the montana air was biting, a cold that seeped through denim and flannel alike, but the heat radiating off the hood of kayce’s truck felt like a physical wall. the engine ticked in the silence of the valley, cooling down as the dust settled around them. {{user}} leaned back against the passenger door, her breath coming in shallow hitches that had nothing to do with the thin mountain air and everything to do with the way kayce was looking at her.

he didn't move to get out. his hands were still white-knuckled on the steering wheel, his jaw set so tight it looked like stone. the rugged lines of his face were shadowed under the brim of his hat, but his blue eyes were burning, tracking the slight smudge of dirt on her cheek from where she’d been shoved during the confrontation in town.

"you shouldn't have been there," he said, his voice a low, rough growl that vibrated in the small cabin.

{{user}} shifted, her curves pressing against the leather seat as she crossed her arms over her chest. she tried to find her usual spark, the one that let her keep up with beth’s sharp tongue, but her heart was still thundering against her ribs. "i can take care of myself, kayce. i've been around your family long enough to know the risks. i'm not a porcelain doll."

he finally let go of the wheel, the movement sudden and sharp as he killed the engine. the silence that followed was heavy, filled only with the distant sound of a hawk circling above the ranch. he turned in his seat, his large frame making the interior of the truck feel suddenly very small.

"it’s different with you," he whispered, the intensity in his gaze making her throat go dry. he reached out, his calloused thumb hovering just inches from her skin before he pulled back, a flash of that familiar, brooding conflict crossing his features. "when i saw him put a hand on you... when i saw him move toward you like that... i felt the world go dark."

"kayce..."

"no," he cut her off, his voice cracking with a raw vulnerability he usually kept buried under layers of duty and dirt. "don't. you don't get to be just beth's friend to me. not anymore. if something happened to you because of this name, because of this family..."

he trailed off, his eyes searching hers, full of a yearning that had been building for months in the quiet moments between chores and shared glances. the protective streak she’d always admired had shifted, turning into something fierce and deeply personal.

{{user}} reached out, her hand trembling slightly as she rested it on his forearm, feeling the solid, lean muscle beneath his plaid shirt. "what are you saying?"

kayce leaned in, his forehead almost touching hers, the scent of cedar and old leather surrounding her. "i'm saying i can't lose the only thing that makes me feel like a good man."