Author's Note: This, my friends, is the final chapter. It's finally here! Thank you all so much for coming along on this wild ride with me. Your feedback and support means the world to me. My usual Warnings apply, Smut. ;)
For six months now, (Y/N) and her daughter had lived on the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch with John. There had been some growing pains at the beginning, just learning how to live with each other, each of them being used to being on their own, but eventually they'd settled into a rhythm and it was hard for her to imagine ever being somewhere else. The house was full on most days. Beth, Rip and their "stray child" as Rip called him had moved in shortly before (Y/N) and (Y/d/n), so there was always movement, always noise. That had certainly taken some getting used to. She was still trying to get used to the fact that on the ranch, there was rarely any privacy, rarely a moment with just the two of them, but when they did find that time, they made the most of it, even if it was just curled up in bed together holding each other. She looks next to her, smiling as she sees John watching her. She'd thought he was still asleep. "Good Morning, handsome." She leans over and kisses him softly, running her hand over his chest. John caresses her cheek with his thumb, a soft, sleepy smile on his face as he kisses her back. "Good morning to you too, beautiful." He kisses her again, letting the kiss linger, his tongue caressing her lips, his hand traveling down her back, resting on the curve of her back just above her ass, pulling her closer to him. "Waking next to you is the best part of my damn day, darlin'." He murmurs against her lips before rolling them, pinning her beneath him, his body pressed close to hers as he trails kisses over her neck. It had been weeks since they'd had a chance to make love. They were always either exhausted from work, busy with (y/d/n) or whatever the latest catastrophe one of his children was going through, or they'd get interrupted by someone knocking at their door, needing "a word" or help with something. John was tired of getting interrupted. He missed the feel of her around him, and by God, if he had to throw everyone off the ranch for one damn day, he was going to make love to her today. (Y/N) had been just as frustrated lately, missing not only the sex, but the connection, the way he looked at her when he loved her the way he did. A soft moan escapes her lips as he trails kisses over her neck, his hand tugging her sleep shorts off and then sliding up her leg, gripping her thigh softly. Her hands run over his strong back, fingertips dancing over his warm skin as she shifts her hips slightly, trying to get his hand exactly where she wants him, needing to feel his touch on her heated mound. "John, please." She begs softly, her eyes looking into his gorgeous blue eyes. John grins and leans in, kissing her slowly, deeply as he lets his hand finally move to her mound, running his fingertips slowly, teasingly through her damp folds. A firm knock at the door causes them both to tense, a deep sigh leaving her lips as she looks over at the door and then back to John. "Tell them to fuck off, please?" She asks softly, moving to place soft little bites along his neck.
John curses as he suddenly remembers the plans he had for the day, dropping his head to her chest as he hears Rip on the other side of the door. "Mr. Dutton, the little one here says you and her are supposed to ride today." Rips says softly and squeezes the little girl's shoulder. He'd woken up and gone down for coffee to find the little girl dressed and sitting at the table, two bowls of cereal sitting there as she cried softly. John groans and looks up at (Y/N) with a soft apology in his eyes. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Any other time I'd ignore them or tell them to fuck off, but I made important plans with my best girl. I can't break those." He smiles and kisses her softly, letting out a low sigh as she turns her head away from him in frustration. He didn't blame her for being pissed, he wasn't too happy, but he'd made a promise to (y/d/n) and he wasn't going to break it. Not to mention, he had important things he had to take care of today. He gets up out of bed, pulling on some jeans, an old work short and some boots before walking over to the bed and leaning down. "Give your man a kiss before he heads off to work?" He asks with a smirk, relieved when she places a soft peck on his lips and fixes his upturned collar. "I'll be home late tonight, darlin'. Don't bother cooking. I'll