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fanficforlife · 1 year

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Chapter Nine

Even though it was the middle of August, the air was cool. It probably had something to do with the fact that you were sitting on the back porch at four-thirty in the morning.

"There you are, baby." Kayce sat down on the steps next to you. His arm slid around your back while he kissed your temple. "What are you doing out here?"

You looked ahead of you so he followed your gaze to a bald eagle sitting in a tree. Lee. His hold on you tightened. "I was talking."

"About what?"

"You," a smile pulled at your lips. A comfortable silence settled between you while you watched the bird fly off. "Lee knew I left California to get away from Nick. A few weeks before he died he found me sitting back here. The sun had just started coming up and he asked why I was up so early. I tried to hide it but he knew I was crying. He sat down and made me tell him what was wrong." You took a breath. "I get nightmares sometimes about Nick. Sometimes they're just memories of what he did, other times it's him finding me."

"Baby," the hand that wasn't around your waist reached for your hand, "why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't get them when we sleep in the same bed."

"You should move in with me then."

"Kayc."

"I know. Just me and Tate, for a while at least. Did you have a nightmare tonight?"

"No. I just woke up and couldn't get back to sleep. I didn't want to wake you." Your fingers played with the button on the cuff of his sleeve. "Lee always told me I was safe here." You let out a small giggle. "And, that even though you hadn't asked me out yet, you wouldn't let anyone touch me."

Kayce chuckled. "He was right about that. I wouldn't have let your ex or anyone else near you. I still won't."

You smiled at him before looking out at the trees.

"Letty?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you feel safe here?"

"Yes." Your eyes met his hazel brown ones. "You make me feel safe."

He smiled and ran his hand across your jaw, pulling you in for a kiss. "I love you, Letty."

"I know." You smiled. "I love you too."

"I gotta drive around and check some fences. What do you say we grab some coffee and you come keep me company? And, instead of sleeping in your bed again because Tate wanted to spend the weekend having a sleepover with his grandpa, we could spend the night at my place?"

"Yes and yes."

"Tate will be here with Dad so we have the whole day and night to ourselves." His perfect grin formed before he kissed you. "Go get changed. I'll get the coffee."

"Meet you in the kitchen in five minutes."

After going inside, you both walked through the living room to the hallway. As you went to walk passed the kitchen to your room, he stopped you. "Baby, are you okay?"

You looked up at him and smiled softly. "You worry about me too much."

"I worry about you just as much as I should be. Now answer the question, beautiful."

Your hands came up and rested against the sides of his neck, your thumbs running across his stubble-covered jaw. "I'm okay. Just missing your brother."

"Me too."

"He would be so proud of you, Kayce."

"After kicking my ass for waiting so long to ask you out."

You giggled. "Yeah, that's probably true."

"Thank you for being there for me through that and every day since then."

"You're welcome. But, you don't have to thank me. I wanted to and I needed you just as much as you needed me."

His hand ran across your cheek. "I still need you."

"Right back at you." You rose to your toes and kissed him before going to change.

You leaned against the fence post watching Kayce while he finished securing a section of barbed wire that he had to replace.

"There," he straightened up, "that- What?"

"Nothing."

"Nothin'?" He came up behind you and wrapped his arms around your waist. "What are you thinking about?"

A smile pulled at the corners of your mouth. "You." You leaned back against him while you both looked out over the pasture to the mountains.

"Yeah?"

"Mhm."

"Is that all I'm gonna get?" He chuckled and turned you to face him.

"I just..." your hands rested on his chest, "I can't believe I'm here with you. You are the most hardworking, caring, understanding man I have ever met." Tears pricked the back of your eyes. "I would go through everything in California again if I knew that it led me here."

In response, he grabbed your face and kissed you. "I love you more than anything on this earth, Letty. Well, you and the kid."

"I love you too." You giggled and slid your hands over his shoulders, clasping them behind his neck as your lips met his. When the kiss started to grow heated, you stepped back. "You need to work."

"I just finished the last one."

"Yeah?"

The smirk that drove you crazy, in the best possible way, formed. "Yeah, now get back here." His hand slid into your hair pulling you in. As the kiss intensified, he picked you up and carried you to the tailgate of his truck. It was already down with tools sitting on it so he pushed them to the side before setting you on it. His eyes met yours and you smiled.

While you unzipped and shimmied out of your jeans, he unbuckled his belt and pushed it down. "Kayc," you moaned when he slowly thrust into you.

"Fuck, baby." His fiery eyes met yours. "You're fucking perfect."

Your hips rolled to meet his with every thrust. "Yes," you moaned when one of his hands left your hips and went between you to your clit. "Yes. Yes. Kayce." It didn't take long for heat to start pooling.

When your orgasm had passed, he took your hands which had been gripping his shoulders and lay you on your back. "I want one more, baby." You nodded as you looked up at him, making the smirk you love form. He put your legs over his shoulders and started pounding into you.

You could feel a rough section of the tailgate scrape your ass cheek but you didn't care. He had you at the perfect angle and you started to clench around him. "Oh, god. Kayce."

"Yes, baby. Give me one more." His smirk reappeared. "Come for me, Letty." That put you over the edge and you fell apart. He came seconds later, spilling into you.

"You good, baby?" He asked as you lay there trying to catch your breath.

"Mhm," you mumbled with a smile.

He chuckled and zipped his jeans up before putting your underwear and jeans on you as far as he could get them with you still lying down.

After carefully getting to your feet, you pulled them up the rest of the way.

"Hi." Kayce smiled down at you, his hands going to your waist.

"Hi." Your fingers brushed his hair off his forehead. "That was...wow."

His smirk formed before he kissed you. "I'm gonna have to agree with you on that. Now get your sexy ass out of the way so I can clean up."

You giggled as he squeezed your sides. "What do you have to do now?" You asked as you leaned against the side of his truck.

"I gotta go to town to pick up a few things." He informed, closing the tailgate. "Where do you think you're goin'?" His hand wrapped around yours, stopping you from going around to the passenger side.

"Maybe I don't want to sit beside you." You teased.

He backed you against the truck and pressed himself against you, keeping you in place. "You don't, huh?" The smirk that drove you crazy formed.

"Don't look at me like that we both know because we both know what comes next."

"You. Once, sometimes more."

"Kayce!" You gave him a shove so you could slip free.

His laugh followed you as you climbed into the truck. "You're cute when you blush."

"Oh my god." You groaned, burying your face in his shoulder while he buckled his seatbelt.

"Even cuter when you come."

Your jaw dropped as the red on your cheeks darkened.

He reached across your lap when you tried sliding across the seat. "I'll stop."

"Says the guy with the mischievous grin on his face."

"Get back here."

You gave in with a smile and settled in next to him. "You're lucky I love you."

"The luckiest." His lips pressed against your temple before he started the truck.

When you got closer to town, you looked in the rearview mirror and started taming your hair. "You should leave it."

"It's a mess."

"You have that just had sex look."

"I did just have sex."

"Yes," he squeezed your knee, "but everyone else will see it and know you're mine."

You giggled, "I'm pretty sure everyone will know that without advertising what we just did. You always hold my hand when we go to town, or have your arm around me, your hand on my back." After smoothing the last tangled strand, you leaned back against the seat. "I'm guessing you don't hold Ryan or Colby's hand when you go to town to pick stuff up."

"Definitely not." His laugh echoed through the cab.

A comfortable silence settled between you as you rested your head on his shoulder and thought about how much your life had changed in the last seven and a half months. You escaped from Nick and the nightmare he put you through and ended up meeting a man so good you didn't think could even exist. Going through hell had brought you to the most amazing version of heaven on earth. And, you would endure it all over again so you could end up with the cowboy sitting beside you and his son.

"What are you thinking about?" Kayce asked as he joined you on the porch of the foreman's house. You had made his mom's stew and biscuits for dinner so he offered to put the leftovers away. "You've been kind of quiet since I got back from helping Dad in the barn before dinner. I told you it would just be us today, I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. It's not that."

"Then what is it?"

Your fingers picked at the cuff of your sleeve. "When you were with your dad and I was inside with Tate making the biscuits, Tate...he told me he loves me. He's said it before but it's always just been love you. When the biscuits were in the oven we were talking about what he and his grandpa did today. I was leaning back against the counter, when he was done telling me he came over and wrapped his arms around my waist. He looked up at me and he said I love you." Tears started to pool in your eyes while you stared down at the ends of your sleeves. "He told me he was happy I came here because I'm kind of like his mom. Then he rested the side of his face against my stomach and hugged me. He laughed and said I make you happy so you're not as grumpy anymore so I can never leave."

Kayce chuckled, "he's right, you do make me happy." When you continued staring at your hands, he took hold of your chin and lifted it, making you look at him. "Hey, talk to me." Concern was evident in his voice when he saw tears start to trickle from your eyes. "Was it because he thinks you're his mom? I'll tell him not to call you that."

"It wasn't that."

"Nick?"

You nodded as you drew in a shaky breath. "If he finds me he said he would kill whoever helped me."

"Baby, it's been almost eight months since you got away from him. He would have found you by now."

"But, what if he's still looking? What if he does eventually find me?"

"If he does, he's not going to get a chance to kill anyone."

"What if you're all gone and just me and Tate are here? What...Tate-" A small sob cut you off.

Kayce wiped away your tears. "I know what you're thinking and you're not leaving. Tate loves you, I love you. Hell, everyone on this ranch loves you. You belong here." His fingers tucked your hair behind your ear before going back to try and dry your cheeks. "I'll tell you what. Tate's closet in the main house is five times bigger than it needs to be. Since we spend most of the time there anyway, especially you and him when I'm working, we'll close in part of the closet so he can hide in there. I'll make the door look like part of the wall so no one will know any different. Okay?"

You sniffed. "Okay."

"Come here." You stood up and he guided you onto his lap so you were straddling him. His hand rested against the side of your neck. "Tate's not the only one who thinks you're kind of like his mom. You are beyond amazing with him. I know we've only been together for three months but I know that God sent you to me. We belong together, Letty."

"Kayce." A smile finally formed before you pressed your lips against his. It didn't take long before you both needed more. He stood up taking you with him and carried you to his bed.

After setting you on your feet, his hands went to work on your jeans. As he pulled them down, his hand ran across the scrape you got from the tailgate making you flinch. "Did I scratch you?" When you both looked you realized what it was from. "Shit. I should've put a blanket or something down."

"It's not that bad... if you kiss it better it will be as good as new."

"I can't have my baby hurt." He smirked, sinking to his knees and doing what you said. But, he didn't stop there. He kissed his way across your hip before taking off your underwear and jeans and gently pushed you onto the bed.

"Kayc," you moaned as he buried his face between your legs.

His hands slid under your thighs and gripped your hips, securing you in place. "You taste so damn good." He groaned before going to work again.

"Oh, god." After a couple of minutes of just using his tongue, one of his hands left your hip. His fingers dipped inside you while his mouth focused on the bundle of sensitive nerves. Your hands dove into his brown wavy hair. It took only minutes for your stomach to begin to tighten and waves of intense pleasure coursed through you.

When you came down from your high, Kayce's lips crashed against yours. He ushered you backwards, away from the edge, so he could climb between your legs. You could taste yourself on him as his tongue danced with yours.

He slowly thrust into you. His hand went to the back of your neck and he lifted you. "You're mine." His eyes pierced yours.

Whenever Nick told you that you were his it would make you feel hopeless and scared. Hearing Kayce tell you that you're his drove home the fact that this is where you were meant to be, with him and his son. "I'm yours." You breathed out, your eyes never leaving his.

*****

You parked one of the Dutton's work trucks in front of the grocery store as a patrol car was making its way down the street. While you got out, the police car parked behind the truck, blocking you in.

"Ma'am," one of them greeted as they walked up to you.

"Hi."

"Can I ask why you have the Dutton's truck?"

"I'm umm, getting groceries. I work for them." You swallowed nervously as memories of Nick in his police uniform filled your head.

"We've never seen you around town before."

"I've been here since the middle of February."

"Uh-huh." They exchanged doubtful looks. Sweat covered your palms. "Can I see your license, please?"

Panic set in. "I-I didn't steal it."

He nodded. "Let me just run your license and we'll get this cleared up."

"You can call John. He'll tell you I work there."

"We will after we check your license. Is it in

there?" He asked as he stepped forward and dumped the contents of your purse onto the driver's seat. You were frozen in fear. After opening your wallet, he pulled out your driver's license. "Well, Violet Smith from Los Angeles, I'll be right back."

Your heart rate was out of control, you were trembling. The officers could tell you were guilty of something so the other officer stood in front of you, corralling you between the open truck door and driver's seat, while the other went to the car.

Seconds later, the officer returned from the car. "I think it's time you tell us your real name because it isn't Violet Smith."

"I-I-"

"Cuff her."

"No."

"Put your hands behind your back."

"Please. Just call John. Please!" Tears started falling from your eyes.

Once the handcuffs were secured, the officer took hold of your arm and put you in the back of the car. People were standing around watching as the other officers locked the truck. After they both got in, they drove to the station.

"No! No!" You pulled against the two officers who had uncuffed you and were trying to take your fingerprints. "Please, don't. Please!"

"What the hell is going on here?" Sheriff Haskell came out of his office.

"We're trying to take her fingerprints but she's resisting."

"Please, don't. Call John Dutton. He'll tell you I work for him. Please!" You begged with tears streaming down your cheeks.

The sheriff looked at you for a few seconds. "Put her in one of the cells."

"But, we haven't even started with the paperwork or anything yet."

"I'll take care of it." He took your license off the counter. "Just put her in a cell."

"Just call him, please. I'm not lying!"

The officers took you through a door and your pleas died off. They brought you down the hall, putting you in one of the cells that lined the wall.

The door shut behind you with a clang, making you flinch. You went to the bench lining one wall, buried your face in your hands and cried. John would have to tell the sheriff who you were. Nick would come get you because he would see it on your file after the sheriff put your information into the computer. You mourned for the life you had here, for the friends you made, for the Duttons, for Tate. And, for Kayce. Nick would do whatever he wanted to you once he brought you back. But, the thought of never seeing Kayce again made your heart hurt so much that it was hard to breathe. Death would be better than having to live without him and his son.

"Where is she?!" Kayce's voice echoed down the hall.

When you heard it, a sob left your lips knowing it was only a matter of days before you would never hear it again.

"Violet!" As soon as the sheriff unlocked your cell, he flung the door open and ran in. You stood up and his arms wrapped around you, crushing you against him. You clung to his shirt as a fresh wave of tears spilled down your face. "I'm here, Letty. It's okay. You're coming home."

"N-Nick- He-he knows- I can't g-go back."

"He doesn't know, baby."

You pushed on his chest so you could look up at him. "He will! My name-he-"

"He won't know you're here because your name is Violet Smith." John finished from where he and the sheriff were standing outside the cell.

"But..." your eyes went to the sheriff.

"I've known John a long time." The sheriff informed. "He filled me in on everything. You're safe here, Violet. And, as far as the two who brought you in, and everyone else working here know, you're hiding from an abusive ex who's a cop, hence the fake ID. That's all they need to know." You looked at him unsure. "Nick and everything about your old life is safe with me. I won't be telling anyone." You gave a small nod of your head and a warm smile formed on his face. "I think it's time to get you out of there and back home."

"Come on, baby." Kayce kissed your hairline before putting his arm around your waist and guiding you out.

"I'm sorry, Vi," John said as he squeezed your shoulder. "I should've known it would be a matter of time before one of the knuckleheads working here stopped you."

"It's not your fault."

He smiled. "Let's get outta here."

The second you climbed into bed Kayce pulled you into his arms. You burrowed into him as close as you could get. "I was scared." He admitted into your hair after a couple of silent minutes.

You shifted so you could look up at him. "You were scared? Nothing scares you."

"Losing you scares me." His brown eyes were watery. "The sheriff called Dad while we were working in the barn. All Dad said was it's you and to get in the truck. I think he drove faster than I've ever seen him drive before. If they would have booked you in...I would have been sitting in that cell right next to you." He slid his hand into your hair and rested his forehead against yours. "I can't lose you."

"I can't lose you either." You sniffed, fighting back tears. "I thought I would have to go back."

"Baby, you are never going to lose me. No matter what. And, he is never, ever getting you back. I love you with everything I am, Violet."

"Kayc," tears started trickling over, "I love you too." Your lips met but this one felt different than all of the other ones. This one captured the last lingering thoughts you had of having to leave, of not getting too close. He took them all along with the last brick you had guarding your heart and you gave yourself to him, all of you. This was your home and he was the man you were supposed to be with.

…………………………………………………………………………

@saintnourah

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annepsilvaauthor · 8 months

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Begin Again - Lee Dutton

Pairing: Lee Dutton x OC (Natalie WentWorth)

Summary: The life of renowned lawyer Natalie WentWorth was quiet in Boston, but everything changed when she received a call from a former Harvard colleague, Jamie Dutton. After reflecting a lot, Natalie agreed to solve some problems at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, but she did not imagine that her life would change completely when she arrived in Montana. One of the reasons for this change was Lee Dutton, the eldest son of John Dutton, cowboy and livestock agent, who would represent all the comfort she needed to have in the midst of the chaos of the Dutton family. Natalie could begin again at that ranch.

Warnings: Subtle sexual innuendos, brief language, alcohol consumption, angst, smut, fluffy.

Fix the law after you break it

A few more kilometers and she would finally arrive in Yellowstone. Her Volvo XC40 exceeded the thousands of miles at a speed fast enough to make a journey of thirty-six hours of travel in less than thirty hours. Yes, she liked speed. It was one of the few things she allowed herself to "lose control". Her life experience and her profession had taught her to take care of her own control. If anyone would lose their mind, it would be the other side and not her.

She looked at the folder on the bank next to her. There was her name engraved on it: Miss Natalie WentWorth. She smiled proudly. She had not chosen the law, the law had chosen her. And her last civil hearing had proved it.

