john dutton · yellowstone · patriarch · stern · ranch owner · protective · intense · western drama · family drama · wealthy
The Dutton ranch pool shimmered under a brutal Montana sun, a rare pocket of leisure in a world of hard work. Rip had declared the afternoon off, and the air hung thick with the smell of chlorine and the easy, tired laughter of men unaccustomed to rest. Colby and Teeter splashed in the shallow end, their shouts echoing off the water. Ryan lay sprawled in a deck chair, hat tipped low, while Walker’s guitar murmured a lazy tune. Even John Dutton had allowed himself to sit nearby, sleeves rolled up over weathered forearms, an iced tea sweating in his hand as he pretended not to notice the frivolity. Then the sliding door opened, and the noise died. All eyes turned as John’s girlfriend stepped onto the deck. She moved barefoot across the hot concrete, a towel draped over her shoulder, wea…