#Dutton

[frenchcurious]

Dutton Reef 2WD 2021. - source Car & Classic.

[lgbtqreads]

August 2024 Deal Announcements

Adult Fiction Mary E. Roach‘s WE ARE THE MATCH, pitched as a sapphic reimagining of the Helen of Troy myth set in modern-day mobster Greece, in which Helen is the daughter of a powerful crime lord and Paris is the woman hell-bent on destroying her—if they don’t fall for each other first, to Lauren Plude at Montlake, for publication in summer 2025, by Claire Friedman at Inkwell Management…

[twinghoulites]

I don't deserve this

[lolitastories]

NOT A CHAPTER

Chapter 20:

“Are you sure about this?” I shake my head no. I am not sure about this or many other things but when I think of that one thing, it makes everything feel right. “You could always do it here at the ranch. I can tell all the workers to leave for as long as yall need” Rip bumped my shoulder with his and the glare I gave him set him back right again. “Sorry. Have to be careful with your state nowadays”

“Shut up or I am revoking your rights” he lifts his hands in defeat. “Plus it's still not set in stone until Kayce says yes” I turn around noticing Rip wasn’t following beside me anymore.

“So I am doing this for nothing?” I laugh looking at his stupid expression as he holds the last pieces I needed to finish what I had planned for Kayce.

“Your love for me should be enough” I continued walking knowing he would follow eventually. “It's not even that far away either” I roll my eyes looking at the distance. It is far but I wasn’t going to admit it knowing he would offer to ride the horse down to the water.

“You know what I just realized?” I don’t turn or respond knowing he would just continue talking. “Recently you have been letting yourself go” I stop at the remark, turning to look over at him.

“What is that supposed to mean?” My eyebrow rised and a hand on my hip.

“Not in a bad way” My head turns a little to the side still waiting for him to continue. “You came down here with a wardrobe and it has gradually changed and it's good on you” I was still waiting. “You looked great before and it was what you were used to, do you like what it is now? You used to say you would never get used to this and how it wouldn’t look good on you” ah.

“Things changed Rip” I shrug, turning around to continue walking. “I certainly never saw myself staying in a place like this. I was born in the country but my heart always belonged to the city. A place where people don’t sleep. As early as 5 in the morning people are already out and about. You don’t need cars because you turn a corner and everything you need is there. But things change. I was never afraid to get myself dirty. I had boundaries and now it has expanded. Kayce made me love this place even more and settling here is what I crave more than anything now”

“Love changes you” I burst out laughing shaking my head. “Yes, big guy. Love does change you” Beth has certainly done a number on him since they got officially together. Before he could ask I left him with a bigger question in his head. “When are you two going to get hitched?”

“That's personal” I rolled my eyes.

“Aww. Is Rip the big bad wolf getting nervous?” I chuckle setting down what I had on the floor.

“I pick my timing. It's not time yet” He lowered his voice and I nod understandingly. What Beth and Rip has gone through hasn’t been easy and now that they are together, they aren’t rushing it.

“Alright big guy. Last trip.” I smile walking back to the ranch. By the time we reached the ranch it was 10 past 6.

“I will go ahead and take the last thing there and I will be on my way”

“Thanks” I smiled heading to the main house. I walk in seeing Beth, Tate, and John sitting in the living room talking. “Hey” I smile at them before taking a seat.

“I heard you’re doing something special for my little brother” Tate stands in attendance curious when he hears his dad mentioned.

“Something like that” I smile leaning further into the seat. I didn’t tell them what I was doing purposely. “I felt like it was my turn to do something for him. I know I am no romantic but I better up my beat if I don’t want to lose him”

“Trust that boy won’t leave unless he is ripped away from you” We laugh hearing the front door open.

“Can we have a talk in my office for a minute?” I look over at John and nod. We both stand heading to his office. I look back noticing it was Kayce walkingt through the doors. I leave him with a smile before walking into John’s office and closing the door. I turn around and take a seat before eyeing the folder he was sliding across his desk.

“Can you talk to me?” When John found out about Kayce and I, it wasn’t a pretty ride. It took months before he could even turn to look at me. But of course like a true Dutton he came to find me when he needed a lawyer who knew how he liked things done. I didn’t deny him since I owned him for everything I was. I still wasn’t going to stay if he didn't do something bad against me because I am still a person. But since then we have been getting closer and closer. He leans forward resting his elbows on his desk.