Natalie's thoughts were interrupted when she observed a movement a few kilometers ahead. There were men mounted on horses, armed, wearing bulletproof vests, on one side of the fence, and other men without any armament, but with unfriendly expression were on the other side of the fence. Natalie reduced her speed and a lawyer's sense of curiosity did not allow her to move forward, stopping on the shoulder.

Looking more closely, she realized that the men on the other side of the fence were indeed armed, some police officers and other civilians. She also noticed that there was a huge herd of cows on the side of the fence and she soon considered a problem. Natalie got out of the car and put her high heels on the dirt floor, something she wasn't used to.

"You should move on, ma'am. The thing here will soon be very bad." One of the cowboys warned her by jogging next to her.

"What's going on?" She asked ignoring his request.

"What happens every day here in Yellowstone: big dog fight." The cowboy waved his hat and trotted towards the discussion that was forming.

Natalie noted that the fence was free of barbed wire, so it would not be very difficult for cattle to go from one place to another. However, she doubted that the cowboys of that ranch had left the fence like that, just as it would be almost impossible for the cattle to take a different direction from what they took every day, unless someone attracted them with food. She got closer to the scene and noticed the remains of hay on the other side. Wow, a crime scene right on her first day in Montana.

"Madam, I'll ask you to leave, please." A serious and deep voice echoed behind her and she turned around. One of the men in the bulletproof vest was in front of her and at that distance she could read Livestock Agent on his chest. He carried a powerful rifle between his hands.

"As far as I know, the road is public." She responded without being able to see him right, because the strong light of the sun prevented her.

"This one is not. It belongs to the Reservation."

"Well, then they should take me out of here and not you...agent." Natalie replied pointing to the police and heard a low laugh coming from him. "Besides, I'm much more helpful here."

"I doubt that."

"OK, agent. I can tell what I know to the police officers of the Reservation and so they can win this fight." Natalie crossed the fence and walked a few steps on the pasture, but his voice came up again.

"I could get you out of there with little effort, ma'am!"

"Try it! Let's see what happens to you after that."

Natalie turned her back on the agent and approached the Indians of the Reservation, but seconds later a heated argument began. One of the Indians insulted one of the cowboys and he crossed the fence to attack him, but the Indian quickly knocked him out on the ground. The scene was transformed without Natalie being able to keep up. The police officers lifted their weapons, as well as the cowboys on the other side, but soon the agent came up with the rifle and threatened the Indian with his barrel on his head.

"Whatever happens next happens to you first." The agent threatened in a loud and deep voice.

"Son of a bitch." The Indian released the cowboy under his hands and faced the agent with danger in his eyes.

Tensions were stifled with the arrival of a helicopter on land. Natalie managed to read Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in the helicopter body and smiled playfully. What an unusual way to meet the boss. He got off the vehicle dressed as the good landowner he was, with simple clothes and a hat. The livestock agent went to meet him and exchanged some words that Natalie could not hear due to the distance and noise of the helicopter propellers.

The two men approached the fence and John exchanged glances with Natalie, surprised by her presence there, but he had more urgent matters to deal with than to know why a white woman dressed in a white satin blouse, navy blue pencil skirt and high heels was on the other side of the fence. She soon found out that she was on the wrong side of that fight, so she walked slowly towards the track, and she had difficulty walking due to her high heels sinking into the grass.

"This is a tribal issue, John. Livestock commission's got no authority here." One of the police officers informed John with caution.

"Those look like livestock to me." He pointed to the cattle on the other side of the fence and kept walking.

"The Chief's at Commencement, but I'm calling the shots."

"I'm impressed you said that with a straight face, Ben." John mocked with a smile and continued walking on the tribal ground until he approached a gentleman sitting on the hood of the truck that was among the cattle.

"If you know anything, it's better to say it now. Things won't be more friendly between us and them for much longer." The agent approached Natalie again and she remained looking at John's back, wishing to hear what he said, but it was too far away.

"If I say what I know, I lose the letter in the sleeve I have, don't you think?"

"Look, ma'am, I don't know where you come from, but here in Montana we solve the problems in two ways: either we follow the law, or we break it." The agent responded politely after a brief pause, as if he were thinking about what he should say. She liked it, he didn't want to push her away, he thought she was important enough to try to insist on the subject.

"I come from Boston...and from what I see now, you will need a good lawyer."

"I don't think we'll win this fight through laws, ma'am."

"You really won't go, so you'll need a lawyer: to fix the law after you break it. I have my card in the car, if you want."

The agent smiled openly, showing his white and big teeth. Very perfect for a cowboy and livestock agent, she thought. Either he spent all the money on dental appointments or...

"Lee Dutton." He supported the rifle in one hand and offered her the other. "Can I know your name, Madam from Boston?"

"Natalie WentWorth." She accepted his greeting and had her small hand engulfed by his big hand, tanned and full of calluses in a strong but gentle grip. "Don't worry, I'm on this side of the fence."

He just kept smiling and Natalie could watch him at that moment, since he covered the sunlight from her face. Lee was tall, although any man taller than one meter and seventy was taller than her, he wore a cream hat that covered most of his hair, and he wore a grown beard, blonde, and looked well cared for. And there was that smile that besides being beautiful, was cheerful. How could he be happy in that situation? She didn't know, but she was curious.

"Lee!" John Dutton's voice sounded authoritarian when he crossed the fence. "Clear everyone out."

"You know, there was barbed wire on this fence a week ago." Lee explained to his father.

"I know. Clear them out."

"Alright! Move on!"

While Lee gathered his men, Natalie hurried the step to accompany John Dutton, but her high heels did not help, so she removed them.

"Mr. Dutton! Mr... Dutton!" She called feeling her feet pincing due to the tall grass. After a few seconds, he stopped and waited for her to approach.

"It wasn't a good choice to wear these shoes today, ma'am." John mocked with a smile as he observed the high heels in Natalie's hands.

"I'm a newcomer to Montana, sir. I can get used to it." She put on her shoes and extended a hand to him. "My name is Natalie WentWorth. Your son Jamie told me that you were in need of help."

"All the help I need is in my house, ma'am. I don't need another lawyer." John seriously informed without accepting her hand.

"But I came here from Boston. Jamie told me that..."

"I don't know what Jamie wanted with you, miss, but it certainly has nothing to do with me or my ranch." He stared at her in a mixture of pity and anger. "If you want, we can take you back in the helicopter."

"I've been driving, sir."

"I'm sorry for what Jamie made you go through. I hope you have a good trip back." John put his sunglasses on his face and walked away from her with slow steps towards the helicopter.

Natalie was planted in the same place for so long that the police officers of the reserve had left, as well as the tribals and most of the cowboys. She couldn't believe that. After all the effort to get there, after thinking long before getting close to cowboys again, she was rejected. Natalie didn't know who else she was angry with, if it was Jamie, Mr. Dutton or herself.

"Miss WentWorth, is everything okay?" Lee appeared next to her and she had to control herself so as not to shrook another Dutton next to her.

"It'll be." She started walking again and heard his steps following her. She rolled her eyes and growled softly. "Go back to your work, Mr. Dutton. You're going to need a lot of work."

"What do you mean? Hey, wait!"

Natalie was already used to walking with high heels on the grass and was already approaching her car on the side of the side. However, to her misfortune, one Dutton was determined to leave her away while the other did not leave her alone.

"What did you mean?" He put himself between her and the driver's door.

"I need to go now, Mr. Dutton. Can I get in my own car?" She asked impatiently, but Lee remained in the same place.

"Only answer the question." Lee asked kindly, but Natalie was too angry to notice.

"I am not obliged by law to answer anything. And if you don't get out of the front of my fucking car now, I'll sue you for so many things that you'll never have a penny in your cowboy pants again." She threatened him fervently and Lee took a few seconds thinking to then clear the way. "Thank you, Agent."

"Aren't you going to give me your card?" He asked at the window when she got in the car.

"It will no longer be necessary."

Natalie started the gear and started the car, causing the tire to leave stains on the asphalt.

#Yellowstone #yellowstone tv #yellowstone fic #lee dutton #dave annable #adelaide kane #begin again #lee dutton x oc #lee dutton fic #john dutton #beth dutton #jamie dutton #kayce dutton #monica long #romance #drama #hot hot hot #smut

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what-inthe-goddamn · 1 month

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#courier six #saoirse walton #lyanna spotted elk #fallout new vegas #fallout yellowstone #fallout #fallout ocs

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madhattervanessa · 1 year

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Kill You To Try (Chapter 3)

Summary: Weeks go by and eventually, the numbness of grief forces you back to the ranch. You're caught between two chairs.

Warnings: self harm-ish things, isolation

Words: 2109

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A/N: So sorry for the late chapter guys, I'm currently struggling with a uni project that got completely dismissed by my prof and some other life stuff - I might edit this chapter a little next week but I didn't want to leave you guys without anything :)

You must have fallen asleep,... again. The porch chair, despite its rotten-looking wood, offers a charming comfort. That, combined with the look out towards the water providing just enough ambient sounds, has continuously proven to make you drift off.

It's not like you could actively remember the past few weeks.

The dust you had whirled up into the air more than a week ago now has settled again, nestling into the crooks of the wood and the dried lavender you had hung above the window of the kitchen. It had been a measly attempt at smoothing out the musky scent of the settling wood beams and the peaty soil underneath.

Now that you've grown accustomed to it... the days are flying by.

Mainly because you keep staring into the water, dozing off, and thinking about where it had all gone wrong. How you ended up here.

The faint gurgle of the water, the occasional hiccup and splash of the gentle stream kissing the mossy, slick stones brings you back and makes you open your eyes again. There's the faint chill biting on your cheeks, a testament to how much time you'd spent on the porch already.

Maybe you should leave the blanket inside when you come out in the morning.

You twist the artfully woven fabric mindlessly in your fingers, back and forth. The loose lint gets scraggly underneath the pressure, the fine fabric strings hooking into each other and balling up.

You frown at it, thinking about the few words you had managed to string together on your laptop since you had moved into the cabin.

A splash makes you look up from your musing. A lazy drift of your eyes, more like, still without coffee and food because the food you got from Gabriel every now and then had run out by now.

Your eyes wander over the river until you spot a brown bear.

Just barely in the first few gleams of the sun, it trudges deeper into the water, uncaring of your presence on the other side of the river.

You should probably take up cooking again.

Give yourself something to do; maybe you should cook something for Gabriel, at least once, in return.

A fish from the stream, perhaps.

You squint against the bright light, the reflections on the water, and find the bear, quite unsuccessfully, snapping at fish swimming past.

It has been a week since you've been down at the ranch.

Your fingers are itching for something to do.

Then again, meeting the judging, worried look from the Senior of the Dutton family has started to lose its appeal. It makes your skin crawl to see the gruff man level such a soft, understanding look at you without much prompting.

"Hey, sunshine."

"Hey yourself- you busy?" You set your tote bag with the empty Tupperware down at your usual spot at the kitchen island before glancing at Gabriel. He is chopping away at something, diligently working, even as you lean against the kitchen counter next to him. You watch his arm move, the way he fills the shirt up that he had chosen for today.

"A little. Working on supper preparations." He briefly turns and flashes a charming smile before he continues chopping some zucchini. "How was your week away from the ranch?"

"Insightful. I brought you something for all that food you made me. Just... a favor in return for a favor."

Perfectly cubed pieces of vegetable join the others in the big bowl next to him and you watch as he puts down the knife. When he dries his washed hands on the towel slung over his shoulder, he finally meets your eyes again.

"That's awfully nice."

"I would have bought you a bottle of something good to drink but I don't really know what you like."

He chuckles with a slight nod before he risks a look towards the kitchen island where you have deposited the filled box.

"What's in it?"

"Special dinner. Didn't have time to make dessert, otherwise, I would have made you some of my homemade cinnamon buns."

"Mh, I've heard good things about those."

"Oh, is that so?"

You nudge him with your elbow before looking over the kitchen countertop more closely - the bowl is a rainbow of colors and you see a box of steak, deep in the mix of paprika orange and streaks of muted greens, a marinade that already looks promising. It's like you can smell the colors.

"Well, maybe we can make those together sometime soon, then." He nudges you back and you chuckle before hopping off the counter again.

"Yeah right. Every cook I know despises baking."

"Yeah because it's like chemistry-"

"-like chemistry", you say at the same time. You grin wolfishly before knocking on the countertop wood, twice.

"Well, I better go out to the barn. Check on the horses."

"Want me to walk you over?"

"What, do you think a wolf will get me?"

"Nah. I just... I could use the fresh air."

"Uhm, sure."

He throws a towel over the cubed veggies.

You don't say much when he follows you outside.

What are you even doing?

"Hardly noticed how nice the weather is today", Gabriel mutters, scratching his beard as you approach the barn. You hum and look out towards the mountains.

"Maybe you need to get out more often."

"Hey, I do get out." He smiles, despite the admonishment. You give him an unbelieving look.

"Yeah, right, Gator", you huff and turn into the barn. He stops right at the border of the first concrete tile and leans up against the wooden door.

"Well if you don't believe me, I'll just have to prove it. You free this weekend?"

You're mute.

What?

He is still staring at you, waiting for an answer, unabashedly waiting out the awkward silence.

"I uhh- I'll have to look into my calendar, I guess."

"When you do, you know where to find me."

You're left with no further explanation, your eyes following Gabriel until he is back at the lodge.

You don't know if you want to answer him, today, though.

You frown and hold your breath as you push your hand deeper into the cow - it lows as you do and you shush it as you carefully press further.

"You look beautiful today, Bones!"

You glare at the young farmhand calling out to you and manage to raise your middle finger at him.

"Aren't those boys happy about summer starting", you grumble. You finally manage to feel the organ you had been looking for. John chuckles, leveling an amused look at the guys working the herd in the other gutter.

"You know how they get."

"Wish they'd get more useful, sometimes", you mutter, still busy mapping out the reproductive system of the cow.

John hums, still leaning onto the metal cage the cow is fixated in, leaving you just enough room so you don’t feel uncomfortable but always close enough to peer over your shoulder.

“So, what’s going on?”

You draw your arm back after another minute with a short murmur to the cow.

“There’s some abnormalities around the ovaries and uterus. I’m going to suggest we keep her in while I do some tests. But most likely she’s going to be useless for breeding, John”, you sigh as you tug your plastic glove off. He notes it down in his notebook, nodding slightly.

You throw your dirty glove into your bucket and move over to the side to draw some blood from the neck of the cow where Rip is standing.

He smiles at you as you take a short moment to pat the cow’s neck.

“Rip!”

His head whips up towards John’s voice, his legs already in motion. He pats your shoulder as he passes you. As you rummage for a needle in your case, you catch him looking at you while he listens to John.

A cheeky smile briefly breaks his serious grimace before he turns away from you again.

You busy yourself withdrawing some blood from the cow's neck, carefully filling up a few more vials that you stash in the cooled box next to your case.

"Alright," you call out as you straighten up, your eyes on the boys in the back. ", send me the next one in, guys! We still have two more left!"

You straighten your head and use your bandana to wipe off some sweat that had built on your forehead and neck.

It takes a few more hours to finish your work, carefully checking over all of the cows that would be used for breeding this year before you do the actual dirty work the next week.

“Got everything?”

You look up from your cooled box of blood vials, your pen hovering over your notebook pages with the cattle numbers. Rip has your travel mug in hand, the light clinking of the metal immediately giving away the contents.

"Well, now I do. When did you have time to make me an iced coffee?”

“Who said I made it”, he just retorts, pushing the cool container into your free hand. You squint at him before taking a sip and noting the last few comments down before you shut the book.

“Well I know damn well that nobody would willingly put oat milk in coffee in this part of the country”, you murmur- you chance a look towards the Dutton house and feel your cheeks flush as you see Gabriel leaning over the sill to wave at you.

Oh. So that’s where the coffee had come from.

You wave back and take another sip before you look back at Rip.

He’s looking out towards the ranch, checking on god knows what- maybe the farmhand busy doing the dirty work of the day.

“Do you need any help moving your stuff up?”

“The blood vial case is a bit heavy but I’ll be fine. After all, that is going on Milton’s back, not mine.”

“Just askin’. I'm going into town to get groceries. Want to come along?"

"Oh- I am-" you stop and frown. "No, actually, I could use some groceries, now that you mention it."

"I'll pick you up at the cabin, later, then."

"That would be great, thanks, Rip." You lean your head against his shoulder for a brief moment before looking up at him. He is already looking at you - it makes you squirm, that look.

"I'll come pick you up in an hour."

You don't think you've ever seen Rip without at least two pieces of clothing that identify him as a cowboy: It's always a hat, the boots, the belt, and maybe one of the Dutton logos on his shirts.

"Alright."

You grin to yourself as you watch a younger man glancing at Rip nervously from the produce aisle.

You gently squeeze the tomato in your hand before grabbing a few to put in your cart. Rip is frowning at some cucumbers next to you.

"Stop frowning like that, you're scaring every teenager in the vicinity", you mutter and nudge him before picking one of the cucumbers for yourself.

"Just thinking."

"You want to talk about it?"

"It's nothing important, doll."

You bite your lip instead of disagreeing. Instead, you focus on picking out some more produce, the faint 2000s summer playlist playing in the background. The AC is already blasting even though summer has barely started - you're almost freezing in your thinned-out sweatshirt. It's blissfully empty around this time in the grocery store- well, as empty as these giant stores can get.

Rip eventually catches up to you in the fruit juice aisle where you swear your teeth are chattering.

"I shouldn't buy this much- I can barely get all of this up to the cabin."

"I'll drive you back, you know that, right?"

He's close. Hovering. You two haven't been this close in months.

You miss the comfort of his hugs.

It's the only thing you can think about as you stare into the overfilled shelf.

"Pick some up so we can have those fancy little cocktails you like to make. Don't play shy about it."

"So what you're saying is you want me to make some cocktails again because you have been missing having those fancy fruity little drinks with me."

He doesn't say anything, just leans so close you can feel the warmth of his breath.

"If you tell on me, I'll tell the greenhorn you have a crush on him."

"Ohhh, I'm shaking in fear."

"Knew it wasn't just the cold."

