The Cowboy Hat Rule (Ryan and Don Hart) II
Paring: Don Hart x agegap!Reader + Ryan Hart x Crush!Reader
Summary: y/n Ryder is a paramedic for the 113. She's young and smart and finds herself stuck in an unexpected love triangle between her best friend and his father. Ryan Hart has been chasing her for months, hoping she loves him just as much as he does her. To his dismay she may have eyes for another - the captain.
❤️🔥MasterList ML2 ❤️🔥Table of Contents
(not my gif)
Donnie was already in his office when the sun came up. He hadn’t slept much. Paperwork sat neatly stacked in front of him. The leather chair creaked softly as he leaned back, pen moving steadily across the page. Calm - Controlled. Captain Hart, as usual. If someone looked at him, they wouldn’t see anything different.
But his jaw was tighter than normal. His mind was wandering back to last night. The way she looked lying on his desk, hair messy, cheeks flushed. The sound of her voice, breathy and quiet. The feeling of her wrapped around him... He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, adjusting himself discreetly. Focus, damn it.
A knock hit the doorframe. Ryan didn’t wait for an answer. He never did. “Mornin', dad” Ryan said, stepping inside with a report folder tucked under his arm. “Got the incident write-up from last night”
Donnie didn’t look up immediately. “Leave it on the desk”
Ryan was his second in command, his own blood. They looked alike - same sharpness, same blue eyes. But where Donnie was serious, Ryan was charming. He paused. There, near the edge of the file cabinet was a small pale blue clawclip shaped into a flower. It was simple - familiar. Ryan bent down and picked it up slowly.
Donnie's pen stilled on the paper. He could see the clip in Ryan's hand from where he sat. His jaw tightened imperceptibly. That was hers. He recognized it - she always wore it when she didn't want her hair in her face during shifts. He had been so careful. How had he missed that?
Ryan turned it over in his fingers. “Isn't that y/n's?” he asked casually. Too casually.
“She patched me up after the call yesterday,” Donnie answered, voice neutral. He forced himself to keep writing, to keep his face blank. Inside, his mind was racing. How to play this? Ryan was no fool. If he suspected... “She probably dropped it” he said casually, like it was nothing. And it was technically true.
He straightened slowly. “hmm,” he said, the gears turning in his skull. “Guess that makes sense”
Donnie needed to end this conversation, now. He held his gaze evenly. “It does”
A beat of silence passed. Ryan nodded, clicking the clip open and closed. “I’ll get it back to her”
Something tight coiled in Donnie’s chest at that. “You do that”
Ryan shrugged. “I don’t mind” There was something in his tone now. Not accusation - not yet. But suspicion.
He lingered a second longer than normal. Studying his father the way he studied a scene before making entry. “You good?” Ryan asked.
Donnie looked up then, meeting his son’s gaze levelly. “I’m fine” His voice was cool, controlled. He could see the questions in Ryan’s eyes, the unspoken accusation. He knew his son too well. Ryan was smart, observant.
Ryan’s eyes flicked to the desk. Then back to his dad. “Right,” He turned toward the door, then stopped. “What did she say last night?”
Donnie's hand tightened around the pen. “About what?” He kept his voice even, dangerous. He knew where this was going. Ryan was testing him.
“You said she checked you out after the call last night. Everything come out okay?” he asked in a testing tone.
Donnie paused, calculating. “Everything was fine,” He set the pen down slowly, leaning back in his chair. His eyes never left Ryan's. “Looked me over, cleared me. Nothing more than standard procedure”
“Good” Ryan gave a small nod, then left.
The second the door closed, Donnie let out a low breath. Jesus. That was close. Too close. Ryan was sniffing around like a damn bloodhound. Donnie ran a hand down his face. He needed to be careful - more careful.
Y/n was at her locker, quietly unpacking her gear and humming to herself, when Ryan appeared, leaning casually against the frame.
