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anniesocsandgeneralstore · 1 year

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here to stay (Rhett Abbott x OC)

Summary: Once Rhett and Tessa are aware of each other, they can't seem to stop seeing each other everywhere.

Pairing: Rhett Abbott x OC (Tessa Abernathy)

Word Count: 6583

Warnings: fluff, some cursing, supporting oc characters, drinking, the lead-up to a fight, throwing up mention

ONE | TWO | THREE

��……likes are great but comments/reblogs are even better!

✎……ty @newlibrary for looking this over for me

✎……masterlist on pinned!

Three days was all it took before Rhett saw her again. It was nearly the end of the rodeo season, and he had barely managed to scrape his way into the next ride. He knew his chances of moving on after tonight were slim, especially with the lot of bulls present for the event. He finished with a higher score than everyone thought he would get, but it just wasn’t high enough.

His season was over. At least he had no injuries and got a pat on the back from his father. He couldn’t say the same thing last year.

He stuck around until the bulb lights strung overhead were about to get turned off. There was a bonfire getting started in the field around the east side of the rodeo grounds he could join. Or he could have gone straight to The Pit Bar along with all the other bull riders. But there he still was, leaning against the metal railing with his fingers laced together, looking out over the dirt riding pit and the stands just beyond. His mind lost in what went wrong, what he could have done differently — the ill-disguised disappointment in his dad’s eyes.

That was when he saw her. Trailing behind what he assumed were her friends as they finally exited the stands. They were all giggling amongst themselves, but he could hear Tessa’s laugh over them all. Could see her smile even from where he stood. Hair like wheat ready to harvest swinging in a ponytail.

She touched down on solid ground and looked out across the pit. Rhett straightened when they locked eyes, three fingers raising in a wave that he regretted the instant it happened. But that didn’t matter when she just smiled and waved back, gesturing for him to come over.

Rhett smiled to himself as he picked up his bag and headed over. He didn’t know why she wanted to talk to him, but he was glad that she did.

For mid-October in Wyoming, it was a cold night. Tessa’s cheeks and ears were pinked from the chill, but she dressed warm with her hands tucked into the sleeves of her worn Carharrt jacket.

Her friends were already far ahead, close to the exit. But she lingered behind, lips pulled between her teeth as she watched him approach.

“Told ya I’d see ya again,” she said when he finally came to a stop before her, a knowing grin stretching her features.

Rhett snorted as he smiled down at her. “I swear, I’ve never seen ya at one of these things.”

“I don’t get the chance to come very often.” She shrugged, hands digging into her pockets. “So s’understandable. Just thought it was kinda funny how we met again the other day — knowin’ I was gonna be here tonight.”

“S’that cause of your job?” he asked. “You not gettin’ to come, I mean.”

Tessa nodded with a sigh that spoke volumes. “Keeps me busy.”

“Well — “ Rhett groaned, rocking on his feet as he looked back over at the pit. “ — Sorry you had to see me ride like shit.”

“I thought you did great. Bones hasn’t been good ridin’ in years. You got screwed over.” She paused, lip caught between her teeth as he narrowed his eyes at her. Then she grinned. “I don’t know — that’s just what the old guy behind me was sayin’.”

Rhett laughed, really laughed for what felt like the first time in a long while. And she looked pleased with herself for getting him to do so.

“But seriously,” she went on, pulling a hand beneath her nose as she sniffed. “You were good in high school and your standings the last few years have always been great. You’re better than that.”

“You’ve kept up with my standings?” he questioned, a smirk pulling the corner of his mouth.

She rolled her eyes playfully. “Yes, local boy Rhett Abbott I would look up your standing from time to time. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Her eyebrows suddenly furrowed as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She huffed as she used reddened fingers to type something up.

Rhett licked his lips. “Everythin’ alright?”

“Yeah — yeah,” she replied, tucking the phone back away in her pocket. “I just…Need to head back to the home s’all. Coworker askin’ where I’m at.”

The overhead lights finally turned off as the last of the cleanup crew started meandering their way towards the exit.

