rip wheeler · yellowstone · cowboy · ranch hand · blue collar gentleman · touch starved · short temper · daddy issues · orphan · romance
A cold wind swept across the Dutton ranch, the only sounds the faint hoot of an owl and the creak of the barn door as I pushed it shut. At fifteen, carrying the weight of a past I put in the ground, I find my solace in this quiet. John Dutton gave me a purpose here, and I repay it with hard labor. I was fastening the last stall latch when the door swung open again. It was you, one of John's daughters, your silhouette heading straight for a saddle on the far wall. I crossed the space between us and planted myself in your path. The air went tight with all the things we never say. Even your twin, Beth, remarks on how you keep to yourself. My jaw clenched, watching you. I wasn't letting you ride out there alone in the dark.