Rip leans back again and you smile as you pick out a few juice bottles, despite the chill.

He forces you to take his jacket when you get into the truck again and drives the two of you home.

You spend the next two days hugging yourself, wound up in it as you let your feet dangle into the cool water of the stream.

You do it until you feel your toes go numb. After going inside and warming them up, you do it again, your eyes steadily on the rush and splash of the water, the reflections playing with the lights.

The groceries stay untouched.

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#yellowstone #yellowstone tv #yellowstone fanfic #yellowstone x reader #rip wheeler x reader #rip wheeler x f!reader #rip wheeler x OC #rip wheeler x f!OC

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dramatic-horsey · 6 months

Text

🐺⛰️🦅

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romvnova · 6 months

Text

One : Dutton Women

trigger warning: mature and adult themes including but not limited to explicit sexual scenes and swearing. please read at your own discretion. i am not responsible for mature media consumed by anyone under age if these warnings are ignored.

“What the fuck d’you think you’re doing?” I start at the rough growl of baritone behind me, looking over my shoulder at Rip, to find him looming there like a brooding broad shouldered michelangelo statue, angrily shrugging out of the ranch issued black denim shirt he wears, revealing a soft looking black henley underneath. Though spring was upon us, there remained a chill in the air that spoke that winter wasn’t quite done with us yet.

I clutch the towel tighter ‘round my body, looking back to stare down the newest ranch hands that look away, towards the small fire they’d built; hoping that if they ignore me I’ll go away.

Shows what they know about us Dutton’s.

“I caught them peeking in the bunkhouse bathroom window. Figured if they wanted to look, then they might as well stop being fucking pussies and look!” I raise my voice so it carries and drop the towel and Rip snarls a curse behind me, grabbing my upper arm a bit roughly, yanking me back into the shadows of the bunkhouse, away from the soft sugared moonbeams.

“The fuck is wrong with you Dutton women and walking ‘round here fucking naked?” His breath is hot against my ear as he covers me with his shirt, the denim rough and scratchy against my skin.

I struggle against his grip for a moment, flinging a finger at the ranch hands. “Daddy taught me to never show weakness.”

Rip lets out a low breath that sounds like a growl and despite myself I shiver, begrudgingly shoving my arms through his shirt, holding the front together. He’s tall and the hem of his shirt hangs down to rest at my mid-thigh. It’s a baggy dress on me and I realize that I’m shivering and I hug it tighter to me, getting a whiff of a scent that is uniquely Rip’s. It smells like musk, fresh linen laundry detergent, hay, horse and a bit like whiskey.

His grip returns to my elbow this time as he bends down to pick up the towel I discarded mumbling curses under his breath. Rip balls the towel up and hands it to me roughly. “Kelsea, go put some fucking clothes on.” There is a thread of danger in his voice, pitched low and into my ear that has me shivering again; and I hear what he doesn’t say: that he would take care of it.

What the young, reckless ranch hands don’t know about their boss: he was a bruiser, an enforcer. They don’t know that he’s killed men for Daddy, for this family.

“Don’t hurt ‘em too bad, Rip.” I didn’t like what I heard in what he left unspoken, and my anger fizzles into a soft swell of fear. Sure, I was pissed at the guys for coping a peek but I didn’t want them beaten to a bloody pulp. I was perfectly fine with handling it how I’d handled it.

Rip, it seemed, did not agree.

“Go put clothes on and go wait for me in my cabin.” Is all Rip says before he lets go of my elbow.

“Rip!” I call after him as he begins to make a beeline for the young ranch hands who stand ‘round the fire, their snickers and sneers sobered up; solemn.

“Kelsea. Go.” He both warns and commands, not bothering to stop or look back.

I steel my shoulders and trudge into the bunkhouse. I toss on a pair of dark grey leggings and a oversized flannel. I grab my brush and bag of skincare and make my way to his cabin, feeling like a teenager sneaking out to meet a boy. The night air is charged with the same sort of taboo electricity. I contemplate waiting on the porch steps of the cabin for Rip but there is a chill settling into my bones and instead I open the screen door, slip inside, nudging the door shut behind me. I mechanically run my hairbrush through my tangled, wet hair, using the small bathroom mirror before I pilate it to a messy braid.

They should know better than to be peeping tom’s … but I suppose my decision to share the bunkhouse instead of my old room on the ranch’s main house had been an invitation for something like this to happen. At least, I was fairly sure that would be Rip’s argument. It’d been daddy’s.

I go through the routine of my skincare then, taking it slow. Cleanse. Serums. Moisturizer. Lip balm. In the dim light of Rip’s single bathroom light overhead, the filaments buzzing in the golden globe I stare at my reflection in the mirror. When I was a kid, I’d loved to hang out in the bunkhouse. Kayce and I would always stage sleepovers where the ranch hands would teach us poker and other card games, would let us steal sips of beer. I was more tomboy than a girly girl.

And of course, I noticed when the attention of men and boys began to change, but I’d hoped that I could pretend that men weren’t only interested in one thing from me. That I could be ‘one of the guys’ again.

I’d gambled and I’d gambled wrong; of course, stealing a peek in the bathroom while I showered had been a choice. A wrong choice. A disgusting choice. It’d been the first time since my return that I’d felt unsafe.

And even that had been temporary. Rip, with his keen eye and malinois loyalty wasn’t going to let bygones be bygones. He’d tracked us down like a blood hound and I hadn’t even been raising my voice. Not really.

I look away from my face, to see the door open after the soft thud of Rip’s heavy footfalls on the wood of the porch sounded from the other side of the door; muted. A soft creak of the screen door, and the door opens, only to slam closed as he kicks it closed behind him.

“Sit down.” Is the only greeting I get from Rip as he moves past like a storm personified. I turn off the bathroom light and take a seat on the couch, my back against the arm rest, grabbing the soft sherpa blanket draped over the back and pull it onto my lap.

I can feel the tension roll off of Rip in waves, even with my back to him.

Bottles jostle together as he rummages thru the fridge. I hear the release of pressure as he opens a beer bottle, tossing the metal cap to the counter where it clatters and then a second hiss and clatter.

His cowboy boots make dull thuds against the cowhide runner on the wooden floor. I look up as he holds a cold beer bottle to me as he passes. I take it with a quiet ‘thank you’ that I’m not even sure he hears. I take a swig of it, and then another, smaller sip, tucking my legs up to my chest as he collapses onto the couch beside me.

I stare at him for a moment, trying to suss out his mood, watching as he downs a good portion of the bottle in one swig.

“What were you thinkin’ Kels?” I choose that moment to take a long sip of my beer, hating the after taste as it lingers in the back of my throat.

“`bout which part?” I ask quietly, eyeing him as he lets out a low snort.

“All of it.” He answers me gruffly, turning his head to face me, tipping the brim of his hat up. His gaze is intense and burns into me; heat floods me and I suck in a soft breath.

I don’t answer right away, stalling instead by taking a swig of my beer. It only buys me a few seconds.

“I thought things could be like they were when I was a younger. When Kayce and I were joined at the hip and I was one of the guys.” I whisper before taking another swig. It’s almost empty now my beer, but I don’t feel anything. Not a even a small buzz.

Rip lets out a low snort and polishes off his own beer, holding his hand out for mine. I hand it to him and watch as he stands, sitting them with a dull thud in the sink before he fetches two more from his fridge. “You haven’t been one of the boys since you hit puberty, darlin’. The wranglers knew better than to touch you. Hell, they knew better than to even look at you.”

He sits back down and hands me a beer that I take gratefully. “And not just because Kayce’d have knocked anyone who looked at you sideways silly.” I shift my legs, partially tucking them under me and let out a small breath ‘round the bottle’s lip as he reaches for my knee.

“Besides the fact that you’re John Dutton’s youngest daughter, your his favorite. And there’s twenty branded men that would’ve died for you. Killed for you. And they knew that.”

I can see the peek of the yellowstone brand through the slouching collar of his henley. I look down at his hand, warm and calloused and large on my knee, the lazy trial of his thumb along my knee cap. I reach for it, grabbing his fingers as he goes to draw it back.

His knuckles are split and caked in blood.

“Jesus Rip,” I kick off the blanket and sit my beer on the coffee table.

“Don’t fuss over it —” but I’m already padding into the bathroom, rooting thru the cabinets for the first aid kit. I find it and return back to the couch. “—this ain’t nothin’.” He protests lightly but I’m already perched on the edge of the couch, pulling his hand onto my lap. “The kid’s face took the brunt of it.” Guilt twists in my stomach but I ignore it, opening the kit and start to clean his knuckles.

“Shut the fuck up, Rip.” I tell him as he grumbles.

“You’re not stayin’ in that fuckin’ bunkhouse anymore.” He tells me, breath tickling against my temple as I apply ointment to the wounds on his knuckles. “You don’t wanna stay in the main house? That’s fine. You stay here with me.” His tipping my chin up, his index finger tucked beneath my chin, his thumb toying with my bottom lip.

I look at him thru my lashes, reaching up to steal his black cowboy hat and perch it on my head, swinging my left leg over his thighs so I was straddling him. He shifts on the couch, one hand going to my thigh, the other on my waist. Rip’s thighs are thick and I’m small compared to him, so I’m perched in his lap, knees one either side of his waist.

His head bows and his breath fans across my collar bone, lips ghosting across it in a tease that makes me ache for him, has my fingers digging into his broad shoulders.

“If one of those fuckers gets his dick anywhere near you, I’ll fucking take his balls and nail ‘em to the bunkhouse wall.” I make a small hum in the back of my throat and roll my hips against his, reaching between us to undo his belt.

His hand goes to mine and grabs it, stills it where my fingers splay just under the waistband of his jeans.

“And no more walkin’ round the fucking ranch naked as the day you were born.” He tells me thickly, strain in his voice; rich and warm where it slides over me like dark whiskey.

“Don’t worry Rip, you’re the only one that can touch.” I purr against his lips. Rip was my first kiss, my first time, my first love. My first and my last. His hand on my thigh goes to cup the scruff of my neck, as if I were a pup instead of a human. I struggle between feeling insulted and finding it incredibly hot at the same time.

“I’m serious, Kels. Stop given the fucking ranch hands reasons to jerk off to you.” I am quiet, and still against him, letting my shoulders drop, my defenses down. So long as my walls were up, Rip was only going to be assertive.

“They already know I’m yours, that doesn’t appear to stop ‘em.” I whisper against the corner of his mouth when he releases his hold on me. His fingers follow the length of my spine, feather-light strokes that nearly have me keening against him. He makes a noise low in his throat, his grip on my wrist loosening, his hand covering mine, guiding my hand lower, against his semi-hard length.

His body responds to my touch and his hips buck up into my palm, against mine.

He tugs my hand out of his jeans, cradles my thighs in his grip and stands, lifting me up. His lips crash into mine, all tongue and teeth; bruising. He’s still angry then. I don’t know whether the target was his bedroom but if it was we miss it, he lifts me on the edge of his table, sending things skittering to the floor, hit cowboy hat falling off my head, toppling over as I grip him desperately with one hand, the other stabilizing me as I press my palm flat to the table.

He makes quick work of my leggings, shoving them off and discarding them to the floor. Impatiently, he gets his jeans and briefs down to his knees before he’s inside me, sinking into the hilt. I gasp against his lips, back arching as he keeps a steady pace, one hand digging into the supple flush of my thigh, the other gripping the side of the table as it rocks beneath us.

I come undone first and Rip is quick to follow, throbbing within me, against me, spilling hot seed within me. I press a kiss to his forehead, feeling each movement he makes as he remains seated within me.

He takes a heady breath, as if he has to catch it; gaze searching mine. “Marry me, Kelsea.”

It takes me a second, in post table sex bliss, for my mind to catch up to his words. When it does I let out a small giggle, and then sober up real quick when I realize he was serious. I feel a flutter in my stomach beneath the intensity of his gaze, soft as it studies me, looking at me like he was a blindman looking at the moon for the first time. It was how Rip always looked at me, even when he was burning inside from his anger at me, at my words, at my decisions.

“Jesus Rip. You ask every girl you fuck while your cock’s still inside her and your cum is still warm and wet against her thighs to marry you?” And there it was. The infamous Dutton bitchiness. I got it honestly from my mother. She wasn’t as hard on me as she’d been Beth but the fact remained; and I couldn’t quite seem to temper it down.

I shove him off and out of me and he stumbles back slightly. I wish he’d struggle a bit, look everywhere but at me. But his gaze on me remains stable. Unwavering. But god if that wasn’t Rip. Loyal and stable and unmovable; a mountain in the skin of a man.

“There’s only you, Kelsea. There’s only ever been you.” His words affect me, make heat pool low in my belly. I knew that. I’d known it since I was sixteen years old. I knew it before he even murmured that he loved me into my hair when he thought I’d fallen asleep the first night we’d been intimate and searched for constellations in the bed of his beat up old Ford Ranger.

I already had my answer, but I was going to make Rip work for it. I knew. He knew it. “I’m serious, Kelsea.” He tells me as he tucks himself back into his jeans.

“Then propose to me. Seriously. Post nut proposal isn’t serious.” I tell him over my shoulder, swiping the bottle of Jack Daniels off the counter as I go, making a beeline to his bedroom.

I turn and linger in the doorway, leaning against it, almost bare to him, my leggings discarded on the floor where he’d tossed them earlier. “Are you coming to bed?” I take a swig of the whiskey, tugging my hair down out of the bun. “I’m not done with you yet, cowboy.”

#yellowstone #fan fiction #rip wheeler fanfic #original character #yellowstone fanfic #rip wheeler x oc

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scionshtola · 7 months

Text

sweet distraction

summary: On Friday night, Y’shtola found herself alone at the only bar in town. Corisande saves her from ending the night early. pairing: Corisande Ymir/Y'shtola Rhul word count: 2.4k | rated: G | read on ao3 notes: a modern day AU of sorts, where Y'shtola is a geologist new to town and Cori is a ranch hand who shows her around. there's a little bit of Hilda/Joye in here because I could not resist [divider credit]

On Friday night, Y’shtola found herself alone at the only bar in town.

“Leave your books and your research in your motel room for one night,” Hilda had said outside Y’shtola’s room only an hour ago, the same thing she’d said to Y’shtola every weekend since Y’shtola had arrived in town a few weeks ago. Y’shtola had shocked them both by agreeing, and then Hilda had shocked her by abandoning her for a pretty young woman, blonde hair divided into two braids over her shoulders, the moment their drinks had arrived. She’d given Y’shtola a shrug and a wave as she followed behind Joye, carrying both their drinks.

She could have left then, could have gone back to her room where her books and her research still waited for her. But something had held her back, something that had her keeping a vaguely interested eye on the crowd as she pushed her straw around her drink.

Part of her—a small part—had hoped Corisande would be here tonight. Not that Y’shtola thought about them often, but they’d spent the greater part of the last few weeks together, with Corisande escorting Y’shtola around the Haillenarte ranch as she ran her tests on the land. It was only natural that her thoughts might stray now and again toward the ranch hand who had practically become her coworker. It was hardly her fault that ranch hand was six feet tall, with bright green eyes and the most sincere smile Y’shtola had ever seen. That was barely an observation worth noting—a simple declaration of fact.

She pushed thoughts of Corisande from her mind with a sip of a drink. She couldn’t deny there was some kind of connection between them, friendship and understanding forming between them from their very first meeting, when Corisande had shown both interest in and knowledge of Y’shtola’s work as a geologist. But Y’shtola was here for work, and she was not here for long—there was hardly even time for friendship.

Anything else would only be a distraction.

“Mind if I join you, miss?” a soft voice said, pitched just loud enough to hear over the music. Y’shtola looked up and found herself staring directly into those bright green eyes, that sincere smile directed her way.

“Oh,” Y’shtola said, unable to keep the note of relief out of her voice. “You’re here.”

Corisande tilted her head. Her long hair, free of its usual braid, fell in burgundy waves over their shoulder, soft pink highlights catching the warm light. “Were you waiting for me?”

Y’shtola shrugged, and tried to recover. “I figured you would show up sooner or later. Everyone else in town seems to be here.”

“There’s not much else to do on a Friday night around here,” Corisande said, with a knowing quirk to their smile that tugged at something in her, though she could not quite decipher what.

That did not bear thinking about. She tore her gaze from their mouth, letting it fall over them on its way back to her drink. Their usual plaid top had been left unbuttoned, the tails tied together in a knot on one side, revealing a low cut black tank top beneath.

Y’shtola took another sip of her drink, mouth suddenly dry.

“I didn’t expect to see you here, though.” Corisande set her drink on the table, a swirling sunset-colored concoction in a tall glass, and draped her jacket over the back of a chair before sliding into it. “Especially not sitting alone.”

“I was talked into taking a break,” Y’shtola said, tilting her chin to where Hilda sat with Joye, their heads bent close together. “And promptly discarded at the door for another woman.”

Corisande glanced over their shoulder, and a smile played on their lips when they turned back.

“So you had no choice but to sulk at a table alone all night instead of, I don’t know, dancing,” they teased, gesturing toward the crowd on the dance floor that Y’shtola had kept an eye on all night—just for something to do, certainly not on the lookout for any pink tipped ears standing above the crowd.

“I’m not sulking. I stayed to finish my drink,” Y’shtola said, swirling her glass in their direction. “Besides, I’m not much of a dancer.”

Corisande rested her chin in the palm of one hand as she sipped her drink, looking at Y’shtola with a glint in her eye that concerned her. There was an embarrassing swoop in Y’shtola’s stomach when Corisande smiled. She ignored it.

“Dance with me,” they said, tilting their head again so that Y’shtola had no choice but to follow the fall of their hair.

It took her a moment to realize what they’d said. She gave a short, incredulous laugh in response. Hadn’t she just said she was not much of a dancer? She opened her mouth to protest, but a voice boomed from the stage before she could speak.

“Alright folks, you know what time it is! Who’s ready for some good old-fashioned line-dancing?”

Corisande’s lips parted, her eyes growing wide in excitement. She reached across the table and grabbed Y’shtola’s hand, pulling her to her feet and halfway to the dance floor before Y’shtola came to her senses with a shake of her head.

