your horse had spooked. juniper, whom you'd rescued a few months ago, was a skittish mare. she had come a long way from being terrified to let you so much as pet her, to now letting you ride her, and you had decided to take her on a trail ride to see how she responded. countless hours had been spent working to get her desensitized, but she still had a little ways to go. you knew that there was a potential that she could spook when you took her on the trail. but you hoped that she would be able to get through it without incident.

your hope had been in vain.

rhett had come with you, riding atop his own beloved mare, esmeralda. she, too, was a rescue. rhett had found her when he was a teenager, and they'd been inseparable ever since. now, the two of you rode together, falling into step side by side, enjoying the peace that nature had to offer. it was a gorgeous evening. the sun filtered through the trees, casting ripples of light across your path.

the plan was to watch the sunset from your shared favorite perch on your land, a little rock formation that overlooked a valley of wildflowers that bloomed bright and fragrant. behind you, rhett was watching you fondly, chest warm with adoration. going on trail rides with you was one of his favorite things. you were so beautiful, so at ease. always pointing out various birds you saw. you'd become just as knowledgeable about birds as he was, turning it into a bit of a friendly competition by seeing who could name the bird first.

gleefully, you had just pointed out a bright yellow goldfinch, a look of pure joy on your face. rhett was so busy admiring your beauty, and you were so busy noticing the bird, to see the snake lurking just off the side of the trail. but juniper saw it. and in a split second, your previous joy turned to shock and fright when she went into a panic, whinnying in distress. in vain, you tried to rein her back in, to get her settled. but it was too late. when she reared back suddenly, you couldn't hold on, sending you to the forest floor.

faintly, you heard rhett shout your name, but it was drowned out by the deafening rush of blood in your ears. you landed on a down slope, and the moment you collided with the dirt, you slid. the sting was instant, gravel biting into your skin. your legs were protected by your jeans, but you'd decided to wear a tank top that day, which proved to be a mistake when your left arm took the brunt of the impact, skin rubbed raw by the unforgiving earth. stunned, you lay there for a moment, ears ringing, trying to gain your bearings.

behind you, rhett dismounted esmeralda in a flash, boots landing hard as he sprinted toward you. you were still. too still for his liking. "baby! baby, can you hear me?!" he couldn't keep the tremor out of his voice. wasn't prepared for the ice cold shock of fear that washed over him when you hit the ground. when he reached you, your arm was slung over your face. he couldn't see if your eyes were open. hands trembling, he reached to move your arm from your face. what if you'd hit your head? broken your neck? what if he needed to call emergency services? there was no signal out here. he'd have to leave you alone just to call 911.

but then, you groaned, and your eyes fluttered open as you breathed, "fuck."

heart still racing like wild horses in his chest, rhett searched you for signs of obvious injury. "hey, hey, 'm here," he breathed. "you alright? anythin' broken?" adrenaline still flowed through him, sizzling hot through his veins. but relief followed that feeling. you were okay.

his hands were gentle as he helped you move your extremities. "nothing's broken," came your reply. you were more rattled than anything else. and then there was the pain on your left side.

rhett's gaze fell upon your arm, and he hummed in concern. "you're scraped up pretty bad. gonna need to clean these scrapes up an' probably pick some gravel outta them too." you saw the shift happen in real time. concern melting into decisiveness as he determined what he would do. he entered into caregiver mode like it was a well fitting glove. with the upmost care, he guided you to your feet, allowing you to lean on him for support. solid, steady, anchoring you.

"which way did junie run? i've gotta–"

"don't worry about it, i've got 'er. let's just get you onto esmeralda here." for a man who was built farm boy strong, he handled you with an unfathomable tenderness. you were grateful for his support as he guided you toward his horse. the pain was beginning to settle in, a dull throb spreading down your arm. it was only a small matter of time before it became excruciating.

"c'mon, baby, up ya go." rhett guided you into the saddle, ensuring he held you steady so you didn't fall backward. once you were settled, he turned, scanning the treeline. there, in the distance, he saw juniper, acting as if she hadn't just nearly taken you out in one fell swoop. you watched as he ventured into the woods to get your horse. he was gentle with her. cautious as he approached. she trusted him. aside from you, rhett was juniper's second most favorite human. which made it easier for him to guide her back to the trail without much resistance. just like you did, she knew rhett was a good man, someone she could trust.

the ride home was slow. to avoid jostling you and causing you anymore pain by sitting in the saddle with you, rhett opted to lead the horses on foot. when you finally reached the barn, he gently helped you down to the ground, and refused to let you even help with unsaddling the horses. once both of your girls were settled in their stalls, and after rhett checked juniper over to make sure she hadn't injured herself when she ran off, you both made your way back up to the house.

"you hurtin' pretty bad?" he asked, arm around your waist as you walked.

"yeah," came your strained response. the pain had intensified, now that your adrenaline had waned completely. "i'm gonna be sore for the rest of the week."

lovingly, rhett's hand rubbed your hip. "poor thang. i'll fix ya up as best i can."

that was how you found yourself in the bathroom, shower running as rhett so carefully rinsed your scraped arm. his jaw was hard set as he focused on getting all the dirt and grime off, his heart twinging when you hissed in pain. "i'm sorry, darlin'. almost done." he worked as quickly as he could, and soon, you were seated on the edge of the bed while he tended to you, applying antibiotic ointment to your cuts.

