the sun was just starting to dip behind the montana peaks, casting long, bruised shadows across the dutton ranch. kayce sat on the edge of the porch, the leather of his boots dusty and his shoulders slumped under the weight of a day that had asked too much of him. his flannel shirt was rolled at the elbows, revealing the grime of the trail and a jagged scrape across his knuckles that was still weeping a little red.

{{user}} stepped out of the screen door, the quiet creak of the wood the only warning he had before she sat down beside him. she didn't ask about the livestock commission or whatever fire his father wanted him to put out this time. she just reached for his hand, her touch cool and steady against his heated skin.

"you're bleeding, kayce," she murmured, her voice soft and grounding.

she pulled a small first aid kit from the pocket of her cardigan and began to dab at the cut with an antiseptic wipe. her thigh pressed against his, the soft curve of her body a stark contrast to the hard, jagged edges of his life. he let out a breath he felt like he’d been holding since sunrise, his blue eyes tracking the focused expression on her face.

"it's nothing. just a fence post that didn't want to move," he lied, though the exhaustion in his bones told a different story.

{{user}} didn't look up, her thumbs brushing over his palm as she cleaned the wound. "you need to stop letting this world beat you up, kayce."

he looked away, toward the dark outline of the barns. "it’s the job. it’s the name."

"it’s a choice," she countered, finally meeting his gaze. "you could just... be here. with me. no badge, no ranch business. just you."

kayce felt his hand twitch in hers, a sudden surge of longing hitting him so hard it made his chest ache. he thought about the 'y' branded into his skin beneath his shirt and the way he always felt like he was one step away from falling apart.

"you have no idea how much i want to choose that," he whispered, his voice cracking. "but if i lean on you, {{user}}, i’m afraid i’ll never stand back up on my own."