For Them, We Must

We need you too much.

Late October

"Kayce!" Oakley called out as she finished pulling on her brown sweater. "Are you ready?"

Oakley walked out of the bedroom. 

"Kayce?" Oakley called out but ran right into the man she'd been yelling for.

"You trying to wake the dead, baby?" Kayce laughed. "Yes, let's go."

"Don't be cute," Oakley huffed as she walked downstairs.

"Thought you liked me cute?" Kayce smirked behind her back.

"You're on thin ice," Oakley glanced behind her at him as she grabbed her purse. "Kids!"

"They're already in the truck," Kayce crossed his arms.

Oakley blinked.

"Oh," Oakley pulled her coat on.

"I can do some things," Kayce was still smirking.

Oakley rolled her eyes and opened the front door. She looked out and saw that in fact, both twins were in the back of Kayce's truck.

"And yet...when I asked you to put your boots up in the closet for the hundredth time, I still just tripped over them."

"Well," Kayce shrugged as he locked the door. "I can't be perfect."

"Mmm," Oakley walked over and got into the passenger seat.

"Momma, why do we have to go?" Evelyn asked from the back.

"Because we're cheering Tate on," Oakley said. "It's his first roping tournament for the year."

"But why is it in Livingston?" Evelyn asked.

"That's just where it is, baby," Oakley pulled out her mascara and flipped down the mirror above her.

"I hope he wins," Lee smiled.

"Me too," Oakley winked at him through the mirror.

Kayce drove them over to Livingston, parking in the lot of the arena. Oakley got out and held her hand out for Evelyn to take. The two walked in front of Kayce and Lee into the arena.

Oakley led them over to some of the seats and found four together. She sat down, Evelyn standing and leaning over the railing. Oakley reached out and smoothed down Evelyn's hair under the pink hat she wore.

"Dad, I'm hungry," Lee looked at Kayce.

Kayce's eyes went to Oakley. She glanced at her watch.

"We have twenty minutes until his category," She smiled sweetly at Kayce. "I'll take a pretzel."

"Me too!" Evelyn said.

"Come on, son," Kayce rolled his eyes.

"Momma, I wanna be a rodeo girl," Evelyn leaned back and looked at Oakley.

"You do?" Oakley smiled. "You're gonna need to get on your horse more."

"I like riding," Evelyn turned around and faced Oakley.

"You like riding when I go," Oakley said. "But you never go with your Daddy or brothers."

"Because they're boys, Momma," Evelyn sighed and leaned against Oakley's knees. "They don't get it."

"Don't get what?" Oakley found her daughter's words comedic.

"They just ride fast," Evelyn told her. "They don't enjoy the ride."

"I think they do, baby," Oakley tapped Evelyn's hat. "They just enjoy it in a different way than what maybe you and I do."

"That's why I like riding with you," Evelyn said. "You enjoy it with me."

"I do enjoy riding with you," Oakley smiled.

"More than Daddy?" Evelyn's eyes widened.

"Different than your father," Oakley laughed.

"That don't make sense," Evelyn shook her head.

"Doesn't," Oakley corrected. "I guess...it's kind of like dancing. You like dancing with your Daddy more than you like dancing with me, right?"

"Yeah?" Evelyn eyed her.

"Same thing...it's just different with different people," Oakley said. "Doesn't mean we love one over the other, it's just a different kind of love."

"Oh," Evelyn nodded, though Oakley could tell she still wasn't understanding it completely. "But Daddy says I'm his favorite dance partner?"

"He did, did he?" Oakley raised her eyebrow. "Interesting."

A soda was lowered into Oakley's view. She looked up at Kayce who had a lot in his hands. Oakley reached for her drink and placed it in the cupholder of her chair. She pressed Kayce's set down as he sat and helped him divide out the food for the kids first. Once they were leaning against the rails in front of Kayce and Oakley, the adults leaned back in their seats.

"Thank you," Oakley pulled off a piece of her pretzel and took a bite.

"What'd I miss?" Kayce asked sipping his soda.

"Evelyn would like to be a rodeo star," Oakley told him.

"She needs to ride more," Kayce said.

"We talked about it," Oakley nodded. "But she likes riding with me more because we enjoy it the same."

"I don't enjoy it?" Kayce looked at Oakley.

"I told her it's a different kind of enjoyment," Oakley smiled. "Like how she likes dancing with you more than me...we like to do different things with different people but that doesn't mean we don't love them the same."

Kayce took a bite of the fries he got himself. Oakley's eyes looked at the cheese and chili-covered sticks.

"No," Kayce pulled his hand away from being close to Oakley.