"guess junie wasn't ready for the trail yet," you murmured. "she was doing so well, i thought maybe we were turning a corner. didn't expect to get body slammed on the ground." there was humor in your tone, but rhett's face remained serious.

honesty softened his features. "gotta be honest...when you went down, it scared the shit outta me. for a second, you weren't movin', and i thought...i thought..." he didn't expect the wave of emotion that gripped him, throat tightening as tears welled in his eyes.

"hey," came your quiet response, as you lifted your uninjured hand to cup his cheek. "i'm okay. just a little banged up."

he nodded, bottom lip wobbling. "yeah. coulda been worse. i just...man, i hated seein' you fall." he'd realized then that this was how you felt when you watched him hit the ground during a bad ride. all the times you'd seen him land wrong, the times you'd been terrified that he wouldn't get back up. your fall could have been much worse, he knew that. but that didn't make it any less frightening.

"i guess we're even, huh?" there was no malice in your tone. "all the times i've seen you fall and had to patch you up in the end. now you get to do it for me."

"now i know how fuckin' scary it is. you're always so calm about it, when you take care of me. don't know how you keep it together."

"honestly, i don't know, either. but i do. no sense in getting hysterical, doesn't help anything."

rhett sighed softly as he began to wrap an ace bandage around your arm to keep all the bandages secure. "for what it's worth, i'm sorry for all the scares i put you through. seein' you fall once was more than enough for me. don't wanna see you do that again." his steady hands smoothed over the bandage, now securely in place.

"i'm sure plenty more falls are in my future. yours too." then you leaned forward to kiss him tenderly, pouring all your love into it. "and we'll take care of each other after every single one, just like always." another kiss was pressed to the bridge of his nose after you spoke.

"i will say, i definitely gained a new appreciation for the way you always look out for me when i fall. don't know what i did before i had you here to kiss it better."

you smiled teasingly. "you washed down painkillers with beer, that's what you did."

his own smile turned a bit sheepish. "yeah. guess i did do that. thank god i have you now, huh?"

another kiss was pressed to his lips. "you didn't do half bad patching me up, either. i know i can trust you to look out for me, no matter what."

rhett hummed softly against your mouth before you parted. "always gonna look out for you. s'like second nature for me at this point."

"and i love you for it."

She smooths her palms over the satin skirt, her head cocked to the side. Her mother joins her in front of the mirror, holding out the earrings they’d decided she should wear. Eleanor puts them in while her mother circles around her back, checking for creases in the fabric or loose threads from the many alterations. 

“How is going to prom with Rhett Abbott helping daddy’s campaign?”

It’s the question that’s been gnawing at her in the weeks since she agreed to the scheme. Somehow being seen on a date with Rhett Abbott would help her father get elected mayor, though she didn’t understand how that could be. The Abbotts don’t exactly have stellar reputations, and their longstanding dispute with the Tillersons has caused more friction in the community than anyone cares to admit.

“I’m not sure, honey.” It’s a lie, of course. Eleanor knows that, and her mother knows it too. She just won’t share it with her even though she’s the pawn in their political game. “I’ll run down and see if he’s here.”

She paces the room, stopping in front of the mirror again. She knows it’s futile, but she tries to take a deep breath. She can’t, and it’s her mother’s doing. When her mother insisted on taking in the waist an extra inch, the tailor had given her a pitying look.

She’s so lost in thought that she startles when her mother pokes her head in to let her know he’s here.

In the foyer, at the bottom of the stairs, stands Rhett Abbott. Lanky, wearing an ill-fitting grey suit and scuffed cowboy boots. His hair needs a trim, but it’s combed back and curls slightly at his nape. He’s clean-shaven and—

“You’re wearing pink,” she blurts out, stepping onto the floor from the last step of the stairs.

He pulls out of his own thoughts, offering her a wry smile. “Yeah,” he mutters and looks down at it. “Yeah, Ma said you were wearing pink. We match.” She nods, suddenly feeling shy.

They don’t really know each other. Rhett has a reputation for skipping class and taking the rules as a suggestion, not something to be followed. Wabang sees Rhett as a good-for-nothing, wannabe bull rider, and his reputation all but confirms that.

On the surface, they have nothing in common, and yet here they are going to prom together to appease their families.

“That for me?” she asks, pointing to the container he’s holding.

He looks down. “Um, yeah,” he mutters and fumbles with getting it open. Finally, the plastic gives, revealing a small pink peony corsage with a bit of greenery and a blush pink ribbon for her wrist.

She looks at it, a little impressed that his mother convinced him to even get a corsage. “It’s beautiful.”

“Can I—“ he clears his throat. “You don’t have to wear it.” He looks on edge, his shoulders tight with tension.

She offers him what she hopes is a reassuring smile. “I want to.” She holds out her wrist, and the look in his eyes changes. He almost looks relieved.

Slipping the corsage over her wrist, she fights a shudder as his fingers graze her skin. She looks up at him, wondering if he feels it too. If he’s as affected by this moment as she is.