“No, no, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said, though she could not quite get herself to pull her hand from Corisande’s, their callused fingers warm against hers.

“As your appointed guide, I can’t in good conscience let you skip out on a line dance,” Corisande answered, reaching to take Y’shtola’s other hand as well.

“You’re only my guide at the ranch,” Y’shtola said, still not stepping back.

“Consider this an anthropological extension of your research, then,” Corisande said, squeezing her hands. “You’ll have fun, I promise. We can stand at the back, and if you get lost you can just watch me.”

Their lips curled into a sly grin then. “You look like a quick study.”

Y’shtola did not like the way her heart skipped a beat at their words. Music started up again on stage, and Y’shtola’s protests died in her throat when Corisande moved their hips in time with it. They tugged on her hands with each slow swivel, and Y’shtola could not stop her gaze from following the long line of their legs, from where their dark jeans tucked into their tall brown boots to where they clung tightly to the curve of their ass.

“Please?” Corisande asked. “Just one song.”

“One song,” Y’shtola relented. Corisande beamed down at her, and Y’shtola could not help but smile back.

She let herself be pulled into line at the back of the crowd. The dance had already begun, and Corisande fell easily into the steps beside her, while Y’shtola watched the woman leading and did her best to follow the callouts.

After a moment, Corisande caught her eye, her lips already quirked into the teasing grin Y’shtola was quickly becoming familiar with. “Good, but I know you can give it more than that,” she teased.

Y’shtola kept her eyes carefully away from where Corisande’s fingers framed her silver belt buckle, her hips swaying. Instead she followed the next step, sliding to the left and punctuating it with a quick shuffle and spin, finding her rhythm easily as she picked up the steps. When she met their eyes again, their grin had grown wider.

“As you said,” Y’shtola said, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. “I’m a quick study.”

Corisande’s head tipped back with her laughter, a sweet sound that warmed Y’shtola more than any drink this place could serve.

When the lines turned and Y’shtola found herself behind Corisande, it was difficult not to watch her. She leaned into each movement, her long wine-colored hair swaying, a carefree ease and rhythm to each step that somehow made Y’shtola more comfortable in her own movements.

They turned again, facing the front of the bar, and together they clapped and stomped and stepped in place with the others. Y’shtola’s skirt swung and swirled about her knees as she kicked and glided. She slid to the right, just a bit too far, and Corisande caught her with one arm around her shoulders and spun them both around. They leaned in and, just loud enough for her to hear them over the music, said, “I knew you weren’t one to do things halfway.”

Now it was Y’shtola’s turn to laugh, bubbling breathlessly out of her as they released her. The lines turned, and she felt their eyes on her from behind. She cast a glance over her shoulder, and they met her gaze with a warm smile, one that felt inexplicably secret and knowing between them despite the crowd around them.

They caught each other’s gaze more often than not for the rest of the dance, smiling and laughing as they stepped and clapped. Each glance set off a spark in Y’shtola’s chest, leaving her warm from more than just exertion.

Corisande’s dark blue pickup rolled to a stop outside of the motel. They’d passed the short drive in a companionable kind of quiet, Corisande with one hand on the wheel and Y’shtola watching the night pass by outside the window, settled in the jacket they had slung over her shoulders. Every so often their gazes met across the cab for a moment, until Corisande’s kind smile made Y’shtola’s cheeks heat and she had to turn away.

Now that they’d arrived outside Y’shtola’s room, she found herself reluctant to end the night so soon. But she supposed there was no use in staving off the inevitable.

“Thank you for the ride,” she said, forcing herself to unlock the door and reach for the handle, though she did not open it just yet. “And for the dance. I had far more fun than I expected tonight.”

She could just make out Corisande’s gentle smile in the dark. They leaned back and stretched their arm across the back of the seat. “Better than a night spent with your data?”

“Yes,” Y’shtola admitted with a small laugh, and their smile grew. “I think I needed the break—I’ve been so caught up in my work I’ve hardly let myself have one since I got here. It’s good to be reminded every once in a while.”

“Happy to help,” Corisande said, the sincerity of their tone causing an embarrassing flutter in Y’shtola’s chest. Before she could get out of the truck to avoid any further flustering sentiment, Corisande’s eyes darted to the radio, which had been playing at a gentle hum in the background since they’d left the bar. “In fact…”

They shifted toward Y’shtola. She froze, her breath caught in her chest as they leaned in, until they bypassed her in favor of the window crank. Y’shtola watched them roll down her window, and then hop out of the truck and come around to the passenger side. They opened her door and helped her out of the truck with one hand, before ducking back into the truck, leaning across the seat.

“What are you doing?” Y’shtola asked, watching them. The volume on the radio climbed and a soft, slow song emanated from the truck’s speakers, a woman’s gentle twang carrying toward her. Corisande straightened and faced her, shutting the door behind them, but it wasn’t until Corisande held their hand out, palm up, that she understood what they intended.

“You haven’t had enough dancing?” she teased, but she took their hand. She hesitated a moment, and then rested her other hand on their waist.

They moved closer without pause, putting their arm around her shoulders. “One more dance, before you get back to work.”

“I wasn’t planning on doing any work tonight.”

“Sure you weren’t,” Corisande said, beginning to turn them in small, slow circles.

“Well,” Y’shtola said, a bit sheepishly. She looked up at Corisande, who smiled teasingly down at her. “I may have wanted to go over one set of results—but only one.”

“Of course, only one,” they agreed, in a tone that indicated they definitely did not believe her. “And then another, and another, until it’s four in the morning and you’ve scattered papers all over your room.”

They lifted their arm, leading her into a twirl as she laughed before pulling her back in, somehow closer than before.

“You may have a point,” Y’shtola said, surprisingly pleased at the way they seemed to know her so well already. Corisande only hummed, and they fell back into the same comfortable silence they’d had in the truck. Y’shtola found herself leaning in, her head resting on their chest as they turned. She tried to remember the last time she’d felt this relaxed, but nothing came to mind. And yet it hardly seemed strange at all that she should find some kind of peace in their arms, a sweet distraction from her duties here, though she had only known them a few weeks.

When the song ended, Corisande stopped turning them. They held Y’shtola for a moment longer, and then released her, stepping back. The cold night air rushed into the space between them, making her shiver.

“I suppose I will see you Monday,” Y’shtola said. It suddenly seemed an eternity between now and then, though in reality it was only a few days.

“I suppose so,” Corisande said, her smile small but warm. She squeezed Y’shtola’s hand before letting go. “If you need a break before then, you know where to find me.”

“The ranch? Or line-dancing at the bar?” Y’shtola teased, pleased when she was rewarded with Corisande’s laugh as they turned away, heading for the other side of the truck.

“Definitely line-dancing,” they called as they climbed into the truck, reaching over to turn down the volume on the radio.

Y’shtola got the feeling that Corisande would not drive away until she was inside her room, so she bid them goodnight and went inside. It wasn’t until their headlights had completely disappeared that she realized she was still wearing their jacket. She slipped her arms into the sleeves and pulled it close for a moment, letting the peppery scent that lingered on it take her back to the moment Corisande had held her close, her head against their chest as they spun.

She shook her head clear of the memory, slipping the jacket off and hanging it over the back of a chair. Though she had planned to do some work, it seemed it would be a largely useless endeavor with the way her thoughts kept drifting toward Corisande.

Instead she readied herself for bed, and fell asleep to thoughts of Corisande’s hand in hers, and the sweet sound of their laugh.

#kels writes #corishtola #oc: corisande ymir #i find tumblr's post editor so hostile...aldksfjsdla #anyway. i listened to texas hold 'em five thousand times and lost my mind and now here we are. pls listen to slow burn by kacey musgraves #for the second half of the fic. thank you.#im actually kind of nervous about this bc i feel like it's not how i normally write lol. but it was fun.#also this is technically in my brain a yellowstone au so uh imagine after they left the bar #hilda's gang let a bull inside and closed the doors.#rodeo au

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vintage-typewriter · 2 years

Text

Keep The Wolves Away 1

AO3

~*~

She wanted to cry. Fuck, did she ever want to cry but it felt like she had used up all her tears in the last twelve hours and her tired red rimmed grey eyes could shed no more tears as the red and blue lights flashed silently in the rear view window.

Lana just wanted to cry.

Over ten hours she has been driving, ten hours almost non-stop with only one major break to full up the gas tank with what little cash she has on her all while ignoring the pitiful looks the young teenage girl was constantly shooting her as she rang up Lana's total.

She was less than ten minutes away from Bozeman, less than ten minutes away to where she could finally feel safe for the first time in a decade.

So close, so fucking close and yet her past had finally caught up to her.

Clenching her fist until her knuckles turned white on the steering wheel from the grip, Lana knew exactly why the cop in the extended cab truck behind her was taking as long as he was; he was running the Washington state plate on the back of her old beat up red Ford F-150 with its own extended cab. There were many things Lana was and stupid was not one of them and she knew that as soon as Mark had gotten home, saw she was gone and so was her truck - and it was her truck. She had bought and paid for this truck with her own hard earned cash. The only reason his name was the only one of the pink slip was because he convinced her it was better for the insurance if it even had insurance because she knew the tags had expired on it long ago. It didn't explain why he hid her keys to it on her but thankfully she never told him she had found them one day well cleaning, keeling that information to herself in case...well...just in case.

The only real question she had was how long did he wait to put the call in to say either someone had stolen his truck or his crazy girlfriend was off her meds and had stolen his truck.

She wasn't fucking crazy no matter how many times he would tell her she was or how many times he would take her to doctors and try to get her on meds Lana knew she didn't need.

Her eyes flicked to her left, to the driver's side view mirror, as she heard the crusher door finally open and gravel crunch under heavy foot steps. In the dark, she couldn't really make out what the officer looked like but the headlights coming from the truck illuminated the officers silhouette enough that Lana could see they had one hand on their standard issued glock as their free hand, the one not on the gun, came up to silently tap the back of her dirty truck.

Lana let out a quiet sigh, flinching as her throat grated in pain at the very action, before sinking back into her seat as her eyes slowly trailed away from the reflection in the side-view mirror to the passenger seat where a lone picture - one of only four things she had made sure to grab in her mad dash out of the house and into her truck that hadn't moved in months - stared up at her.

She couldn't even recognize herself in that image.

Ten years could really change a person.

How much had her family changed?

It was a picture from a happier time, a time where she could smile and laugh without worrying if she was being too loud, where she could dance in the kitchen with mix-match socks to music she liked and not have to worry about anyone judging her for her taste in old country songs, and a time where she didn't have constantly look over her shoulder. She was happy in the picture; a wide smile on her face even if she was sat profile in the picture, grey eyes shining, blonde hair glowing in the late day sun and even held up in a loose ponytail it still ended at the middle of her back, staring up at a blood bay horse trying to steal the ten cowboy hat from off her head.

That girl in the picture was gone, long gone, and she was willing to bet all the money she had left in her pockets that the horse had been sold not even twenty four hours after she left.

She loved that horse. She loved her old life. Both were now gone like snow in the summer.

There is a knock at her window pulling Lana from her memories, the cop nearly blinding her already sore eyes, and causing her headache that had just been simmering in the back of her head to come rushing forward, with the shine from his - and she could finally make out that it was an older male officer, slim build and with nearly a completely bald head - flashlight. It might have started to just turn light out, the sky turning from a deep black to a mix or purple and red hues, so the flashlight was not just there for show, it did still have some use in the situation besides blinding her.

"Ma'am, turn off the vehicle and step out of the truck please." His voice was muffled but Lana could still hear it in the deathly silent cab of her truck. The radio had died years ago, static being pretty much the only thing you could get out of the old sound system, and Mark had never let her take it in to be fixed, always claimed that why should they fix something they never used. Honestly, she was surprised he never sold her truck but maybe it was only because he could never find a poor fool to take it off his hands so it sat in their backyard under a tarp rusting away in the elements.

All the better for Lana anyway, him not being able to off load it into someone else's hands gave her a means of leaving Seattle.

Doing as the officer asked, but not before making sure to grab her wallet from the centre console and picture from the passenger seat, Lana slowly slid out of her truck with a wince of pain she couldn't try to smother away, crossing her arms over her chest to try and stave off the cool Montana breeze coming through so late at night while making sure to still have a good hold on all that she had left in the world.

She tried not to react as the officer - in this county he was really more of either a deputy or sheriff but she hadn’t been back in a deputy so she couldn’t say off the top of her head what his rank was - let out an audible 'Shit' as he took in the whole sight of her.

Lana hadn't looked in a mirror before she left home, ten years of practice avoiding her own reflection made her an expert of avoiding her own image in mirrors, but she knew it wasn't good. Hell, it was probably the worst it had ever been which explained why it took ten years for her to finally take off as she did. There was not a part of her that wasn't screaming in pain, the fact she had even made it ten hours driving was a miracle in itself. She was half surprised her raging headache hadn't caused her to go speeding off a cliff.

Part of her wondered what would have happened had she stayed and waited for Mark to come back.

The officer motioned for her to walk towards the front of his vehicle and walk would have been an extremely generous term for what Lana was able to do. If she had to race against a turtle, she'd tell people to bet their money on the turtle. She made it though, made it to the front of the police cruiser where she was told to empty her pockets of everything she had - not much with just her wallet with no license because that had been one of the first things Mark had destroyed when they started living together in Seattle that he forbid her from ever replacing, keys, and picture. No cell phone, she had left that in the million pieces she had last seen it in on the floor of her home she shared with Mark.

Once shared with Mark, she wasn't going back, not when she was so close to where she had set her sights on.

"Do you know why I've stopped you tonight." Lana could tell that statement from the officer wasn't a question and all she could do was nod her head, eyes casted downward to not make any sort of eye contact with the officer and hands rubbing up and down her bruised and cut exposed arms to try to stay warm. When she ran out that front door, she hadn't even stopped to grab her sweater hanging on a hook just inside the house it was the last thing on her mind and she never even considered the idea that she might get pulled over in the middle of the night. Now, she wished she would have grabbed it just to stop shivering as she was.

Lana was silent for the pat down, suppressing her flinch as the officer hit a particularly sore part of her ribs that she thought was at least bruised if not entirely broken, didn't even make a peep of noise as her hands were placed behind her back and she was escorted to the back of the truck, and helped in with a hand on her head.

At least the officer had the heat going so she was no longer freezing in just her once midnight blue t-shirt stained with red spots and black shorts. She was dressed for a lovely night in, sitting on the couch and watching a movie after enjoying a home-cooked meal with the man she loved not driving for over ten hours constantly looking over her shoulder expecting another vehicle to magically appear out of thin air and force her off the road.

How she had even made it this far without getting stopped by police with some of the things she had done during her rush to get the Hell out of dodge was a mystery even to her.

He stood back from the still opened door, one hand just on the edge of the frame giving her an ample amount of distance as he began speaking, “We both know why I pulled you over tonight, surprised you got as far as you did.” It’s strange to hear that Montana twang again after so long, Mark would roll his eyes at her when Lana’s own twang came out. His friends in Seattle thought it was novel the way her mouth formed words, Mark didn’t after the first year. “But, I’m not a dumb man. I pull over a vehicle reported stolen out of Seattle and I find a woman in your condition driving it, doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together here. You been driving straight since Seattle?” She only nodded at his question, her whole body throbbing with pain now that she didn’t have to solely focus on driving.

The officer gave a deep sigh, looked down at the gravel beneath his boots and tapped his left toe into the ground as he continued on, “I need you to be honest with me now, do you need the hospital?”

She knew the answer he wanted, Hell she even wanted to give it to him. But a hospital meant questions, and questions meant a paper trail that could lead Mark right back to her and she did not drive all this way just to get pulled back to Seattle within twelve hours. “No.” Her voice was a rasp, the bruising on her neck not doing her any favours in trying to speak. “I just want to go home.” As raspy as her voice might have been, she still managed to choke out the words.

Home.

She hadn’t been home in so long.

Would her Dad even accept her back? God, she hoped so.

Home had been a place she cried about while locked in the spare bathroom back at her house in Seattle, locked away behind a false sense of security as Mark raged upstairs at her, yelling, screaming, breaking plates, shattering picture frames that once hung on the wall in the hallway before he stormed out, slamming the door behind him and leaving Lana to pick up the pieces and act like nothing wrong had ever happened.

How often had she sat in the bathroom, wiping away tears and blood, hoping - praying - that one of her siblings would show up out of the blue, one of the ranch hands would show up out of the blood, her father would show up out of the blue and see just what she had been going through ever since that day she packed up a duffle bag full of clothes, jumped into her truck, and ran off with her boyfriend because he said he would give her the world.

He lied, he didn’t give her the world he only took everything she ever had away from her.

This, this running away, was her way of taking something back.

“And where is home for you?” Lana shifted in her seat, rolling her shoulders back as far as she could go without pulling her already sore muscles before looking the deputy in the eye.

“Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.” She watched the way his face lost all colour, pale like fresh winter snow as she fixed him with a tired stare. “I’m Lana Dutton.”

John Dutton knew he was a politician, a rancher, a widower, and a father all in that order. A man does not become the owner of the largest cattle ranch in all of Montana without making a few sacrifices to get there, even if some of those sacrifices included his own children and grandchildren.

None of his kids could understand why he did the things he did, and he didn’t expect them or want them to understand for many more years until they were standing in his exact position planning for the future of the ranch that had been in the family for over one hundred and thirty years and he hoped that it would stay in the family for at least another one hundred and thirty more.

He rested against the fence to one of the round pens, just watching the sun crest the mountains on the horizon as the farm hands woke up to start doing morning chores. He had fond memories himself of working alongside his own father when he was a much younger man, and even fonder memories of working the farm with all his kids when all five were still living on the farm with him.

“Morin’, sir.” John barely cast a glance over his shoulder as, arguably, his most loyal ranch hand and wrangler came up on his right side and handed one of the two mugs of coffee the stocky and dark haired man was holding. Some days, John couldn’t help but smile inwardly at the man the once stocky and filled with more hate than smarts boy had become. He once asked his own father how he knew which ones to give the second chance to, he had just said it was a feeling that came with experience. John hadn’t known what he meant until he was watching a young Rip Wheeler scarf down a sandwich like it was the best thing he had ever eaten.

