Me and My Wild Boy -A Yellowstone Story

They Slammed the Door on My Whole World, The One Thing I wanted

March 30, 1997:

Kayce and Athena traded mischievous looks as their mother and sister rode ahead of them. With twin giggles, they kicked their horses to go faster and rode on either side of Beth.

"Kayce, Athena, stop it!" Beth berated shakily.

"They're doing what you should be doing." Their mother said with a shake of her head, "Enjoying themselves. You'd think I asked you to paint a goddamn fence."

Kayce and Athena moved away from Beth, the two whispering and giggling to each other as Beth told their mother tearfully, "Well, the damn thing's scared of everything."

"No, horse is only scared of what you're scared of. You're scared of everything; now he is too." Kayce and Athena moved a little bit ahead of their mother and sister as Beth struggled to control her horse. Evelyn sighed in irritation, "Beth, I swear to God."

Kayce made it to the fence before his twin and opened the gate, allowing the four Dutton's to go through the gate with Beth still struggling to get the horse tamed. Evelyn glanced back at her oldest daughter and said, "Whole world's just waiting on you, Beth. Like always."

Beth finally got her horse to go through the gate, passing her mother whose horse picked up on Beth's horses frightened emotions and started to buck wildly. Evelyn fell off the horse onto her back, the 1,000-pound horse following shortly after and landing on Evelyn's chest before getting back up. While Beth stared in horror, Kayce and Athena jumped from their horses and crouched down next to their mother. Athena had tears coming to her eyes as she noticed her mother paling and blood coming from her mouth as Kayce asked, "What do we do?"

"Beth," Evelyn gasped out, causing Beth to finally jump from her horse and get closer to her fallen mother. "Get your father,"

"I'll go," Athena tearfully said. "I ride faster," She made a move to stand up to do so but was stopped by her mother's surprisingly strong grip.

"She did this. Let her undo it." Beth cried as she climbed back onto her horse and rode off. "You couldn't have remembered how to ride a horse." Kayce and Athena watched as their older sister rode off, leaving them with their dying mother as their own horses had run off. They looked back down at their mother, each holding onto one of her hands as she said, "If this is the last thing I see...so be it," She smiled wobbly at her youngest children, trying to mesmerize their faces, the twins watching as the light faded from her eyes and her grip slackened from theirs.

"Mommy?" Athena asked, a sob escaping. Kayce sniffled, moving to sit next to his sister, the two hugging each other and trying to comfort the other next to their dead mother's body.

They sat next to their mother's dead body for hours, night soon falling as they waited for their father. They both straightened from their huddled hug as they heard growling of wolves nearby. They both stood up, trying to see the wolves in the dark, Kayce pulling out his knife with Athena clumsily following. They went back-to-back with the knives in front of them, hearing the wolves circling. Hearing one coming right at him, Kayce screamed as Athena spun to stand next to him. A light suddenly blinded them, the two realizing with relief that their father had arrived. "Daddy!" Athena sobbed, leaping forward as John got off of his horse, his arms wrapping around her as he stared at his wife's dead body. He lifted an arm and brought Kayce into the hug as he looked away and kissed the top of Athena and Kayce's heads.

//***

Athena woke up on the anniversary of her mother's death wishing she was anywhere but Montana. This day was a dark day for the Dutton's and making anyone who didn't have Dutton blood to steer clear of the high emotions that would no doubt be paramount at the Yellowstone that day. She stared at a picture on her wall of her mother for an hour before jumping out of bed and putting on her riding gear and heading down the stairs. If she couldn't leave the state, then she was going to try and ride as fast and far as she could.