Whispered Hearts

It's never been easy being the youngest child of John Dutton. Ever since your mama passed away, he's kept you close-closer than most. He made sure you stayed rooted in Montana, never letting you wander too far from the ranch or his watchful eye. The loss of your mother changed him; it made him more guarded, more protective.

You're his little girl, the last piece of her he has left, and he'd do anything to keep you safe. To the outside world, John Dutton is a tough, unyielding man. But when it comes to you, his edges soften. You're not just his daughter-you're his world, and he'd move mountains to protect you from it. Which never made much sense to you-after all, you have four older siblings, and your father never treated them this way. He let them make their own choices, carve their own paths, even when it took them far from the ranch. But with you, it's different. He holds on tighter, watches closer, as if letting go might break something in him he can't afford to lose.

That's why she stays by her father's side-because it makes him happy. She's always known, deep down, that she'll live and die on this ranch. And truth be told, she doesn't mind. There's a strange comfort in the familiar rhythm of ranch life, in the wide Montana skies and the scent of leather and sagebrush.

What she doesn't know is that someone else calls this place home for a different reason. Someone who's loved her quietly, fiercely, for as long as he can remember. He's watched her grow from a stubborn little girl into the strong woman she is now, and though he's kept his distance out of respect-for her and for her father-his heart has always belonged to her.