“When I saw you on my land years ago I wanted to do what I do with everyone else” Get rid of them one way or another. “I wanted to, but that was until I looked into your eyes. Scared. Alone. Broken. I saw that look constantly in my kids” They have had their share of it. “When I decided to bring you in I was going to make you a cowboy but I knew with those clothes you wouldn’t last a minute” I laughed knowing he was right. “You gave so much prospect to someone who belongs in a place like this.” He stands up reaching around the desk to lean against it infront of me. “And one day when I saw you and Kayce speaking. I saw the conversation unfold and it was like seeing two old people '' I furrowed my brows unsure on where he was going with this. “I didn’t want anyone messing with his future since he left. I wanted him to learn when he decided to leave this land that he wasn’t going to get better.” Tingles in my legs start moving all over my body. “I knew you being here would change his mind” I stood up and was a little dumbfounded.

“So you paid for my schooling to teach Kayce a lesson?” This has to be a cruel skit. I don’t know why I was angry. I believe in things happening in the right time so I wasn’t angry at the missed opportunity to be with Kayce years ago, I was upset that I was part of a lesson.

“You have to understand that back then you were just a little girl who came into our lives. A chess piece” I let out a frustrated chuckle shaking my head. “Since that day I saw the attraction between you two and my eyes were blinded with anger to see Kayce just give up”

“Wasn’t that what you wanted years ago? It would have made him come to his knees and beg you to come back” I sigh letting the upsetness defuse. I go to take a seat again. “What is your point in telling me all of this?” He takes the folder and places it on my lap as he kneels infront of me.

“I wanted you to know everything. You are about to be family although I considered you family for a long time "I look up in disbelief. “I was telling the truth when I told you, you are better than this place. You were already broken and this place would finish breaking you but when I saw how Kayce helped you and how you helped him I realized you two are strong enough for eachother to stay together.” He moves to open the file and reveal papers that needed signatures. “And for it to work properly with no further headaches I need you not to be attached to us professionally.”

“You’re firing me?” I was shocked.

“I need you to make your own choice. If you want to continue with the Dutton Ranch you are more welcome but if you decide not to, you are still part of this family regardless” I smile nodding my head.

“Either way I am here to stay” I close the folder and throw it on the desk. “You will be receiving an updated contract in a couple of days. I can’t let my number 1 client go” I smile standing up.

“Send it to my lawyer” He smiled gently, motioning me to follow him to the door. He stopped me by my arm as soon as I tried to open the door. “Thank you” I only smiled at his words, nodding before I left towards the living room.

“Is everything okay?” I nod going over towards Kayce and wrapping my arms around him.

“Everything is fine.” I look outside seeing the sun setting. “But nothing will be for what I have planned if we don’t leave right now” It was already past 6 so I was running behind schedule.

“You know you can’t get rid of me right?” I nudged him a bit as we walked down the path.

“Not like I have an option now” He furrowed his brows looking confused at my comment. I hold up my hand. “I would have to return the ring and it's too pretty” I smile, grabbing onto his forearm.

“So all it took was a pretty ring” I shrug

“Yeah! You put a ring that sparkles in front of a girl and a man with pretty eyes and they would fall to their knees in a second”

“I didn’t have to put a ring in front of you to get you on your knees those other times” I turned around shocked.

“Shut up” I slap his arm pushing him away. “And for your information I wasn’t as happy those other times” I cross my arms and speed walk to get to the destination faster.

“You seemed pretty eager” I try my best not to chuckle as I feel him wrap his arms around me making us tumble a bit until he caught balance.

“Yeah well, I was pretending. It helps the moment” I look away. I hear his low chuckle and his head falls inbetween my neck. I almost melt to the touch of his lips placing careful kisses.

“Baby,We both know that is a lie but.” He grabs on to my jaw making me look at him. “If you don’t like it, I am more than happy to be the one on my knees all the time” I held on to what I could but my legs were functioning less and less as he pulled me closer.

“If you don’t stop we won’t get to the surprise” I whisper as he hover over my lips. I want him to kiss me. Just like a couple hours ago.

