Always by Your Side

Chapter 2

That first few days on the ranch, helping John but also staying out of his way enough not to become a nuisance had been harder than you thought. The longer he was kept from his every day activities, the crankier he became. He had "fired" you four times so far and each time you had to remind him that you were not an employee, you were not his nurse, just simply a friend that was visiting a while and helping when she could. He'd even tried getting up before dawn and sneaking out of the house to go riding before you had woken up, but you'd happen to not be able to sleep, so you'd caught him in the act. He wasn't a man that was used to listening to anyone else. He made his own rules and didn't follow anyone else's. You knew this of course, and you knew it was killing him not to be active, not to be productive, so you'd decided to give him a little leeway. He was healing well and getting around pretty well, so you didn't see the harm in letting him get back to a semblance of normal. 

So that morning, instead of stopping him when he tried to sneak out for a ride, you were sitting on the porch with two cups of coffee, already dressed and ready for the day. You look up as he comes out onto the porch, jumping when you speak up. "Well, good morning, John." You chuckle and hand him the cup of coffee and sip your own. John sighs and takes the coffee before moving to lower himself in the chair next to you. "Guess you're gonna tell me all the reasons I should be in that damned bed, still?" He grumbles, looking into his coffee cup. A soft laugh escapes your lips as you shake your head and look over at him. "Nope. Not today. Laying in that bed one more day is likely to do you in. So, I decided if you insisted on riding, then I'd go with you to make sure you don't do anything stupid like throwing hay, moving cattle or any other insane idea that would come to that stubborn old mind of yours." You smirk as he gives you a glare while drinking his coffee. You were probably one of the few people that weren't intimidated by John Dutton. You'd known him long enough to know when to back off before you really got on his bad side, and with that knowledge, you were able to push the limits a little further than most. Being close friends with Evelyn had its benefits, after all. You were surprised to feel his large hand take yours for a moment, squeezing it gently before letting go. "Thank you, (Y/N). Being stuck in a bed is death for us Duttons." You knew he was referring to his father. Seeing his father waste away in a hospital bed there in the same room they'd stuck John in, it took a toll on the stoic man. Finishing your coffee, you stand and offer John your hand, rolling your eyes as he bats it away. "Damnit, woman. I can get up on my own. I'm not an infant." He growls before setting empty coffee cup down and making his way down the porch steps, stopping at the bottom and looking up at you. "Well, come on then, babysitter." He smirks and heads toward the barn with you by his side. If he was honest with himself he'd actually come to enjoy having you around. He was tired of being lonely and at least with you hovering around him constantly, he had a small break from the loneliness. You had already had Lloyd saddle Blaze and one of the mares for you and John. Looking over at John as you reach the barn, you're mesmerized by the soft smile that spreads over his face as he runs his hand over Blaze's muzzle and talks softly to the horse. You'd always been in awe of the way he was with the animals. You watch closely as he climbs into the saddle, making sure he wasn't in too much pain. He didn't even grunt or grimace as he saddled up then looked over at you. "Come on, slow poke. If you don't get on that damn horse, I'm riding off without you." He smirks and watches as you climb up into the saddle and kick the horse gently and beginning to ride beside him.

You both rode along in silence, you following whichever direction he decided to go. He knew the land like the back of his hand and you could tell with the way he navigated the horse through the barely visible trails. He finally comes to a stop deep in the woods and climbs down off of his horse and holds his hand up to you to help you down. Once you're down, he ties both horses to a tree and slowly lowers himself to the ground, resting his back against a tree trunk as he pats the ground next to him. "Come on, (Y/N) girl. Let's rest the horses a bit and give my ass a break from the saddle. It's been too long since I've ridden." He chuckles and before you could bite back on the comment, it falls from your lips. "Tell me about it. And I'm not talking about no damn horse." You blush brightly and give a grimace as John starts laughing a deep, earnest laugh. He looked damn good when he laughed. He looked care free, less burdened by the weight of the world. "Damn, girl. I forget sometimes how up front you are." He shakes his head and scratches the back of his neck. "Don't see why a woman like you can't find a man, but you never had much luck with that, did you?" He asks as he looks over at you while you sit down next to him. He remembered the times you and Evelyn would get together and drain a bottle of wine over whoever the latest asshole at the time was. You sigh and shrug. "Eh, I didn't have bad luck finding a man, just bad luck finding a good one. So I just gave up on all of that. Figured all the good ones are taken." You admit softly and grab the canteen of water you'd packed, taking a drink then handing it back to John. John watched you, something at him connecting to the loneliness he heard in your voice. It was an all too familiar sound. He heard it in his own voice from time to time. As you handed him the canteen, his reaches past it and gently grips your wrist, pulling you closer to him, his other hand reaching out and stroking your soft cheek. "(Y/N), you're too good of a woman to give up on love, darlin'. I think maybe we both grew a little too cynical after Evelyn passed away." He says softly, looking into your eyes then darting his gaze down to your lips. He knew he was about to cross a line that couldn't be uncrossed, but he felt a pull like a magnet, a call he couldn't ignore. He leans, slowly closing the gap between you, his lips barely brushing yours before pulling back, his lips just a breath's space from yours. Shocked was a mild word compared to what you were feeling. Here was your best friend's husband, a man you'd known for decades, now. You'd never imagined anything like this happening between the two of you, but the feeling of his lips on yours, it took your breath away. You look into his beautiful blue eyes, smiling as you realized he was waiting to see your response. Reaching out, you thread your fingers in his hair under his cowboy hat and pull him back to you, kissing him slowly, letting the kiss linger a few minutes before slowly pulling back. Both of you laps into silence as you snuggle into his side, simply enjoying his company. Neither of you even noticed when your fingers threaded together, your joined hands resting on his leg as you both relax and watch the horses graze nearby.