✅️Country Rancher Kayce Dutton

Mother's Promise

Authors note
This chapter is filler until the next episode. Giving history on Y/n's pregnancy and how her character has changed.

1 month after Bree's birth.
Throwing on a cameo jacket over my black tshirt, blue jeans and brown boots with my hair braided I head for the barn. Grabbing a rope off the wall and saddling my horse. The doctors at the hospital had said I was clear to move around after weeks of maternity leave. Baby Bree is fast asleep in her crib with Beth watching her for a few hours. Clicking my tongue my horse slowly races out of the barn and I sigh in relief feeling the wind on my face. The last time I was on a horse was the morning I found out I was pregnant. The horses legs gallop faster than I remember and I start howling at the sunrise.
Kayce leaving me is the hardest thing I've ever faced and I don't want to cry over it anymore.

Dismounting my horse after hours of riding Rip comes up to me seeing the rope hanging over my shoulder. "Can you teach me, Rip?" He dismounted his horse confusion written on his face. "Teach you what exactly Y/n?" Stepping up to his face I eye the Yellowstone V on the white barn. "Teach me how to be a cowboy of Yellowstone." He nods getting back on his horse and I followed quickly when he goes in the metal fence area.

"Gosh dang it. Kayce made this look so easy." I groan spinning the rope again but still missed roping the calf. Rip resting his arms on the metal fence on the outside. "He was raised to do this. You're not him so stop thinking like him." Closing my eyes taking a slow breath I twirl the lasso in my right hand tossing it forward to hook the calf's neck. Opening my eyes my left hand yanks the reigns of my horse to make him stop.

Rip enters the fence area as I remove the rope from its neck so it can go get some food in its pen. "How'd you do that with your eyes closed?" Brushing the dirt off my jeans the wind catching some of my hair. "I was thinking too much. Once I stopped thinking about Kayce, what he did to me. And just thought about my little girl I - she calmed me down. Hate, revenge, no in your heart. They'll never help you get what you want."

"Well I think Mr. Dutton would agree you deserve this..." He reveals a light brown cowgirl hat from behind his back handing it to me. Turning it around in my hands I see a gold heart pin sticking in the front of it. "That pin represents you, Y/n. This ranch could be the new love in your heart. You're innocence is something that the Yellowstone needs. It's a part of you."

Flipping the hat around I set it ontop my head. "Bree is the future heart of Yellowstone." Rip watching me walk off my head held high he mumbles to himself. "She'll be running this ranch someday. I don't fucking doubt it."

My eyes shoot open with my heart beating rapidly against my chest. Sitting up in our bed I run my hands down my face. Tossing the covers I throw on my clothes in a quick fashion apparently loud enough to wake Kayce. "Y/n, come back to bed." His hair's a knotted mess his eyes barely open cause he's half asleep. "Can't Kayc. Work to do." Grabbing my hat with the heart pin I place it on my head rushing outside knowing it's earlier before the Bunkhouse cowboys will get up. Walking one of John's new horses from the barn with a rope after opening the fenced area I let the horse loose. He runs and tries to charge my direction. Dropping my crutches I spin on my right leg but stumble a little while putting weight on my left. The doctors would scold me for overworking my sore leg but I don't care. This is the only thing that helps with the trauma and nightmares.

I swing the lasso making him turn the corner, having to do this a couple times until Kayce's voice breaks me from my task.
"You're better at that then me, faster too." He's wearing his tan jacket and black hat leaning on the fence. "I thought you went back to bed....here ya go boy." The horse eats some sugar cubes from my palm. "Couldn't do it. Not when I know you haven't been sleeping right for 3 days." Glancing his direction I pick my crunches off the ground leaning them against the fence before resting my hands on the horse. Climbing to sit on the saddle gently holding the reigns. "I'm fine. There's just too much work to do. Especially if you're dad keeps purchasing horses in the legacy of this ranch." Tugging the reigns the horse starts running in fast circles around the ring for a few minutes until I yank the reigns tough needing him to slow down but instead he stands on his hind legs throwing me off. My left leg gets hung in the foot holder causing Kayce to climb the fence and calm the horse down by his raised hands quietly shooshing him.

"Never jump on a horse still being broken in. You know that. Y/n, what's going through that head of yours?" He grabs my smaller hands in his pulling me off the dusty ground. "Nothing Kayce. I just wanna get stuff done-" He stares sternly down at me knowing I'll cave. "Y/n..." Groaning in frustration I give up hopping over to my crutches with his aid. "Ever since you told me that Monica, Tate and Bree are somewhere we have no clue. I can't sleep - I'm scared Kayce. Terrified that I'll never see our daughter again...never see Tate again...so I'm begging you teach me." Kayce tilts his head in confusion resting his left hand to my cheek. "Y/n I don't understand..." Locking on his soft brown eyes I reply.

"Teach me. Teach me how to shoot Kayce. So that I'm not defenseless if something similar to two months ago happens again. I - I can hurt the people who come after my family." He runs a hand over his mouth taking in a deep breath eyeing my serious stance.
"Baby you're talking about hurting people. It'll change you, scar you...take away your innocence." He trails off the wind catching his long brown locks. "I'm already scared Kayc, besides I made a promise to myself the day Bree was born. I'll always protect her no matter the consequences." He stares at me blankly for a second looping his arm through mine and putting the horse up in the barn, vowing down to me simply. "I'll teach you, for Bree." For Bree.

10 years ago
After one long push I hear my child's cry. My right hand still clutching Beth's hand in mine. Her other hand brushing back my hair from my sweaty forehead. "Congratulations miss L/n. You have a beautiful baby girl." The nurse spoke bringing my baby wrapped in a pink blanket. She gently hands her to me leaving me and Beth alone.

"She's so cute, Y/n." Beth finally spoke smiling down at her niece in my arms. "What will you name her?" Closing my eyes for a moment I think on it. She deserves the Dutton name. "I'll name her Bree...Bree Kayc Dutton." I reply sniffing through tears overwhelmingly tired from labor.

Beth rests her hand over mine hearing me mumbling to myself more than to her. "Bree, it's your mommy. You're father isn't here with me...but I'm gonna make you a promise. A promise to always protect you and keep your innocence alive." Bree softly goes to sleep and I follow closely behind with Beth watching over us.

Comment and vote :)