“Hey,” he said, voice light, flashing that charming smile of his despite his curiosity or suspicion. “I found something that belongs to you”
She froze mid-motion, blinking at him. “Oh… thanks Ryan,” she said, smiling and reaching for it. “been looking for that”
Ryan held it out, letting her fingers brush against his as she took it. He watched her carefully, noticing the way she avoided his eyes, the slight flush on her cheeks. Something was off about her too. He kept his smile easy, but his mind was working. His eyes followed the way she pulled her soft hair up into the clip, exposing the curve of her neck. There was a faint mark there - small, but definitely new. His jaw tightened slightly. He wasn't stupid. He knew what hickeys looked like.
“You look good today” he said, voice still casual.
Y/n raised an eyebrow, smiling shyly. “thanks, Ry”
He watched her for another beat, then pushed off the locker door. “My dad said you cleared him last night. Everything good?” That was the real question - not just at her, but about the situation. Testing the waters.
“Yeah, all good. Just a few scrapes, nothing major,” Her hand stilled on her bag zipper, just for a second. “still thinks he's invincible”
Ryan chuckled, nodding. “Yeah, well. He is the captain” His eyes narrowed slightly, studying her face. She seemed normal enough. But his gut was telling him there was more to the story. And he always trusted his gut.
Taylor and Roxie walked into the locker room and Ryan took a step back. “I’ll let you get back to it,” he said, voice lighter now, though the edge of observation never left his tone. He stepped back, but the eyes - those beautiful, piercing eyes remained locked on hers for a fraction longer than necessary.
The girls glanced at Ryan as he walked away. Y/n exhaled softly, adjusting her hair, feeling the tension linger. She knew he’d noticed more than he was letting on, and that small, subtle watchfulness made her pulse spike.
Y/n continued to change into her uniform. She tugged off her hoodie, leaving her in her sports bra and pants - that's when they noticed. “Hey,” Roxie said, her eyes widening as she leaned closer, “what’s that on your shoulder?” she asked - honestly trying not to smile.
Y/n glanced at the faint mark on the back of her shoulder through the mirror on the wall - another one. It showed just enough to suggest a little friction or a bruise. She quickly pulled her uniform top over her shoulders to cover it, rolling her eyes. “It’s nothing. Probably from a call”
Taylor exchanged a knowing look with Roxie, both clearly not buying it. “Uh huh,” Taylor drawled skeptically, “That’s what you’re going with?” She moved to stand beside Y/n, intentionally letting her gaze drift to Y/n’s neck where the other mark was hidden.
Roxie snorted, smirking. “Looks like someone got… busy”
Y/n groaned, waving them off. “You both are ridiculous”
“And you’re avoiding the question,” Taylor pointed out, grinned.
Roxie leaned closer, eyes sparkling with mischief. “Was it Ryan?” she asked, voice conspiratorially as she glanced at the door Ryan has just disappeared through. “You know he’s got it bad for you”
She shook her head, laughing despite herself. “Ryan? No. Definitely not Ryan”
Taylor and Roxie exchanged another glance, clearly not convinced. “Then who?” Roxie pressed, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“I told you,” y/n said, shrugging playfully. “Just a little… chaos at the station. Nothing scandalous”
Taylor wasn't having it. She crossed her arms, blocking her exit. “Chaos? Honey, those marks are the kind of chaos someone makes with their mouth”
Roxie crossed her arms. “Girl, if you got a man at this station I didn't know about, I'm offended”
Y/n smirked, shaking her head as she walked past the two women. “Believe what you want. Ryan’s sweet, but he’s not my type”
As she walked out, she caught herself smiling. Sometimes the teasing made the tension with Donnie feel even more thrilling. And, secretly, she didn’t mind that everyone was wondering what was really going on.
Y/n rounded the corner of the station hallway, escaping the teasing gazes of her friends. At the same time, Donnie was coming from the opposite direction, holding a stack of files, his brow furrowed as he reviewed a report. Neither of them moved fast enough. They collided softly, chest-to-chest for a heartbeat longer than necessary. Papers slipped from his hands and scattered across the floor.
“Shit,” She muttered, stepping back and grabbing a few sheets. “sorry”
“No, my fault,” he murmured, already crouching to gather the rest. Their hands brushed against each other in the space on the floor. His jaw clenched. He could smell her shampoo - could feel the heat radiating off her skin even through her uniform. “You okay?”
