The Ranch | Kayce Dutton

The Ranch - Chapter Three

The dusty, sprawling ranch was dry and quiet. Kayce stared at the setting sun with his eyes squinted, the only beautiful thing about this ranch was the land. The golden hue of the sunset was casted all over the trees and mountains, it looked like something straight out of a painting.

Kayce had always been hard working, he always gave his father one hundred and ten percent of himself. He drew the line with his father began to make him do things he didn't want to do or that he felt were morally wrong. He felt restless and trapped in the monotonous routines of the ranch and the expectations his family had of him.

He would often reflect on the days he had spent studying with Lori, it brought a smile to his face. But he would be brought back to his chores and responsibilities, the weight pulled him down like an anchor. He believed he was destined for more, not this. He dreamed of an escape, some adventure, maybe a wife and kids one day. Right now it just felt as if his life was passing him by.

It was a long drive, but he decided to take it as he climbed into the old pickup truck and made his way to one of the only coffee shops in town. It was the popular hangout for teens and it was always bustling with energy and laughter. His friends had been encouraging and hang out since early that morning but he was against it up until he finished all of his chores. He was tired, burnt out but he longed for a moment of reprieve.

His friends were different, they were loud, cocky and rude to people for no reason. That went against Kayce's beliefs, he had a different sense of duty. Now, his father was a mean man but he and his mom raised him right. Unfortunately she didn't live to witness the man he would become, but he knew she was watching him, proud of the man he was shaping into and the man he didn't want to become.

As he parked he noticed the couple of teenagers hanging around the front waiting on him. He shut the truck door, shrugging his winter coat on before making his way toward them. "It's cold out here, you all should've waited inside." He said.

"You're good, bro. We just got here." Alex, his closest friend said. Martin, the other friend agreed, nodding his head. "We were just talking about the Thanksgiving game, you excited?"

Kayce shrugged, pushing the door open as he did. "Yeah, it'll be fun." He felt a lump in his throat, the anticipation and the nervousness about escaping his responsibilities becoming a burden on his shoulders.

The doors shut behind them and the warmth from the coffee shop surrounded them like a hug from your favorite relative, along with it the scrumptious smell of freshly brewed coffee beans. The sound of chatter added a layer to the atmosphere, it wasn't nearly as chaotic today, on a Tuesday, than it was on the weekends. He liked the calming and relaxing vibe. His friends stood in line, and he finally got a chance to scope out the area, he looked around. Business men in their suits having an out of office meeting, teachers talking about class schedules, and then there she was. He hadn't seen her in a couple days, of course she'd be here right now.

She was studious, diligent, she was beautiful. Kayce shook his head at his thoughts, he smiled at the thought of her laugh. It was the middle of Thanksgiving break and christmas music was playing in the shop, he tried his best to focus on that and pretend he hadn't seen her. He found himself looking over at her once again, the end of her pen between her plump, rose colored, enviable lips– He shook his head once again. "Stop." He mumbled, catching his friends' attention.

"You alright, bud?" Alex asked, which earned a nod from Kayce and a grumpy mumble.

"Actually." He said, standing up straight. "I'm gonna bail, guys. I'm not feeling all that up for it."

"Alright." They agreed. "We're just gonna get our drinks and go see what the rest of the guys are up to, I heard something about sledding."

"Sounds fun. Be safe." He said, and with that he walked toward the cozy corner she was sitting in, the light hanging on top of her was warm adding to the coziness of the plush couch she was sitting on. "Hey."

She jumped, startled, almost spilling her coffee all over her computer. "Oh my goodness." Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him, composing herself and her coffee cup. "Hi." She chuckled nervously. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious–may I?" She nodded and he scooted onto the couch with her, getting comfortable. "How are you? I tried texting you but I'm not sure..."

"Yeah, uh.." She seethed. "About that?"

"Is everything okay?" He removed the hat on his head, setting it on the empty space in front of him.

She smiled softly at the display of shaggy blonde hair on top of his head. "Yeah, I just–my dad doesn't think it's a good idea that we study together anymore." He gave her a confused and disappointed look. "But I can give you my friends number she's really smart and–"

"I don't want another tutor, I want you." He gulped as the last three words left his mouth. He almost regretted it, but it was too late to take it back now so he sat comfortably with it.

She was taken back, at a loss for words as she raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" He asked.

"Why what?"

"Why don't they want you around me anymore?" He was becoming slightly aggravated, but not at her so he made sure he didn't direct it toward her. "It's because of my father right?"

She said nothing, but nodded her head slightly. "They're super religious and they think your father is a bad man who shouldn't own as much land as he does." She bit the inside of her cheek. "But apart from that, they just want me to focus on my future, Kayce. They want me to make something of myself."

"And you can't do that with me?" He almost interrupted her, but he wasn't the kind of person to do so, but he was now living the feelings that made people act that way.

"With you?" She shook her head, confusion making her stutter. "What do you mean with you? I-"

"Okay." He nodded, offering a small smile and a knock on the table. "Okay." He repeated, reaching for his hat and set it on the top of his head. He stood, looking down at her. "I'm gonna regret this, aren't I?"

She pursed her lips. "I'm not sure what you want me to say, Kayce."

He gave her a sad nod, turning on his boot heel, he said one last thing before he walked away. "Goodbye, Lori."