“Rip.” He greeted with a quick head nod, taking the offered mug and holding it in both hands. There was a slight chill in the early morning air, nothing wrapping bare hands around a warm cup of coffee couldn’t fix. “Beautiful morning.” As if to punctate his words there was a sound of hooves hitting solid wood from beyond the open barn doors behind them followed by a ‘Son of a bitch’ and a ‘Fuck you, Ares’ from his eldest son. Didn’t take a genius for him to figure out what had happened there.

Rip let out a dry cough of a laugh, “Never a dull mornin’ with Ares in the barn.”

“You can say that again.” John let out his own small chuckle of a laugh, turning with Rip to watch his oldest come storming out of the white and black lined horse barn behind them, cursing up a storm, hitting his tan well worn cowboy hat against his leg in anger. “He get you son?” John called out to his eldest Lee as the young man in question took notice of himself and Rip standing out by the pens.

Some days, John could swear it was like looking in a mirror to a time when he was a much younger man any time her looked at his sons Lee and Kayce, they both took after him so much it was hard to see any of their mother and his late wife whereas his two daughters were the exact opposite to their brothers; so much of their mother and not enough of him.

Lee held up his left arm, showing the rip in the sleeve of his shirt, “Nothin’ a needle and thread can’t fix.” He came up to stand just a few feet away from John, all three of them standing in the silence of the morning only broken up by the noises of the ranch waking up and the odd addition of hooves hitting a stall door. “When’s the farrier supposed to get here?”

“Tomorrow.” John took a sip of his coffee, still hot thankfully, as he addressed his son. He would take a walk through with Rip and Lee at the end of the day and make do a final count of who was getting their feet trimmed tomorrow, he already had a dozen horses lined up including Ares - much to everyone’s dismay of having to deal with the temperamental stallion - and it wouldn’t hurt to add more to the list if for any reason then to just make sure everyone was good for the next two months or so.

His own father would have gotten rid of the stud long ago, if the stallion was in a mood no one could get close to him - as Lee’s shirt sleeve was evidence of - and he always seemed to be in a mood these days. He wasn’t making the farm any money, hadn’t in years since no one could get close to him to bring him in and get a collection for a covering, and pretty much lived in a roughly five acre fenced in area of cattle pasture until there was a big snow storm coming or the farrier was coming down, then it would take a day to go out, catch the stallion, and bring him in for however long they needed.

“At least he didn’t lose his blanket this time.” Lee joked with them and they all shared a laugh at that painful memory. Just bringing in the stallion took at least three people and could last the better part of a day, trying to get blankets on and off the stud was an all hands on deck job.

Quiet moments like these, before the sun was high in the sky, while the wranglers were just getting the day started, was what made all the pain and frustration of the day to come worthwhile. Sure, there was cattle to move, fences to check, calves to brand, bills to pay, and fires to put out but they could be worries for him to deal with after her morning coffee.

Lee’s face pinched with eyes narrowed, “Sheriff comin’ up the drive.” His chin jutted out quickly in the direction of the house and, sure enough, John could just make out the yellow gold lettering for Park County Sheriff Department on the side of the black truck that was coming up the driveway and stopping at the front door of the main house. “Early start for him,” Donnie Haskell was easily identifiable to John from just his bald head, not that John was doing much better in the hair department. “What do you think the chances of this have something to do with Kayce?”

“Watch it.” He chastised lightly, tipping back his mug to finish off his mug of coffee, “He’s still your brother.” And that was a bridge he himself was trying to rebuild after burning it into nothing with his own hands. There were not many things he regretted in his life but driving his own son away to the point where he barely saw his first grandchild and grandson.

Not that Lee was wrong, Kayce did seem to be his most trouble laden child. A bad penny that one was.

“I’ll go see what he wants.” It couldn’t have been good for Donnie to be here this early in the morning and John couldn’t think of anything off the top of his head that could immediately be traced back to his name or the farm. “Get chores done then take some boys up to the far fields and check fences." He didn't wait for Rip or Lee to respond to his orders knowing that they would follow without question as he started making his way up the path from the barns to the main house. It wasn't a long walk but it also wasn't a short one in the slightest.

Sure enough, it was Donnie standing and leaning against the front of his truck with brows furrowed and full of stress as he kicked at the gravel underneath his boots. "Sheriff." His voice was flat as he came up to stand a few feet from Donnie, eyes catching a quick glimpse of someone sitting in the back of the truck but not enough of that person to really make out noticeable features.

"John." There was stress in his voice and a hand running over his face did nothing to take away any of that stress. "Pulled over a truck this morning, reported stolen out of Seattle." If anyone was to ask John how this conversation with a man he once thought of as a friend was to start, it wasn't like this. "Probably gonna be too busy to get a tow out there until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. If it's not where I left it, east about ten minutes outside of Bozeman on the I-90 I'll just have to assume that someone stole it for parts." There was a look in Donnie's eyes as both men stared each other down and John knew that for all the blood between the both of them, Donnie was also trying to get a message through to the rancher without outright saying what that message was.

Stolen truck on the I-90, get rid of it for me.

"You get the driver?" John crossed his arms over his chest loosely, resting his weight back on his heels, his mug just held loosely in his hand by two fingers through the handle.

Donnie just nodded. That wasn't a good sign.

"What is-"

"It's not good, John." Donnie's voice was hard, as he cleared his throat roughly. "It might be the worst I've seen in awhile. She didn't want to go to the hospital and I can't force her there.” John’s eyes dart from Donnie’s worried ones to try and get a look at the girl that must be sitting in the back of the truck but the tinted window makes it hard, he thinks her hair might be a light shade of blonde and cut short to her shoulders but that’s about it. “I know how this usually goes, she’s not gonna want to press charges so I can’t do anything but at least a hospital can document it all, keep a paper trail for when she does want to press them. But, you need to convince her to go because you might be the only one who could make her go.” He pushes himself off the front of his truck, his own arms dropping to hang at his side as he makes steps to open the back door of his truck. “After all, she is your daughter.” There is a look in Donnie’s eyes as he says it but John can’t put a name on what the look is.

Daughter? Beth was supposed to be in Salt Lake City, not anywhere close to Bozeman and sure as Hell not getting caught driving a stolen truck; that would kill her career in a heartbeat. And if it was Beth, why would she be in Seattle of all places?

He should have know it wasn’t Beth in the back of the truck, should have known from the black of screaming and thumping of heels kicking the divider between the front and back seats, should have known it couldn’t have been Beth that stolen a truck in Seattle because he had just talked to his eldest daughter a few days ago before and she was heading to New York for a merger.

That didn’t matter though because he knew the young woman, the girl, his daughter, that Donnie helped out of the back of his truck with both hands to keep her steady as she hopped out because her legs were like a newborn colt only minutes old and standing for the first with how much they shook.

John locked eyes with her, the last time he had seen those grey eyes had been ten years ago when they had been full of hate and rage, glaring with fire as he told his daughter under no certain terms was he going to allow her boyfriend to move onto the ranch and live in the main house with her nor was he going to let her move off the ranch to live with her boyfriend where John couldn’t watch their interactions. He couldn’t put it into words she would understand, for as good a politician as he could be words failed him at that moment, he couldn’t find the right words to tell her that he didn’t like her boyfriend because there was something about him that made him uneasy and it didn’t matter how much she claimed they were in love, John would never change his opinion.

She was only eighteen, a prime example of the old adage about young love, and John fully expected that she would come to her senses in a few months and realize this Mark boy was not the man for her but instead, after both of them storming off and going to their separate bedroom on opposite sides of the main house, John had woken up that morning to find her closest empty and her truck missing from the drive.

His frantic phone calls just went to voice mail, as did the calls from all his other kids and from the ranch hands who had her number.

Ten years of silence.

No phone calls. No letters. No emails. No texts.

Silence.

None of that mattered. Nothing mattered mattered in that moment, not even how his mug shattered into piece as it fell from his hand nor how the sound of the sheriff truck door shutting was like a gun shot so early in the morning, because his youngest child, his youngest daughter, was finally home.

“Hi Daddy.” Her half smile was watery, as if it pained her to even make a full one, as Donnie helped guide her closer with a hand on her elbow and a hand on her back.

He let out the breath he was holding, “Lana.”

#yellowstone #yellowstone tv #rip wheeler x reader #rip wheeler x oc #keep the wolves away #chapter update #yellowstone fanfic

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roadtogracelandx45 · 1 year

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All Spencer thought was going to happen when she returned home was too attend her fathers wedding and start planning her own. She didn’t think she would fall back in love with Lee Dutton, her ex’s Kayce’s older brother.

But she did and she was married and pregnant

#oc: Spencer Abbott #series: Angel of mercy #Yellowstone oc #yellowstone tv show moodboard #lee dutton imagines #Lee dutton fan fiction

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averagewriter-inthedark · 2 years

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Fixing Problems 💋 | Rhett Abbott Imagine | Outer Range x Yellowstone crossover

Takes place sometime after the events of S1 of Outer Range and S4 of Yellowstone around 2023 hypothetically

Link to my Masterlists (might make a Rhett Abbott one in the future)

Characters & Pairings: Rhett Abbott x Lana Dutton!OC (romance), The Abbott family & the Dutton family, Maria Olivares (past romance w/ Rhett ), Lloyd Pierce (platonic), Rip Wheeler (platonic).

Content warnings: profanity, light angst, fluff, mentions of violence and death. Implied smut at the end | female OC (she/her) | wc: 4k

Premise: Rhett Abbott was a man of an unwanted reputation in his hometown of Wabang, Wyoming. None were surprised by the fact he found himself back in the town he longed to escape following his breakup with Maria. But then a few months later Rhett was no where to be seen after his family took a trip out of town and returned without him. Now he’s back for a short time to settle some things and low an behold, Maria is back too. When she tries to mend things with the cowboys she’s in for quite the shock that Rhett Abbott is no longer a man on the market—and what makes it more shocking is his woman hails from the family of the country’s largest land owners.

Note: So fair warning, I have not seen the entirety of Outer Range but for some reason have been reading a lot of Rhett fanfiction and have a gist of it. But I am a big fan of Yellowstone and S5 drops tomorrow. I had this idea but was like ‘maybe I should wait,’ but I don’t want the thought to slip now that it’s fresh in my mind. So for this Lana was born on New Year’s Day of 1997 since Evelyn Dutton died in March of 1997 so she never knew her mother unlike her four siblings. Also although S5 isn’t fully out, we know from the trailer that John wins governor of Montana.

———————————————

“Hi, Rhett.” God that was not the voice he wanted to hear on this sunny Saturday morning in Wabang. Rhett Abbott had awoken with a smile on his face and giddiness in his chest at what the day had in store for him….but seeing Maria again for the first time in two years was not what he expected.

Or wanted at all for that matter.

Closing his eyes as if to pray it wasn’t Maria behind him, Rhett checked his phone for the time and a message he was expecting before preparing himself to face the woman who left his heart in pieces. When he finally does face her, Rhett remains stoic, “Hello, Maria.” There is nothing warm in his greeting, which is evident in the frown that takes over her expression. But what the fuck would she expect? He left his home for her and returned no less than a few months later on his parents porch with a bag and tear stained eyes.

If Maria thought he’d be happy to see her after all this then she was off her rocker.

Rhett had moved on and was in a place he never thought he would be. Happy. Content. Looking forward to the future.

He was not gonna let her take that away from him.

Or even let her think she could have a chance.

“How are you?” She offered a small smile, hoping to lighten the mood. But Rhett wasn’t having it.

“Fine.” She waited for him to return the question, but when he didn’t Maria shuffled on her feet, adjusting the purse on her shoulder, “I heard you were back in town. Was asking ‘round and they said you’ve been gone.”

“Yeah,” he nods, checking his phone again. “I’ve been in Montana the past year and half.” That surprises the woman, eyes widening slightly. She didn’t know what—or better yet who—was in Montana, but there was an obvious difference in how Rhett carried himself. It was completely different from how he was when they reconnected and surely when he returned back.

“Oh,” was all she could say. “That’s amazing uh—I guess.”

“It was,” his voice takes another edge, almost in a longing way. Maria glanced him over, feeling a tightness to her chest—almost like she realized there was something—someone—hidden between his words.

“Well, I was hoping to get a chance to run into you.”

“Well you did,” Rhett’s tone indicated he wasn’t happy with the fact. He leaned against the brick of the building he was standing in front of. It had been a busy day for Rhett to do some last minute things before he was set to head out the next morning. He found himself outside of the pharmacy having just got off the phone with Cecilia when Maria stopped him as he was exiting the store. “So what’d you want?”

Maria bit her lip, remembering how his eyes would flicker to her mouth whenever she did, but Rhett never faltered his gaze. It threw her off for a moment but she quickly recovered, “I wanted to talk to you…about us.”

Rhett made a face, looking away briefly, “Us? What’s there to talk ‘bout, Maria. That ship sailed long ago.” His tone was cold, but again Rhett did not care. There was nothing that Maria could do or say to change his mind. She could pout all she wanted, give him puppy eyes or pour her heart out to him, but it would be to no avail.

Rhett Abbott had found his solace. And it was not with her.

Moving to walk in the opposite direction toward his truck, Maria stopped him before he could even take a full step, “Wait, Rhett! Please,” she put a hand on his arm, but frowned again when he shook her off. “Look, I’m sorry for what happened between us. I-I know I said some things, and I regret it—I would take it all back if I can.” The expression on her face was one of pleading, hoping to get through to him. “Maybe we can work something out. Fix things—.”

“No,” the word flew from his lips, ignoring the way Maria faltered back, surprise coating her expression. “That’s not gonna happen, Maria.”

“But, Rhett—.” The sound of his phone ringing cut her off. Rhett removed the device, turning away as the smile overtook when he read the name, “Hey.”

“You sound relieved. More so than when you get out of pushing cattle. What did I save you from this time, Rhett Abbott.”

“Oh, just you know,” he glances over his shoulder, noticing how Maria has her arms crossed over her chest and disappointed their conversation was cut short. “Runnin’ into some old friends.” He turned away before he could see her reaction to the offense of calling her an ‘old friend.’ His voice goes lower to prevent Maria from hearing, “and this one was the last person I wanted to see on what was supposed to be a good fucking day.”

“I see,” he could just picture her smirk on the other end of the line that paired with the chuckle she let out. “Well, lucky for you, cowboy, I just passed the town's limits. Send me your location. I’ll be there very soon. And just for the hell of it, keep her there—I’d like to say hello.” Rhett didn’t know how she managed to put it together Maria was who he was referring to, but then again surprising him was her second nature.

“You sure about that?”

“Oh, darlin’, you should know by now that I never second guess a decision once it’s been made.”

They said their goodbyes with Rhett sending off his location before locking the device and putting it back in his pocket. When he faced Maria again, she was displeased and tried to not show it but failed. “Who was that?”

Rhett kept his face neutral, “someone.” If there was anything about the woman on the other end of the phone, it was that she loved her entrances. And there was no way Rhett was going to deprive her of one—especially when it was her first one to Wabang. Part of him looked forward to the look on Maria’s face for when that moment came. Not to mention those around them. Ever since he returned to Wabang there have been whispers about him. The usual gossip, but mostly wanting to know what the hell he had been up to in Montana after his family took a visit and he never returned.

“Someone?” She repeated, eyebrows narrowing in suspicion. The possibility of Rhett having someone was not what Maria planned for when she sought him out that day. It was to her knowledge when she asked around he was single or possibly hooking up with the usual buckle bunny. Not many could give her a straight answer since he’d been gone. They really had no fucking clue of what had become of Rhett Abbott.

Rhett gave a curt nod, “That’s right.”

Maria wasn’t having it, “is this someone special to you?”

“Look, Maria. I’m just gonna lay it flat with you,” he glances away at the sight of a familiar black Ram truck turning the corner. Behind it was a dark tinted SUV. As it proceeded down the street, Rhett spotted the giant yellow ‘Y’ on the truck’s side. “I’m engaged.”

“Engaged?” She exclaimed, as though she could not believe it. When the fuck did that happen and why did no one in town know? It had to be a lie to get her to back off him. The thought made a slight anger rise in her that Rhett would say something so serious as his way to reject her. Narrowing her eyes and spitting a tone that was almost mocking, Maria failed to notice the truck pulling up to a stop behind her, “To who?”

His eyes were looking past her, smirk taking form, “to her.”

When Maria spun around on her she froze at the sight of the black Ram with bright yellow lettering spelling ‘Yellowstone Dutton Ranch’ around a large ‘Y’ in the center of the side door. The back windows were tinted preventing anyone from seeing inside, but Maria didn’t have to wait long because the door was opening and a foot clad in a shiny nude heel was stepping out.

It was almost like when you watch a show and only get a small portion of the person the camera is panning its way to before they fully emerge. In this case, the second heel—which Maria was able to notice the eye-catching red bottom beneath it—followed the first before the body and face they belonged to was visible to her eyes.

She wore a light tan dress that ended right above her knees and accentuated her curves paired with a matching coat hanging over her shoulders and brown gloves on her hands. The dress had a neckline that cut beneath her collarbones, allowing the layered gold necklaces to bounce off the light around her. Brown hair with warm tone highlights was pulled back into a slick bun save for a few strands to frame her face, which stood out with the bright red lipstick coating her lips and the pair of cat-eye like sunglasses covering her eyes. Tucked behind one of her ears was a cigarrete.

She was beautiful. Like a model who just stepped off a runway and Maria instantly felt a wave of envy course through her. Several people passing by even stopped to get a glance at the woman, making no hidden attempt to hide their jealousy or attraction. Some of the older men traveling on the sidewalk had done a double take when they saw the name of the ranch on the truck.

And Rhett? He was biting his lip so hard to hide his grin that he was afraid it would start bleeding. And when he let his eyes travel over her figure, a low whistle sounded under his breath, the man praying his cock would not react because the last thing he wanted was a hard on in the middle of broad daylight.