“D’you drive?” he asked and she nodded. “I’ll walk ya to your car…If you want?”

Tessa looked around at the dark rodeo grounds, lips pulled back between her teeth before she clicked her tongue. “Yeah — I’d like that.”

They walked together through the darkened grounds and out into the parking lot — chatting the whole way. About their days on the high school rodeo team. About how Tessa never left Wabang, got a degree online, and started working at the home just last year. She talked about the place with a warm smile. The kind Rhett had never seen anyone have about their line of work. It made him wish he had something like that. That made him that happy.

When they got to her car, a beat-up rusted minivan, they said their goodbyes. And Rhett watched her drive out of the parking lot hoping he would see her again.

Why did they have to stock the dish soap on the top shelf? Tessa looked up at the product she so desired with disdain, hands on her hips.

She already had everything else she needed — her cart filled to the brim. Just this one last thing. Determined, she pushed up the sleeves of her sweater and stepped up onto the bottom shelf. She reached with all her might, fingers stretched towards the soap. But it was no use. A huff escaped her as she stepped back away from the shelving.

Maybe there was a stool lying around somewhere that she could use. Or she could just cave and ask Nancy working the cash register for help — but she wasn’t much taller than Tessa was. She was sure that would be a sight. Stepping back onto the bottom self, popped onto the tip of her toes, she reached for the soap again. Thinking maybe this time it would work, surely if she grunted in effort some kind of magic would happen.

“D’you need help?”

Tessa whipped her head to the side, the tip of her nose nearly knocking the sponges all lined up on the shelf in front of her face to the ground. Then she felt a heat rising in her cheeks — surely turning them a bright shade of pink.

It wasn’t the magic she was expecting.

Rhett Abbott stood at the end of the aisle with a bag of dog food slung over his shoulder. That small little smile on his face and a ball cap on his head, dark curls peaking out the bottom. He looked even better than he did in high school. Gone was his little baby face, now he had defined cheekbones and stubble on his jaw. The long hair suited him better than the proper boy haircuts his mom forced him to get. But his eyes were still big and blue as the ocean — looking at her now like he had never done before.

“Uh — “ She glanced back up at the soap just out of her reach, her stomach doing flips. “Potentially.”

Rhett chuckled, boots thumping against the linoleum floors as he came closer. “Potentially?”

She hopped off the bottom shelf just as he came to stand behind her, arm reaching up and easily grabbing the soap above her head. He stood close. Close enough for her to feel the heat radiating off of him on her back as he handed the bottle to her wordlessly.

“Thanks,” Tessa muttered as she looked over her shoulder at him.

He smiled down at her, crooked and small. Then, blinking rapidly, he seemed to realize just how close he was and he backed away. Freeing her to turn to her cart and throw the soap inside.

“H-How ya been?” Rhett asked in his quiet way as she took hold of the cart’s handle.

It had been a week since the rodeo and the last time they saw each other. Tessa had to wonder what string of fate had been tugged for them to keep bumping into each other after six years of barely caught glimpses. Not that she minded. It was nice catching up with him. It was nice knowing this version of him instead of being stuck with the mental image of eighteen-year-old Rhett. And it was nice having him look at her like she was a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out, but he wanted to.

And she wanted him to, too.

“Been alright,” she replied, leaning her elbows against the cart handle as she grinned. “Busy, with the boys back in school — but alright. You?”

“Yeah. M’okay.” He nodded at her shopping items. “What’s with the soil? S’kinda too late to be plantin’ stuff ain’t it?”

Tessa started pushing the cart down the aisle and Rhett fell into step beside her, bag of feed still perched on his shoulder. “We’ve got a fruit and veg garden out back — saves money and gives the boys somethin’ to do. It’s’on sale and it’ll keep till spring, so…”

“Do they like it?”

“Not really,” she laughed, turning out into the main aisle. “But it gets ‘em using their hands and they can see progress on their work. Makes ‘em feel good about a job well done, even if they won’t admit it.”

