the sky over montana was a bruised purple, the kind of heavy light that made the mountains look like they were closing in. {{user}} stood by the hood of her stalled car, the metal ticking as it cooled in the sharp evening air. she felt every bit of the ten years she’d been gone, her hands trembling as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. the silence of the valley was broken by the low rumble of a heavy engine, and soon, a black truck pulled off the gravel, kicking up a wall of fine dust.

rip stepped out, the gravel crunching under his boots with a finality that made her heart skip. he looked exactly like the memory she’d tried to bury. broad shoulders filling out a dark jacket, the yellowstone brand catching the fading light. he didn't rush. he leaned against the driver's side door, his hat tilted low, shadowing the piercing blue of his eyes.

"you’re a long way from a paved road, lady," he called out, his voice a low growl that vibrated in her chest.

{{user}} smoothed her palms over her jeans, her breath hitching.

"i figured if i followed the dirt long enough, i’d eventually hit something familiar," she said, her voice small but steady. "i just didn't think it would be you."

rip went dead still. the casual disinterest in his posture vanished, replaced by a tension so thick it felt like the air had been sucked out of the valley. he pushed off the truck, taking a slow, predatory step toward her until he was close enough for her to smell the whiskey and woodsmoke clinging to him. his eyes searched her face, trailing over the soft lines of her jaw and the way she held herself.

"{{user}}." he said the name like a prayer or a curse, his throat working as he swallowed. the stoic mask he wore for the ranch cracked, just for a second, revealing a raw, aching yearning. "you shouldn't have come back."