✅️Country Rancher Kayce Dutton

Living up to Past

stellarosedutton thanks for helping write this chapter

John's POV
Elsa Della Dutton and Dallas John Dutton. Two of his four grandchildren alongside Tate and Bree Dutton. Sitting on my horse early watching the sun rise from behind the mountains. The front door opened heating four different sets of feet hitting the wooden floor of the front porch. I see Kayce and Y/n following after them as their kids just jumped or played around with each other. It had been three years since the attack on the family so the twins were not infants anymore. Y/n picked up Elsa having the little girl's bright hair blow in the wind with Kayce picking up Dallas and giving him a piggyback ride. Bree and Tate headed for the barn to ride horses since they were tall enough to be on their own now. It scares me a little that his youngest granddaughter resembled his great aunt so much and she was only three years old. My only hope is that their dream was to keep the ranch alive.

Elsa's POV
Elsa was holding onto her father, looking for the perfect spot to build the yellowstone ranch as she winced in pain "Can we stop here, I think that I know where we should build it. Can we sit by that tree for a while, and just sit" She says softly, exhausted. Elsa had a wound that was not healing properly and she knew that it was infected "I just wanna rest here for a while daddy, just stay here and rest" She spoke softly, her eyes sullen and full of exhaustion as she was tired of fighting

James's POV
He felt tears falling down his face watching his eldest child's eyes fall closed while her head lay in his lap. On this journey to Oregon he never intended to lose anyone in his family, especially his golden daughter. Removing his hat he throws it on the ground heavily crying for a few hours as birds flew above his head. Finally he got to his feet picking up a shovel picking up dirt until it was deep enough to bury her right by the tree they sat under. It was here that the Dutton cemetery would be created. Once he put the last bit of dirt over her he bent to a knee whispering as the wind blew. "Go see him, honey. Go find your love and enjoy your endless freedom.." Another horse rode up to him where he saw his wife get off her horse racing into his arms starting to cry once he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

John's POV
Walking up to Kayce he smiled when all four grandchildren ran to hug me where I bent down hugging each of them individually. "I think it's time they go visit their ancestors, dad." Kayce spoke once I broke the hug with Dallas who has curly hair like his father. Y/n tucks hair behind her ear looking at her husband questioning. "The real cemetery, are you sure?" I had told Y/n that Evelyn and Lee were buried somewhere else. The stones may be off the back porch but it wasn't where any of the Dutton's laid to rest. "Grandpa, what are you talking about?" Little Elsa asked tugging my pant leg until I picked her up walking towards the barn, sitting her on the horse. Tate and Bree were riding somewhere else leaving me one on one with the twins. Y/n climbed on her horse with her leg that had a limp swaying a little when Kayce got behind her on the horse. Dallas is sitting on her lap as we ride out to a spot I couldn't go to without crying. The place that we first settled on in 1883.

Kayce's POV
Y/n and I bend down on a knee in front of the tree where my brother is buried. She rests a hand on my shoulder seeing tears filled in my eyes and most likely in her own as well. Dad helped the twins off the horses walking them over to where we stood. "Daddy, are you okay?" Dallas asked to see me crying so I wiped away the tears, shaking it off enough to tell them the importance of this place. "Yeah, son I'm fine. This place is just  - it's a special place because this is the exact place where we settled years ago." Dallas and Elsa both sit down in the grass wanting to hear more, it didn't matter if they'd heard the story before or not they were always interested. "Sweetie you're extra special just like this place you know..." Y/n booped her nose with our daughter making her giggle. "Really!" I removed my hat sitting it on her head even though it's big on her so she moved it from her eyes. "You're named after the first Dutton girl to set foot on our land, Elsa. She was grandpa's great aunt. His great grandfather took his family west in search of Oregon. It was a difficult journey that she unfortunately only made it to step foot on here. Her spirit lives on this ranch just like your grandmother Evelyn and those who came between." Dallas raised his hand like he was in school bringing a smile to my face. "Will you and mommy be buried here? Will this be ours like you always say?" Y/n glanced back at my father then to our kids squeezing my hand in hers. "This valley is ours, bud. We won't ever lose it, that's a promise." Neither knew that John wasn't entirely sure that was true for much longer.

Comments really appreciated :)