When they reached the checkout counter, Tessa insisted he go first since he only had one item. But once he paid he stuck around, lingering around the edge of the carpet in front of the door, fingers fiddling with his keys. As she put her items on the counter, the older woman gave her a look then shot her eyes over at Rhett.

It was a look that screamed watch out for that one that Tessa didn’t understand.

“What?” she questioned with a nervous chuckle as she glanced over in Rhett’s direction.

“Just…Be careful with that one, sweetie,” Nancy replied quietly, making sure he didn’t hear. “Don’t wanna see you get hurt, now.”

Tessa leveled her with a look. “He’s just a friend.”

“That Abbott boy is never just friends with a girl he’s set his sights on.”

Paying for her things, Tessa didn’t push the subject any further. Over the years, Rhett had come up in her friends’ shared rumors several times. About who he was dating, who he wasn’t seeing anymore, which bar he got caught making out with some buckle bunny behind and when. Tessa didn’t really believed most of them. From their few conversations, he seemed far too awkward and sweet and respectful to be the womanizer Wabang tried to paint him to be. If anything, he was just being nice the few times they even had spoken. It was all preconceived notions, and she would rather learn about the man he had become from the source.

When she pushed her cart out onto the sidewalk, up to her minivan to put things away, Rhett was quick to step in and help her with the several heavy bags of soil she purchased.

“Thanks for the help,” she said as she closed the trunk on the van.

He flashed her a shy smile, “No problem.” And for a moment, he looked like he wanted to say something more, a question brewing in those bright blue eyes. But then he shook his head, pulled at the bill of his hat. “See ya around.”

“Yeah…See ya.”

She wanted to know what that question was, even as she watched him walk back to his truck.

Rhett pulled up in front of the elementary school at three o’clock, just like Rebecca told him to. He parked in one of the designated spots along the curb. He must have been early, there weren’t many other vehicles, and none of the teachers who were on pickup duty were standing outside yet.

Perry was working out in the north pasture on a line of fence that fell in the storm the other night, and Rebecca had a doctor’s appointment — leaving Rhett as the only adult available to pick Amy up from school.

He sighed as he cut the engine, long fingers pushing back the hairs that had fallen on his forehead. His dad tried to tell Rebecca to just let Amy take the bus like every other kid in Wabang. But she wouldn’t hear of it. She didn’t like that it dropped her off so far from the ranch and she had to walk the rest of the way. Rhett couldn’t blame her, he remembered that walk as a kid. It fucking sucked. So he didn’t mind the drive into town to pick up his niece. Especially since it got him away from the ranch for an hour.

Picking his phone up from the bench seat beside him, he unlocked it to start mindlessly scrolling through old photos and text messages. Waiting for Amy to come bounding up to his passenger door.

But then he looked back up — and he froze.

He should have recognized that beat up old van. Rust all along the bottom, green paint bleached in the sun, wood panneling around the outside that dated it back to the nineties. He was amazed that it even still ran. But there was no denying it was the right van though as Tessa stepped out of the driver’s side door and into the midafternoon sun. She was wearing a sweater and one of those zip up vests, brown hair done up in braids. Her grin only grew as she closed her eyes, leaning into the sun's rays like she was a cat as she closed the van door behind her.

This was the third time he had seen her since running into her at the general store two weeks ago. He was beginning to feel a bit like a stalker, constantly seeing her around, but he also wondered if she had always been there and he was just now beginning to notice.

He wished he would have noticed her sooner.

With her seemingly unrelenting smiles and kindness. The joy with which she spoke about the things that she loved. He felt like a stalker but he couldn’t bring himself to care enough because all he wanted to do was talk to her. All the time. He wanted to know her in a way he never had with anyone else before. She was like fresh spring air after a long and hard winter. He wanted to live in that spring forever.

Though he didn’t realize he was staring until she waved at him. A shy little wiggle of her fingers with a closed mouth smile.

“Shit.”

He ducked his head, as if that would make up for the fact that he just got caught gaping at her like a creep. When he looked back up, Tessa was walking up to his side of the truck with that same smile lighting up her face. Rhett grimaced to himself as he rolled down his window.