bring something home with me, and tonight, (Y/d/n) will stay with Beth and Rip. When I get home, that pretty little ass of yours is all mine." He winks and grabs a bag he had packed for the day ahead and heads out of the door. He looks down, smiling as he sees the little girl standing there next to Rip. "Well good morning, sugar. I'm sorry I was late. Guess I overslept, huh?" He winks at Rip and picks the girl up, carrying her downstairs to the kitchen. "You and Lloyd get everything ready like I asked?" He asks as he dumps the soggy cereal and pours all three of them a fresh bowl, chuckling at the look on Rip's face as he looks down at the Lucky Charms. "We did, sir. Just have to put the final touches on it. Beth's taking care of the other part of it, sir. Said she's already got everything ready to go." John nods and sips his coffee, a soft smile on his face. "Good. I like to hear that. Now, eat up you two. Big day ahead of us." He smiles at the confused look on (y/d/n)'s face. "Don't worry, little one. You'll find out what's going on soon enough." He grins and ruffles her hair before they all start eating. Once they've finished, he clears the table and grabs the little girl's coat and the cowboy hat he'd bought her a few weeks back. "Let's go ride. I have something special I want to show you today, sugar." He takes her hand and walks to the barn where Lloyd had already saddled his horse. Placing the little girl on the saddle, he carefully climbs up behind her before riding off, tickling her side softly and kissing the top of her head. "You like it here, sugar?" He asks with a smile, laughing softly as she turns and gives him a look as if to say "that's a stupid question". It was a look he'd seen on her mother's face a hundred times. She sometimes was the spitting image of (Y/N), all fire and spark with a soft, fluffy middle. They both liked to pretend they were hard as nails, but he'd seen them both at their sweetest, their most vulnerable, and it was then that he'd realized he couldn't face a single day without (Y/N) or her little girl in his life.
They continue to ride until they come up to a clearing, a large rock in the field. It didn't look like much but this spot had been a cornerstone for the Dutton family. It's where his father had married his mother, where he'd proposed to Evelyn, and even where his father had died there in his arms. Now, it was adorned with a white arch, a few wooden chairs lined up on either side of a makeshift aisle and a few blue roses adorning the archway. He slides off the horse and pulls (y/d/n) into his arms, watching the look of awe on her face as he carries her over and sits in one of the chairs with her in his lap. "Mr. John, this is so pretty! I've seen stuff like this on the tv! Who's getting hitched?" She asks with bright, wide eyes, filled with the awe and joy that only a child could have. He laughs at her choice of words, thinking maybe she'd spent too much time around his ranch hands when words like hitched come out of her little mouth. He looks down at her and gives her a soft smile before pulling a ring box out of his chest pocket. "Well, sugar, I hope I am if your mama agrees to it." He grins as the little girl squeals and claps excitedly, looking at the ring. "It's so pretty, Mr. John! Mama better say yes! If she doesn't, I will." She gives him a no nonsense look, again, looking so much like her mother. "I take it then, little one, that you'd be okay with that. With me marrying your mama and you two staying here with me?" He asks softly, taking the little girl's hand in his. He'd come to feel for her the same way he did Beth. Another man may have given her life, but she was his girl. Always would be. He gently wipes the happy tears from the littles girl's face as she nods. "Of course I would! I like it here. It's home." She says simply and looks up at him with soft, pleading eyes, biting her tiny lip nervously. "Does this mean..could I...are you gonna be my daddy now?" She finally asks after struggling to find the right words. He smiles and kisses her forehead before pulling out another ring box from his coat, a much tinier one. He opens it and takes out the tiny silver ring with the words "best girl" inscribed on the band. "I already am, sweet girl. My blood may not run through your veins, but you're my little girl. You're my best girl, (y/d/n)." He smiles and slides the ring on her finger and hugs her tightly as she cries against his chest. After several minutes she finally settles and he pulls back. "I have an important job for you. Do you think you could do it for me?"
