✅️Country Rancher Kayce Dutton

All Riding Together

"Momma, are we really gonna ride with grandpa tomorrow?" Elsa asked jumping up and down like she had eaten a bunch of sugar.

Dallas was beside Ryan helping him load up his gear for tomorrow. It was where we would brand the cattle and sleep in just tents like real cowboys. That's what Lioyd told me once. Pulling my brown fur jacket closer around myself while tipping my brown hat up. "Yes sweatshirt. We will be going alongside your daddy. Now why don't you go play with your brother."

"I'm suprised you're letting them get on horses, baby." Footsteps approached from behind me with familiar arms wrapping around my waist from behind.

Leaning into his embrace I sighed in relief just enjoying the moment for a few seconds then turning around in his hold. "From where I stand you got on a horse young. Bree was riding horses at age ten if I remember correctly. I think it's time they start learning. I'll have Dallas ride with me and you can have Elsa." Draping my arms over his shoulders with a small smile.

"Sounds like a deal, Mrs. Dutton." He leans forward whispering in my ear making me blush. "Why don't you and I go spend our last night for a while in the bed."

Hitting his chest I tugged him back inside the main house knowing we needed to start packing our own gear. "We'll have time for that when we get back, Kayc. Let's go." Exiting the main house a few hours later I saw my father in law talking with his daughter and she had a very true point. That they didn't want to live beside him they simply wanted the land and for us to be gone.

"She's got a point you know. They want us all gone, John." I mumbled leaning against the stone wall watching his daughter leave heading towards a storage barn where Rip was getting supplies ready for Carter.

He sighed running a hand down his face staring at me longingly. "I just hope I can keep this for you and your children. I only have one son now and my daughter can't have her own children. So you're children will get all of this."

"I appreciate your work, John.." I trailed off twisting the fabric of my jacket knowing he was expecting me to give him some answer on me becoming livestock commissioner. I wasn't sure that Kayce should completely give it up. But I really wasn't sure if I would be good at the job. I was only used to be following what my husband thought was right for the cattle and horses because he was raised to do the job, not me.

The evening came sooner than I expected and I figured it would be an interesting dinner considering John had freed Summer and put her on house arrest here. Leaving her and Beth to most likely get into it sometime tonight. John was at the head of the table. Kayce and I took the chairs on the end. Carter was sitting next to Bree who had Rip on her other side and Beth beside him. Elsa was sitting on the other end facing her grandfather. Finally there was an empty chair on the opposite side of Dallas that Summer ended up taking being close to the governor like his daughter. Gator entered the room sitting down multiple trays of meat noticing Summer sitting at the table. "Oh I'm sorry ma'am. If I had known I would have made you something else."

"Give her what we feed the horses, Gator." Beth scoffed glaring across the table at the girl.

Biting my lip I forked some food on each of the twins plates so they were distracted with eating rather than watching what was about to happen. "Gator she'll be here for 6 months so could you make something that she can eat in the future?" John asked the cook.

"So uh what we have prepared here is an esuremain of game. There on the left vension-"

Summer interrupts him. "Which is to say a deer you shot that was just minding its own business."

"Yes that's right...beside that we'll have roast duck-" He started again but it didn't matter.

She asked a question intertwining her hands together. "Do you realize duck's mate for life?"