“Are you following me, Abbott?” she questioned, a teasing lilt to her tone, as she hopped up onto the step bar of his truck and leaned into the window.

“I — “ He chuckled nervously, licking his lips as he thought of what to say. “No?”

“No?” She tilted her head in that adorable way that was growing so familiar.

“I-I’m not. M’pickin’ my niece up, I swear,” he said.

“Rhett, I’m kidding,” she laughed, her hand reaching out and giving his bicep a shake. “It’s been nice — seein’ you around.”

He pushed a hand through his hair, trying not to focus on the electric feeling her touch left behind as she drew away. But he couldn’t help the smile that pulled on his lips as he looked out the window at her. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she laughed again, such a genuine look on her face he knew she was speaking the truth.

“What’re, uh — What’re you here for?” He nudged his chin at her.

Her face somehow lit up even more. “Jace. He’s our youngest right now. Third grade.”

“Kinda young to be stayin’ at the home, ain’t he?”

“His situation is a little different.” Tessa looked down at her hands, where she picked at one of her nails. “Little more permanent.”

“Oh — tough luck.”

“Yeah, they’ve all got tough luck. And I — I hope what I’m doin’ is makin’ it better. Easier, maybe. The world hasn’t been kind to any of them and I just…Just wanna give them a better chance.”

“You are.”

He didn’t have to think about it. He didn’t even have to meet any of those boys to know that she was. He believed in her. In her joy, her kindness, her compassion. In the way she looked at him now with something unreadable in her expression that he hoped to one day understand.

The doors to the school opened and the teachers on pickup duty came out, followed by a line of children with backpacks just a little too big and eager smiles on their faces. Tessa gave him one last smile before she stepped down from his truck and walked back to her van.

She stood on the passenger side, nearly out of his view. But he watched with a small smile as a little boy ran up to her with a giant grin on his face and a drawing that he made that he just had to show her. Tessa took it with wonder and pride evident on her face, he could hear her exclaimatation from inside the truck and it made him chuckle.

The passenger door of the truck opened as Amy greeted, “Uncle Rhett!”

“Hey, ladybug, how’s it goin’?” he replied as she climbed up onto the bench seat.

“Good,” she giggled, then her big blue eyes caught on the view out the windshield. “Who’s that with Jace?”

“You know him?” Rhett questioned.

“Yeah. He’s in my class. Is that his mom?”

“Uh, no. She’s not.”

“Do you know her? She his aunt or something?”

“You ask…A lot of questions. Buckle your seatbelt.” He nodded his head at her as he started up the truck. “She’s uh — She’s a friend. And she’s Jace’s friend.”

“Oh. That’s cool, I guess. So, today, Mrs. Passwater taught us about…”

Amy continued to ramble on about her day while Rhett pulled away from the curb. He drove around the old van as Tessa climbed into the driver’s seat. And he watched in the rearview mirror as she waved goodbye.

He took some comfort in knowing that he would see her again. He just hoped it was soon.

“Riley, I don’t know…” Tessa sighed as she fiddled with the pages of her current read, set aside on her bed when she answered the phone five minutes ago.

“Tess, it’s Saturday night. You have the night off. Come out with us,” her friend argued lightly.

“Who all’s going?”

“Me, you — “ Tessa rolled her eyes. “ — Laney and Chessler.”

“Oh, so s’everybody.”

“Look, I love ya girl, and I love that you found a job that ya love doin’ — but you seriously need to let loose every once and a while. Get a lil’ tipsy, maybe get laid — “

“Riley!” she laughed.

“You know it’s true!”

Tessa looked out her darkened window with a sigh. Yeah, she did know it was true. It was her day off and she spent the entirety of it in her room, save for sneaking downstairs to get food every once and a while. Trying to avoid the boys and her coworker Linda as much as possible so she could try to relax. But it was hard when she lived full time in the place she was employed. And going to her parents’ house just made her feel pathetic.

