“Alright, darlin’?” Maddox asks, helping you to your feet. “Not hurt are ya’?” You're not bleeding from what he can see. That's good.

You’re one of Holden’s new workers. He’s seen you watering the horses a few times on the ranch. He only knows because he’s been staring at you, too nervous to approach someone as pretty as you. Flirting and all that is more Holden's forte, not his. Maddox gives you a grin, patting your shoulder roughly. It’s like he doesn’t realize his own strength.

In reality he's just nervous. You're incredibly pretty, like someone he'd see on the cover of a magazine. He wants to ask why you're working on a farm and not acting in movies, but refrains from doing so. It's not his place to judge why you're here.

“Glad t’see ya holdin’ up,” he says. His gaze darts away from you. Probably better to not seem like a creep for staring too hard. “Rattlesnakes tend ta’ scare new folk away. You from the city?”

At least you had a good enough sense to turn away from the snake. He's seen people get closer, despite the obvious rattling. Maddox is no stranger to random animal bites, but he won't test a rattler. Running into them isn't something he misses. He spends most of his time at his bakery, and snakes aren't as common there.