Y/n looked up and froze for a moment. His eyes met hers, and the memory of last night - the office, the kiss, the heat flashed between them. Her pulse quickened. “I’m fine,” she said, trying to keep her voice even. “You?”
He stood slowly, his hand lingering on the paper before he let go. His gaze dropped to her neck, then back up to her face. He could see the flush creeping up her cheeks, the dilation of her pupils. She was thinking about it too. “I'm fine” he said finally, voice low. He cleared his throat.
Y/n shifted slightly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly aware of how close they still were. “Good,” she said quickly.
Donnie's eyes flicked down to her mouth, then back up. He couldn't stop thinking about how soft her lips were, how she tasted. He needed to get out of there before he did something stupid - like kiss her again right here in the middle of the station. "I gotta go”
“me too” y/n quickly nodded.
For a split second, their bodies brushed against each other. He inhaled sharply, his hand instinctively reaching out to grab her arm - then thought better of it and dropped it. “After you,” he said gruffly, gesturing down the hall. He cleared his throat, thinking of something else to say. “Ladies first” He says, his voice lightly strained.
“See ya later, Cap” y/n walked past him.
“Bye,” he echoed, watching as she walked away. He couldn't help but admire the way her uniform fitted her curves. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear his thoughts. “Jesus,” he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair in frustration.
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The 113 team had just cleared a late call and decided to hit a local bar - one of those classic country dives that definitely belongs in Nashville. The smell of wood and beer filled the air, rustic lights casting everything in a warm glow. Y/n sat on one side of the booth with Donnie against the wall on her left and Ryan on her right. Across them Blue and Tayler were huddled close. She sat there listening to Blue and Ryan's Chuck Norris and Patrick Swayze debate with a bottle of coke in her hand - she wasn’t much of a drinker, but she liked the energy and just being with everyone.
Donnie rested his arm along the back of the booth behind Y/n. He wasn't paying attention to the debate; he was too busy stealing glances at her. The way she laughed, the way her eyes crinkled at the corners... It was killing him.
“You can't compare Swayze and Norris. Norris is literally a black belt in martial arts” y/n tells the boys.
“Yes, but Swazye in Road House would give the Texas ranger a run for his money” Ryan says.
Blue threw his hands up. “You guys are missing the point. It's not about who could kick whose ass. It's about who had the most iconic lines," He turned to Taylor. "Babe, back me up here”
“I would just rather watch Dirty Dancing” she responded, shaking her head. Y/n nodded agreeing.
“Of course you two would say that. Your girls” Ryan said, taking a swig of his beer.
“Hey, I'm a guy and genuinely enjoy watching Dirty Dancing” Blue said with his hand on his chest.
Donnie shook his head before taking a sip of his whiskey. Y/n looked over and caught him watching her. Their gazes locked for a moment before she looked away, hiding a smile behind her coke bottle. God, she was cute when she was being casual with the team like this.
“Speaking of dancing,” Taylor said, getting out of the booth. “Come on, B” she said, holding her hand out Blue. Like the smitten man he was, he took it without question and the two disappeared to the dance floor with the rest of the couples.
Neon Moon by Brooks and Dunn filed the speakers. Ryan down the rest of his beer and looked at y/n. “Come on”
She raised an eyebrow. “Come on, what?”
Donnie tensed slightly as Ryan slid out of the booth and offered his hand to Y/n. “Dance with me” Ryan said with a charming smile. Donnie downed the rest of his whiskey, the burn doing little to distract him from the sudden tightness in his chest.
“I can't dance like that”
“That’s okay,” Ryan said with a laugh. “I’ll teach you” He took her hand and pulled her out of the booth. Donnie watched as Ryan wrapped an arm around Y/n’s waist, pulling her close. She placed her hands on his shoulders, looking slightly uncomfortable.
Donnie's jaw tightened. His fingers drummed against the glass on the table. He shouldn't care. They were just dancing. But watching his son's hand slide down lower on Y/n's back made something in his chest twist unpleasantly.