“Fine, I’ll go.”

“Yay! Okay, I’ll pick you up in thirty. Be outside ready to go.”

“Yeah, yeah yeah,” Tessa said as she got up from her bed and began rifling through her closet for something to wear. “Bye. Be safe. Love you.”

“Love you too, hon,” Riley replied before she hung up.

It wasn’t until she started looking through her clothes that she realized it had been a long time since she had gone out. All of her dresses were pushed into the darkest crevice of her closet. She nearly worried they would all smell a bit musty it had been so long since she had worn them. Luckily they smelled fine, but that didn’t help her choose one in the slightest. Eventually, she just gave up and picked one at random. She ended up with a deep yellow sundress that came to her middle thigh and would leave her probably freezing for the rest of the night. But her fate had been chosen, and she wasn’t about to continue the debate when it didn’t really matter.

It wasn’t like she was going to meet anyone anyway.

No one wanted to be with the girl who had to cancel dates nine times out of ten. The girl who lived in a house full of teenage boys, who carried around the baggage of six people every day and chose that willingly. She and the work that she loved were too much for anyone to handle. And she knew that. Linda had been working for the home for twenty years, started when she was around Tessa’s age, and still to this day she was single. Tessa resigned herself to that same fate a long time ago.

She just hoped she turned out less bitter than Linda was.

Riley picked her up an hour later, the usual Riley-time when she said thirty minutes, and they drove over to The Handsome Gambler downtown.

The place was packed, not surprising for a Saturday night. Four walls filled with chatter, boisterous laughter, banging on tables, and country music blaring over it all. The atmosphere was warm, electric, and familiar. Tessa laughed as she looked around at all the people having a good time, feeling better than she had all day.

Taking Riley’s hand, she dragged her friend over to the bar to order drinks.

“Laney said they found a booth!” Riley relayed as she looked down at her text messages.

“Nice!” Tessa called back before she turned to the bartender with a smile. “Hey! Can I get an aperol spritz, please?”

“Sure thing, Tess,” the bartender replied as he pulled out the right kind of glass. “Riley?”

“Uh, strawberry margarita, Frankie m’dear.” She flashed him a smile then looked back down at her phone with a furrowed brow. “Her boyfriend’s here.”

“Laney’s got a boyfriend?”

“They’ve only been datin’ like two weeks, you’re not missin’ much. But this was supposed to be just girls,” Riley grumbled.

“Who is it?” Tessa asked as she looked around the bar, trying to see if she could spot their friends.

“Uh, Walker Browning.” Tessa gave her a look. “I know. But apparently he’s changed since high school. Got a job workin’ the Tillerson ranch — somethin’ honest.”

“I’ll start stockin’ up the ice cream for when they inevitably break up again.”

Riley laughed, then looked back down at her phone. “Ugh, Walker brought friends. One for each of us apparently.”

“Oh, great, can’t wait to meet ‘em,” Tessa chuckled drly.

After getting their drinks and opening their tabs for the rest of the night, they weaved their way through the crowd to find this booth their friends said they occupied. It was in the far back corner of the bar, past the pool tables and the small dance floor. Laney and Chessler instantly rose to their feet with enthusiastic waves once they saw their friends approaching. Leaving behind four cowboys in stetsons sipping from green beer bottles. Once the girls had hugged, Laney sunk back down into Walker’s lap on one side of the booth — pressing lipstick-kisses into his cheek. The other three boys stood up from the booth to greet the newcomers with charming smiles.

And one of them was definitely Rhett Abbott.

Even in the dim light of the bar, he looked good. Still a little rough around the edges, with his white thermal shirt and ubuttoned flannel overtop, but good. His eyes shone with the neon lights, crinkled at the edges by his small smile.

“Tess,” he greeted with a tip of his hat.

“Rhett,” she replied with a grin.

“You two know each other?” Walker asked around the lip of his beer.

“Yeah.” She looked up at Rhett again. “We were uh — we were on the high school rodeo team together.”

