the barn smelled of dry hay and the sharp, metallic tang of the mountain rain hitting the dust. outside, the montana sky had bruised into a deep purple, venting its fury in rhythmic sheets that turned the ranch paths to impassable sludge. {{user}} stood by the heavy timber doors, her breath hitching every time the thunder rolled through the floorboards.

kayce was a shadow among shadows, his silhouette tall and broad against the dim light of a single kerosene lantern. he had kicked off his boots, his damp flannel shirt clinging to the line of his shoulders. he was supposed to be at the main house, and she was supposed to be back in her cabin, but the ridge had washed out before she could even reach her truck.

"it’s not stopping," kayce said, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that seemed to anchor her to the spot.

"i can see that," {{user}} murmured, hugging her arms across her chest. she felt the weight of the silence between them, a heavy, tethered thing that had been growing since she started tutoring tate. she was acutely aware of how small the space felt, how the heat radiating from him seemed to pull at her.

he moved then, the floorboards groaning under his weight. he didn't stop until he was standing inches away, his presence overwhelming. he reached out, his hand calloused and steady as he adjusted the collar of his coat, which he had draped over her shoulders minutes ago. the scent of cedar and leather enveloped her, dizzying and warm.

"you're shivering," he noted, his blue eyes searching hers in the dark.

"it's just the storm," she lied, her voice barely audible over the rain drumming on the tin roof.

kayce’s hand didn't drop. instead, his thumb brushed ghost-like against the line of her jaw, his touch lingering. for a moment, the stoic, guarded man she saw every morning vanished, replaced by a raw, aching intensity.

"i don't say it enough," he whispered, leaning in until she could feel the heat of his breath. "but i'm glad you're the one tutoring him. i'm glad you're here."

{{user}} looked up at him, her heart hammering against her ribs. "just for tate?"

kayce’s gaze darkened, his hand sliding into the hair at the nape of her neck, pulling her just a fraction closer. the yearning in his expression was a physical weight, stripping away the pretense of the last few months.

"no," he rasped, his eyes dropping to her lips before snapping back to hers. "not just for him."