“Alright” He sighs. I cursed at myself. I wanted him to see the surprise I had for him but the feeling for him was stronger. “Ready?” I nodded with my eyes closed trying to take a deep breath in and suddenly those strong feelings slowly started turning to sadness. “Are you okay?” He cups my face as I try my hardest to hold in the tears. “My love, talk to me” I shake my head as I tried to speak but no words came out. I feel his arms pull me into a hug and that is when the tears start to spill. “Whatever it is we promised to talk about it and figure it out together” I feel a kiss on my head before he pulls me in closer. “If you are not up for it can we go back? I won’t be disappointed” I lift up my head to look at him shaking my head no. He goes to remove the hair that was now sticking to my face due to the tears. “You sure?” I worked too hard on this and it was something important to not due today because if I wait any longer I will die.

“Am sure” I grabbed his hand and removed myself from him and continued on walking. “Am okay” I say, feeling his eyes on me. “I don’t understand my emotions right now but I can tell you that showing you your surprise will make me feel much better” I look back sending him a smile and pull him closer so I could wrap myself in his arm.

“Baby-”

“Shh” I quickly quieted him seeing the lights lit up. Fairy light hanging around the closest trees. A blanket on the floor with pillows just like he set up for me. But with the exception of something big in the middle of the set up.

“You got me a horse?” I laugh seeing his expression. His small smile with confusion trying to be nice to me. I grab on to his hand and pull him forward. “Baby?-” I roll my eyes walking around the young horse and pull the rag around his neck so Kayce would see it. I lift my eyebrows trying to give him a hint to go on and read what it said. As he walks forward I walk around to move behind him. I wait and I wait for a good 5 minutes.

“Kayce?” The humor in his reaction soon became anxiousness. I was worried to look at what reaction he had to the words. I took a step forward but soon froze as he turned to look at me.

“You are not joking with me right?” I shake my head quickly. “Because if this is a joke, it’s one cruel one” Soon I was on the verge of crying again.

“It's not a joke Kayce” I walk forward taking his hands and placing it on my stomach. “This is real”

“A baby?” A smile finally appeared in his face allowing the stress and fear to slip right off my shoulders.

“Our baby” I smiled bigger, pulling his eyes to look at me.

“Our baby” He connects our lips for a short second before wrapping his arms around me. “You are having our baby” I laugh feeling even happier than when I found out. “A baby,” He whispers, still holding on to me. “Really?” He pushes me back carefully to look at my face.

“Yes Kayce. I confirmed it with the doctors last week”

“You went to the doctor without me?” I roll my eyes laughing at his sadness.

“I just went to confirm there was a baby. I promise, you didn’t miss anything that important. You will be invited to further doctors appointment when it really counts”

“I better be. That's my baby in there.”

“Sure is Cowboy.” I smile grabbing onto his face to pull himin for a kiss but he takes them off but doesn’t let go. He only pulls me around so my back is now leaning against his chest.

“How are you feeling about it?” I sigh. I was content. There was nobody else I would rather do this with. He is caring and respected my wishes to wait until I was ready. Truthfully when the positive test came I forgot how to breathe. Tears came and I fell to the floor crying. It felt like hours before I could stand up and take another test to make sure. Once that one came out positive too, that was when the tears were happy tears. Saying I wanted to have a baby was one thing. Knowing it actually is happening and now it's a reality, it stomps you. “I can’t lie and say I was 100 percent ready. My heart stopped and all the confusion and uncertainty came to mind.” He rubs my hands and arms listening to me. “But then I came to feel happy. I realized that I wouldn’t be doing this alone. This baby is going to have a wonderful father” I look up smiling at Kayce. “A crazy family”

“Yeah they can count on that” I laugh.

“You forgot to mention me!” We looked out to the darkness as now the sun had gone down and the only light was from the fairy lights.

“Tate?! What are you doing out here?” We looked left and right and didn’t see any small figure.

“Oops” I hold in my giggle looking over to Kayce. “Forget I am here!” That was when I lost it.

“He is part of this. I felt it wouldn’t be right without him here” I whisper. “But he was supposed to come way later when the food arrived” Kayce smiles. “You can come out bud” We turn our heads hearing footsteps.

“Did I mess it up?” He came out shyly towards us.

“Of course not” I motioned him to come closer. “Do you want to tell him about that” I point at the horse.

“Yeah!” He takes Kayces hand and starts pulling him. “I picked it all by myself for my baby!” I smiled hearing him call the baby his. Of course I had to tell Tate about the baby. Well truthfully I had no other choice. I was in the bathroom for too long. He came to check on me. He wasn’t oblivious when I told him the test was a thermostat. Since that day he has been calling the baby his baby and I couldn’t be more happy about his reaction. I smiled at Kayce who looked back as Tate ran around the horse telling him how he is going to prepare and train the horse for the baby. As Kayce turns his attention to Tate again I tell myself this is what I needed. I needed someone like Kayce to come into my life. So I could love and be loved and getting Tate is a bonus.