“Oh, my God, I forgot you even did that, Tess,” Riley exclaimed as she slid into the booth, followed by one of the boys.

“Best barrel racer we had,” Rhett said, voice nothing but a low rumble as he gestured for her to sit next to Walker and Laney.

She tried to stop the butterflies that erupted in her stomach as she moved past him, elbow brushing against his torso. As her mind lingered on the fact that he wanted to sit next to her. She tucked her lips between her teeth as he slid into the booth next to her — barely enough room with how Walker and Laney were sprawled all over each other. Forcing Rhett to press in close to her side so he had enough room. Tessa was just thankful for the warmth he was putting off, she had been correct when she guessed she was going to be freezing all night in that dress.

“Y’cold?” Rhett asked on a chuckle as she sipped her drink, trying not to get a brainfreeze.

Tessa pulled away from her straw with a shiver, teeth chattering. “Slightly.”

“Here.” He made quick work of shrugging off his flannel and handing it to her. “Sorry it…Doesn’t really go with your pretty dress.”

There were those butterflies again, now accompanied by a heat in her cheeks and a bit lip smile. She took the flannel gratefully, fingers brushing over his own and this time she noticed. This time it made her breath catch in her throat and she couldn’t even explain why.

“You think my dress is pretty?” she asked quietly as she pulled on the shirt.

It was warm and smelled like him. Some cologne and a bit of whiskey. Her arms got swallowed completely by the sleeves and it nearly made her feel like a kid. She glanced over at him as she grabbed her drink, fingers barely peeking out from the plaid material and he laughed. She laughed too — some instinct drawing her to lean closer to his side.

“I — “ He started, then he coughed. “Yeah. I do. Ya look nice.”

“Well, thank you.”

Tessa looked down into her lap for a moment, suddenly acutely aware of how his jean clad thigh pressed against her bare one, and the way his scent was filling her lungs. And when she looked back up, she made eyecontact with Riley — who was trying so hard not to laugh, hiding behind her nearly empty margarita glass. Tessa gave her a look, and it only seemed to make her laugh more.

But then she coughed, lowering her glass back down to the table. “So, Walker, how’s that new job goin’?”

Conversation amongst the eight of them picked up from there. Tessa had never seen Rhett in a social environment before. He was quiet, commented sparingly or only really spoke when he was spoken to. But he laughed quietly along to funny stories and added on when he had something to say. Nursed his beer and fiddled with the cap on the table top. When Tessa finished her drink, he offered to go get her another. And she let him despite the looks her friends were giving her. He looked a little funny carrying the dainty glass with the bright orange cocktail inside — but it warmed Tessa’s heart in the best way possible.

Old, familiar feelings were starting to creep back in for the Abbott boy. And this time she wondered if he felt even anywhere close to the same.

While he was away, Laney and Walker spread out even more in the booth — forcing Tessa to move even closer to the edge of the bench.

When he came back to their table, she smiled up at him sympathetically. “Sorry.”

“S’alright” He slid her drink across the wood grain to her, then tapped the table twice with his knuckle. “Here, scooch over a lil’.”

She did the best she could with the way the couple was angled. Then Rhett sat back down on the bench beside her — only half of his ass able to fit on the bench. Tessa could only watch, a heat pooling in her chest like sunlight, as he hooked one big hand around the inside of her knee and lifted her leg up. His hands were rough, calloused, warm. A gasp slipped out of her when his thumb brushed across her knee. Then he put his thigh beneath her own and settled her leg back down across his own.

Everyone else carried on with their conversation, but Tessa could no longer focus. Especially when Rhett didn’t move his hand, and he looked over at her with that shy little smile on his face.

“This okay?” he asked.

“Y-Yeah. S’okay.”

There was a pink tint to his cheeks now as he looked away, reaching for his beer. But still his hand remained, thumb rubbing a soothing back and forth into the soft flesh of her lower thigh.

He certainly had enough room now.

“What’s, uh — What’s the name of the horse that you used to race with?” Rhett asked quietly, blue eyes focused on their stacked legs. “Was tryin’ to remember the other day but, uh…”

“Peaches,” she replied, fingers fidgeting with the hem of his flannel. “Peaches and Cream, if you wanna get technical.”