Maria heard his reaction, turning back to see the awestruck expression which gave away everything he was feeling in that moment. It made her upset—remembering when he would look at her that way. Now it was directed toward this mystery woman. His fiancé. It fueled her jealousy more.

“Hey there, cowboy,” her voice was smooth like honey. Flirty and playful. Maria knew that tone—she’s used it on plenty of men. She’s used it on Rhett.

“Hey yourself,” he greeted, watching her step onto the sidewalk before shutting the door behind her. Maria had stepped back a bit as the woman strutted toward them, the bottom of the coat brushing against her knees. The sound of her Louboutin’s clicking against the pavement echoed before she came to a stop in front of Rhett. As much as he wanted to bring her into his arms with a kiss, Rhett settled for a soft peck on the corner of her mouth to not mess up her lipstick.

Both were obvious to the strained look of the woman to the side, who’s jealousy was so visible one could probably sniff it from a mile away.

“How was the drive?”

She took her gloves off first—aware of Maria’s eyes on her left hand which held a diamond ring—, placing them in the pocket of her coat before removing the sunglasses, “As bearable as it can be with those two idiots.” The gesture of her head had Rhett glancing to the truck she arrived in. In the front he spotted Lloyd in the passenger seat with Rip behind the wheel. The window was up, but he could make out their wave to him and returned it with a small smile. With a chuckle he turns back to his fiancé, “I’m sure it wasn’t too bad, baby.”

Her brow raised in a playful glare, “Maybe I’ll drive your truck back by myself tomorrow and you can take up camp with them. See how long you last.”

Rhett laughs—the sound sending a dagger to Maria’s heart—pulling her to his side, “I’m sorry you had to endure that.” She makes a ‘hmmph,’ which only makes him grin. “What’s with the SUV?”

She scoffed lightly, “I told them not to come, but when your father is the governor of Montana, the protection detail is a given. Whether I like it or not.” Maria visibly reacted to the revelation that not only was Rhett engaged….but his fiancé was the daughter of Montana’s governor.

Now she remembered where she recognized the name on the truck. John Dutton had recently been elected the previous year during turmoil with his family's ranch and Market Equities.

Maria watched as the woman, whose name she had yet to know, removed the cigarette behind her ear before placing it between her lips. Instead of lighting it herself, Rhett pulled out a lighter and did it for her. The two kept eye contact the entire time which felt like Maria was intruding on an intimate moment.

The—not so settle—sound of Maria clearing her throat broke up the happy reunion. While Rhett was annoyed, she found it amusing, turning her attention to Maria. With the glasses removed Maria was able to get a good look at her face. From afar she was beautiful, but up close she was captivating.

Blue green eyes stared back at Maria, framed by neatly groomed full brows that matched the color of her hair and a thin line of eyeliner winged out. Other than the eyeliner and lipstick, it appeared she wasn’t wearing any other makeup—something many would be envious of. And though there was a good sized scar on her left cheekbone—as was two on her chest forming an odd shape—it did not take away from her beauty. In fact it made her look more intimidating.

Rhett broke the silence, “Maria, this is Lana. Lana Dutton.” Lana, who was now looking Maria up and down, gave a smile. But it wasn’t friendly which had Maria raise her defenses. “Darlin’, this is—.”

“I know who she is,” Lana gently cut Rhett off, blowing smoke out as she did. “So nice to put a face to a name.” In that moment Marie felt a sense of pride, nearly smirking at the fact that she was still a topic of his life. But it soon deflated when Lana said, “oh don’t look too happy, Maria. I can smell heartbreak on a man from a mile away and when Rhett landed in Yellowstone he reeked of it. Not to mention he was drunk off his ass and well, you know what they say, ‘Loose lips sink ships.’” Maria’s smirk turned into a frown, Lana taking another inhale of smoke.

“But that was a long time ago,” Lana spoke again, “you sure did a number on him, but thankfully Rhett realized his worth.” The couple met each other’s gaze, Rhett conveying a mix of emotions at the woman who captured his heart.

Neither paid attention to the shame Maria was showing. The dark haired woman was having trouble finding the right words to say. What Lana said cut into her, which only made her angry. Quickly she tried to think of a way to divert the attention away from her, “I doubt drowning himself in booze and fucking any piece of ass had him realize that.”

She expected a flash of anger from Lana, which Rhett certainly gave at the insult, but to Maria’s surprise, Lana simply laughed in what could best be described as, ‘you done fucked up now.’ Maria tightened her jaw, taking a step back when the brunette pulled away from Rhett to move toward her. This time when Lana took a drag of the cigarette, she let the smoke waf in Maria’s face—the smell nearly making her gag.

Lana’s expression was cold, unwavering as she spoke, “Is that your way of trying to get me to see Rhett in a different light? To judge him based on the decisions he used to make—which were a direct result of how he felt the world viewed him? Don’t think I don’t know what girls like you do. You sought him out from the moment you heard he was back in town—hoping to slither your way back into his life as though you weren’t the reason for y’all’s breakup two years ago.”

“You don’t know anything,” Maria hissed, glaring at Lana as the anger swelled. With the heels Lana was wearing it made her about an inch or so taller than Maria and with them being so close the scar on her face was more pronounced.

“Please,” came a scoff, “I know everything. I see how you hold yourself. How you let your eyes drift to him only to be disappointed that his eyes are on me. I see how you’re comin’ up with ways to challenge me—as though you have a chance to remove me from the picture, but Imma let you in on a little secret,” Lana falls into a whisper as she leans closer causing Maria to stiffen. People around them pitted glances as they walked past, trying not to eavesdrop but Lana was smarter. What she was about to say was for Maria’s ears only.

Lana’s lips curled up, “You see this scar on my face?” It was a rhetorical question, but nonetheless Maria nodded. Behind her, Rhett muttered a low, “darlin’,” in warning. Though it turned him on immensely by what he was witnessing from his fiancé, he didn’t want her jeopardizing herself. They weren’t in Darby, Montana anymore. Anything she said here could have consequences.

But Lana was relentless. If someone was threatening her, she threatened back ten fold. And she was gonna make sure they knew to never mess with Lana Dutton again. Unfortunately for Maria, it was her time to learn the lesson.

Eyes locked on Maria, voice so low Maria had to strain her ears to hear, the dark brunette was sent to chills by what the Dutton had in store for her. It made her throat constrict for air seemed impossible to breathe.

“The man who gave me it is currently rotting at the bottom of a cliff after I blew a hole through his head with a shotgun. Because where I come from, we take matters into our own hands when people become problems. So take my advice when I warn you, Maria, don’t become my problem.”

The fear on Maria’s face almost had Rhett feel sympathetic, “Lana…”

“And if you question the truth of my words,” Lana’s head gestures to Rhett, “You can ask him. He was there to witness it.” With that, both out of fear and curiosity, Maria glances at Rhett. Part of her was praying Lana was bluffing in an attempt to scare her, but the look Rhett gave her was enough proof she was in fact telling the truth.

Alarms bells were ringing in her head—telling her to get the fuck out of there and pretend like she didn’t just hear a confession to murder. From the governor of Montana’s daughter for that matter. And Rhett was engaged to her? If she had the balls to kill someone in cold blood, what did that say about her family?

Have they killed before?

The anxiety filled Maria’s veins as she let out a shaky breath, unsure of what to do. Lana’s gaze was becoming too much for her and from what Maria gathered it was to get a point across. ‘Tell anyone what I told you, and I’ll come for you.’

Lana brings her cigarette up, taking the final drag before throwing it to the pavement and stepping on the bud. Not once did her eyes leave Maria’s. “I would warn you to keep this between us. If rumors start to spread about Rhett Abbott’s fiancé…I’ll know who the source is.” Stepping away, Lana bids a nod, “It was a pleasure meeting you, Maria. Hope we never have to cross paths again. For your sake.”

Taking his hand, Lana pulls Rhett away to where his truck was parked beside the curb a few cars down. Maria was left frozen, her face pale by the final threat Lana had given— which unbeknownst to her had the two men in the truck chuckling. “What I would give to hear what Lana just said. Poor girl looks like she’s seen a ghost,” Lloyd mused, watching the couple walk up the sidewalk. Rip put the car in drive, prepping to follow them, “Whatever it was, she won’t be a problem. Bitch wouldn’t be stupid enough to if she were smart.”

When Rhett and Lana made it to his truck, her back was immediately pushed against it as Rhett’s lips crashed onto hers. His rough hands cradled her face, Lana smiling against his lips which were sure going to be stained from her lipstick. There was an immediate pressure against her abdomen from his groin. Obviously her little stunt was well received.

When they pulled away, Lana was amused by some of the looks they were receiving from around them. “You,” he breathed out, mouth closed to hers, “are somethin’ else. You know that?”

Lana bit her lip with a cheeky look in response, as if to say, “I know.” She brought her left hand up to his cheek, stoking the soft skin with her thumb. “Had to make a statement. Can’t let some has been try to throw me off my rocker, cowboy.”

He lets out a laugh, arms going to loosely wrap around her waist. “That why you dressed like this? I ain’t used to ya dolling up like this but—,” he trails off to check her out, loving what he was seeing. “I could definitely get used to it.” Normally Lana wore a tank top that made her tits look like heaven and tore up jeans with her boots and leather jacket. As the youngest Dutton, she worked on the ranch as a hand and—like the others who wore the brand—did dirty work when it was called for.

The man she told Maria was just one of the many Lana had sent to the train station.

Only after John was elected governor did she get involved in politics and the business side of her family’s ranch. The media was always lurking, trying to get a glimpse of John Dutton’s youngest daughter who was more like his personal bodyguard. It became a constant annoyance for her. Avoiding reports soon became a second nature for Lana and the times she and Rhett went out they had to keep things professional for the sake of image. It was her father who encouraged her to try getting involved in other things now that he was more of a public figure than just the man who owned the country's largest ranch.

Answering Rhett’s question, Lana gave a shrug, “Just thought I should make it clear to the people of Wabang that Rhett Abbott is off the market and—not to toot my own horn—but she has style and is surely what they would call ‘a catch.’”

“Damn right she is,” he murmured, tipping his hat back a bit to pull her into another kiss. “We sure gonna be the talk of the town tonight.”

“Good. That was the plan.” Lana places one last kiss before playfully pushing him away and hopping into his tuck. “Now let’s get the fuck out of here, cowboy. Lloyd and Rip know to get started on packing your shit while you and I make up for the lost time these past couple weeks.”

Rhett didn’t hide his grin, feeling the tightness in his jeans increase. Boy was he in for the ride of his life when he fell in love with Lana Dutton. “Yes ma’am.”

#rhett Abbott #Rhett abbott imagine #outer ranger #outer ranger imagine #Yellowstone #Yellowstone imagine #outer ranger Yellowstone crossover #Lewis Pullman #Rip wheeler #lloyd pierce #original character #Rhett abbott x oc

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i-heart-yellowstone · 3 months

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10 - What Are We Now??

Part 11

Raised Fair Share Of Hell

Tag list @bvbwestfall @hcwthewestwaswcn @child-of-of-the-sunshine @elenavampire21 @keep-the-wolves-close @kmc1989 @tallrock35

Alana and I walked into the bar that we had driven into Bozzeman for drinks that night needing to get the thoughts of Kayce and our fight out of my head for a few hours. She went straight to the bar ordering us two shots each while I got us a table near the stage where a band had their stuff set up to preform. “Here we go, two rounds to drown out the asshole's memory.”

“I'm not sure this can erase our entire lives. But this is a good start.” I picked up the shot glass and she clinked her glass to mine.

“To starting to forget the asshole.”

We threw back the shot glass and I licked my tongue feeling the bitter taste going down my throat. “Woo. That's got some kick to it.”

“It's tequila, sis.”

I raised the glass in the air cheering with a wolf howl. “To more tequila!”

“Excuse me, ladies. Could I buy you another round?” Someone tapped my shoulder causing me to look back and see a guy with a small stubble on his face and light brown hair in a black cowboy hat.

Alana spoke up first with excitement. “Absolutely.”

“Sure. Thanks.” I sent him a smile seeing him stick his hand out towards me. “I'm Alissa.’

We shook hands before he went to the bartender. “I'm Ryan.”

“So what do y'all do for work?” Ryan came back over with three drinks sitting at the table with the two of us.

“Runnin’ my father’s ranch. The Lambert Cattle ranch.” My sister responded by leaning her elbows on the table.

Ryan sent me a look waiting for my response where I bite my lip tucking hair behind my ear. “I have worked for the Yellowstone since I was 16-17 until recently.”

“You’re working at Yellowstone. I'm a ranch hand for the boss there.”

Alana got up from the table suggesting to the ranch hand with a smirk. “Ryan, how would you and my sister get to talk some more with some free liquor back at our place?”

“Lana, what about Faith-”

She cut me off whispering in my ear. “I'll look after her. Don't worry. He's cute, have some fun for once.”

Having some fun is what got me pregnant, I thought to myself silently.

But I knew I deserved to not think how much Kayce had hurt me so I went along with the plan she had in mind. “What do you say, Ryan.”

“Sure. I'll pay the tab though.” Ryan responded before he followed us back to our ranch. My sister went upstairs to watch my daughter while I poured a glass of beer walking over to him sitting on the couch where he went to take it from my hands till I put my lips down onto his. “Thanks-”

He sat the glass on the side table holding my face in his hands kissing me briefly. “No strings attached work for you?”

“Hell yeah.” He leaned forward beginning one of the many heated kisses that would lead us to the bedroom until he had to sneak back over the fence for work that next morning.

Kayce’s pov

Sitting down on my bed in my childhood bedroom that I still lived in now I removed my hat tossing it on the end of the mattress. I had come home from picking Tate from school and dropped him off with his mom. Laying on my back with my head on the pillow my gaze landed on the picture we had Alissa’s mother take of me and her daughter sitting on the tailgate of my beat up old red truck I had sold after she had told me she was pregnant to make some quick money.

Running a hand through my hair I muttered to myself remembering our teenage years fondly. “What happened to us, Lissa Rae. How can we get back to what we had?”

We pulled up in the old red truck to a stop with the edge of lake water right in front of the tailgate. I hoisted her up by the waist, sitting her up in the backseat of it before I joined her. “I didn’t even know this spot was here. I thought I knew every inch of this hometown of ours.” She chuckled, her gaze focused on the blue water.

“I wanted it to be a surprise when I brought you here. It should be a special place when I ask you a certain question.” I looked down at her while she laid against my chest with my arms draped around her.

Alissa smiled up at me with a teasing expression. “And what question is that, Dutton?”

I smiled, closing the gap between us where we slowly kissed each other. She gripped the back of my hair deepening the kiss until I broke it, resting my forehead against hers. “Will you be my girlfriend, Lissa Rae?”

“I thought you’d never ask, cowboy.” She grinned up at me capturing my lips with hers and we stayed like that for quite a while until we got tired then we headed back home as boyfriend and girlfriend, not simply childhood best friends anymore.

Unknown to Kayce that night his childhood friend and wife wasn’t thinking back on what they had.

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fanficforlife · 1 year

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Chapter Six

Two chickadees chattered away as they landed on the porch railing a few feet from you. You had gotten a text shortly after you finished work from James and Anna asking you to call them. Your hand gripped the phone tighter than usual as it rang.

"Hi, honey." Anna's warm voice greeted. "You're on speaker. James is here too."

"Hi, hun."

"Hey, I got your text. Is...is everything okay?"

"Well..."

James picked up when his wife trailed off. "If anything happened with Nick, you made us promise to tell you. You know he talked to us a couple of times if we were outside at the same time, telling us you weren't around because you found out you were sick and had to go away for treatment." He took a breath. "He came to see us this afternoon."

"And?" You asked nervously.

"He asked where you were."

Your stomach dropped. "He knows you helped me."

"No, he doesn't know for sure. He saw the video of us dropping someone off at the bus station but there is no proof that it's you. There aren't any surveillance cameras on our street and we sure as hell aren't going to tell him anything."

"Honey?" Anna said when you stayed quiet.

"But, you know what he's like." Your voice wavered.

"Violet, you don't have to worry about us," James assured. "He's not going to hurt us or do anything like that because he knows he will get in trouble. You know I still have friends in the police department from my lawyer days."

"But-"

"But, nothing, hun. We will be okay and so will you." Anna reassured. "He has no idea where you are."

You took a deep breath. "Okay."

"Violet!" Tate grinned as he and Kayce walked over after being in the barn.

"Hi, bud."

"Oh, is that Tate?!" Anna asked.

"Yes, it's Tate."

He sat in the empty chair next to you. "Who are you talkin' to?"

"I'm talking to James and Anna."

"Your neighbors when you were in California? Can I talk to them?!"

You smiled. "Tate wants to say hi."

"Yes. Yes. Put him on." Anna urged while James chuckled.

"They have it on speaker so you can hear both of them."

He eagerly took your phone and began telling them all about the ranch, school, and everything in between.

"Hey, baby." Kayce kissed you before sitting down on the arm of your chair.

"Hi." You gave him a small smile before resting your head on the side of his thigh. His hand started playing with your hair while you both listened to Tate talk to your adopted grandparents like they had known each other their whole life.

Ten minutes later John walked out onto the porch. He looked at Tate with questioning eyes.

"I'm talking to Violet's grandparents. Wait. I need to talk to you." Tate told him before focusing back on the phone. "I have to go. It was nice talking to you. Oh, and you don't have to worry about Violet cause my dad really likes her. He even lets her drive his truck. I'll take care of her too." He gave the phone back to you with a grin.

"Hi."

"Honey, he is the sweetest thing. And, it makes me so happy to hear that you and Kayce are doing so well."

James chuckled. "He's quite the kid. We can't wait to meet him, and everyone else there, someday."

"Me too."

"We don't want to keep you. We'll talk again soon. Love you, hun."

"So much," James added.

You smiled. "Love you too. Bye."

"Grandpa, what are you doin'?" Tate asked John.

"I gotta go to town to pick up a few things."

