Yellowstone: Wind in the Smoke

After that dinner, where Dante barely ate despite serving himself, he returned to his hunting cabin where he kept all his belongings and planned to spend the night.

With nothing to do and only a radio in the cabin, he began preparing the special feed for the horses that Kayce was taking care of. However, the events from before the dinner still lingered in his thoughts.

He decided not to ask Kayce more about the matter. In fact, after killing Robert, he hadn't given it much thought. He had killed so many people that he no longer went around wondering how the families of the dead were coping.

Anyone involved in a dangerous lifestyle inevitably made their families aware that death could come at any moment. Still, Robert's death could be considered unexpected.

Perhaps old Félix, Robert's grandfather, recognized at his age that what had happened that night was the result of seeking unnecessary trouble.

There was no investigation into the death, but Félix Long knew his grandson had been murdered. This was dangerous because a child overheard it. If that child grew up believing a Dutton had taken his father's life, it could spell trouble.

Childhood grievances are like small hills that turn into mountains over time.

The ranch where his brother lived had to be kept away from all these problems, so Dante needed to ensure that this resentment didn't put his brother in danger. Otherwise, he might have to deal with Robert's family—though there were ways to do so without killing anyone.

Dante didn't take pride in such methods, so for now, he chose to wait and see the bigger picture.

If you want to avoid unfavorable situations, you must always act carefully and be observant. Every man knows this: being observant is essential to protect what matters most.

Dante was mostly passive, but in certain situations, he knew he had to be aggressive.

Still, he understood that at some point, he had to stop. Now, with Susie on her way, he thought it might be time to slow down a little. After all, life wasn't guaranteed. No one had a secure future. Even Dante, who had inexplicably been granted a second chance at life, knew everything was unpredictable.

Anyone could die at any moment. Unfortunate or not, life was cruel—but it was also a field of lessons, always offering reminders of its teachings.

While he was reflecting on this, a familiar donkey brayed outside.

Dante frowned slightly and quickly stepped out of the cabin. The donkey, simply named Donkey, had been given its name due to a certain movie nearly everyone had seen.

He found Donkey standing in front of the ponies that Kayce was looking after, cautiously eyeing the feeding trough.

Following the donkey's line of sight, Dante spotted a large white ball of fur rummaging through the ponies' feeders, and he felt a bit relieved.

The small albino grizzly bear, who hadn't been seen for days, was clinging to the fence. It had no intention of attacking the ponies; instead, it was using its chubby paws to scoop food out of their trough.

The bear ate everything it could fit in its mouth, even licking the surface of the feeder clean with its pink tongue.

"Baloo..." Dante had named the albino bear Baloo, a name given by Kayce's family. Watching the bear's antics, he shook his head and slowly approached with a bucket.

When Baloo saw him coming, the bear didn't run. It simply continued eating with its head down.

Clearly, it had decided this place was a restaurant and was dining at its leisure.

"You're getting bolder," Dante joked, shaking the food tray he held.

The bear lifted its head, its gaze fixed on the tray in Dante's hands, seemingly discovering a new delicacy.

Its nose twitched as it sniffed the air, anticipation gleaming in its eyes.

Dante knew the bear was trying to trick him again to get the food. He deliberately shook the tray to make a crisp sound. "Want some? Then behave and leave the ponies' trough alone!"

The little grizzly tilted its head as if seriously considering Dante's words.

Then it walked over, planting its chubby paws on the fence and attempting to grab the tray from his hands.

"Hey, take it easy!" Dante stepped back, raising the tray with a smile. "You can't do that! You have to greet me first!"

Baloo shook its head vigorously and let out a low growl, clearly unwilling to follow the silly human's rules.

Dante sighed in resignation. He had told Kayce not to grow attached to this bear, but it seemed she hadn't listened.

Of course, Dante himself had a soft spot for the bear, so he slowly lowered the tray.

"I suppose there's no harm in giving you some food," Dante muttered as he watched the albino bear eagerly dig into the meal.

He forgot all the worries that had been troubling him moments ago.

Dante couldn't resist reaching out to touch what looked like a giant plush toy. But the bear seemed wary and quickly shifted, allowing him only a single pat.

The coarse fur felt a bit like wool, and Dante, amused, wanted to touch it again.

But the bear, clearly displeased with human contact, quickly retreated.

"Fine, don't get so worked up. I won't bother you anymore. I need to feed the ponies my brother is taking care of." Dante spoke softly, thinking the albino grizzly might need time to adjust and that there would be more opportunities to bond with it in the future.

Dante picked up another feeder, walked to the opposite end of the fence, and poured in some liquid feed, calling the ponies over to eat.

Hearing the sound of food, the ponies followed the old donkey, running away from the grizzly bear and eagerly eating.

The lead pony lowered its head to eat a bit, then leaned in and nuzzled Dante's leg with its head.

"Hey there, long time no see," Dante said, crouching down to pet the sturdy little pony.

"You're such a sweetheart—much better than that bear."

The pony let out a soft whinny and rubbed against Dante like a cat.

Looking up, Dante noticed the albino bear at the other end of the fence tilting its head curiously at the scene.

Ignoring it, Dante turned his attention to checking the ponies' condition, which Ghost had gifted him after saving his business.

After the grizzly bear had eaten its fill, it lazily turned and ambled into the woods. It clumsily climbed over the rickety outer fence and disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

Once he had finished feeding the remaining horses, Dante approached the old donkey, patted its neck, and whispered, "You're in charge tonight, old fellow."

Seeing the donkey flick its ears as if understanding the order, Dante nodded, tidied up briefly, and returned to the hunting cabin.