𝐻𝑂𝑅𝑆𝐸𝑆 𝐴𝑅𝐸 𝐹𝐴𝑆𝑇𝐸𝑅 | 𝐾𝑎𝑦𝑐𝑒 𝐷𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑛

1 | 𝙽𝚄𝙼𝙱

Naomi couldn't feel anything. She heard the preacher talking over the caskets that held her parents bodies but she felt numb. Her mother would have told her to spare some emotion, give the people what they want. Give them the heartbroken, grieving daughter they all expected her to be.

Even her brother, seated next to her, stifled small sobs, but she was blank. Empty.

The funeral was hosted outside, in the family cemetery. The slight breeze stirred the dark pieces of hair that framed her face. Her fingers aimlessly toyed with the hem of her black dress as it rested just barely above her knee.

All she could think about was when this would be over. She lifted her gaze when the preacher called her name.

"Miss West? Would you care to say a few words?"

The question put her on the spot. Every head turned to look at her, her brown eyes went wide with shock as her lips parted to speak, but no words came out. She locked eyes with John Dutton, who stood to his feet, although it was more to her rescue.

"The girl just lost her parents, preach, she's probably in some shock." He said, casting a look her way, to which she nodded in response.

"My apologies." The preacher spoke and she nodded again.

Family friends took their turns saying kind words about her parents, but she wasn't tuned in to any of that. She didn't want to hear about how kind they were. She knew. She just wanted to go home, but that wasn't an option anymore.

John Dutton himself had taken her and her brother under his wing, offering them jobs and rooms in the main house of his ranch; after all, he'd been close with their parents. They spent almost every holiday together; and when they were younger, the West kids would always spend summers out on the Yellowstone ranch.

She was jolted out of her thoughts once more when everyone at the wake rose to their feet. She followed in suit, clutching the two dainty red roses in her hands as the caskets were lowered, one next to the other.

The preacher motioned for her to step forward, and she did. She dropped the first rose into the ground after her mother's casket.

"Bye momma.."

Then proceeded to move towards her fathers casket, letting her second rose fall.

"Bye daddy." She said in just barely a whisper, more to herself than anything.

She was supposed to return to her seat, but instead, she turned on her heel and walked away from the wake entirely, once far enough, she began to run, her heels nearly tripping her up as she stopped herself by a tree, placing herself behind it and leaning back on the wood.

Tears streamed down her face as everything came flooding back. The night her entire life was thrown into a blender.

She didn't know how the fire started, but it went quick. Kyler had rushed to her room on the second floor, throwing the door open to wake her up as smoke billowed into her room. She had nearly cussed him out before she'd realized what was happening.

The siblings had managed to open her window, tossing her bed comforter and all of her pillows down to the grass below, as leaving through the house was no longer an option. They both jumped, one after the other. The impact was harsh, but neither of them were hurt.

Their parents didn't make it out.

Footsteps drew her attention away from that night and she glanced over her shoulder, her brother coming into view, his eyes puffy and red as he approached her. He said nothing, and opened his arms to her, to which she accepted, wrapping her arms around her younger brother.

"All we got is us now, Naomi."

"All we got is us." She murmured.

He sighed before stepping back and releasing her. "C'mon. We gotta get headed to the Dutton ranch to get all our stuff unpacked. Mister Dutton is giving us a ride over."

Naomi nodded and walked with him back to the wake, where everyone had cleared out, leaving a thinner crowd of people. She stopped dead in her tracks when a familiar face caught her eye.

"I'll be damned..."

Kyler followed her eyes and landed on just who she was looking at. Kayce Dutton. The last time they'd seen him was nearly seven years ago. His hair was longer, his face scruffier, and he had a little boy clinging to his leg.

"Is that Kayce?" Kyler asked.

"I think so..."

Naomi widened her eyes when Kayce caught her stare, though she didn't break the eye contact. He looked just as shocked as her, his eyes taking in how much she'd changed over the years.

He reached down and tapped the little boy on the back to get him to release him, and took ahold of his hand, beckoning to a native looking woman to follow him as he made his way over to the siblings.

"Almost didn't recognize ya'. It's good to see you Naomi. Wish it were under better circumstances." He spoke, his gaze full of wonder. "Uh.. this..." He picked up the little boy, holding him on his hip as the kid hid his face in Kayce's shirt. "My son, Tate."

Her eyes widened and a small smile spread across her lips. She knew he had always wanted a family.

Tate turned to look at her, popping his hands out towards her face with a smile on his lips. "Boo! Did I scare ya?" He said with a small giggle. He had to have been at least five, maybe six.

Naomi placed her hand over her heart, feigning surprise as she gasped dramatically. "Totally did, nearly became a ghost right here in the cemetery." She exclaimed, causing laughter to erupt from Tate. Kayce set him down and the native woman stepped forward, extending her hand between Naomi and Kayce.

"I'm Monica, Kayce's wife." She said, a small smile on her lips. "So sorry for your loss. Both of you." She said, shaking Naomi's hand before turning to Kyler.

"I'm Naomi, this is my brother Kyler." Naomi introduced herself and her brother.

"Right. Kace, we should get back to the house. Tate's gotta be exhausted." She said.

"Mama I'm not tired!" Tate pouted.

Monica brushed the remark off before taking ahold of her sons hand and waving at the West siblings before beginning to walk back towards the vehicles.

Kayce smiled apologetically. "She's not a fan of funerals."

"Who is?" Naomi shrugged. "It was nice seeing you, Kayce."

"You too." He then walked off to join his wife.

Kyler stifled a laugh as he turned to look at his sister. She raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Dude that man has a type."

She punched his arm lightly before laughing a bit herself.

"Ow! What? She's literally you but y'know like... darker."

"That's so fucked, Ky."

The pair laughed it off before approaching John, following him and the others back to the trucks. He held the back door open for the two as they climbed inside.

Once they were all settled inside the truck, Kyler spoke up from beside Naomi. "Thanks for taking us in, Mister Dutton."

John looked back at the two with a sad smile as he started the truck. "Y'all are family." He said before turning to face the road as he began to drive off.

Naomi rested her head on her brothers shoulder and focused on the soft country music playing from the speakers of the truck as they drove off towards the ranch.

xxx