Work Text:
A Yellowstone story
Lost In Your Eyes - Ryan
Grace Dutton was the youngest of all the Duttons, but unlike her siblings, she was the only one who had chosen to dedicate her life completely to the family ranch. It wasn't just a job - it was a true calling for her. You could say she was the pride of her father, John, who had always been incredibly attached to his land and his ranch, seeing in her the same deep, visceral love for that land that he himself felt. John was particularly proud of his daughter Grace, precisely because he recognized in her eyes that same spark of passion he had always had, saw how she fought tooth and nail to preserve and make the ranch prosper, just as he had done all his life. For years now, Grace had been begging her father to let her sleep with the other wranglers, since she was one of them in every way, but he, protective as always, didn't want to leave his little beloved daughter among those roughnecks, as he called them. "Dad, I can't go on like this," she told him one day, "working hard from dawn to dusk and then coming to sleep in my comfortable room while everyone else sleeps in their spartan quarters. It's not fair to all the other wranglers who work just as hard as I do." She complained with a gentle smile, and her father, looking at her with eyes full of affection but also concern, sighed deeply. "Let's do this, honey. You can go sleep with them," he finally conceded, and Grace, happy as a child, stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss on the cheek "but," he added in a serious tone, "you must tell me immediately if anyone tries to bother you. If you don't, I'll have to ask Rip to keep an eye on you, and you know how... protective he can be." She laughed heartily, knowing all too well the intimidating nature of her father's loyal right-hand man, and nodded vigorously. "Thank you, Daddy!" she exclaimed with genuine joy. After saying goodbye with another affectionate hug, she set off toward the field with determined steps, her heart light and her spirit ready to face another intense and tiring day of work at the ranch.
"Don't even think about it, Walker!" Rip said threateningly when he saw the new stable hand approach Grace and try to flirt with her. Let's say that Rip's threat wouldn't have made any difference anyway, since the girl had been infatuated with Ryan since the moment she met him, but Rip didn't care about this because first and foremost, he would always protect her, despite everything and everyone; and secondly, he didn't know about Grace's feelings for Ryan, so he would never have thought she might reject Walker. Grace approached Rip, who was about to mount his horse. "You know I can protect myself, right?" she asked him, smiling.
Grace's strong point was her smile, that sweet smile, warm and comforting. It had an extraordinary power over everyone. When Grace smiled, her soft cheeks reached up to the moon and her tender eyes lit up, making the whole room shine. Grace could put anyone in a good mood with that smile.
"I know, you're your father's daughter, but above all, you're Beth's sister, obviously you know how to protect yourself... But I'll keep doing it constantly, because I don't care if I'm rude to protect you, while you worry too much about using the right words, honey." Rip replied laughing, giving the girl a kiss on the cheek before mounting his horse. "When you get back, can we talk?" She asked, receiving a worried look from him, but he nodded. "Should I be worried though?" And she shook her head, so the cowboy could get to work.
"Alright, today Ryan, Grace, Lloyd, and Colby will go to pasture nine!" Rip ordered meanwhile. "While I, Walker, Ethan, Jake, and Jimmy will go to pasture eleven to fix the fence! To work!" Everyone nodded and got to work.
Ryan was galloping alongside Colby, while Lloyd was talking with Grace. He was like a second father to her. He was already working here when she was born and had watched her grow up. Many cowboy things had been taught to her by Lloyd himself! "Lloyd, I'm about to do something stupid..." Grace confessed. "Something stupid? Nothing you do can be stupid... you're the smartest person I know, it's impossible for you to do something stupid, my dear!" But Grace shook her head and smiled at the man. "You're too kind to me, Lloyd! And anyway, yes, I'm going to do something really stupid." At that, Lloyd shrugged and sighed. "Well, let's hear this stupid thing."
"I'm going to declare my feelings to the man I've always loved." Said the girl, still in a whisper so Ryan wouldn't hear her, but that didn't happen because Lloyd shouted: "If Rip finds out, there'll be trouble!"
The two guys who were a little ahead of them stopped and joined them. "Is Grace in trouble for the first time?" Said Colby, but both she and Lloyd shook their heads. "No, she's in love! Rip will surely kill the poor fellow!" He said laughing.
Men... so dramatic.
It's true, Rip is very protective of Grace, but only because he sees her as his little sister and will never allow anyone to hurt her, but that doesn't mean he would kill someone to protect her... maybe.
"You're in love? And who is it!?" Asked Colby curiously, while Ryan anxiously awaited the answer. "I'm not in love with anyone. Lloyd is making things up just to keep me out of trouble. Now we need to work or we'll really end up in trouble."