[ericaand]

i am so sorry for the comment i left, i was jus too excited!! no seriously though, i apologize. but since your taking requests for Kayce Dutton…

I would love it if you could write a bsfs to lovers??

Like maybe reader grew up on the ranch with the Duttons bc she had some connection to one of the ranch hands or jus was bsfs with one of the Dutton siblings so she became Kayces bsf. Maybe he and Monica split up or they were never together (you decide) and maybe some SERIOUS AMAZING TENSION WITH THE BEST LOVE CONFESSION😍

again, thank you! and i’ll keep requesting as long as this writers block is here bc i need me and love me some Kayce!!

Seriously had a ton of fun writing this. Enjoy, and send MORE! Please.

Pairing: Kayce Dutton x Fem!Reader

Words: Almost 2k.

Warnings: slight mentions of blood. underage alcohol use. That's about it.

"You know, I hate how much I care about you." Kayce's eyes burn into yours, scanning from right to left continually.

He balls his hand into a fist and speaks through clenched teeth, "Because I know..."

He pauses, loosens his stance, and hangs his head sighing, "I shouldn't."

Earlier that day:

Driving down the familiar driveway, you began to reminisce on all the time you spent on the ranch as a child. With each spin of your tires, the car filled with dust; the smell taking you back to a time when things were easy, and playing with boys was just that: playing.

You hadn't returned to the ranch since your best friends, Kayce and Monika, married. It was too much. Too much pain. Too much hurt. Too much love.

In fact, you weren't even sure you could consider them your best friends anymore. Now, they were each other's best friend. And you? You were just the third wheel now. Sure, you talk to Monika on occasion, mostly through texting. But even that hadn't happened in months. There hasn't been any contact with Kayce at all. Except for the occasional grocery store visit. But even then, it's not like it used to be. Your hellos now feel hollow. But at least the goodbyes don't hurt as much anymore.

You weren't really sure what to expect when you got to the ranch. You knew John and Beth, and Rip would probably be happy to see you; you never really saw them at all anymore. The ranch hands were always fun to spend time with. But now, it feels different. Now, the childhood magic has drifted away, not just from the ranch but from you.

You continue to drive, spotting the tall white silo. Instantly, you're envisioning three little kids chasing after each other, round and round the silo. The side of your mouth curves into a smirk.

You put it in park and take a deep breath, leaning your head back and closing your eyes. When you've conjured up enough courage, you step out and make your way toward the corral. Your steps are slow, hands in your back pockets, head down; until you hear someone yell.

"Y/N! That you?"

You look up to see Rip, slowly trotting over to you with a smile. You tilt your head and smile with a shrug.

"Well, I'll be damned! If it ain't little Y/N." He swings his leg around the horse and graciously hops down. He wraps his arms around you, as you wrap yours around his waist.

He grips your shoulders and pushes you away from himself. "Let me get a good look at ya." He clicks his tongue a few times as he shakes his head.

"You look just like your momma. Beautiful. Whatcha doin' here, kid?"

"Well, looks like you and your boys are obviously starving." You say sarcastically, waving your hand toward the horse corral. "You're lookin at the new Dutton Ranch chef. John called me a while back and asked if I could come help out while Gator was away. I couldn't turn it down. I mean, who says no to John?"

"I sure as hell don't." Rip lets out a quick breath. "See ya later, kid. Can't wait for dinner. I always miss your mommas cooking."

You make your way to the house slowly, letting the wind flow through your hair. You stop dead in your tracks when you spot the small circle of Adirondack chairs in the front yard.

You recall it being the last weekend of summer, all those years ago. A soda bottle filled with whiskey from John's stash was being passed around between the three of you. The fire gently lights the faces of your friends. All that was heard was the crackling, the laughter, and the crickets.

"Dance with me?" The boy with dusty blonde hair reached his hand out to you. You took his hand as he delicately helped you out of your chair.

You draped your arms over his shoulders, as you began to sway slowly. Although the musk of whiskey was strong, you could smell faint bits of his cologne; pine began to fill your nostrils.

"I've gotta pee!" Monika shouted, stumbling toward the house.

You rested your head on his chest as you both continued to sway in sync, his hands resting on your hips.

"This is so perfect, Kayce. I don't want it to end. The stars. The fire. You." You mumbled.