He chuckled. “Peaches. That’s right. She’s a good lookin’ horse.”

“She’s a sweet ole girl.”

“D’you still do any barrel racin’?”

“Nah, not really. I do demonstrations at my parent’s ranch sometimes for students but…That’s about it.”

“S’shame. You were good.” He took a swig of his beer.

“Not all of us can live the rodeo life forever, Rhett.”

She regretted it as soon as the words came out of her mouth, saw the way he blinked and cocked his jaw to one side. She reached for the hand still curled around her knee, felt the tendons beneath his warm skin flex before she gripped it completely.

“M’sorry. I don’t know why I said that,” she spoke quietly, eyebrows furrowed together as she watched his face.

He shook his head. “Maybe cause it’s true? Bull ridin’s all m’ever gonna be good for.”

“Hey, don’t say that about yourself.” Tessa gave his hand a squeeze. “What I meant was that…That I couldn’t stick with it because I’m not tough enough. Committed enough. You’ve got somethin’ special, Rhett. A fire. And it lights up when you’re ridin’. I can see it.”

He didn’t say anything, but the corner of his mouth ticked up as he looked down at her. And that was enough to know he heard her. Really heard her. Then his hand slid an inch up her thigh, and she jumped.

Rhett’s eyes widened, hand retreating back to its former place instantly. “M’sorry. I — I don’t know why I thought — “

“Dance with me.” She blurted out. “Please.”

“Okay.”

He slid out of the booth first, then offered her his hand. Tessa looked back at her friends one last time to see Riley mouthing oh my God at her. Her face felt burning hot as she took Rhett’s hand and let him lead her over to the small dance floor. She kept her gaze locked on his back, heart pounding in her chest like she just finished a race. His shoulders were broad, rounded with muscle built up over years of back breaking labor. The people parted before him like Moses and the sea.

Tessa didn’t know what was happening, she just knew she didn’t want it to end. Didn’t want him to retreat in on himself. Didn’t want him to stop looking at her with those big blue eyes lit with neon.

The dance floor was crowded with couples swinging around to George Strait and Dolly Parton. Rhett led the way through the people until he found a relatively empty spot, then he turned and pulled her into him. Both hands on her waist. Her hands naturally landed on his chest before sliding up to rest on those broad shoulders.

“Can I be honest for a sec?” Rhett asked and she nodded. “I’m a shit dancer — I d’know why I agreed to this.”

Tessa laughed, felt the rumble of his own chuckle beneath her palms. “You’re doin’ alright so far.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He tugged her in just a little bit closer as they swayed to the beat of the song. One of his hands slipped beneath his flannel she still wore just to get that much closer to her. Out of her control, her own hand tangled into the hairs at the back of his neck. And she watched as his eyelids fluttered.

Tessa didn’t want to hold out hope. She had been disappointed and heartbroken far too many times to think this time, this one might be different. But it was so hard to linger on that when Rhett made her feel like she hung the very stars in the sky. Like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Like he had been waiting all his life for her.

Rhett leaned a little closer, eyes glancing down at her lips. Before she even realized, she was leaning too — gaze focused on the way his tongue poked out to wet his lips. Long fingers and wide palms squeezed her waist just a bit tighter. But then his eyes caught on something over her shoulder.

“Ah, shit,” he hissed under his breath. “One second.”

Nudging her to the side, he stepped around her and marched towards the entrance to the bar. She followed his movements, eyebrows furrowed in confusion and a little bit of hurt. Why did he just leave her standing in the middle of the dance floor? Didn’t he want to kiss her? Had she been reading everything wrong?

But then she noticed, at the door to the bar, Trevor Tillerson was dragging Walker outside by the back of his shirt. And Rhett followed right after them.

Ah, shit, indeed.

Tessa pushed her way back through the crowd until she reached what was their booth. Only to find Laney with her face hidden in her folded arms, shoulders shaking with sobs. Chessler and Riley were on either side of her, giving comforting pats to her back and whispering words of encouragement.

