Donuts and Dates

                                    

                                          
Request – The Reader is a wrangler and she's having a bad day, but she sees donuts on the table in the bunkhouse and the guys tease her because she's so happy about it. A few weeks later there's donuts on the table again and Kayce asks the Reader out and says, "I hope I can make you happy like them donuts." 
"Maybe you should sit the next one out?" Lloyd said after pulling you up from the dirt. 
This was the fourth time that morning you had been bucked off the new horse John Dutton had just purchased. You were the first wrangler to try and ride him, and it was evident that horse wanted absolutely nothing to do with you. But you were the horse whisperer at Yellowstone, there had yet to be a horse you couldn't break. This one was posing a challenge though, and your back wasn't keeping up with you after that last fall. 
"M'fine," You snapped, though after taking a step your hands went to your lower back, pressing against the pain shooting through your spin. 
"You don't look fine," Lloyd laughed. 
"Shut up," You rolled your eyes, but walked off away from the horse, passing Jimmy who looked like he was going to be ill and Rip who was pushing him towards the horse. 
"But if she can't do it, how am I supposed to?" Jimmy complained. 
"You can help tire the thing out for Y/N," Rip chuckled, sending you a wink. 
You kept walking back to the bunkhouse; you knew there was some Tylenol somewhere in your bag that would help you. It was a cool October morning, the mountains were already covered in snow at their peaks, and you were thankful another summer season was behind you. This was your third year as a wrangler for John Dutton, and you wouldn't have it any other way. 
You weren't an outcast, you weren't an inmate, you were John Dutton's neighbor's second oldest daughter who had needed a job to help save your family's ranch. John offered you a spot on his team to help tend to the horses and you took it instantly. Without knowing you had charmed your way into your spot with the team, as well as the Dutton family. 
Walking into the bunkhouse you stopped immediately. Right there on the kitchen table was a pink box, which only meant one thing. Someone had brought donuts. 
Not just any donuts, your favorite donuts...from your favorite donut shop in town. You couldn't remember the last time you had a donut, but your mouth began to water and the pain in your back faded away. Opening the lid, you saw twelve round wheels of sugary goodness staring back at you. 
They haven't been touched yet. 
You picked one up and took a big bite, not caring the glaze covered your lips and a few bits dusted onto your jacket. It melted against your tongue, and you may or may not have let out a small moan. There wasn't much you go to eat on the ranch except steak and some sort of starch...so this was special. Snickering behind you made you quickly turn around though. 
"Enjoying yourself?" Rip asked, crossing his arms. Jimmy, Ryan, Teeter, Walker, and Kayce Dutton were all standing in the doorway watching you with smirks or smiles on their faces. 
"Someone brought donuts," You said, ignoring Rip's jab and smiling big, making the others laugh at you. 
"Who knew all it took was a donut," Ryan laughed, walking over, and grabbing one for himself. The others seemed to file in too.  
"For what?" You asked. 
"To make you happy," Walker laughed, biting into his. 
You rolled your eyes, stepping away to finish your donut with a smile still on your face. In life you had learned to appreciate the little things and donuts were definitively little. You glanced over and saw Kayce hadn't moved from his spot near the door. He was watching you with a ghost of a smile on his lips. You didn't really talk much to the youngest Dutton, but it didn't mean you didn't look sometimes. But his stare made you feel a different sort of warmth in your stomach than the donuts did, so you quickly made your way back to your bunkbed and searched for your Tylenol. 
A few weeks later. 
You woke up for the third time that night. Or was it morning? Yeah, it was definitively morning, but it was still early. Too early for even the wranglers to be up. Everyone was still in their bunks as you sat up and stretched. While you finally got the horse to trust you, your back had yet to feel normal and it was making sleeping difficult. 
You went to the bathroom and changed into some work clothes for the day. If nothing else maybe, you could get in an early morning ride around the pastures before work began. It was still dark out but the lights from the buildings should be enough. You pulled your boots on and quietly walked to the frost door, making sure to not wake up the others as you shut it behind you. You were pulling on your jacket when you saw a figure walking towards the bunkhouse. 
Kayce stepped into the light and paused his movements when he saw you. While you finished zipping up your jacket, he walked over towards you slowly. 
"Morning," He said in a very gruff, early morning voice. 
"Morning," You nodded and looked down at his hands. 
He was holding a pink box. 
Your eyes made their way back up to his and you asked, "You brought donuts?" 
"Yeah," Kayce glanced down as if to confirm. "I saw how much you liked 'em." 
"You brought them for me?" You didn't hide the smile on your lips. 
"I came in from town," Kayce explained. "So, I was able to stop and get them." 
He popped open the lid and held them out to you. You took one, not being bashful, and bit into the donut. 
"Thank you," You said with your mouth full, bringing your hand up and laughing at yourself. 
"You're welcome," Kayce smiled. "So...maybe we could..."
You looked back up into his eyes as he trailed off. Suddenly he had a look you had never seen on him. Kayce was always confident in his stance and words. You either chalked it up to him eventually taking over this place one day and earning the respect, or he was just naturally sure of himself. But right now, he looked nervous, and you didn't know why. It was just you...eating a donut. 
Kayce cleared his throat, "Maybe I could take you to dinner sometime?" 
You stopped chewing and stared. 
Was he asking you out? 
At four in the morning? 
Over a donut? 
"You want to take me to dinner?" You swallowed your bit and brushed your hand over your jeans, suddenly self-conscious of everything you were wearing and what you must look like. 
"Yeah," Kayce smiled then. 
"Why?" You hadn't meant to sound so surprised, but it came out the way and made Kayce chuckle. 
"I hope I can make you happy like them donuts."