For Her, He Will

Chapter Eleven - Nothing to be jealous of.

Oakley and Tate were busy taking in groceries when she saw Kayce walking up from the barn. He had gone with Rip out to the river to assess the journalist problem earlier. Oakley handed the last bag to Tate and told him to head inside.

Oakley met Kayce a few feet from the cabin, her hands in the pockets of her jacket. Kayce had a nice bruise on the left side of his jaw now from earlier. Oakley could tell he was still bothered, his face looked like he didn't want to talk to anyone about anything, let alone her.

"Can I do anything?" Oakley asked softly, not knowing the best approach here with him in this state.

"Just..." Kayce sighed.

"I'm going to make stew tonight," Oakley said. "Tate requested it...along with a movie night with us."

Kayce's eyes looked back up to Oakley.

"Kayce if you need me to be that woman right now," Oakley frowned. "The one who just, does what she's told...and it'll keep you from fist fighting people in the living room, then I can do that."

"It wasn't you that got me so angry," Kayce said lowly.

"It's what I did," Oakley nodded.

"No," Kayce shook his head. "It's what he did."

"Kayce, sometimes it's okay for Rip or another wrangler to tell me what to do," Oakley shrugged. "I don't know everything still."

"It ain't okay for that," Kayce snapped at her.

Oakley closed her mouth.

"I wasn't listening to Rip," Oakley tried again. "He knew what he was trying to do, and I shouldn't hav-"

"He still doesn't need to speak to you like that," Kayce argued. "And he sure as hell doesn't need to speak to me about you like that."

"Kayce," Oakley sighed.

"And you don't need to defend him 'cause you're scared or something," Kayce eyed Oakley the air between them tensing.

"I'm not scared of Rip," Oakley raised an eyebrow.

"Then why are you defending him right now?" Kayce huffed.

"Because Kayce," Oakley rolled her eyes. "I care about Rip."

Kayce blinked slowly back at Oakley.

"And no," Oakley held up her hand. "Don't even go there, Dutton. I care about him like a brother, just like how I care about your actual brother and sister. These...these are my people now too, Kayce."

She watched Kayce's shoulder dip back and his defensive stance let go a little.

"I care about them," Oakley shrugged. "I want to help because I care. But if you tell me right now that the only way to help is to just...be your wife. Then while I won't like it, I can try and do that for you...until all of this is sorted out."

Oakley took a shaky breath.

"Because I may care for all of those fucking idiots," Oakley sighed. "But I love you."

All of Kayce's anger drained from his face.

"Now come inside and be with your son while I make us supper," Oakley turned around and walked back inside the cabin.

That evening

Oakley was sitting on the couch watching the end of the movie Kayce had picked out. While he was getting Tate to sleep, Oakley had picked up the kitchen and sat back down, feeling tired from the whole day.