"You know, if I come, you could take me for ice cream. Remember when I helped you bath your horse, you said you would take me for ice cream."

"That I did."

"So?!"

John laughed, "Let's go then."

"Come for a ride with me?" Kayce asked after you watched them drive off.

"Okay."

He took your hand and the two of you walked to the barn. While he saddled up his horse, you checked on Storm.

"Hey, pretty girl." She immediately walked up to the stall door so you could pet her. "Here." You pulled a peppermint out of your pocket and gave it to her, smiling when her soft nose brushed against your palm. "She looks so much better and it's only been two and a half months."

"Well, she had a good owner." Kayce grinned as he walked up and pet her. "Ready to go?"

"Mhm." You gave her another peppermint before walking out of the barn and into the fence behind it. After climbing up, Kayce joined you.

"Do you want to do it?" He offered you the reigns.

"You can."

"Yes ma'am." He rested his hand on your thigh while the other wrapped around you.

You leaned against him. As you rode up into the mountains you were quiet, thoughts of your neighbors and your ex filled your head.

When you got to the meadow, he pulled back on the reigns and the horse stopped. Kayce swung his leg over and stepped down. Before you could do the same he stopped you. "I got ya."

A smile pulled at your lips and you swung your leg in front of you so you were sitting on the saddle with your legs hanging over the same side. He reached up and you slid down into his arms. After his lips pressed against yours, he let you go so he could tie his horse up. You walked into the meadow and sat down on the soft grass.

Kayce joined you, sinking next to you. "Baby, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm good."

"Letty," his hand gently took your chin and turned your face towards him, "I've known you long enough to know when you're lying."

"I was just thinking about James and Anna."

"You miss them." He said softly and you nodded. "Dad would give you time off so you could go visit them."

"No. I'm never going back there." It tumbled out fast, too fast, and your breath caught in your throat. "I mean, how could you after being somewhere as beautiful as it is here." Please, believe me.

He knew that wasn't the reason but he didn't push. "They can come visit you here then. There's lots of room if they wanted to stay at the ranch. I would love to meet them and by the amount of time that Tate spent talking to them on the phone, he would too."

"Yeah, that would be nice. Someday they'll have to." You looked at him and gave him a hopeful smile.

He smiled back before kissing you. "So, you've been here for four months and I don't know very much about you." Your breath caught in your throat. "Like what's your favourite colour or favourite food?"

You relaxed and leaned into him. "Well, my favorite color is blue, and my favorite food...burgers. Oh, and pizza. What's yours?"

"Okay, I have another one. Favorite flower?" He asked after going back and forth through all of the basics. "Let me guess..." his eyes studied you. "Roses 'cause you're the kind of girl who deserves the best."

You shook your head. "It's not roses."

"Maybe it's because no guys have been smart enough to get them for you."

"Uh, my umm, last boyfriend got me roses all the time." You noticed him stiffen slightly at the mention of a boyfriend. "I hate them, I always have. I like daisies."

"The white ones?"

"Mhm. Plain, simple, pretty. Roses are pretty too but there's no thought behind them. Everyone just goes to the store, grabs a dozen roses and that's it."

"Daisies it is." He smirked. "And you're right, roses are boring. What do you say we head back? It's getting close to supper time." You nodded and he got up before offering his hand to you. Once he helped you to your feet, he pulled you close and pressed his lips against yours.

You leaned into him, kissing him back. "Come on. We have to go. Oh, and your horse still needs a name." Your giggle filled the meadow as you headed toward his horse.

*****

"Ready to go, baby?" Kayce asked as you walked into the living room.

"Ready."

"Yay!" Tate cheered and ran to the front door. "Let's go!"

You and Kayce chuckled, making your way to the now-open front door that Tate flung open and ran through. Before you stepped outside, Kayce's arm slid around your waist and pulled you against him. "You look really good." His eyes took you and the new dress you had bought a few days ago in. The white sundress with embroidered lacy hem that you paired it with white canvas sneakers and a denim jacket.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He smirked, backing you against the door. Your hands slid over his shoulders and pulled him even closer with a grin on your face. A chuckle left his lips before they pressed against yours for a quick yet thorough kiss. When he pulled away, you let out a small whine leaving him chuckling for a second time. "God, you're cute."

"Stop." You giggled, giving him a playful shove.

"Violet. Dad. Come on!"

"We're coming." Your hand slipped into the cowboy's standing in front of you. "Your son is ready for pizza. Let's go."

"Yes, ma'am." Kayce kissed your temple before following you down the porch steps.

Kayce's arm was draped across your lap, his hand resting on your thigh. "I think he had fun." He chuckled as he glanced at Tate, who was sound asleep and curled up against the passenger door.

"I think you're right." You smiled as you watched him sleep for a few seconds before resting your head on your boyfriend's shoulder. "So did I."

"Me too." His lips pressed against your hair. "Letty?" He said after a couple of silent minutes.

"Hmm?"

"I talked to my old commander. I...I'm thinking about re-enlisting."

You sat up abruptly, your hold on his arm tightening. "What? Why? Is it because of me? I thought-I thought we were okay."

"Because I...I've been keeping things from you. I didn't just kill the guy who shot Lee."

"I know."

"It wasn't just the ones in the Navy either. When I told you I wasn't a good man when it comes to most things, I wasn't lying. I've killed people here. The ranch-"

"Kayce, I know."

His worried eyes left the road and came to you. "You know? Dad?"

A soft smile pulled at your lips. "Lee." One of your hands left his arm and wrapped around his after he stopped the truck in the middle of the desolate road. "He wanted me to know that you go above and beyond for the ranch and the people you love."

"You deserve someone better than me."

"And, you deserve someone better than me. Kayce, you are an amazing man and I want to be with you. What you've done in the past doesn't change that. Neither will what you do in the future. I know how valuable the ranch is and what people will do to get it. And, I know how much the ranch means to you and your family. It's your life. Your family didn't go through everything they did to come to this place, to keep this place back then, to lose it to someone who wants to turn it into an airport, and whatever else they want to do with it. There's enough for the transplants here to do." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as you placed your hand over his heart. "I want you, Kayce, all of you. The good and what you think is the bad. Please, don't go."

"Letty," his hands cupped your face as his eyes became glassy. "I don't know what I did to be lucky enough to call you mine."

"Right back at you." He leaned in and kissed you firmly before resting his forehead against yours. "You should probably start driving again so we're not parked in the middle of the road when someone comes around the corner."

He chuckled. "Yeah because there is nonstop traffic on this road."

You giggled and a smile formed on his handsome face. "Don't leave." Your hold on him tightened again.

"I'm not going anywhere, Letty." His lips pressed against yours. "You're stuck with me and the kid who could sleep through anything."

You went back to cuddling against his side while Tate snored softly next to you.

Suddenly, flashing red and blue lights lit up the darkness, and not just from one police car. Kayce pulled over. "Kayce Dutton. Get out of the truck with your hands up." Came over the megaphone speaker.

"Kayc." You clutched Kayce's arm as he pulled over.

"It's okay, baby. I'll be okay."

"But-"

"Come out with your hands up!"

"Letty, Jamie's the best lawyer around. I'll be home before you know it." He gave you a quick kiss before opening his door and getting out.

You watched him back up with his hands above his head. When they told him to stop and get on his knees, he did. He didn't resist when they put his hands behind his back and put handcuffs on him. His brown eyes pierced your watery ones before they put him in the back of one of the police cars.

"My name is Ben Waters, the police chief in Broken Rock." A Native American man informed after walking up to the truck. "Kayce said your name is Violet."

"Y-yes." You wiped away the tears that were trickling down.

"We arrested Kayce for the murder of Robert Long. Do you have a license or do you need to call someone to come get you?"

Your hands started fumbling in your purse. "I-I have a license."

He placed his hand on the top of the open door. "It's okay. I don't need to see it. I've seen you driving the Dutton's work truck and I know John wouldn't let you run errands without one. Drive safe."

"I will." The police chief nodded before shutting the door for you. You slid over into the driver's seat and started the truck. As you headed back to the ranch it took everything you had to keep from bursting out in tears. I can't or I'll wake up Tate. Kayce will be fine. He's going to be fine.

John and Jamie were in the living room sitting in front of the fireplace when you got home. "Ah, they've returned. Did you have fun?" John asked as he looked over his shoulder at you.

"It was great! We had pizza and then walked around. Then we stopped for ice cream!"

"Sounds like a good time." Jamie smiled at his nephew.

"Where's your dad?"

"He stopped to help someone on the way home," Tate answered his grandpa before looking up at you. "I know you're going to tell me it's time for bed. Can you read me a story since Dad's not here?"

"Go put your pajamas on and brush your teeth. I'll be right up."

John waited until Tate disappeared upstairs before asking again. "Where's Kayce?"

"They-they arrested him." A few tears slipped free. "The reservation arrested him for killing the man who shot Lee." You drew in a shaky breath as Kayce's dad and brother came over to you. "Tate was asleep the whole time. He didn't see."

"It's going to be okay," John assured and wrapped you in his arms.

"You've got me, remember?" Jamie squeezed your shoulder. "I'm going to make a few calls." He said before going to John's office.

John guided you to the couch and you both sat down. "Did they ask to see your license? Did they run it?"

"The police chief asked if I had one so I could drive back. He didn't ask to see it though. He said he knew you and you wouldn't let someone drive your work trucks if they didn't have one."

Some of the tension left his shoulders. "Good. And, Kayce will be home before you know it." When you nodded, he squeezed your knee. "We've got Jamie and I know the police chief."

You nodded again. "I should go tuck Tate into bed."

John stood up and walked you to the stairs. "How great you are with Tate, knowing the things Kayce's done and still being with him...you're an amazing woman, Violet. We're all lucky to have you here."

"Being with Kayce, spending time with Tate, living here with all of you; I'm the lucky one. Umm, if you hear from Kayce or hear anything, wake me up?"

"Of course."

"Violet! I'm in bed!"

Hearing Tate yelling for you made you both let out a chuckle. "Goodnight, Violet."

"Goodnight."

"Violet?" Tate asked before you started reading.

"Yeah, bud?"

"When's dad gonna be home?"

You drew in a shaky breath as you buried your emotions. "I'm not sure."

He nodded. "The person he's helping must have a lot to do." His face lit up and he looked at you with excitement. "Can you have a sleepover with me tonight?"

"Okay." He scooted over giving you more room. You smiled at the sweet little boy before getting comfy. "Alright, ready for the story?"

"Ready." He said after cuddling up to you.

By the time you finished reading, Tate was hugging your arm and fast asleep. You placed a kiss on the top of his head before laying back on the pillow. Tears leaked from your eyes at the thought of Kayce sitting in a jail cell. It's only for tonight hopefully. Jamie and John will get him out. It's going to be okay. He's going to be okay. Your eyes went to the window where a full moon was shining bright. You smiled as an image of your boyfriend looking at the same moon came to your head. Goodnight, Kayc.

*****

You were sitting outside with John and Tate when the helicopter flew over the mountains and landed on the lawn. Relief washed over you when Kayce got out behind Jamie.

"Dad!" Tate went running over.

"Hey, buddy." Kayce picked him up and carried him back over to you and his dad. "Did you have fun with Violet and your grandpa?"

"Yeah. Guess what?! Since you were busy helping people, Violet read me a bedtime story AND she had a sleepover with me!"

Kayce smiled enthusiastically. "She did?"

"Yep, and Grandpa said when you got home he would take me to town for ice cream!"

"Ice cream two days in a row. I never got ice cream two days in a row."

"Because you never did all your chores." John let out a chuckle. "Why don't you go to the truck? I'll be right behind you."

"Okay." Tate ran to the truck as soon as Kayce set him down.

When he was far enough away, John focused on his two sons. "It's taken care of?"

Jamie nodded, "it's done."

"He owed me a favor," John informed when he saw the confusion in your eyes. "Come on, Jamie. Tate wants you to come for ice cream too because all you do is work."

The three of you let out a laugh and Jamie even joined in. "I don't remember the last time I went for ice cream."

"You're with us then. We'll see you two later."

While they headed towards a waiting Tate, Kayce pulled you into a crushing hug. Your hands clung to the back of his shirt. "I told you everything would be okay."

"Mhm."

"Come for a walk with me?" You nodded so he let you go only to take your hand. He gave you a long, deep kiss before you made your way to the treehouse.

After sinking into the grass, you sat across his lap. "Are you okay?" You asked, your hands resting against the sides of his neck.

"I'm good. Better now that I'm home with you and Tate."

Your heart fluttered hearing him include you when talking about home and his son. "Is it really over? They're dropping the charges?"

"Yeah. Dad saved the police chief's life a while back."

"So, he saved yours, in a way."

"If they didn't agree to it, I would've been locked up for life. Not seeing you all day makes me crazy." His hand slid across your cheek. "Last night I could see the moon out of the window in the cell they put me in. It's dumb but I felt closer to you."

A smile pulled at your lips. "Really?! After I finished reading to Tate I lay there looking at the moon. I pictured you doing the same thing."

"I guess we were made for each other or something."

"I guess so." The smirk you loved formed before he leaned in and kissed you. As you rested your foreheads against each others, the sound of wings flapping drew your attention to a nearby tree.

Kayce held you tighter when he saw the eagle. "I think Lee is pretty damn proud of himself for practically forcing us together." The familiar bird called out before taking off and gliding over the valley.

"I think you're right."

"You have no idea how happy I am that you showed up here."

"I'm even happier." An image of your ex flashed through your mind but you buried it. He doesn't know where I am. I'm safe here. Kayce's hand gently took hold of your chin and pulled you in for a long, sweet kiss. When you parted you nestled against him, resting your head on his shoulder. For the next half an hour you sat there holding each other, thankful that you could look out over the mountains together instead of looking at each other through prison bars.

*****

Kayce's hand was wrapped around yours as the two of you walked to the corral where his horse was already saddled up. Before you climbed on, you noticed a blanket rolled up and tied onto the saddle and a basket sitting on the ground close by. "Are we having a picnic?!"

"Maybe." He smirked. "Hop up." Once you were seated he handed you the basket and climbed on with you.

"Okay, what's the occasion?" You asked when you got to the meadow.

"I know you love coming out here for our dates instead of going out for dinner or whatever normal couples do so," he spread out the blanket and you both sat down, "I thought I would bring dinner to us."

You watched as he pulled out fancy sandwiches, fruit, cheese, and a bottle of sparkling grape juice since you both didn't drink alcohol.

"You made this?" You asked skeptically.

A laugh left his lips "I never said I made it, I said I brought it."

"Gator?"

"Mhm. He also made this." His hand went back into the basket and pulled out a pie, which was the perfect size for two. "He was going to make a cake but I remembered you saying you like pie better than cake." He set it down on the blanket. "I also remembered it's our two-month anniversary."

On top of the pie, there was a number two made out of dough. Your eyes shot back to the man who was rapidly breaking down the walls you had built around your heart. How did I get so lucky?

"I know it's only two months and nothing big. It's kinda stupid and cheesy." He rambled when you didn't say anything.

"No, it's..."

"Hey, shh." His hands came up and cupped your face when he saw your watery eyes. "What's wrong? Was it too dumb of an idea? In my defense, Tate and Gator both urged me to do it. In hindsight, it's probably not the best idea to take dating advice from a seven-year-old and a guy who I've never seen with a girl."

You giggled. "No, it's...it's perfect."

He let out a sigh of relief before leaning in and kissing you.

"Hi," Kayce said softly and leaned in. You had finished eating and put everything back into the basket, setting it on the edge of the blanket.

"Hi." Your hand came up and rested on his toned, work-shirt-covered chest. You leaned in, pressing your lips against his. He wrapped his arm around your waist, pulling you in, and his other hand slid into your hair. The kiss carried on but as it started getting heated, you pulled away. "I...I'm sorry. I-"

"Baby, you don't have to apologize. I didn't do this to get you to sleep with me." He tucked your hair behind your ear and smiled. "I did it because you are the most amazing woman I've ever met and I l- I like you, a lot. There's no rush. I'll wait for however long you need for you to be ready."

"Thank you." You wanted to tell him the real reason you left California, about Nick, but you were scared. So, you put it off and kept putting it off. After him getting arrested two days ago and everything he planned today; I don't want to ruin this. I'll tell him...tomorrow maybe...

He laid down on the blanket before gently pulling you down next to him. His arms around you as he looked up at the blue sky.

Your head rested on his chest and did the same. "That one looks like a bird." You pointed up at a fluffy white cloud floating by.

"That one looks like a dog chasing a...a fish?" You both laughed. "I don't remember the last time I did this. I could get used to it." He stated as he held you tighter.

"Me too." You cuddled up against his side before looking up at him. "At least once a month we have to lie back and look at the clouds."

"Deal."

"I think Tate would like it too."

"I think you're right." He smiled and a look you couldn't place flashed through his eyes. His lips found yours for a heartwarming kiss.

More of the wall crumbled away and you rested your head back on his chest, looking back up at the sky and silently thanking God for ending up here.

"It's starting to get dark. We better go, baby." He kissed your forehead before the two of you stood up and gathered the basket and blanket.

"Hi, still nameless horse." Kayce reached over and squeezed your waist, leaving you giggling. "I saved this for you." You held out a slice of apple and the horse gobbled it up. After scratching his nose, you climbed onto his back. Kayce handed you the blanket and basket before doing the same.

The darkness slowly settled in on the ride back and when you got back to the yard, the stars were starting to come to life. "Can I walk you to your door?"

"Yes," you smiled, taking the picnic basket and blanket from him so he could put his horse back in his stall for the night. When he finished his hand entwined with yours and you went inside.

"Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, baby." He leaned his back against your doorframe and pulled you against him.

"Yes, I do," your hands slid over his shoulders and started playing with his hair, "the picnic, you being so amazing, all of it. It was the best date I've ever had."

"Anything for you, Letty."

You blushed. "And umm, thank you for being so patient with me."

His hand slid across your cheek. "I told you I'd wait no matter how long. You are one million percent worth it." Your cheeks darkened. He leaned down and kissed you long and softly.