Kayce stopped moving and lifted your chin with his finger. "What?"

"You heard me." You smiled.

Kayce slowly began to dip his head down, until you both heard Monika assert herself by asking when it was her turn for a dance. Kind and caring Kayce pulled you back into a hug and kissed the top of your head, barely whispering, "Me neither."

"You gonna stand there all day? Or are you gonna come cook some supper?" Someone hollared from the porch.

You blinked to reality, seeing John leaning on one of the stone pillars. You smiled as you began to walk towards him, him now walking toward you.

"How are ya, darlin? We sure have missed seeing you around here." John says, pulling you in for a hug. "I'm sorry about your Mom. She was my favorite chef, you know. Well, you might change that."

"Thanks, Mr. Dutton. I missed it here, brings back a lot of memories though." You spoke into his chest.

"Its John, especially to you. You know that. Where's your stuff?"

"It's, uh, in the truck. Should I -" He cuts you off.

"Eh, well have Rip grab it later. Let me just show you where you'll be staying real quick."

John escorts you up a log staircase and to one of the bedrooms. After informing you where everything was, he motioned for you to follow him to the kitchen. Nothing had really changed in the Dutton home. Maybe some updated furniture, but that's about it. You almost felt like it was a time capsule.

The kitchen was small but extremely functional. You walked through, gently grazing your fingers across the beautiful stove. You turned to meet John's gaze.

"Things have changed a bit, but this will work for you, right?" He asked.

"Absolutely." You said with a smile.

"I'll leave you to it." He said, turning and walking away.

You pulled ingredients from the fridge and various cupboards, chopping and prepping. You began to feel the frustration build in you from not knowing your way around the kitchen. You grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge, popped the top, and chugged as much as you could down in one gulp.

You tilted your head back to finish the bottle and turned to put it in the sink, only to be met with another body next to you. There stood Kayce with his back and hands leaning on the counter, smiling cheekily at you.

"Just like I remember." He said.

"Hi, Kayce." You replied, placing the bottle in the sink and going back to the stove.

"You know, I thought I was seein' a ghost." He laughed. "What're you doing here?"

Not taking your eyes from the stove, you replied. "You're looking at the new chef. I'm filling in for Gator while he's gone."

He nodded with pursed lips. "Well, I'm gonna go get washed up."

You turned and nodded with a smile, as he began to walk away. Why was Kayce here? Last you heard he was living on the reservation with Monika.

You filled large serving dishes with the meal for the night and began to place them in the middle of the table, in front of John, Kayce, and Beth.

"Enjoy, guys." You forced a quick nod, wiped your hands on your apron, and moved to leave the room.

"Y/N, stay. Eat. Please. You're not just a chef here. You're family." John spoke.

"Oh...okay. Uh, thank you." You said meekly, pulling your apron over your head and laying it over the back of a chair. Kayce slid the chair next to him out and gestured for you to sit. You obliged.

As you sat and ate, everyone caught up with each other's lives and reminisced about the good times that were had years ago. You noticed that your wine glass never seemed to be empty, but you didn't mind. There were a lot of emotions going on, so a little numbness was welcomed.

You couldn't help but notice that Kayce continually touched your shoulder with his, and you seemed to be the focus of his attention tonight. During dinner, you found out why Kayce was here, and not with his wife and son. He expressed that Monika wanted nothing to do with the ranch and didn't feel it was a good place for Tate. She told him she needed space.

As dinner finished, you piled the family's plates on top of yours and began to balance them into the kitchen, only to realize upon standing that you were much more inebriated than you thought. Before you could even stop it, one plate fell right after the other; shattering on the ground.

The tears began to flow, out of embarrassment and fear combined. You quickly dropped to your knees and attempted to pick up the tiny pieces scattered all around. Unknowingly, while picking up the shards of plates, you were also cutting small slices into your hands. You felt hands on your shoulders.

"Y/N? What happened? Stop, stop. It's okay." Kayce shouted.

You stood and brought your shakey hands over the sink, small drops of blood dripped into the basin.

"I thought I could do this. I thought I could come back here. I figured it'd been enough time. I didn't know it would hurt so much. Between everything that happened with you. And now with Mom..." You cried.

Kayce stepped behind you, his chest pressed to your back. He turned on the faucet, took your hands in his, and gently rinsed each finger and cut slowly. You leaned your head back against his collarbone, wincing at the water stinging your nerves.

