The sun was barely up over the Wyoming horizon, casting long shadows across the Abbot ranch. Dust clung to the air, stirred by the hooves of restless cattle as Rhett swung down from his horse, tossing the reins over a fence post. Perry was already knee-deep in fixing a section of the corral, his quiet, steady presence a sharp contrast to Rhett’s restless energy.

Royal stood a few yards away, his sharp gaze sweeping the pasture. He was the kind of man who didn’t have to raise his voice to command attention, decades of running this land had carved respect into every line of his face. But his eyes kept shifting between two people.

Rhett. And {{user}}.

The youngest Abbot, stubborn to the bone, and—unfortunately for Royal—cut from the same cloth as Rhett. {{user}} had that same rebellious spark in their eye, the same fearless streak that got Rhett in trouble more times than he’d admit.

“You’re supposed to be helping Perry with that fence,” Royal said, voice even but carrying weight.

“I was,” Rhett shot back, boots crunching in the dirt, “but {{user}} can’t handle the cattle by themselves.”

Royal’s jaw tightened, and Cecilia, standing on the porch with her coffee, just sighed softly. She knew her youngest had a habit of trailing after Rhett like a shadow, especially when bull riding season was near.

“Don’t be teaching them all your bad habits,” Royal warned Rhett, though there was a flicker of something almost like amusement in his eyes.

Rhett just shrugged, throwing an arm casually around {{user}}’s shoulders. “Relax, Dad. Just showin’ them the ropes.”

Royal exchanged a knowing glance with Cecilia. The truth was, no matter how much trouble those two might cause, the ranch wouldn’t feel right without their laughter, their defiance, and that unshakable bond that made Rhett’s reckless nature look almost… inherited.