"Goodnight, Kayce."

"Goodnight, Letty."

*****

You froze when your eyes landed on the blanket and the bouquet of daisies lying on it. "Kayc."

"Come on." He smiled and took your hand, leading you the rest of the way. "I had to go to town this morning and got them for you. That and this." Under the flowers was a chocolate bar that he handed you after you both sat down.

"Chocolate?"

"Before we went to the reserve to get the cows back, I asked you to watch Tate and I said I owed you. You said you like chocolate."

A soft smile formed. "You remembered."

"I remember everything when it comes to you."

"Thank you for the chocolate and flowers...for everything."

He leaned in. "You don't have to thank me. I would do anything for you." His hand slid across your cheek and into your hair, pulling you in for a kiss.

As the kiss carried on, it grew more heated. A memory of your ex suddenly slammed into you, taking over. "No! Stop! Stop!" You pushed him away and scrambled to your feet.

"Violet!" Kayce jumped up, slowly making his way over to your trembling frame. "Baby?"

You frantically looked around. He's not here. It's not him. It's Kayce. Tears started streaming from your eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I-"

"Hey, shh. Shh." He hesitantly reached for you and you burrowed into his arms. "It's okay. I got you." When your crying stopped, he ran a hand over your hair. "Letty, talk to me."

"It-it's nothing."

"That wasn't nothing." While he dried your cheeks, his eyes suddenly widened. "Someone...did someone r...r..." He couldn't make himself say rape but you knew what he meant. Your hands wrung together as you gave a small nod. "Just tell me one thing. Was it someone here, in Montana?"

"No. California."

"Your ex?"

"Y-yes."

He nodded slowly before his hands came up and cupped your face. "I will wait as long as you need, Letty."

"Thank you." You said quietly.

"Did you want to sit here for a bit or go back to the house?"

"Can we go back?"

"Of course. Whatever you want."

A small smile pulled at the corners of your mouth but it slowly faded. While you rode back, flowers and chocolate in hand, your thoughts were on Nick. The hell he had put you through and hell he would put you through if he found you.

"Want to have dinner with us?" Kayce asked after one of the ranch hands took his horse from him and you walked up onto the porch. "I would love it. So would Tate and everyone else."

"Umm, I'm not hungry. And, I have my laundry to put away. Don't tell Tate my clothes are still sitting in the basket because he always gets in trouble for not putting away his laundry right away." You smiled.

He smiled back. "My lips are sealed." The hand that was holding yours gently stopped you, turning you to face him. "Are you okay?"

"Mhm."

"Okay..."

"I'm fine, really." The hand that wasn't holding the gifts he got you came up and rested on his chest. You smiled softly when you heard Tate yell for him from the dining room. "Go eat."

"Want to play a board game or watch a movie with Tate and I later?"

Your small smile returned. "I think I'm just going to lie in bed and eat my chocolate."

The concern was still evident in his eyes but he didn't push. "Alright. I'll see you in the morning, baby. Sleep well." After giving you a kiss, he went to the dining room while you went to the hallway closet next to your room and got a vase.

When you set the daisies on your nightstand, the tears that you had been holding back started trickling down. By the time you leaned the chocolate bar against the sparkling glass vase and curled up on your bed, the trickle of tears had turned to a river. You buried your face in the pillow to muffle your sobs while memories of being with Nick filled your head.

"He raped her. He..." a harsh breath left Kayce's lips. "He raped her, dad."

"Shit."

Kayce looked over at John. "You said she told you a bit about her past. Did you know?"

"No. She never told me he raped her." Your boyfriend looked at him waiting for more. "She will tell you everything when she's ready."

"I want to kill him."

John took a sip of whiskey from his glass. "You and me both, son."

"I...I love her."

"I know you do." John smiled.

Meanwhile, you had been lying in bed trying to fall asleep for the last three hours. It was 1:30 in the morning but your mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts and memories.

After a few more minutes you threw the covers off and made your way down the hall. A light from the living room grabbed your attention as you made your way into the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

With peppermint tea in hand you went to the living room to turn the light off. "Oh." You froze when you saw Kayce and John sitting by the fireplace. "I thought everyone went to bed and forgot to turn the light off."

"What are you still doing up, baby?"

"I umm, I couldn't sleep so I got up to make some tea. Since there is someone in here I'll leave the light on. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Violet." John said with a soft smile.

"Goodnight, Letty."

Five minutes later you were sitting in bed holding your half empty mug when there was a knock on your door. "Come in."

Kayce stepped into your room. "Hi." He walked up to the bed. "Can I lie with you for a while? If you don't want me to it's okay?"

"You can." You set you mug on the nightstand and moved over. Once he lay down, you curled up next to him.

“Is it okay if I stay until you fall asleep?"

"Can you stay all night?"

"Yeah, of course." He held you closer and kissed your forehead." Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Kayc." You nestled into him. A few minutes later you were sleeping peacefully.

The cowboy holding you was still awake though. "I am never going to let him touch you again, Violet. You have my word." He swore into your hair before placing a kiss in the same spot. He listened to you breathing softly before it finally lulled him to sleep.

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annepsilvaauthor · 8 months

Text

You Belong With Me - Jamie Dutton

Pairing: Jamie Dutton x OC (Ava North)

Summary: Ava only wanted one thing: to be a horse tamer. And when she had the chance, she took it. Ava became the new horse tamer of Yellowstone, a totally different ranch from the others she met, either because of its immensity or because of family problems. Ava thought her problems were big, but when she met the Dutton family that thought dies. However, there is a Dutton who is a point out of the curve, a lawyer mistreated by the problems and by his own family. Meeting Jamie Dutton may not have been the work of chance, after all one broken understands the other.

Warnings: Subtle sexual innuendos, brief language, alcohol consumption, angst, smut, fluffy.

Author's note: Can someone tell me how I put the "read more" by app? Please, help me!

Part III

Someone I can't have

The days went by and Ava became more and more connected with the cowboys and especially with the foreman. They didn't have another moment as intimate as that, since Ava no longer showed any interest beyond the conversations and Lee seemed to understand this. She respected him and liked to see that he respected her equally. This fact alone could have made him even more attractive, but something got in the way. He was kind, capable and kissed very well, he was a man. Why didn't she feel attracted to him?

One day the Duttons invented to have a family reunion on top of the horses. She could see Lee, Jamie and another brother she later discovered was Kayce, John's youngest son. There was a boy with him and from the way John looked at that boy, he was his grandson. But there was no sign of Kayce's wife, if he had any. Ava knew there were more children, a woman, but she didn't leave the House much and she certainly wouldn't share that moment with them.

Ava rode on one of the horses and joined the other cowboys, waiting for the Duttons to gather on the horses. Lee was the first and stood next to her at a distance considered far enough not to cause suspicion, but close enough to take care of her. Ava can observe Rip's look on himself, curious and mocking. She knew he understood what was happening between them, but had let her bear her own decisions. And she would thank him for that.

Jamie was the second to climb the horse. That stallion was one of the most docile and calm in the stable, which made it clear how far Jamie was from the farm and the routine of the cowboys. He certainly wasn't a landowner. At least, Jamie didn't get out of balance and managed to guide his horse to where Lee was, keeping his eyes fit, of course, on John Dutton. He helped his grandson to climb on his horse with satisfaction and love, with a look that she had not yet seen launch even to Lee, let alone Jamie.

Jamie, at a rare moment, looked away from John to Ava. It was a quick moment, maybe milliseconds, but she can glimpse a look of sadness. He fixed his gaze on Kayce, calling him to ride, but Ava kept watching him. Once again he had dressed differently from the suit and tie, wore boots, jeans, a white shirt and a cream jacket. However, as much as he dressed like a cowboy, he wasn't one. The well-aligned hair was certainly not from a cowboy. Jamie represented everything that Ava never managed to stay close to, that she never saw in that small town. He represented a class very far from her. Still, her body kept burning whenever she saw him.

Kayce finally joined the rest of the family and everyone headed to the countryside, where they guided the immense buffaloes from one valley to another. They did that from time to time to give the land time to recover while the buffaloes fed on the other part. The land trembled with the noise of the strong footsteps of the animals, both buffaloes and horses and Ava admired the beautiful and raw landscape of Yellowstone. The clean air, green and blue of the sky enchanted her every day as if it were the first time.

"I'll get him going for you." Kayce informed Lee with a playful smile.

"Race you!" Lee took the challenge and rode next to his brother, pairing the speeds in the middle of the herd.

"Men." She laughed alone when she watched the two brothers increase their speed more and more and the buffaloes follow them downhill.

"Think they should hold here." Jamie announced to his father, who ignored him for a few minutes.

"Kayce might be the only man who can outride him." John replied calmly as he watched the two sons ride through his land and then walked away from Jamie taking Tate with him.

The cowboys continued with their work and followed John, but Ava took a few seconds to watch Jamie. He stood there after hearing that from his father, with a sad and disappointed expression. John had said with all the letters that Jamie was not good enough to defeat Lee. And that statement didn't seem to be just about the race. Jamie was destined to be just the family's lawyer forever, at least according to John Dutton.

Before following the same direction as the others, Ava noticed a mucca on the back loins of Jamie's horse and rode to him. Jamie received her with a question mark on his face, after all, their last meeting had not been so friendly for her to want to approach him again.

"There's a mucca on your horse, sir. Don't move. I'm going to remove it." Ava informed respectfully when she got close enough to him. Jamie was reluctant for a moment, as if he didn't believe she was helping him, but gave in with a nod. If that mucca stung the horse, God knew how far he would take Jamie.

"Be quick." Jamie ordered by observing that the herd and the cowboys were distancing themselves. Ava rolled her eyes without him noticing and stretched towards Jamie's horse, pushing the mucca away with the thick gloves.

"Quick enough?" She didn't contain the sarcastic comment. "Oh, sorry...sir."

Jamie shook his head in front of her comment and left towards the others without looking back.

"Thank you, Ava. You were very kind." She replied to herself and rode quickly in the direction of the other cowboys.

After they guided the herd to valley nine, the Duttons took a different turn on the way back. They took a turn and rode towards the river. Ava and some cowboys remained at the top of the hill, waiting for the bosses to fish in the river. They prepared the baits and hoisted them over the water while still riding the horses. They seemed to be having fun and for a moment Ava wished she wasn't a cowgirl and could just had fun in that river.

Lee was the first to catch a fish and handed the fishing rod to Kayce, who gave it to Tate. John Dutton had gone up with the other cowboys to solve landowner problems and left his grandson with his father. Tate was an adorable boy who didn't seem to have much contact with nature, at least not like that.

"I got a fish!" Tate exclaimed excitedly to his father.

Ava observed that Jamie had positioned himself in the center of the river and after a few minutes he hooked a fish as well. Then Jamie got off the horse in a cumsy jump and wrapped the nylon thread of the fishing rod.

"Lee, get my horse. Whoo!" Jamie exulted when he could catch that fish as if he were a child, almost as excited as Tate. "Little late in the year for that!"

"Do they have the habit of coming here?" Ava asked Ryan, one of the cowboys who had been left behind.

"Not in recent years." He responded by watching the family downstairs. "Only Lee still shows up here from time to time."

"You can tell that."

Ava watched Jamie lift his huge fish from the river with a smile of satisfaction. He seemed very proud of his feat, it almost seemed that he had never done something so good that he deserved to be proud of or that someone had never given him due recognition. One thing or another, the fact was that Jamie seemed happy. It was the first time Ava saw him smile, most of the time Jamie was frowing, sad or worried. She could almost see every line of expression of his no longer so young face from above. He raised the fish so high that she thought he wanted to show her his big fish too. She laughed without warning.

"Oh, she's so beautiful." Jamie admired the dead fish in his hands.

The Dutton brothers lit a small bonfire by the river and roasted the two fish they had caught. They were more comfortable at that moment, taking off their jackets and sitting on small tree trunks. The moment seemed so intimate that Ava felt bad for having to watch them. She, more than anyone, knew the value of privacy and they deserved it.

"You're gonna raise him on a reservation?" Lee asked his brother about Tate while eating some of the roasted fish.

"People do it every day." He responded in disdain while taking care of his son's fish.

"Cause they have no choice, Kayce." Jamie entered the conversation after eating another piece of the fish, carrying a small knife between his big hands.

"Yeah, looks like you're ready to eat." Kayce ignored the brothers' comments to pay attention only to her son.

"It's a good day." Tate sentenced by finally tasting his fish.

"Every day, just like this." Jamie reported excitedly, but Kayce didn't buy that.

"Who are you kidding? Bet you haven't fished here in years."

"Only thing we haven't done in years is seeing you, Kayce." Jamie replied looking for another piece of fish meat.

"Well, he told me to leave."

"He told us all to leave." Lee recalled with the most serious voice. "You were just the only one who did."

"It's different. You know that."

"So you're gonna raise him in that meth-filled desert to prove a point." Lee continued to debate with his brother.

"What I'm proving you'll never understand." Kayce explained and the brothers laughed.

"Shit, I miss being young. You wake up in the morning and you just keep right on dreaming, huh?" Lee mocked his younger brother.

"You're a 38-year-old bachelor living in your father's house, working 100-hour week for a nibble of his approval." Kayce countered directly in a heavy argument. "Is that the dream, Lee? Sure as shit it ain't mine."

Ava could see the brothers talking from afar without being able to hear them, but she could notice a certain repulsion and anger in Lee's always cheerful expression. She wonder what they were talking about? Suddenly, Lee caught a pebble and threw it in the direction of Kayce, who deviated before the piece hit his face.

"Hey! Don't throw things at my dad!" Tate screamed anrily and got up to throw, with all his childish strength, the fish he had caught on Lee. The brother fell back more scared than by the force of the object. "Fucker!"

The brothers laughed because of the boy's behavior and verbiate. Even Ava laughed from up there. It was something so unexpected that she couldn't hold back her own laugh even if she didn't know what it was all about. Lee was hit by a little boy. She would definitely make fun of him later.

And there it was again, his smile. It was more surprised than happy, but it was still a beautiful smile. Jamie had big and wide teeth, but crooked. She was sure he could have left them straight if he wanted to, he had money for it. Ava didn't understand why someone who apparently cared so much about appearance didn't care about their own teeth. However, she had to admit that it matched him. A sign of imperfection on that plastic mountain. She liked that, it was fucking charming.

The brothers remained talking for a long time until Tate seemed tired and they decided to return home. The Duttons reunited again with the cowboys and they rode back. Jamie didn't ride as fast as his brothers, not even the cowboys, so he always ended up behind the crowd. And this distance allowed him to see a red handkerchief stuck in one of the branches of the trees. Jamie recognized it and approached to pick it up, keeping it in his jacket pocket.

Upon arriving at the stables, the cowboys collected the Duttons' horses to feed them inside the barn and they all entered the house, at least that's what Ava thought. She took care of the last horse in the stable, combing the mane while he fed, when she saw boots appear at the door. Ava raised her head to contemplate Jamie Dutton.

"Is there a problem, sir?" She asked with a frown, since he had never entered there since she had taken over the job.

"My father cares about his men as much as about animals and the land, Ava. He gives you everything you need to take care of what is his." He began his report by crossing his arms over his chest and staring at her with disdain.

"We are grateful for that, sir."

"Is it really? It doesn't look like it. Where's your handkerchief, Ava?"

She continued to frown at his question and looked for the piece on her neck, but did not find it. Ava widened her eyes and looked under her jacket, in her pockets and even in the cabin, but she couldn't find it. Holy shit! She sighed strongly and closed her eyes for a second trying to remember where she could have left it. Damn, the wind was so strong that day that it could have fallen anywhere.

"I lost it, sir." Ava responded after realizing that lying would not be the best option.

"Good. You were honest." Jamie let out a mini smile and rummaged through his jacket pocket, removing the red scarf. Ava opened her mouth slightly in surprise and closed it immediately. "It was near the river. It looks like you got distracted."

"This is not going to happen again, sir."

Jamie didn't answer by just studying her entirely with those huge and bright blue eyes. She had never been so close to him as to see them like that. They were beautiful, although a little sad. Jamie extended the handkerchief towards her and Ava picked it up, but not before she felt a remnant of his warm skin between her fingers. Sparks exploded from that touch.

"I feel like I know you from somewhere." Jamie resumed talking after the brief shock.

"I don't think so, sir. I would remember, for sure."

"You would?" Jamie asked almost choking and Ava felt a little powerful for making him disassemble like that.

"We are from completely different worlds, sir. If I'm in a place where you are, or that place is poorly frequented or it's from high society." Ava acquired a seductive tone that she had no intention of having. Jamie swallowed it dry over and over again. "I would definitely remember someone like you."

"Someone like me..."

"Yes, someone I can't have."

Ava didn't understand why she did that, in fact, she knew well, she just didn't understand why she couldn't contain herself. He was her boss, just like Lee. If she continued like that, she would lose the respect of cowboys and bosses. But she couldn't help but like everything that Jamie threw at her at that moment, in complete shock, as if he had never heard something like that from someone, especially from a woman. Ava saw him as an imposing man, smart enough to rid the ranch of many problems, but she realized that Jamie didn't seem to have many experiences with women. He seemed naive, disconcerted and fucking surprised. Probably, Jamie had never been desired by a woman before, at least, not one as attractive as Ava.

"IIII, I need to go." He stuttered and swallowed dry several times.

"OK, sir. Thank you for returning the handkerchief to me." Ava maintained the malicious tone and opened an irresistible smile, which Jamie almost disassembled in front of her. "Have a good day, Mr. Dutton."

"Likewise, Ava."

Jamie squeezed the step away from the stable and if she wasn't looking maybe he would have run out of there. Once alone, Ava allowed herself to laugh at the situation and bit her lower lip.

"Did you see that, Leon?" She talked to the horse that squeamed.

#jamie dutton #yellowstone #yellowstone jamie #yellowstone tv #yellowstone fic #jamie dutton x oc #monica bellucci #you belong with me #ybwm #kayce dutton #john dutton #monica long #beth dutton #tate dutton #romance #smut #far west

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