After he finishes rinsing your hands, he turns you around and blots your hands tenderly with clean paper towels.

"You know, I hate how much I care about you." Kayce's eyes burn into yours, scanning from right to left continually.

He balls his hand into a fist and speaks through clenched teeth, "because I know..." he pauses.

He loosens his stance and hangs his head sighing, "I shouldn't."

You rest your forehead on his.

"Why?" You ask.

You both pull away to face each other, the eye contact almost unbearable.

"Because I fucked up...I fucked up a long time ago. And if I didn't, well, maybe things would've been different." He shook his head and stared out the window behind you. "I wouldn't trade Tate for the world. But I don't know why I didn't just speak up. I didn't want to be with Monika. But we were having a baby, what was I supposed to do?"

"Hey, you did the right thing." You cupped his face in both your hands, forcing him to look at you again. "You were having a baby! What else were you supposed to do?"

"I was supposed to be with you. I wanted to be with you. I love you, Y/N. There's no one else I ever saw myself making a life with." He lamented.

You moved your arms to drape over his shoulders, memories of that night flooding back to you again. In the same fashion, Kayce hooked a finger under your chin to align his lips with yours. Warmth flowed to your cheeks. His lips met yours, soft and tender. It felt like home.

MASTERLIST

[englishcarssince1946]

1982 Dutton Melos

My tumblr-blogs:

www.tumblr.com/germancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/frenchcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/englishcarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/italiancarssince1946 & www.tumblr.com/japanesecarssince1947 & www.tumblr.com/uscarssince1935

[para-que-no-nos-borren]

"Where's your wife?" "My wife is standing right over there staring at ya." "I'll handle this." "No, don't do that now!"

[roughridingrednecks]

Skrewloose Dutton

[ijustkindalikebooks]

Review: Middle Of The Night by Riley Sager.

In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

Is it summer really until we have a Riley Sager book? I don't think so and I was intrigued by this one as I think this is the author's first male main character and so I was curious as to how the dynamic would work compared to his female led works.

I do think the plot was doing great things, the two timelines in this book make for a book that keeps you hanging on to every chapter and I really do appreciate the plot twists in this book, it certainly wasn't something I saw coming (maybe I don't read thrillers enough, but this one was good!) and when the story gets started it's very difficult to stop reading.

However I do feel the characters are a bit of a letdown, some of them lack personality which is replaced by being reminded what the plot is. I feel like so much more could be made from these characters and though I am glad that there is representation here, I feel like it would have been improved by the characterisation.

There are good things here, I think it's a very poignant book about how we deal with loss and letting go of the past, I think the tension is strong and the plot really moves fast that makes this book really gripping.

One of those books perfect for taking on holiday in my humble opinion.

(thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc for review)

[alittleblackdogblog]

Introducing Dutton! I got her as a pup last year and she just had her 1st birthday on Feb 10th. 

Her parents are working LGDs on a cattle ranch. She guards my poultry, quails and rabbits. Hopefully someday I can expand to other livestock. 

[lgbtqreads]

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Mountain Upside Down by Sara Ryan

Today on the site I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Mountain Upside Down by Sara Ryan, a contemporary Middle Grade by the author of my favorite early Sapphic YA, releasing February 11, 2025 from Dutton Books for Young Readers! Here’s the story: A funny and heartfelt LGBTQIA+ middle grade novel set against the backdrop of family drama and a library funding campaign in a small town. Alex Eager…

[junkyarddevil]

Wow. The opposition who said "hey don't vote 'Yes' in this referendum its too complex, we'll host another referendum when we're in power with better wording" have now abandoned that promise now that the referendum failed. Who could've seen this coming.

[kicksomeasskatherine]

Has anyone else noticed in 1923 the rifle spencer has is most likely James from 1883???

[lolitastories]

Helpless

Description: She worked as a lawyer in New York until she received a phone call from the man she owes her career to. She knew she would be back and what she was in for but what she didn’t know is that her life would change even more than she imagined.

Chapter 11

Chapter 10:

I was pacing back and forth. Kayce hadn’t returned from the office yet and it was almost 7. “Can you sit down? I can give you some pills to calm down” a death stare was sent Beth's way as I fell back in my bed. “Tell me how it happened again?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t like him. I just thought he was a littel cute.”

“Not at all your type I must say”

“Dirty boots. Dirty jacket. Dirty hands” God those hands.

