the mud on the floor of the barn was cold enough to seep through her boots, but {{user}} barely felt it. her lungs burned with the sharp, metallic scent of the stable and the biting chill of the montana rain hammering against the corrugated metal roof. she leaned her forehead against the wooden slats of the stall, her breath hitching in ragged bursts as the heifer finally settled into a rhythmic, exhausted pulse.

kayce hadn't said a word in three hours. he had simply been there, a shadow in a damp flannel shirt and worn denim, his presence a heavy, grounding weight in the corner of her vision. every time her fingers had gone too numb to grip a clamp or a syringe, he was already reaching out, his calloused skin brushing hers as he traded tools for warmth.

she finally stood, her knees cracking in the silence that followed the storm. she wiped a smear of mud from her forehead with a trembling hand, her vision blurring for a second from the sheer drop in adrenaline.

"she’s stable," {{user}} whispered, her voice cracking. "we’ll need to check her every two hours, but she’s through the worst of it."

kayce didn't move. he remained leaning against the stall gate, his cowboy hat tilted low, but his blue eyes were fixed on her with an intensity that made the air feel thicker than the humidity. he stepped forward, the floorboards groaning under his boots, and took the heavy medical bag from her hand before she could protest.

"you're shaking," he said softly. the low timber of his voice vibrated in the small space between them.

"it’s just the cold, kayce. i’m fine."

he didn't listen. he never really did when he had that look in his eyes. the one that said he was carving out a space for her in his world whether she asked for it or not. he reached out, his thumb catching a stray spot of dirt on her cheek. he didn't pull away. his hand lingered there, the heat of his palm radiating against her skin, a stark contrast to the freezing rain outside.

"i’m not gonna let you drive back to the bunkhouse like this," he muttered, his voice dropping an octave as he stepped into her personal space. "come up to the house. i'll make coffee."