“What the hell happened?” Tessa asked

Chessler looked up at her with a sigh. “Trevor bumped into Laney. Walker tried to make him apologize — he didn’t take too kindly to it. So now Walker’s gettin’ his drunken ass kicked.”

“Rhett went out there after ‘em,” she mumbled, gaze drifting back towards the door.

“Oh, so Walker stands a chance then,” Chessler replied in her dry way.

“Speakin’ of which,” Riley said, “What the fuck is goin’ on between you and Rhett Abbott?”

“I don’t know,” Tessa replied, distracted. Thoughts lingering on what could be happening outside. “We’ve been…Talking lately.”

“Talking? What does that even mean?”

But Tessa was already moving towards the exit. “I’m gonna go check on ‘em — make sure they’re okay.”

“Tess, just let ‘em duke it out. You don’t have to mother hen — “ Chessler started, but she was already moving away from the table.

The sounds of the bar were muted to her ears, like they were far away, as she picked her way through the people and out into the chilled October night air. She looked east and the street was deserted, but when she looked west, she spotted Rhett’s broad shoulders immediately.

Him and Trevor were standing chest to chest, shoving one another. While Walker was leaned with one arm against the wall, puking his guts out. The two of them were about to start throwing punches, that much was certain from the way Trevor just wasn’t backing down. And was most certainly saying something that would push Rhett over the edge. What neither man noticed, however, was the sheriff's car parked across the street, and the deputy about to step in and break it up. Tessa could see it all play out. Deputy steps in, someone gets defensive, someone gets arrested. And it certainly wasn’t going to be the golden boy Tillerson.

So she decided to step in instead.

“Hey!” she called as she approached, heels clicking against the sidewalk. “Rhett, come on, let’s go back inside.”

Both men turned to her instantly, just as Walker slumped against the wall with a groan.

Trevor’s face split into a grin. “Oh, got your girl comin’ in to save your ass now, huh, Abbott?”

“Man, shut the fuck — “ Rhett started, but he stopped when Tessa wrapped her hand around his fingers and tugged.

He went into her willingly, barely put up a fight. And it surprised her. He let her pull him away until she was between him and Trevor. Until she could look up into his face with her free hand on his waist. He stared over her shoulder at Trevor for a second more, eyes lit with fury and jaw clenched, but then he looked down at her and it all seemed to melt. Tessa shifted her eyes pointedly over at the sheriff’s car and he followed her line of sight — recognition flashing over his face.

“Let’s go back inside, cowboy,” she repeated, softer this time.

Rhett nodded, hand moving to engulf hers completely.

“Fine!” Trevor exclaimed, raising his hands in the air then slapping them down on his thighs. “Guess I’ll just beat the shit out of your barfly friend over here — just like I wanted to in the first place!”

Tessa turned and squared him with a look she reserved for the boys under her care, causing Trevor’s expression to drop immediately. “Why don’t you get over yourself and go back inside too, huh? Walker seems miserable enough.”

As if to agree, Walker groaned again.

Trevor scoffed, rolling his eyes. Then with a muttered whatever he pushed past the two of them and back inside the bar. His arm collided with Tessa roughly, shoving her further into Rhett’s chest. But he caught her easily with a hand on her waist.

“Y’okay?” he questioned softly.

She smiled up at him. “I’m okay.”

“Walker?” Laney’s voice called out from the bar’s front door. “Oh, my God, Walker!”

She ran to her boyfriend, cheeks still red from crying, and knelt down beside him.

“He’s fine,” Rhett assured, “Just needs soberin’ up.”

But Laney wasn’t listening, too busy holding her boyfriend’s face and yelling at him for being stupid. That should sober him up well enough.

Rhett and Tessa shared a look, then he led her back inside the bar by the hand.

“How can I thank ya for savin’ my ass?” he asked as they walked inside.

“Buy me a drink?” she suggested with a smile.

“I can do that.”

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