the montana air was cooling as the sun dipped behind the jagged peaks of the bitterroot range, casting long, bruised shadows across the dirt of the dutton ranch. {{user}} shifted the heavy medical bag on her shoulder, her boots crunching against the gravel as she made a beeline for her truck. her shift as the ranch vet had been long, capped off by a grueling hour in the dirt with a colicky mare, and all she wanted was a hot shower and a quiet house.

she didn't get five feet before a shadow detached itself from the porch.

kayce was leaning against a timber post, his hat tilted low, obscuring those piercing blue eyes. he didn't move until she was nearly level with him, and then he was simply there. a wall of denim, flannel, and quiet intensity blocking her path. the brand on his chest was hidden beneath his plaid shirt, but the heavy weight of his presence felt just as permanent.

{{user}} stopped, her breath hitching just slightly. she adjusted her grip on her bag and looked up at him, noting the way his jaw was set tight enough to snap.

"something on your mind, kayce? you've been glaring at my truck for ten minutes," she said, her voice steady despite the way her heart hammered against her ribs.

kayce didn't answer immediately. he shifted his weight, the leather of his holster creaking. he looked past her toward the bunkhouse where the new hand from the south lease was still lingering, watching them.

"that guy," kayce finally rasped, his voice low and gravelly. "the one from the south lease. he’s got a fast tongue and a wandering head."

{{user}} felt a flush that had nothing to do with the setting sun creep up her neck. she tilted her head, a small, daring smile playing on her lips as she took in the rugged line of his shoulders and the way his gaze finally snapped back to hers, dark and possessive.

"are you giving me a professional warning, or a personal one?" she asked softly.

kayce took a single step forward, erasing the remaining distance between them. he was tall, his shadow completely swallowing her smaller, curved frame. the scent of pine, horse sweat, and expensive whiskey rolled off him in waves. he leaned down, his face inches from hers, radiating a heat that made the montana evening feel stifling.

"i think you know the answer to that," he murmured, his eyes searching hers with a desperate, brooding sort of yearning. "and i think you know why i’m the one saying it."