the montana air was thick with the scent of pine and the lingering tension from the bar in bozeman. the interior of the truck was dark, illuminated only by the faint green glow of the dashboard and the occasional sweep of moonlit trees. rip’s knuckles were white against the leather of the steering wheel, his jaw set so tight it looked carved from granite.

"kayce would have handled it, rip. you didn't have to scare the man half to death," {{user}} said, staring out at the passing treeline. she shifted in the passenger seat, the fabric of her dress rustling as she tried to find comfort in the silence. she could still see the way the traveler’s face had drained of color when rip’s hand had clamped onto his shoulder like a vice.

rip kept his eyes on the road, his grip tightening even further. "kayce's your best friend. he protects you because he loves you like a sister," he growled, his voice a low vibration that seemed to fill the small cab. he didn't look at her, but his awareness of her presence was palpable, a magnetic pull he’d been fighting for years.

{{user}} let out a soft, frustrated huff, her fingers tracing the hem of her sleeve. "and what about you? you aren't my brother, rip. you're the foreman of the ranch and i'm just... i'm just me. you shouldn't have to spend your nights playing bodyguard because someone dared to say hello to me."

he let out a sharp, cynical breath through his nose, finally cutting the wheel to pull onto the gravel shoulder. the truck hissed to a stop, the headlights cutting a path through the tall grass. he turned his head slowly, his piercing blue eyes finally locking onto hers, filled with a raw, agonizing yearning he couldn't suppress anymore.

"you think i do it because i have to?" he asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous, gravelly whisper. he leaned slightly toward her, the scent of leather and cedarwood surrounding her. "kayce protects you because it’s easy. i protect you because if anything ever happened to you, there wouldn't be enough of the world left for me to care about. i don't look at you like a sister, and i sure as hell don't do this out of duty."