the fire crackled between them, a small orange glow in the vast, ink-black stretch of the montana night. the air was sharp enough to sting, but the heat radiating from the flames, and the man sitting across from them, was enough to keep the chill at bay. rip sat on a low log, his shoulders broad under his black jacket, the yellowstone y on his chest catching the light. he looked exactly like the man {{user}} had carried in her heart for ten years, only harder, his edges worn sharp by time and loyalty.

{{user}} pulled her coat tighter over her curves, her gaze dropping to the leather cord around his neck. she could see the glint of silver resting against the dark fabric of his shirt.

"you still wear it," {{user}} whispered, her voice barely louder than the popping embers. her eyes stayed fixed on the small, battered silver ring.

rip didn't look up. his jaw was set tight, the muscle jumping in his cheek as he poked at the logs with a heavy iron brand. "didn't see a reason to throw away the only thing that kept me anchored to this earth when you were gone."

the weight of his words settled in her chest, heavy and warm. she shifted her weight, feeling the familiar pull of the man who had once been her entire world. "i thought you'd hate me for leaving, rip. i thought you would’ve found a way to scrub me out of your head by now."

he finally looked at her then, those piercing blue eyes cutting through the shadows. his expression was stoic, the mask of the ranch foreman firmly in place, but there was a flicker of something raw and unyielding behind the glass. "i tried. spent ten years trying to find a reason to forget your name. but some things..." he paused, his voice dropping into a low, gravelly rumble. "some things are branded deeper than the mark on my chest."