"Just one?" Oakley asked.

"You always say one and it turns into half my food," Kayce shook his head. "You wanted a pretzel, that's what you got."

"I didn't know they had fries," Oakley reached over but Kayce swatted her hand away. "Kayce!"

"No, woman," Kayce laughed. "Eat your pretzel and then tell me if you're still hungry."

"You're mean," Oakley mumbled. "Clearly sharing your food with your wife isn't something you love doing."

She took a bite of her pretzel and chewed it. She looked forward until she felt Kayce's arm press against her. When she looked back Kayce had stabbed a few fries with a fork and was holding it out to Oakley. She smiled, leaning over and eating the fries. They all sat there for another few minutes until it was time for Tate to be out. Lloyd and Jimmy had come early with Tate to get him situated. Oakley leaned forward, her hand holding Kayce's knee as she waited for the buzzer to ding.

Once it did, the smaller crowd cheered as Tate raced Lucky out after the calf. He hooked the horns gracefully and leaped from the saddle. Tate secured the legs and threw his hands in the air. Oakley cheered, clapping her hands as Tate walked over to where his hat fell off and picked it up. A few seconds later, in red numbers came up Tate's score. As of right now, he was in first place.

**

"Hey," Oakley wrapped her arms around Tate as they met him behind the arena where they were loading up Lucky. "Congratulations."

"I got fourth," Tate mumbled into Oakley's shoulder.

She pulled back and held his arms.

"But you're my fourth place, which means you're first," She smiled. "And you still had two out of three good runs."

"Need to watch the barrier," Kayce came up and Oakley rolled her eyes.

"I know," Tate nodded.

"But he still did well," Oakley glared at Kayce.

"I didn't say he didn't," Kayce held his hands up.

"Tate!" Evelyn smiled up at him. "You need to watch the barrier."

"See what you cause?" Oakley sighed at Kayce.

"You need to watch the barrier," Tate hoisted Evelyn over his shoulder and the little girl squealed out as Tate spun her around.

"We've got things loaded," Lloyd walked up to the family.

"Thanks," Kayce said. "Not bad this time."

"Not bad," Lloyd nodded. "He needs to not be so tense...it's supposed to be a little fun at least."

"Wonder why he's tense?" Oakley eyed Kayce.

"That's a look I'd run from," Lloyd chuckled. "We'll see y'all back at the ranch."

"Momma, can we ride with them?" Lee asked Oakley.

"Do you have room?" Oakley asked Lloyd.

"Come on, baby Duttons," Lloyd opened the backseat.

Oakley waited for her twins to be placed next to Tate before shutting the door, Lloyd got into the driver's seat and Jimmy in the passenger. They all waived as he drove off. Oakley walked back over to Kayce who had a look on his face. 

"What?" Oakley asked.

"Why're you being mean to me?" Kayce asked as they walked back out to the parking lot. "I shared my fries with you even."

"I'm not mean to you," Oakley looked at him.

"Kind of are," Kayce pouted.

Oakley wrapped her arms around one of his as they walked.

"M'sorry, baby," She smiled up at him. "I'm just cranky today."

"Why's that?" Kayce asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Oakley thought. "Guess I was just looking for a fight."

"Well, stop looking for one with me," Kayce wrapped his arm around Oakley, pulling her into his side.

"But you're so easy to pester," Oakley joked, pushing against him.

"Uh huh," Kayce got to the passenger seat and opened the door.

Oakley stopped before getting in and turned around. She reached up and held the sides of Kayce's face. Rising on her toes, she kissed him.

"Sorry," Oakley whispered, kissing him again.

Kayce's hands held her waist as he kissed her back. Oakley wrapped one of her arms around Kayce's shoulders and pulled him closer. She felt her back press against the truck as Kayce deepened the kiss. His hands roamed around her back and sides. When they broke for some air, Oakley was breathing heavily as she leaned back on her heels and looked up at Kayce.

"Can I please make love to you tonight?" Kayce whispered out.

"You have to ask?" Oakley let out a breathless laugh as she smiled.

"Just been a while," Kayce mumbled, pulling Oakley by her hips closer to him.

She held onto his arms.

"I know..." Oakley sighed. "M'sorry, Kayce."

"Sorry, didn't mean to pout," Kayce reached over and pushed the door open more for Oakley to get in.

She pulled his face down for one more kiss and then got into her seat. Kayce shut her door and walked around to the driver's side. As he got in his phone went off. They both looked at the screen and saw one of Kayce's deputy's names appear. Oakley frowned, knowing this only meant one thing...there was a problem.