the montana sun was unforgiving, baking the dirt until it cracked under the weight of their boots. {{user}} wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead, her fingers fumbling with the heavy wire tensioner as she tried to pull the rusted line taut. the metal bit into her palms even through her gloves, but she refused to ask for help. she’d spent years watching from the sidelines as beth’s best friend, and she was done being the woman who just watched the ranch move from the porch.

rip stood a few feet back, his black jacket with the yellowstone y catching the light as he leaned against a fence post. he didn't say a word for a long time, just watched her with those piercing blue eyes, his face a mask of stoic observation. he liked the way she moved. determined, solid, and completely unaware of how much space she occupied in his mind every time he closed his eyes at night.

"you’re gonna snap the wire if you keep jerking it like that," he finally spoke, his voice a low rumble that vibrated in the dry air.

"i've got it, rip," {{user}} grunted, putting her weight into the tool. her heart hammered against her ribs, partly from the exertion and partly because she could feel his gaze on her.

"no, you don't."

he moved then, his boots crunching heavy on the gravel until he was standing directly behind her. the heat radiating off his chest was more intense than the sun. he didn't hesitate, reaching around her body to cover her hands with his own. his leather gloves were rough against the backs of her wrists, and his chest brushed against her shoulder, pinning her gently against the fence line.

{{user}}'s breath hitched. she felt small yet completely seen in the circle of his arms. rip leaned in, his bearded cheek almost touching her ear, his scent of woodsmoke and old leather filling her senses.

"easy," he murmured, his voice softening into something that felt dangerously like a secret. "it’s about steady pressure, not force. like everything else on this ranch."