(Y/N) had busied herself with cleaning up the house while John was out riding with her daughter. She'd picked up the little girl's room, straightening everything up and gathered the dirty laundry off the floor. Since they'd moved in here, her sweet, tidy little angel had started acting more and more like a rough and tumble ranch hand. Her clothes and shoes stayed wherever she kicked them off and if it wasn't food, horses or John, she wasn't interested in it. She laughs as she takes the clothes to the laundry room, jumping slightly as she sees Beth there. "Okay, Cinderella. Enough house work. We're going out. Come on." Beth doesn't give her time to argue, just simply grabs her keys and heads out the door to the car, expecting (Y/N) to follow which she does. Beth had slowly accepted her and her daughter, but they were by far from best friends, so the sudden offer to go into town with her put her on edge just a bit. She gets in the car and looks over at Beth. "Is this the part where you threaten me or maybe just dump me on the side of the road somewhere?" She asks only half joking, eyeing the younger woman nervously. Beth lets out a laugh and lights up a cigarette. "Oh, sweet cheeks, if I was going to do that, I'd have done it a long time ago. Who do you think painted your daughter's room or picked out all the furniture for it? Daddy sure as hell didn't. He wouldn't know what a little girl wanted if it slapped him in the face." She laughs and drives into town, parking at the salon. "You work your ass off every day around the house and ranch and then work the diner too, is it so bad that I want to treat you to a girl's day?" Beth asks, laughing again as (Y/N) gives her a disbelieving look. "Honestly, Beth, from you, yes!" She says with a laugh and gets out, heading into the salon with her. After a manicure and pedicure, she thought they'd be done but then Beth hands her a simple white and pink floral sundress and winks. "Go put this on and then we're doing your hair. Gotta get you ready for date night tonight." She winks and pats her ass, sending her off to get dressed while telling the stylist what she wanted for (Y/N)'s hair. She never thought she'd be doing this, secretly getting her father's future wife ready for a wedding the poor woman didn't even know about. But here she was, doing just that. She had hated the woman at first, but as she'd seen how much happier her father was with her around, she'd slowly grown accustomed to the idea of him loving someone again, of the possibility of (Y/N) sticking around. She looks up as the other woman comes out of the bathroom, the dress fitting her perfectly. "You look gorgeous. Now, hair." She pushes her into the chair gently and watches as the stylist gets to work.
After a few hours, (Y/N) was all dolled up and in the car, heading back to the ranch with Beth. She looks over at her and smiles softly. "Thank you, Beth. I enjoyed today. I know we'll never be the best of friends, but I think I like that you don't want to kill me." They both laugh as they pull up to the ranch. She looks out the window, frowning as she sees her little girl running to the car, obviously out of breath. Her mother instincts kick in and she jumps out of the char, kneeling in front of (y/d/n) and running her hands over her arms, face, legs, checking for injury. "What's wrong, sweetie? What's going on?" She asks softly, trying to stay calm even though inside she was fighting the panic that rose anytime her daughter was in distress. "Mama! Mr. John needs your help. He says it's important, come on!" She grabs her mothers hand and drags her over to the barn where Lloyd had saddled one of the gentler horses. (Y/N) looks at her daughter and back to the horse before shaking her head and climbing on then pulling her daughter up into the saddle in front of her. "Alright, baby girl. Show me where he is." She says softly as she kicks the horse gently to go. It'd been years since she'd ridden, but if John needed her, if he was hurt or in some kind of trouble, she would have ran the entire way if need be. She follows her daughter's directions, one arm around her daughter and the other holding the reins. All of her worry faded and turned to confusion and curiosity when she finally makes it to the clearing, seeing John waiting for her with Rip, Lloyd, Carter and the rest of the ranch already there. She watches as John walks up and catches (y/d/n) as she jumps into his arms. He smiles and kisses her little cheek before setting her on the ground again. "Good job, sugar. Now, go make sure everyone knows their places." He winks and pats her bottom, sending her on her way before turning back to the beautiful woman on the horse and smiling up at her. "John, what's