For Them, We Must

I know what to do, John.

Oakley tucked both the twins into her and Kayce's bed back at the ranch. They were sleepy and after the short excitement, they crashed early. Kayce had sent one of his men to where her mom was finishing bridge and told them to bring Erin back to the ranch.

Oakley heard the front door open and shut and knew her mom was back. She made her way downstairs, letting the feeling of being home soak into her bones, and saw Kayce talking to Erin.

"You haven't talked to her, have you?" Erin asked Kayce.

"She won't let me near her enough to do that," Kayce said.

"She's hurting, Kayce," Erin tilted her head at him. "I don't know what you did...but it sounds like it was the consequences of what you did that ended up hurting her feelings. Hurt people don't just let the ones who hurt them close enough to do it again."

"She wants an apology," Kayce nodded. "But I agree that what I did was right."

"Maybe it was?" Erin shrugged. "Doesn't mean right things don't hurt people too...and you, Kayce Dutton, have a history of trying to pick the right choice and it somehow hurts my daughter in the end."

Kayce blinked back in surprise.

"And I think," Erin held up one finger. "I think you're one saving grace is that my daughter is so in love with you, that she'll take that hurt over and over because it far underweights the good parts of your lives together. You're not in a good part right now, Kayce. Maybe recognize that, recognize her side, and let her work through things."

"I told her she doesn't have to do that alone," Kayce said.

"She's Oakley," Erin let out a small chuckle. "Of course, she has to...it's what she's always done. She doesn't want to hurt you, she's trying to get back to you...so Kayce, let her breathe some."

"Hi, Mom," Oakley said, crossing her arms as she stepped off the stairs.

"Hi dear," Erin smiled. "I see we're all having a sleepover here?"

"Yeah," Oakley glanced at Kayce. "I put some of your stuff in one of the guest rooms."

"Told her they were looking for a suspect in a few robberies...said they spotted him in the neighborhood and thought it'd be better for y'all to stay here for a night or two." Kayce shifted awkwardly where he stood.

"Is that alright with you?" Oakley asked her mom. "I'd feel better if you were with us."

"It's fine, Oakley," Erin nodded.

They all looked up at footsteps coming down the stairs. Tate stopped at the last step and looked at them.

"Hey?" Tate looked between the adults.

"Come on, Tate," Erin smiled. "How about you show me to my room and then I want to hear about your new truck I saw our front. Those tires are bigger than me."

Erin walked over and looped her arm through Tate's. The two of them made their way back upstairs and when out of sight, Oakley looked at Kayce.

"She's been really understanding with all of this," Oakley told him. "I can't figure it out."

"I'll take it for now," Kayce sighed, walking into the living room.

Oakley followed him and they both seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

"We don't know if Lee actually saw someone, Kayce," Oakley said. "He's a kid and it could have been a shadow."

"Or it was whoever's screwing with us," Kayce said. "And our hunch was correct that you would be next."