Ryan spun y/n playfully, letting her hands land on his shoulders, his eyes sparkling. “See? You’re a natural” he said, grinning.
She smiled softly, trying to keep it light. “Natural doesn’t mean good”
Donnie watched as Ryan spun her again, this time pulling her closer so they were practically chest to chest. The song changed to something slower, and Ryan took advantage. Before she could react he leaned forward and kissed her. Her lips barely met his before she pulled back slightly, eyes wide, a mix of surprise and restraint flashing across her face. She didn’t kiss back - not even for a heartbeat. “umm, Ryan”
Ryan froze, pulling back slowly. He looked confused, then embarrassed as he realized Y/n hadn't kissed him back. He cleared his throat, dropping his hands from her waist. “Sorry” he muttered, stepping back awkwardly. The song continued, couples around them swaying and kissing.
“No,” y/n said softly, placing her hands back on his shoulders. “It's okay. Let's finish the song”
Ryan's face brightened slightly, relief washing over him. “Yeah, okay” he said, sliding his hands back to her waist carefully this time. He kept them higher, more respectful. They swayed together, but there was a new distance between them now - and Ryan had stopped looking at her like he wanted to kiss her again.
The music had died down slightly, and the bar’s crowd thinned as some of the 113 team wandered toward the exits or the booths. Y/n had found a quiet place outside where the music was muffled and the breeze was warm.
Donnie had watched Y/n slip outside, her silhouette framed by the warm glow of the bar lights. He waited a beat before following her, stepping out into the quiet evening air. She stood with her back to him, looking out at the dark sky. He hesitated, then moved to stand next to her.
“I wasn't expecting that,” she broke the silence lightly, but her heart was hammering. “I thought I was just dancing with my best friend”
Donnie leaned against the railing, close enough that their arms almost touched. “You handled it well” he said quietly, his voice low and measured. He couldn't bring himself to say what he really wanted to - that seeing Ryan's lips on hers had made his blood boil, that he wanted to be the one teaching her how to dance.
Y/n's brow furrowed, a flicker of guilt passing across her face. “Donnie, I don’t want to get in between you and your son. I don’t want to ruin your relationship with him. He’s… he’s sweet, but he’s not - he’s not my type. You’re -”
Donnie shook his head, cutting her off. “y/n. Stop. Ryan hasn’t seen a single sign from you that you were interested in him. Not one. You’ve been careful. I know you’re careful. And yet…” He paused, running a hand through his hair, frustration tugging at his features. “You don’t have to tiptoe around this for my son’s sake. He’s got to learn. And I… I need to know where you stand”
She hesitated, searching his eyes. The tension was palpable, a low hum vibrating through her chest. “I… I like you,” she admitted softly. “I like you more than I should, maybe, but I don’t want to… I don’t want to hurt you guys. Or make things complicated”
“And what if I don't care about complicated?” he whispered back. His hand reached out, fingers gently tilting her chin up so she was looking directly into his eyes. “What if I don't want you tiptoeing around me? What if I just want you - the same way you want me?” His thumb brushed against her bottom lip feather-light but deliberate.
Y/n smiled, soft and reluctant. “then we have to be smart about this. Ryan… he’s your son. I'm not gonna be the reason there’s a wedge between you two”
Donnie leaned just a little closer, voice low and intimate. “I know. And I appreciate that. But right now… let’s just be honest with ourselves. That’s all I’m asking”
She nodded softly, heart thumping. She knew exactly what he was asking. And for once, she didn’t hesitate.
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The station gym smelled like rubber mats and disinfectant. Roxie was on the treadmill at a lazy jog while y/n half-heartedly punched a heavy bag, clearly not focused. She missed - badly.
“Okay,” Roxie said, slowing the treadmill. “You never miss. What’s wrong?”
Y/n exhaled hard and dropped her gloves on the mat. “Hypothetically” she started.
“Uh oh” Roxie laughed softly. “Hypotheticals with you always mean something’s up.” She hopped off the treadmill, grabbing her water bottle. “Go on, hypothetically”
Y/n sat down on the bench. “What would you do if… two people who are close. Really close. Like - DNA close… were into you”
Roxie blinked, clearly caught off guard. She set her water down and crossed her arms, thinking. “…DNA close?”
