The Luck of the Irish [Kayce Dutton]

Chapter 2

Eight years, eight years had been a long time. It had been the exact time that Kayce Dutton had gone without seeing Nora Jameson. Shortly after she left he was a wreck. He asked everyone her grandparents, his dad, his brothers Lee and Jamie, his sister Beth and even some of the ranch hands and people in town to ask if they had any idea where she was. Those that knew, like his sister and her grandparents refused to say anything to him on the matter and just walked away. With Nora being gone he began to spiral even more. Monica was wanting him to step up, get married and be a dad to the baby in her belly. His father John upon hearing the news said that he should tell Monica to get an abortion. Telling his son "The person you have kids with you're stuck with them for the rest of your life. Don't make the mistake of choosing the wrong person because the right one ran away." Needless to say Kayce didn't take to his father's words kindly. John knew as did everyone else, that Kayce only loved Nora and he was kidding himself if he thought he did. John also believed that Kayce and Monica were too different and didn't have a lot in common. In his heart he believed that if Kayce agreed to do what Monica requested, then she'd succeed in taking him away from the ranch for good.

Unfortunately for John Dutton, we don't always get what we want in life. Kayce did end up marrying Monica and joined the Navy, eventually becoming a Navy seal. It was only recently that he came back to Montana. He was working as a cowboy down at the reservation and didn't speak to his father unless necessary. Their relationship had become so fractured and strained they were just dancing around the issues to avoid a blow up fight.

As Kayce worked at breaking the wild mustang in the pen he didn't notice his father come up from behind, arms resting on the top of the fence. "He's got tiger stripes on his legs. You know what that means, don't you?"

Exhaling shapely and fixing his hat, Kayce responded. "Spanish blood."

"Pure. One of his ancestors probably bucked a conquistador and took to the hills. You manage to break his spirit, no horse will serve you better."

"He'll serve me just fine with spirit intact." Kayce responded wanting the conversation to end.

"Yeah, I used to think the same thing at your age. Hope you prove me wrong." John said as Kayce made his way over to the fence to speak to his father.

"I didn't know them were your cattle."

"Would it have made a difference? You don't want to be on the wrong side of this, son."

"Yeah, well, the list of things I don't want is endless. You telling me what to do is one of them."

"I'm not telling you what to do. I just don't want you to get in trouble."

"Well, if I'd have known there was sides, I wouldn't have been there at all."

"Good Lord, even here the world keeps on coming."

"Rough week, huh?"

"Yeah, with them finding the body on the property line and the cattle being stolen, there's not much that can fix it, maybe a grandson though.Thought I come see tate playing in the dirt, maybe even join him."