“Dirty mouth” That too. I smile but hide it from her. “No manners, style, or communication level you are used too”

“I don’t know Beth. I can’t explain it. Every arrow is pointing towards the exit. The only reason I noticed my interest was after sleeping together. He makes me angry and annoyed most of the time we are together!” I scream. “But when he smiled at me this morning and just held me I remember the way I felt with him even if I couldn’t stand him at the time. I felt calm. I felt seen. I felt protected”

“You need to explore it, what could go wrong?” Maybe she was right. Maybe it was something worth giving it a try. “Wait, you already slept together?”

“Twice” I smile. Before she could say anything there was a knock on the door. “Don’t you dare move” She gets up running towards the door. “Give us a minute” She says to whoever is on the other side of the door and runs back to the bed. “Go on”

“No” I shake my head and laugh.

“What? I tell you about my sex life”

“That's because you have no filter, you would tell it to a priest if you had the chance” I got curious on who was at the door so I get up to open it “Plus he is not my brother”

“Who's not your brother?” Fuck you Beth.

“Rip” I say trying to hold onto my nerves.

“She’s acting like a saint not wanting to tell my how good or how bad of a fuck you are” Beth came around pushing around us and down the hall.

“Sorry” I whisper. He was standing there with a smile holding flowers. Flowers! My inner teen was screaming and jumping. Black jacket that seems nicer and newer than the ones he regularly wears. Of course blue jeans and he couldn’t be complete with his cowboy boots and his hat.

“I got you flowers” I long forgot about Beth now.

“Thank you” I smile while taking hold of the flowers.

“I got stuck with John-”

“It's okay” I cut him off. I placed the flowers in a vase I had in my room. “We still have time” I don’t usually carry a purse so I grabbed my jacket and phone and walked out the door. Something about walking out the door with Kayce made me feel nervous. I hadn’t thought about what John might say. I know it had nothing to do with him but anything could happen, what if he wasn’t okay with it? It didn’t matter right? He holds the front door open and rushes to open the passenger side of the truck for me. “Thank you” I felt a rush waiting for him to get on the other side. I smiled, noticing the truck was still on and warm.

“Let's go,” He whispered, switching gears. It was a couple of seconds before he spoke again but to be honest it didn’t feel uncomfortable. Switching my view of outside to him looking straight at the road. “Did you have a lot of overdue work?” I chuckle, shaking my head.

“Nothing I can’t handle. I still have to meet with my secretary to see what things I have to catch up on” I leaned my arm on the arm rest fidgeting with my hands.

“What did you do for christmas?” Just the sound of the holidays made me stiff. I havent celebrated christmas or the new years in about 5 years. There wasn’t really a reason to do so. I didn’t have my family to do so. I didn’t want to intrude with the Duttons or friends, so I stayed home.

“Nothing” I could feel his stare but soon it went back to the road. “It didn’t feel special for so long that I just treated it like easter. Never celebrated that ever'' I took a deep breath in. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything, he probably feels sorry for me. His arm meets mine, settling against me as his hand sneaks into both of mine. My shoulders relax and my head leans against his shoulder. “So where are we going?” We have been on the road for atleast 10 minutes and that almost took us past everything in town.

“Beth told me about a place just outside of town” I nod just taking in his presence right now. Honestly if we went home right now I would take this as a good night.

“Beth?” He looked over with a confused face.

“Yeah?” I chuckle a little and shake my head. “What? Is there something wrong?” With Beth? Yeah, but she won’t see a therapist.

“We will find out” We spoke for the rest of the car ride to whatever place Beth had told him about. “It doesn’t look bad” I look around feeling nostalgic. On our trip back home we stumbled into a bar one night and reunited with an old friend.

“Look who took my advice” The same old friend welcomed me into a hug. “That night you left in a hurry I thought I ran you off” I smile trying to not let the uneasyment show.

“I was in town for work and something came up, I apologise” I pulled away fully standing beside Kayce. “But it's nice to see you again” I look over to Kayce. “This is Gideon,” I turned to him. “An old friend” Gideon extends his hand for Kayce to shake.

“Kayce Dutton” I would be lying if I said I didn’t have a grin on my face. Kayce introduced himself with a smile. When I took hold of his hand I could feel tension.

