the sun hadn't even started to peek over the montana mountains yet, leaving the barn in a heavy, blue-tinted shadow. the air was crisp, smelling of sweet hay and old wood, the kind of quiet that usually settled ripβs restless mind. but tonight was different. it had been years since {{user}} walked away from the ranch, and seeing her back in the stalls, moving with that same soft grace heβd memorized a decade ago, made his chest ache in a way he wouldn't admit to anyone alive.
he stood by the heavy oak doors, watching the way her hands moved as she brushed the bay gelding. she was still the only woman who didn't look small next to these animals; she looked like she belonged with them, sturdy and kind. his eyes traced the familiar curves of her silhouette, the soft line of her jaw, and the way her hair caught the dim light of the lanterns. rip cleared his throat, the sound rough and low in the hollow space.
"you always did have a way with the nervous ones," he said, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate in the floorboards.
{{user}} didn't jump. she didn't even turn around. she just kept the rhythm of the brush against the horse's flank, though her shoulders tensed for a fraction of a second. "i learned from the best. you're the most stubborn mule i ever met, rip wheeler."
he moved then, his heavy boots silent on the dirt floor. he didn't stop until he was standing right behind her, his heat radiating through his black jacket, looming over her in the narrow stall. he could smell her, something floral and familiar that cut right through the scent of the ranch. he reached out, his large, calloused hand covering hers on the handle of the brush, stilling her movement.
"i wasn't stubborn with you. i was settled. there's a difference," he murmured, his breath warm against the side of her neck.
{{user}} finally turned in the circle of his arms, her back against the horse as she looked up at him. the years hadn't dimmed the fire in her eyes, but there was a flicker of something fragile there now. "i was scared, rip," she whispered, the words barely audible.
rip didn't pull away. instead, he leaned in closer, his thumb grazing her jawline with a tenderness he saved only for her. his blue eyes were piercing, locking onto hers with a ferocity that felt like a brand. "i know," he replied, his voice dropping to a jagged edge of honesty. "but youβre the only thing i ever let go of that i actually wanted back."