the neon sign outside the bar hummed a low, buzzing tune that matched the headache blooming behind {{user}}βs eyes. the air in montana always turned sharp once the sun dipped below the mountains, and she pulled her jacket tighter, her boots crunching against the gravel of the parking lot. she could still feel the phantom heat of those tourists crowding her space at the counter, their loud voices and entitled hands making the room feel smaller than it was.
she didnβt hear him follow her out. she didn't have to. the heavy, rhythmic thud of his boots was a sound she could recognize in a crowded stadium.
rip caught up to her just as she reached her truck, his silhouette cutting a massive, intimidating frame against the dim light. his black jacket, branded with that unmistakable y, looked like armor. he didn't say a word until she was tucked into the passenger seat of his truck, the engine rumbling like a low growl beneath them.
the drive to her cabin was quiet, filled only with the scent of leather, pine, and the faint metallic tang of the gun strapped to his hip. when he pulled into her gravel drive, he didn't just drop her off. he killed the engine and stepped out, walking her to the porch as he always did.
"you don't go back there without me or kayce. you hear me?" ripβs voice was like grinding stones, low and thick with an edge that brooked no argument.
{{user}} leaned back against the porch railing, her frame relaxed despite the adrenaline still humming in her veins. she looked up at him, noting the way his blue eyes searched her face for any sign of hurt. "i can take care of myself, rip. i've been doing it since i was a kid."
rip stepped closer, closing the gap until she could feel the heat radiating off his chest. he didn't touch her, but he planted one large hand on the railing right next to hers, his knuckles dusted with the dirt of the ranch. "i know you can. that ain't the point. the point is... you shouldn't have to."
she felt a soft flutter in her chest, the kind she tried to ignore whenever the stoic foreman looked at her like she was the only thing in the valley worth guarding. she tilted her head, a small, tired smile tugging at her lips. "is that the ranch foreman talking, or is that just you?"
rip stared down at her, his expression unreadable, though the tension in his jaw gave him away. he took a slow breath, the mountain air hitting his lungs. "the foreman wouldβve left you at the gate," he muttered, his voice dropping to a rough whisper. "iβm still standing here."