Chapter 3

                                    

                                          
As you drove the last few yards up to the Dutton's main house, you reflected on the past few hours. Preferring to travel light, you had decided to use your motorcycle instead of your car in hopes of exploring the area. After all, you weren't John Dutton's 24-hour babysitter, it was more of a favor than anything else and you were sure the two of you would need some space from each other sooner rather than later. You had been hoping that riding your motocross bike would help you clear your head. Nothing helped you relax more than a ride through Montana's beautiful countryside. But today it didn't seem to bring you the relief you needed.
Somehow you still couldn't explain how this favor came about. Your mood had deteriorated in recent weeks, you were easily irritable, but you could still rely on your self-control in the presence of others. You knew others felt the same way. And while you were a team player, you knew that saving the hospital staff from this seemingly endless madness wasn't enough justification for suddenly finding yourself on a ranch with complete strangers.
You hadn't really improved your situation either, after all there were sheriff's officers in front of the driveway. You just couldn't escape them and instead of greeting them at the entrance of the hospital, you now greeted them in front of your temporary home. And it wasn't just a simple greeting, it was more of a body search, of the extremely thorough kind. You sighed deeply, knowing that your situation hadn't improved at all, it had only gotten worse. What were you thinking? Why did you listen to your heart when you knew it always ended in disaster?
Now you were stuck on a ranch with people you didn't know in surroundings you didn't know, and on John Dutton's land, which was so vast that your eyes could not even see the end of his territory. And your eyesight was perfect, dammit. However, after you let your gaze wander into the distance, you had to admit that the view had improved significantly. Little did you realize how imprisoned you have felt within the walls of the hospital. And you were very impressed with the land that John Dutton had the privilege of calling his own. And you haven't even had the chance to explore it yet. You were sure that it would be even more beautiful than the first impression.
But why did you throw your impulse control and even worse caution to the wind and agree to help a man who didn't even want any?
Maybe it was because his nerves were just as strained as yours.
Maybe it was because, like you, he felt trapped in the hospital. Although he was certainly aware of his deprivation of liberty while you only now seemed to notice.
Maybe it was because you were so alike, for it was easier for both of you to offer help than to accept it.
But maybe it was also because you really hoped that his piercing blue eyes, looking at you like you were the best thing of his day, had been telling the truth. Because he was definitely the best thing about your day.
Luckily or maybe not, you were snapped out of your musings when you spotted a man in camouflage and with a rifle in his hand standing in the field. Oh boy, and you thought the sheriff's officers would have been the icing on the cake. You could only hope that your arrival had been reported, otherwise your trip to the Dutton ranch would end sooner than you thought. Luckily, you were saved by an opening door and a man with a crying baby on his arm.
"You must be (Y/N). I'm Jamie Dutton and this little one you can't help but hear is my son Jamie." The man with the still crying baby greeted you warmly. You couldn't help but smile at the sweet duo, although you were sure that the coming nights would offer little rest.
"You're right, I am (Y/N). It's nice to meet you and your little mini me. Should I be worried that there's a man standing in the middle of the field staring at us?" You couldn't help but ask. Jamie looked at the man in the field and nodded at him as if to assure him everything was fine.