the gravel crunched under rip’s boots, the only sound in the cool montana air aside from the distant thrum of music still leaking out of the bar. the neon sign hummed behind them, casting a hazy red glow over the parking lot. he didn't look at {{user}}, but he could feel her heat beside him, a sharp contrast to the biting night wind. his hand was still heavy with the memory of the ranch hand's collar, the way the man's breath had hitched when rip leaned in close.

"i could have handled him, you know. i’ve been holding my own since i was ten," {{user}} said, her voice cutting through the quiet. she was walking with her chin up, but her breathing was still a little fast.

rip didn't slow his pace until they reached her truck. he leaned one hand against the side of the cab, effectively pinning her between the metal and his frame. the black jacket with the yellowstone brand seemed to swallow the light around them. his blue eyes searched her face, dark and unreadable.

"i don't doubt that for a second," he muttered, his voice a low rumble that vibrated in the small space between them. "but as long as i’m standing there, you don't have to."

{{user}} looked up at him, her back pressed against the truck. she looked small there, though he knew better than anyone how much fire she carried. she’d been kayce’s best friend forever, a constant fixture in a life that usually felt like a war zone, but tonight something felt shifted. the protective wall he kept around his heart was slipping, replaced by a deep, aching yearning he couldn't quite shove back down.

"why do you do that?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. "act like you don't care about anything but the ranch, and then go and do something like that?"

rip looked away for a moment, out toward the dark horizon where the mountains met the sky. he thought about the blood on his hands and the brand on his chest. he thought about how he was supposed to be a ghost, a man with no past and no future beyond the ranch fence. but then he looked back at her, and the stoic mask cracked just enough for her to see the protector hidden under the ruthless foreman.

"because some things are worth more than the dirt," he said, his thumb brushing almost accidentally against the sleeve of her jacket. "and i'm not talking about the ranch."