“Like related,” y/n clarified quickly. “And you like one of them. But the other one - who you are not interested in is like… very into you”
Roxie’s eyes widened. “Oh shit. Oka -”
Y/n cut her off and continued to ramble and this time got up and started pacing. “And he’s technically the safer option. But the one you actually want is… complicated. Not bad complicated! Just - complicated. Both are good men. Both are stable. Both have their lives together. It’s just… one is clearly the more dramatic choice”
“Wait wait wait,” Roxie said, laughing softly. “Is this a real thing? Because damn, I’m trying to keep up,” She leaned against the treadmill, watching y/n pace. There's a beat of silence. Then Roxie gasped so loud it echoed. “Oh my God”
Y/n froze. “What?”
“You’re talking about Ryan”
She curled up her nose “What? No - ”
“And you like Blue!” Roxie slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, you’re having a Vampire Diaries crisis. You’re Elena. Ryan’s the sweet brother and Blue’s the broody one -”
“It’s not Blue!” Y/n snapped, horrified. “Taylor and Blue are together, remember? They're perfect for each other”
“Okay okay, sorry!” Roxie held up her hands. She squinted at her. “Then who?”
Y/n opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. Roxie’s brain visibly started working.
“…Wait,” y/n went still. Roxie leaned forward slowly. “No... ”
Y/n said nothing.
Roxie’s eyes went huge. “CAP?” y/n winced. Roxie’s jaw dropped so dramatically it was impressive. “You like Captain Hart?!” she whisper-shrieked.
“Keep your voice down!” she hissed.
Roxie clapped a hand over her mouth again, but she was grinning like a maniac behind it. “Holy shit. I can't believe I didn't see this coming. No wonder you've been distracted”
“It just... happened”
“Just happened” Roxie repeated slowly.
Y/n crossed her arms defensively. “For the record, I did not get seduced or manipulated or whatever narrative your brain is building. I’m the one who came on to him”
Roxie breathed. “That’s - that’s huge. He’s our Captain. He’s like... basically - no he is our boss,” she started laughing. “You’re literally living the forbidden romance trope. No wonder you’re stressed. Jesus Christ”
There was a long pause. Then Roxie slowly grinned. “Oh my God. You wanted the original model”
Y/n tried not to laugh. She covered her face, groaning. “Rox”
“He’s old enough to be your dad,” Roxie shot back.
“…What? In TLC standards?” she said flatly. “You know I’m in my thirties, right?”
Roxie froze mid-smirk. “…You’re in your thirties?”
Y/n stared at her. “Yes?”
Roxie’s mouth fell open again. “I thought you were like twenty-eight”
“I am thirty-five”
Roxie shook her head in disbelief. “Okay, first of all, that’s insane. Second of all… this is so messy”
“I know,” y/n repeated, softer now.
Roxie studied her face more carefully. “You really like him?”
Y/n hesitated. Then nodded once.
Roxie sighed dramatically and flopped onto a bench. “Okay. So let me get this straight. You don’t want the safe option. You want the complicated one”
Y/n sat beside her. “I don’t want to hurt Ryan,” she admitted. “That’s the problem”
Roxie nudged her shoulder. “You’re not responsible for a grown man’s crush. Especially when you never encouraged it,” y/n exhaled slowly. “But,” Roxie added, raising a finger, “if this blows up? I am making popcorn”
Y/n laughed despite herself. “You’re terrible”
“I’m a great friend,” Roxie corrected her with a grin. “And you’re fucking Captain Hart. That’s incredible” She paused.
She shoved Roxie lightly. “Shut up”
“I’m serious! He’s hot... In a rugged cowboy type of way. And you know what? You deserve a hot, older man who knows what he’s doing in bed” she winked.
“can we not talk about this anymore?” Y/n rolled her eyes playfully and grabbed her gloves again, wanting to punch out the feelings instead of thinking about them.
