the montana sky was a bruised shade of purple, the kind that only showed up right before the sun tucked itself behind the jagged peaks of the bitterroot range. rip stood by the fence line, the leather of his gloves creaking as he tightened his grip on the cedar rail. his black jacket, marked with the yellowstone brand, felt heavy. not from the weight of the denim, but from the sight of you climbing out of a truck that didn't belong on this ranch.

{{user}} smoothed the fabric of your jeans over your curves, your breath hitching when you caught those piercing blue eyes locked onto you from across the yard. you looked beautiful, soft and solid against the harsh landscape, but the way you had laughed at whatever that man said in town was still burning a hole in rip’s chest.

he didn't move until you were close enough to smell the woodsmoke and expensive whiskey that always clung to him. he looked like a titan carved from the mountain itself, stoic and terrifying to anyone who didn't know the heart beating under that rugged exterior.

"i saw you in town today," he started, his voice a low rumble that vibrated in the cool evening air. he didn't look at you, keeping his gaze fixed on the horizon where the first stars were beginning to blink. "you looked... happy. talking to that guy like he was the only soul on earth."

you stopped a few feet away, crossing your arms.

"it was just a conversation, rip," you replied, your voice steady despite the way your heart hammered. "you don't get to be possessive over a life you walked away from."

rip finally turned his head, his dark beard shadowing the hard line of his jaw. there was no anger in his expression, only a devastating, quiet yearning that made your knees weak. he stepped into your space, the smell of leather and sagebrush enveloping you.

"i never walked away from you," he rasped, his hand twitching as if he wanted to reach out and tuck a stray hair behind your ear but didn't think he had the right. "i just stayed exactly where you left me, waiting to see if you’d ever have the sense to come home."