Once back at the ranch, Rip was waiting for his lovely Grace so they could talk. "I'm all ears," he said as soon as the girl reached him on horseback. All the other wranglers had returned to the bunkhouse, so they could talk freely. "I'm in love, Rip," she said abruptly. It was something she couldn't hold back anymore.
Let's say she's always been like this, never telling anyone what was happening to her, what she was feeling. It was her only flaw, keeping everything inside without talking to anyone about it.
"You are... please Grace tell me it's not Walker." She laughed at his comment. She loved him for this, for his irony and spontaneity. She adored her Rip. "No, it's not Walker. It's Ryan..." The girl instinctively lowered her gaze. "Hey, look at me." She did, and he smiled at her. "I like Ryan, but I won't go easy on him if he dares to make you suffer." She stopped him immediately. "He doesn't know anything, maybe it's better this way." "Why do you say that?" "Because I don't want to cause problems between us. Because then there will be consequences for the whole ranch too, and that's not what I want... for me, for you, for my father." He looked at her and nodded. "I think it's a big mistake, but it's your life and you have to decide, honey."
1 week later
A week had passed since the conversation that Colby, Ryan, Lloyd, and Grace had almost had in that field, and it was tormenting Ryan's mind. It had been months since he and Grace had grown closer, and the fact that she wouldn't confide in him made him feel bad. Actually, worse than bad, since he wanted to be the reason she always smiled. He wanted to be the one to comfort her when she was down, he wanted to be the one to protect her.
"Hey Ryan!" Said Grace when she saw him coming out of the stable with his horse ready to be saddled. "Good morning, beauty, how are you?" He loved calling her beauty because every time she would wrinkle her nose and smile, Ryan loved her smile, actually no. Ryan loved Grace! "I'm great!" "I can see that," he said, moving closer. "Are you very busy today or can you come with me?" Asked the girl with sweet puppy eyes. "I'm always available for you, Grace." She smiled. He made her feel good, made her happy, but the two didn't know the feeling was mutual. "Then prepare your horse, I'll take you somewhere." "At your command, Miss Dutton." He said and winked at her. Grace didn't respond and blushed, he noticed but pretended not to. He loved seeing her blush, but hated seeing her hide from embarrassment.
"We're here!" She exclaimed, dismounting from her horse, and Ryan did the same. Grace had organized a picnic on the summit of a hill near their ranch and not too far away. "Did you do all this?" He asked while sitting down, and she nodded. "Why?" She shrugged and didn't answer. "Let's eat now because we left too late, it'll be dark in a few hours." "And we'll have time to get back-" "Who said we're going back? I brought a tent, to sleep here... if that's not a problem for you." She interrupted him, and he shook his head. "No no, that's perfectly fine with me," he said laughing.
The hours flew by and it was now late night, with myriad stars covering the velvet sky like a sparkling blanket that seemed to want to protect and warm the earth beneath them. The two were lying on the fresh grass, and while Grace contemplated the magnificent celestial spectacle above them, Ryan couldn't help but admire the ethereal beauty of her profile illuminated by the silvery moonlight. She suddenly turned, catching his intense gaze, but he, instead of looking away as one might expect, firmly maintained eye contact. Caught off guard by that intensity, Grace returned to looking at the sky, but this time with a sweet smile lighting up her face. "Why can't you maintain eye contact with me, Grace?" He whispered to her in a velvety voice, sending cascades of shivers down her spine. "That's not true," she murmured weakly, her eyes still fixed on the dancing stars above them. "Liar," he replied, his voice deeper and more confident this time, as he moved even closer to her, so close that his warm breath gently caressed her cheek like an invisible caress.
Grace turned slowly toward him, as if drawn by an invisible magnetic force, and their eyes met in the darkness of the night, illuminated only by the silvery glow of the stars. "Ryan," she whispered, her heart pounding so hard in her chest that she feared he might hear it. "Yes, beauty?" he murmured in response, as his hand moved with infinite delicacy toward her face, his fingers barely grazing her soft skin as if he were touching the most precious of treasures. "It will be complicated, you know that, right?" Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke those words. He nodded slowly, moving even closer until their noses almost touched. "I don't like easy things," he whispered with a tender smile on his lips. Their faces were now so close that their breaths mingled in the night air, his lips a breath away from hers. Grace closed her eyes, her heart racing wildly, as he eliminated that minimal distance between them with infinite gentleness, brushing her lips in a kiss so delicate and reverent that he seemed to fear he might shatter her like the most fragile crystal.