“Nice to meet you Kayce” Gideon returns the smile. “Let's get you a table” We walked past the sitting area towards the outdoor doors. “You get our special table” The double doors opened and it was beautiful. It was a balcony area with a single table for four. It was cold being January but we were surrounded by fire heaters. The top was opened with fairy lights hanging from ontop and flowers decorating the post they were on. The overlook was all country, maybe it was an orchard? It was dark, I couldn’t see anything past the railings. “I will be back to take your orders personally” We say our thank yous and sit down.

“This is beautiful” I look around some more and each time I find something that makes it more beautiful. Like the hacienda accent it had along the place. The way it pulled up to a second story somehow so there were stairs on both ends of the balcony.

“Yeah very pretty” I almost burst out laughing seeing his serious face as he looked around only to scruff and focus on the menu. “I’ve been to fancy places but you can’t even understand what these words mean” I let a chuckle escape then.

“Kayce we can leave if you want” I reach over the table to take hold of his hand. He finally looks up and shakes his head.

“No. You like it, we should stay.”I pull my seat out and walk to the one beside him.

“Kayce I don’t care how pretty it is, if you don’t want to be here we can leave” He shakes his head taking my hand in his.

“No it okay”

“Okay” I say with a smile, grabbing the menu.

“Plus we don’t want your friend to feel bad” There goes another eye roll. I slam the menu on the table and turn my body towards him.

“You want to know who he is?” Kayce looked a little taken back due to the volume of my voice. “I’ve known him since middle school. He dated one of my friends” Well multiple of them but that's a whole different story, and a pretty long one too. “And that's how we met and kept in contact even after they broke up until a year before moving here” I stopped and sat up hearing the doors open.

“I know you don’t like drinking but having you here is something we need to celebrate” He had glasses and a bottle of wine. He opens the bottle and starts pouring. “I spoke about this dream for so long with you that having you finally see it well, everything feels complete”

“It's amazing what you have built here. I am so proud you made it happen” I raise my cup and cheer with him.

“You remember what I promised that night?” I nod. He points afar over the balcony. A couple of field lights turn on illuminating the land but not enough to blind everything else. “Whenever you want, it's yours” I stood up taking the moment in. I have only dreamed of this. Back home with my grandmother the smell of oranges and apples never left my memories. I have always dreamt of having an orchard full of them. I walked over the edge blocking the two behind me. Maybe there are some rewards in life still left for me.

“Are you okay?” I look up nodding to Kayce. “Gideon said he would bring out something we both would like” I nod again and look far off to the trees.

“I always had problems with relationships” I looked over to him again. “Any kind of relationship. Family, friends, lovers” I took in a deep breath thinking back to the year before leaving. “I always gave too much of myself to people and even though it might not seem much to them it killed me each time they took it for granted. I thought separating myself from everyone would show me who really cares, now I understand it works both ways. I was a horrible friend to him, not contacting him and even after years he wants to give me all of this?” I didn’t relized I was crying until Kayce came forward to wipe a tear. “I should have taken care of those who showed me love instead of protecting myself from them because I thought they would treat me just like the others”

“Y/N, nobody is perfect. You did it for yourself and that's what you needed and they people who truly love you understand”

“But that's selfish”

“Maybe” He smiles, grabbing my face in both of his hands. “Like you said, any relationship needs work from both people. And they will love you no matter the flaw, nobody needs to settle for being something they are not” He continues to wipe the remaining tears as I look at him with a smile

“Who knew you were such a talker?” He shakes his head as his hands slide down my neck, my arm, until they are wrapped around me pulling me close.

“You bring it out of me” I roll my eyes. Never was a person for mushy lovey words but I can live with his words.

“Whatever” I smile. “You think it will fit in the truck?” Getting lost in his eyes and just feeling his warmth, I didn’t want to leave.

“What?”

“My orchard” I smile, chuckling a bit.

“I can find a spot in the ranch to plant a new one”

“We are on a first date and you already want to build me an orchard?”

“Your friend Gideon who you has no emotional relationship with just gave you one”

“I’ve known Gideon for over 10 years, there’s some emotional feeling there”

“Of course” He rolls his eyes looking away. I grab a hold of his face and pull him closer.

“But I will let him know that it can stay here.” I place a kiss on his cheek. “Because my cowboy will become a farmer just so I can have my orchard” I place another on his jaw. “I will just have to wait a little longer for it but I am okay with that” His arms tighten as I finally reach his lips. A groan leaves his lips as I bite his bottom lip. It was supposed to be quick and a romantic kiss but with Kayce it never seems to be.

[ericaand]

I mean, he can ROCK the long hair. It just fits him perfectly.