Just as she tightened the velcro on her gloves, Blue walked in, towel slung over his shoulder, completely unsuspecting. He stopped mid-step. Looked at Roxie then at y/n. “…What did I miss?” he asked slowly - carefully.
Roxie immediately put on her best innocent face. “Nothing. Just girl talk” y/n shot her a glare that could kill.
Blue narrowed his eyes at Roxie's clearly guilty expression, then at y/n's flushed face and too-careful stance. He crossed his arms. “Right. And I'm the Queen of England... y’all look guilty”
“We don’t look guilty” y/n said.
“You do,” Blue insisted. He looked between them again. “You look real guilty”
Roxie opened her mouth. Y/n lunged forward like she could physically stop the words from forming. Too late. “It’s about - ”
The gym door opened again. Ryan walked in and the entire room froze. Blue turned toward his brother. “Oh hey, we were just - ”
Roxie elbowed him so hard in the ribs he physically folded in half. “GOD - ” he wheezed. Y/n, running purely on instinct, clamped her hand over Blue’s mouth before he could recover.
Ryan blinked slowly. He looked at the group - Blue hunched over, Roxie elbowing him again, y/n with her hand literally clamped over Blue’s mouth like she was silencing a hostage situation. His eyebrows shot up. “Um... what am I missing here?” he asked carefully.
“Core training,” Roxie said smoothly. “We’re doing… surprise impact conditioning”
Blue made a muffled protest under y/n's palm. Ryan's gaze flickered between Blue's contorted face and Roxie's innocent expression. He looked... suspicious. “Impact conditioning” he repeated doubtfully. Blue nodded vigorously under y/n's hand, his eyes pleading with her to let go. She squeezed his mouth tighter. Roxie nodded sincerely,
“Alright then” Ryan muttered, stepping out of the gym. The door shut. Three seconds of silence before both girls step back from Blue.
“OW! What the hell was that?” he hissed. Roxie was already laughing silently. Blue looked between them, eyes narrowing like he just solved a murder case. “Wait. Wait a minute. You two are hiding something. And it involves...” his eyes darted to the door where Ryan had just left and then back to y/n. His jaw slowly dropped. “It’s not - ”
Y/n closed her eyes, pressing her lips together. Blue staggered backward dramatically. “No no no no no,” Roxie winced as his accent thickened immediately, full Nashville panic mode engaged. “You did not”
She said nothing. Blue clutched his chest. “You did the nasty with my father?!”
Roxie nodded, honestly impressed. “You're more than just a pretty face. Kudos to you”
“Blue” y/n said firmly.
“OH MY LORD,” he gasped, hands flying into his hair. “You did!” Roxie lost it and started laughing. Blue started pacing. “In his office?! In this building?! On government property?!” he demanded.
Y/n covered her face. Blue spun toward her again. “You couldn’t have picked like - a Chili’s? A parking lot? Literally anywhere else?!”
“It wasn’t planned!” She snapped.
“Oh my God,” he whispered. “It was spontaneous” Roxie was fully wheezing now. Blue looked personally betrayed. “I cannot un-know this information”
“You weren’t supposed to know!” y/n hissed.
“You think I wanted to know?!” Blue shot back. “That’s my daddy!”
“Blue!” y/n groaned.
He pointed dramatically toward the hallway. “And Ryan is out there flirting with you while you’re out here - out here... ” He couldn’t even finish the sentence.
Roxie patted his shoulder, nodding. “It’s a lot”
Blue shook his head like he was physically trying to dislodge the information. “I need bleach. Or alcohol. Preferably both,” He looked at y/n with wounded eyes. “How am I supposed to look at my dad the same way now? I'm gonna see you two having... secret meetings and... Jesus Christ”
Y/n sighed, looking at the ceiling. “Oh my God, Blue”
The gym door handle rattled.
All three snapped toward it like a couple of meerkats. Ryan stepped back inside.
Everyone immediately scrambled, pretending to do normal stuff - normal stuff you'd do in a gym. Blue was doing lunges he did not need.
Roxie was suddenly doing wall sits. Y/n started nervously chugging her water.
Ryan blinked at them. “…Y’all are weird”
