For Him, I Would

Chapter Fourteen - Dreams and Promises

The last time Oakley had heard the word 'love' come out of Kayce Dutton's mouth it was him telling her he still loved her with his whole heart, but his child needed to at least have the opportunity to grow up inside a family with both his father and mother together. Oakley was three days a way from her nineteenth birthday.

She watched Kayce and Tate ride in front of her for a while. Her mind was either full of her telling herself to calm down and breath or flashbacks to every time she heard him tell her that word. She didn't notice that Kayce had pulled back and waited until they were side by side until almost a minute after. When Oakley looked over at him, she knew he knew what she was thinking about. How, Oakley wasn't sure, but Kayce seemed to always be able to read her like a book.

"I didn't mean to freak you out," Kayce said softly. Tate was a way ahead of them, right out of ear shot but Kayce could still keep an eye on him.

"I'm not freaked out," Oakley shook her head and Kayce gave her a pointed look. "I'm not."

"Okay," Kayce sighed. "Then why did you shut down?"

"I've just been thinking," Oakley answered honestly. "But that doesn't mean you freaked me out...it just means I've been thinking back here."

"What have you been thinking about?" Kayce asked.

"You."

Oakley had decided to keep being honest with Kayce. There was no point in hiding from him because he would find out, and then probably call her out, about it eventually.

"What about me?" Kayce pressed on.

"You really want to know?" Oakley winced.

"I really want to know," Kayce nodded his head.

"I was thinking about the last time you told me you loved me," Oakley glanced down, suddenly feeling embarrassed for some reason.

"So, not a happy memory about me," Kayce sighed.

"You said you wanted to know," Oakley's eyes danced over Kayce's form on top of his horse. He looked so causal and at ease.

"Well," He cleared his throat. "We both know I handled that day like shit."

"I'm not trying to beat a dead horse, Kayce," Oakley sighed. "You asked me a question."

"And I always want you to answer me," Kayce looked back over at her. "I just will always be sorry."

"I know," Oakley looked back up to where Tate had wondered off too and a thought struck her. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Did you ever think I would meet Tate?" Oakley looked back at Kayce who stopped his horse immediately. Oakley followed suit as Tate had paused by a river for his horse to drink. It took a while before Kayce answered and Oakley got slightly nervous, he might say no.

"I dreamed that you would," Kayce's voice was rough and low. "Since you moved away, I used to think it would never happen, but I did dream about it."

"You dreamed about it?" Oakley asked softly.

"Yeah," Kayce nodded, his eyes glancing between you and Tate. "I had this one dream a few times...it was pretty simple, nothing big or earth shattering, but it was the three of us at some diner table. We were eating, or we'd just have drinks...something, but it was the three of us. We were always laughing about something, but I was across from the two of you. So that's what I really remember, you and Tate laughing with each other."

It was painted like a picture in Oakley's mind, causing her to smile when Kayce looked back at her from glancing one more time at Tate.

"He's a good kid," Oakley said. "I could definitively see us laughing together."