I followed your tracks - ugh!” He threw him down on his back where him and Kayce kept fighting until the former navy seal managed to overpower him.

Joseph grunted with Kayce holding his arms twisted behind his back. “So this is your new boyfriend?”

Before I had a chance to respond Kayce did for me releasing his grip on him. “Yeah I am, asshole.” He got to his feet offering me his hand and we quickly left the porch leaving my stalker ex on the porch.

Shutting the truck door we both remained silent on the way back to the ranch. Tapping my fingers on my knees I turned my head in his direction confused. “Why did you tell him we were together when we aren’t. You do realize that now he will come after you to get to me. Why would you do that to yourself?”

“Because I do love you, Y/n. It wasn’t a lie just to piss him off.” Kayce shifted his gaze in my direction lightly gripping the steering wheel. “Nobody should treat you the way he clearly does you.”

Blinking my eyes I couldn’t form a straight sentence when I asked the cowboy sitting across from me. “Is this your way of asking me out, Kayce Dutton?” Kayce and I had instantly became closer the first day we met. But I never thought the guy that was so close he could be my best friend also had feelings for me.

Kayce began turning the truck to put it in park on the side of the road undoing his seatbelt. “No, this is.”

“What are you doing p?” I asked with a half hopeful grin on my face watching his movements.

“I ain’t waiting till we get home to kiss ya.” He leaned over the counsel where I pressed my back against the front of it when he cupped my face in his hands. His brown eyes met mine before he crashes his lips onto mine gently.

I gasped taken back by the kiss before running my fingers up his chest. Moving my hands around his neck I deepened the kiss hearing him moan when I tugged on his hair. “Kayce, I love you too.” I mutter into kisses until we break it needing air to breathe.

“With that said I think it’s time I take you out to dinner, darling.” He sat back down in his seat putting the truck back on the road. Reaching across the counsel I intertwined my hand with his grinning like a child. I knew Kayce would never be what Joseph was to me. He would always be the guy I was meant to be with.

Leaning my back against one of the wooden pens inside the barn Ryan and I were talking about something that happened when we went to the bar together the other night. Ryan and I were life long friends and had went to the same high school when we were teenagers. Footsteps approached the entrance of the barn where I turned my head in the direction seeing that it was my boyfriend Kayce. “What the hell we’re you doing with my girlfriend at a bar last night. Did he hurt you at all?” He stomped up asking Ryan more so than me. Moving past the new ranch hand I lifted my gaze up to look at my boyfriend. “Kayce. There’s nothing to worry about between me and Ryan. He’s a new ranch hand of your fathers and an old friend of mine.” Kayce and I had started dating after he divorced his wife Monica. He was having trouble getting his son Tate to school since his truck was broken down. I offered him a ride and he offered to buy me dinner as a thank you. Somehow we ended up finding a lot in common.

Ryan shrugged his shoulders confused at what was happening exactly between us. I honestly didn’t know why Kayce seemed upset over this. “Kayce, I don’t know what you are thinking is going on. Y/n and I are just friends. We met up and she said that she was working out as the same place as I did.” Kanye stomped up turning his hand into a fist punching Ryan straight in the face. He collapsed onto the floor quickly getting to his feet taking a swing at the younger Dutton son where they ended up fighting until I shoved myself in between them. Holding my hands up I glanced between the pair raising my voice at them. “Kayce, enough alright. I don’t know what this is all about but you’re being completely ridiculous-“ He cut me off throwing his arms up shouting at me, I saw some tears slip out when his voice cracked in response. “Im jealous of him Y/n. I am jealous that you might find my family crazy and leave with Ryan. I can’t - I don’t want to go through another divorce and put Tate through something like that!” Blinking my eyes I was taken back by his words. I would have never thought he was the jealous insecure type.

“Kayce, come with me. We need to talk about this.” Grabbing his forearm I dragged him out of the barn and through the main house until we got into his bedroom slamming the door behind my back. “What makes you think that I would want to date Ryan when I am with you. I mean I am completely in love with you, Kayce Dutton. You are the only cowboy for me!” He blinked his eyes a few times slowly striding up to me cradling my face in his hands grinning through some tears. “You are in love with me…really in love with me. I thought…but you two are so close. I was just jealous…I’m so sorry.” Leaning up on my toes I smiled wrapping my arms around his neck kissing him deeply. He leans into the kiss tugging me closer until I jump up wrapping my legs around his waist. The kiss got heated where we fell back onto the bed panting heavily while we started to remove our clothes in a hurry. “I love you too Y/n. Maybe I should get jealous for often if this is the result.” Pressing my lips to his in a long kiss he smirked back to my reply. “Sssh Dutton. Don’t ruin the moment. You’ve got nothing to be jealous over.”

It rare that the Dutton family ever got together to simply have drinks and talk after the long day of work. After the death of Evelyn the family only really focused on work. I have been a childhood best friend with Kayce for years and so I am always here where everyone thought that we would end up together. I once did too until he came back saying he had gotten a girl pregnant and that he was going to live with her. That little baby was Tate who is the nicest boy you will ever meet. Raising the beer bottle to my lips I whipped my head around hearing Tate start screaming from his room. "Tate! I'm coming!" Bolting through the living room I didn't care that everyone was looking at me. Monica lifted her head up watching me heading to aid her child where I heard Kayce's boots halt on the floor watching me. "Sssh Tate. I'm here. You're at the ranch."

"I was back in the room...the floor came out...and I couldn't scream for anyone." He whispered before I pulled him into my chest hearing him start crying into my shirt. I had grown close to the boy since Kayce had started taking him here to learn how to live on a ranch so he could enjoy not just being an Indian but also a cowboy. "We need to have a talk, son." Kayce heard his father who had come down the hallway leaving Beth, Rip and Monica on the front porch. The pair walked away from the bedroom to quietly talk. "I know I can't force you to do anything, son. But I think you need to reconsider who you married...I love my grandson. I just think Monica ain't the one to hold your heart." He told his youngest son before they heard foosteps coming there direction. "Hey Kayce, I finally got him down to sleep. And don't worry I let him sleep with my hat until tomorrow morning."

Kayce shook his head taken back by his father's words. He had always been close with me but we both had no idea that the other felt the same about one another. "Uh...thanks Y/n. I'll see you in the morning." John and him watched me head into my bedroom shutting the door. Monica came down the hallway watching her son peacefully sleeping now. She was passed put asleep and so exhausted since Tate had kept her up so that was why she didn't immediately jump up to his call. "I'll have to thank her tomorrow. I'll be in our room, Kayce." Once she was gone or so John had assumed he declared to his son simply. "Son, I think you should have married Y/n. Because I think she was made to be the one for you. Like me and your mother." Monica sucked in a sharp breath hearing everything he said whereas Kayce had no clue what to say to his father...maybe just maybe he was still secretly considering there was another girl out there that was meant to be his.