Work Text:
Author Note: I don’t own Yellowstone or any of the characters. I only own the plot of the story and a few characters that are my own.
Summary: Fix it for 5x12
Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, Paradise Valley, Montana.
Colby rode to the barn. Something was wrong. Why he didn’t know Colby grabbed his rifle from his saddle as he made his way into the barn. “Carter, where are you?”
Colby called out for Carter several times.
“Colby, I’m in here.” Colby followed the sound of Carter’s voice.
“Fucking hell. What are you doing in there?"
“He kicked over his water bucket, and I couldn’t let him die of thirst.” The stallion pawed at the ground rearing.
“Carter, stay very still and cover your ears, alright?” Colby cocked his rifle. He knew it was suicide getting in that stall with that stallion. He wasn’t planning on dying just yet. He had a ring to pick up for a certain Arkansas cowgirl.
Colby didn’t plan on dying till he was old and well into his eighties or nineties with Teeter by his side. Shooting the horse was the only way to save Carter without getting himself killed.
Rip and Lloyd looked up at the echo of a gunshot coming from the barn.
“Ethan, stay with the herd.” Rip and Lloyd headed for the Barn. Rip and Lloyd dismounted as Carter, with a gash on his head, and Colby left the barn.
“What the fuck happened?”
“That stallion you were going to shoot. He had Carter cornered in the stall. The safest thing was to shoot him. Without me getting my head kicked in.”Colby answered.
“What were you doing in his stall, Carter”
“He knocked over his water bucket. I know you said to stay out of his stall. I couldn’t let him die of thirst.”
“Next time ask one of us for help. Anything happens to you. I got Beth to answer to. Anything happens to him. You got Teeter to answer to.”
“Yes, sir,” Carter answered sheepishly.
“Colby, go clean him up, will you? We’ll deal with the horse carcass later. Then when you're done there, go saddle a horse. You’re helping us bring in another herd.”
“Boss, do you mind if I go into Bozeman later today? I got something to pick up in town," Colby asked.
“Pick up what exactly, Colby?”
“A ring,” Colby answered.
“On second thoughts. Go to Bozeman and pick up your ring. Carter can give us a hand with the next herd.”
Colby patched Carter up before he grabbed the keys to one of the Yellowstone Ram Trucks.
As if the radio could read his mind. It began to play Luke Combs: Beautiful Crazy as he drove into Bozeman.
“Colby, you come to pick up the ring then.” The jeweler had made the ring for Colby. It was diamonds set with sapphire. The gemstones of Montana and Arkansas.
“What do I owe you, Grant?”
“$350 should cover it.” That is almost a whole week’s wages. The ring had cost him a month's wages.
Colby paid the remaining 350 dollars.
“If the ring is too small or too big, just bring the ring back, and I’ll resize it for you. I hope she says, Yes, Colby.”
“Me too. Pleasure doing business with you Grant” Colby shook the jeweler’s hand as he placed the ring box in his pocket.
Colby pulled his phone from his pocket as he got in the truck. He’d just unlocked his phone when it rang. Teeter
“Hey, everything alright down there?” Colby answered.
“You okay? I had a bad feeling something had happened to you, baby.”
“I’m ok Babe. There was a little incident with a stallion. He had Carter cornered in the stall. I had to shoot him to get Carter out of there alive. I knew going in there was suicide, ”Colby answered, the ring box in his hand.
“You die on me Colby Richards and I’ll dig you and kill you again myself understood”
“Understood. Are you on your way home then?" Colby opened the ring box.
“Jake’s driving; we should be home in a few days.”
“I’ll see you when you get home. I love you, Teeter.
“I love you too, baby.” Colby hung up. Colby placed his phone on the center console. Colby stared at the ring in the ring box for a time before he closed the ring box and put it in his shirt pocket. Now he just needed to work out a way to ask Teeter to marry him. His mama had been pestering him to meet Teeter. Colby likewise still had to meet Teeter's parents in Texarkana. Colby just hoped Teeter's daddy didn't kill him for asking Teeter to marry him without Colby asking her Dad for his blessing to ask for her hand.