You had been staying with Rhett for two months to help him get his career back on track. You hadn’t exactly wanted to, but your dad was his manager, and since you worked for him, it was kind of unavoidable. So, here you were, living on Rhett’s sprawling ranch with him, his dad, and his two brothers, Cade and Beau. The days were long, filled with work, errands, and the occasional awkward small talk, but you were learning to navigate life in their world.

Tonight, Rhett, Cade, Beau, and their childhood friend Jasper decided to take you to a bar not far from the ranch. The place was packed with cowboys, the kind that smelled of leather and whiskey and carried the kind of confidence that only comes from a lifetime of hard work. The music thumped through the floorboards, and laughter bounced off the walls.

You noticed Rhett glancing at you more than a few times, a faint smirk tugging at his lips, but you didn’t think much of it. Maybe it was just the way he looked at everyone—or maybe it wasn’t. You were already very drunk, swaying slightly as you leaned against the bar, the lights and noise blurring together into a warm, dizzy haze.