going on here?" She asks softly, the confusion clear in her voice as she takes his hand, letting him help her down from the horse. He takes her hand in his and walks with her, moving away from the group of people and the chairs and archway, needing just a few minutes alone with her. He looks up as he hears Beth pull up in the side by side and points her toward the rest of the group. He wanted this to be right and he wasn't going to have anyone interrupt it, not even his daughter. He moves further away from the group and finally comes to a stop, turning toward (Y/N) and taking her hand in his, his other brushing her hair from her face. "God Damn, you look gorgeous, darlin'. If I didn't have my mind set on this, I'd carry you away right now and keep you locked in the bedroom." He chuckles and leans down, placing a soft kiss to her lips before pulling back and placing her hand on his chest, over his heart, over the breast pocket holding the diamond ring he'd bought her. "(Y/N), lord knows we haven't had the smoothest road. Hell, nothing when it comes to me or this ranch is smooth, but every damn bump has been worth it because it's led me to you. You've taught me to love again, to live again, when I didn't think I'd ever be able to do that. Now that I have, I can't imagine a day without you right by my side." He gives her a loving smile and pats her hand. "Reach in my pocket, honey." He says softly then busts out laughing and pulls her hand away when her hand goes to his jeans pocket, brushing his bulge gently. "Damnit, woman. Not that pocket." He says still laughing as he pats the pocket of his pale pink shirt, having changed before her and Beth got home. He watches as she grins and reaches in his chest pocket. "But I like what's in the other pocket, cowboy." Her laughter stops as her hand finds the velvet box in his pocket. She slowly pulls it out and opens it, looking up at him in shock. "John?" She asks softly, tears in her eyes. She laughs as she hears Beth, "Don't fucking cry! It'll ruin your make up!" She watches as he takes the ring from the box and slides it on her finger, his blue eyes shining with love, hope, and just the hint of tears. "I'd get on one knee, darlin', but I'm saving on these old knees for tonight." He winks and kisses her lips softly. "What do you say, (Y/N)? I think (Y/N) Dutton has a beautiful sound to it." She wipes away the tears from her cheek and smiles brightly, her heart racing as she nods. "Only a fool would say no to an offer like that, John." She smiles and wraps her arms around him, kissing him deeply, passionately until they hear Rip clearing his throat in the distance.
John smiles and takes her hand in his, leading her over to where Lynelle was standing, waiting to perform the ceremony. He knew there was probably some rule against an old fling officiating the wedding, but hell, he didn't give a damn. All that mattered was that in a few minutes, the beautiful woman standing next to him would be his wife. (Y/N) smiles as she holds his hands, repeating the vows as directed, her eyes locked on John's. In that moment, it was just the two of them, the entire world faded away. Hearing Lynelle announce them as man and wife snapped her out of her daze she'd been in, just in time to feel John's lips against hers. She wraps her hands around the back of his neck, holding him close as she melts into the kiss. It was official, she was his, and he was hers. She smiles and pulls back from the kiss as she feels her daughter take her hand. She looks down and smiles as she sees how happy her little girl is. "Daddy did good didn't he, mama?" She asks with a bright smile. (Y/N) gasps softly at her daughters words and looks at John, watching for his reaction. All she saw there in his eyes was pure joy. She smiles and squeezes her daughter's hand. "He sure did, baby girl. He sure did." She looks up at the ranch hands, at Beth and Rip and Carter, her beautiful extended family now. She couldn't have dreamed of this in a million years, but she was so grateful for the turn life had taken. She bites her lips softly as she feels John lean down, nuzzling the shell of her ear as he whispers. "Think it's time we head to the house, darlin'. No interruptions this time. What do you say?" She bites back a soft moan and doesn't answer. Instead, she takes his hand and runs to his horse, dragging him behind her. She'd waited to get him alone too damn long, and now, the house would be empty, everyone out and about, leaving the newlyweds to themselves. She wasn't going to waste that opportunity. She didn't know what the future held in store for them, but she knew for a fact, that neither of them would see the outside of their bedroom for a few days.