Begin Again - Lee Dutton
Pairing: Lee Dutton x OC (Natalie WentWorth)
Summary: The life of renowned lawyer Natalie WentWorth was quiet in Boston, but everything changed when she received a call from a former Harvard colleague, Jamie Dutton. After reflecting a lot, Natalie agreed to solve some problems at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, but she did not imagine that her life would change completely when she arrived in Montana. One of the reasons for this change was Lee Dutton, the eldest son of John Dutton, cowboy and livestock agent, who would represent all the comfort she needed to have in the midst of the chaos of the Dutton family. Natalie could begin again at that ranch.
Warnings: Subtle sexual innuendos, brief language, alcohol consumption, angst, smut, fluffy.
Parte II
Boston folks
Natalie stared at the steering wheel, frustration bubbling over. She turned the key in the ignition once more, but all she got was the same pitiful click. Her Volvo refused to start, as stubborn as she was. After everything—being brushed off by John Dutton, navigating a tense auction hall full of Montana’s roughest ranchers, and dealing with Jamie’s half-baked plans—the last thing she needed was a dead car.
She leaned her forehead against the wheel, taking a deep breath. She’d been at this for what felt like forever, but the car wouldn’t budge. Damn it.
Just then, she heard the unmistakable rumble of a truck pulling up behind her. She didn’t need to look to know who it was.
"Car trouble, Miss Wentworth?" Lee’s voice carried that familiar mix of amusement and concern. He was enjoying this far too much.
She sat up straight, took another breath, and forced her face into a mask of calm before turning to face him. "Nope. Just sitting here for fun."
Lee chuckled, his grin widening. He stepped closer to her window. "Need a hand, or are you too proud to admit defeat?"
Natalie narrowed her eyes at him. "I’m perfectly capable of handling my own car, thank you very much."
"Sure you are," he said, leaning against the side of her car, clearly settling in for a long conversation. "But you’ve been at it for a while now, haven’t you? You can keep fighting it, or you can let me help."
She glanced down at the key in her hand, contemplating her options. She hated asking for help, especially from someone like Lee who seemed to think he had the world figured out. But, unfortunately, so did her car.
With a heavy sigh, she turned back to him. "Fine. You win. What can you do?"
Lee straightened up, a cocky grin playing on his lips. "That’s more like it." He walked around to the front of her car, lifted the hood, and took a look. After a few minutes of tinkering, he stepped back and shrugged. "Looks like your battery’s shot. I can tow it for you if you want."
Natalie pursed her lips. "I didn’t realize Montana hospitality involved towing cars for damsels in distress."
Lee gave her a look. "You ain’t no damsel, but we help our own out here. Whether they like it or not."
She crossed her arms, stubbornness flaring up again. "I don’t need rescuing."
"No one said you did," he shot back, heading toward his truck. "But you do need a ride. Now, unless you plan on walking to your new apartment, I suggest you let me do what I’m good at."
She bit her lip, watching him as he hooked up her car to his powerful truck. The man was infuriating, but there was no denying he knew what he was doing. Eventually, she relented, slipping out of her car and making her way toward his truck.
"Just… don’t think this means I owe you anything," she muttered as she climbed into the passenger seat.
"I wouldn’t dream of it," Lee drawled, sliding into the driver’s seat. He turned the key, and the engine roared to life beneath them. As they pulled out of the parking lot, Natalie found herself watching the landscape pass by, the mountains cutting into the sky like jagged teeth.
After a few moments of silence, Lee glanced over at her. "You know, you could’ve just flown in. Would’ve saved you a lot of trouble."
Natalie shrugged, her eyes still on the horizon. "I don’t like flying."
He raised an eyebrow, expecting more. "Bad experience?"
"No," she said simply. "I just don’t like it. I like driving. I like the control, the speed. The feeling of being on the road. Planes… they take that away from you."
Lee chuckled softly. "You like speed, huh? That why you drove thirty-six hours straight just to deal with a bunch of stubborn ranchers?"
She smirked. "Among other things."
He shook his head, half-impressed, half-amused. "You Boston folks are something else."
Natalie shot him a look. "Oh really? And what makes us so different from you ‘cowboys’?"
Lee grinned. "Well, for one thing, we don’t mind helping folks out when they need it. Seems like you city types are too busy trying to prove something all the time."
She bristled at that. "That’s not true. In Boston, people help each other. We just don’t go around assuming everyone needs saving."
Lee raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you think this is? Me trying to save you?"
"You tell me," she retorted. "I didn’t ask for your help."
"No," he agreed, his tone calm. "But that doesn’t mean you didn’t need it."
Natalie opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself. She hated that he had a point. Back in Boston, she was used to fending for herself. It was a dog-eat-dog world, and asking for help was seen as a weakness. Here, though, things were different. People just… helped, without expecting anything in return. It was disconcerting.
"I guess we see things differently," she muttered after a moment. "In the city, no one has time to stop and offer help. Everyone’s too busy."
"Maybe that’s the problem," Lee said quietly, glancing at her. "Out here, we don’t see kindness as a weakness. We just see it as the right thing to do."
She scoffed. "Kindness? You call this kindness? You’ve been teasing me non-stop since we met."
"Hey, I’m just having a little fun," he said, smiling. "Can’t blame me for trying to lighten the mood."
"I can, actually," she replied dryly. "And I will."
He laughed, his deep, warm chuckle filling the cab of the truck. "Alright, alright. I’ll tone it down. But you’ve got to admit—it’s better than sitting in silence, brooding."
"I don’t brood," she snapped.
"Could’ve fooled me," Lee teased. She shot him a glare, but he just smiled wider.
They fell into a more comfortable silence after that, the tension between them easing as they drove. When they reached her new apartment building, Lee parked the truck and got out to unhook her car.
As he finished up, he turned to her. "Need help with your bags?"
Natalie shook her head immediately. "I can manage."
Lee leaned against his truck, folding his arms over his chest. "You sure about that? You don’t have to prove anything to me, you know."
"I don’t need your help, Lee," she insisted, her voice firm. "Just because I’m from the city doesn’t mean I’m incapable of carrying my own bags."
He chuckled. "Never said you couldn’t. Just thought it might be nice for you to take a break, is all."
"I don’t need a break," she replied sharply. "I’ve been taking care of myself for years, and I’m not about to stop now just because some cowboy with a hero complex thinks I should."
Lee’s smile faded, and he raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, Miss Wentworth. Have it your way."
She nodded once, satisfied. But as she grabbed her suitcase from the back seat, she couldn’t help but glance at him out of the corner of her eye. He was still standing there, watching her with that infuriating calmness, like he had all the time in the world.
Finally, she spoke up. "Why do you even care? You don’t know me. You don’t owe me anything."
Lee shrugged. "Doesn’t have to be that complicated. Sometimes, it’s just about doing what feels right."
She stared at him for a moment, trying to make sense of his words. In Boston, everything was calculated. People didn’t do things without a reason. But here, in this strange, wild place, people seemed to operate on a different set of rules—rules she didn’t fully understand.
"Maybe you’re right," she admitted quietly, almost to herself.
Lee smiled again, but this time it was softer, less teasing. "Maybe I am. Or maybe we just see the world differently."
With that, he tipped his hat and climbed back into his truck. "Good luck with the rest of your night, Miss Wentworth. If you need anything else, you know where to find me."
She watched him drive off, the rumble of his truck fading into the distance. As she carried her bags inside, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her time in Montana was going to challenge her in ways she never expected.
And somehow, she didn’t entirely hate the idea.













