the shadows of the barn were thick and smelled of cedar and dry hay, a quiet sanctuary from the fiddle music drifting over from the bunkhouse. {{user}} leaned her weight against the rough wood of a stall, her eyes fixed on a single, bright star framed by the open hayloft door. the night air was cool against her skin, a welcome relief from the stifling expectations of the party.

"don't much care for the music?"

the voice was low, a gravelly rumble that vibrated in the small of her back before she even turned to see him. rip stepped into the faint, flickering glow of a nearby lantern. the light caught the edge of his black jacket, the yellowstone brand on his chest appearing like a warning to anyone else, but to her, it was just part of him. he looked massive in the dimness, his shoulders broad enough to block out the world.

{{user}} let out a soft breath, a small, weary smile tugging at her lips as she looked at him. "i like the music," she said quietly, her voice barely carrying over the distant thump of boots on floorboards. "i just don't like the people i'm supposed to dance with. they all feel like they're trying to prove something."

rip stepped closer, his movements heavy and deliberate. he stopped just inches away, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his jacket and the faint scent of woodsmoke and leather that always followed him. he didn't look back toward the bunkhouse; his piercing blue eyes were locked onto hers, steady and unblinking.

"most men are fools," rip replied, his voice dropping an octave as he tilted his head. "especially when it comes to a woman like you."