Chapter 7

Six months had passed since Trevor and Nathan had arrived at the ranch, and their status as "the new guys" was finally starting to fade. They'd earned their place through sweat, competence, and the kind of quiet reliability that the other hands had come to depend on. Even Jimmy had stopped looking at Trevor like he might spontaneously combust, and Nathan's city boy jokes were mostly good-natured ribbing rather than genuine skepticism about his abilities.

All of the ranch hands had tomorrow off, a rare Thursday that John Dutton had granted them after a particularly grueling week of cattle drives and fence repairs. Which meant tonight was for blowing off steam.

During their lunch break in the bunkhouse, Ryan stretched out on his bunk and made the declaration that would set the tone for their evening.

"Let's hit the bar and get fucked up tonight."

Jimmy let out a cheer that was probably audible from the main house. Trevor shrugged in what had become his standard expression of agreement with whatever chaos the group was planning. Colby and Teeter exchanged grins that suggested they were already plotting trouble.

Nathan, however, looked reluctant. "There's a calf that needs tending–"

"You're coming, right?" Teeter interrupted, giving him the kind of look that suggested refusal wasn't really an option. "She's improving anyway. She'll be fine."

"Yeah, but–"

"No buts, Nate," Ryan said firmly. "You're coming with us. You're not a city boy anymore, so you gotta start learning how people around here have fun. Also, my girlfriend will be singing there tonight."

Nathan's eyebrows shot up. "Girlfriend?"

Ryan's expression turned mock-threatening. "Watch it."

"No, yeah," Colby vouched, sitting up straighter. "Abby's real. Oh right, you two haven't met her yet."

Trevor and Nathan both shook their heads.

"Don't worry," Jimmy added helpfully. "She's fun."

—

Later that evening, the bunkhouse buzzed with the energy of men preparing for a night out. Nathan had managed his usual pre-everyone shower routine, while the others took turns getting cleaned up and arguing over who got to use the good cologne that Colby kept hidden under his bunk.

Trevor emerged from the bathroom wearing his new suede jacket: the one Nathan had bought him, and Nathan found himself appreciating how well it fit across Trevor's broad shoulders. When Trevor caught him looking, Nathan quickly busied himself with lacing up his boots.

"Everyone ready?" Lloyd called out, jingling the truck keys. "I'm driving, which means I'm only having two beers and I'm too old for whatever fuckery y'all are planning."

"What if we need a getaway driver?" Jimmy asked with the kind of grin that suggested he wasn't entirely joking.

"Then you better run fast." Lloyd replied dryly.

They piled into the ranch truck like teenagers heading to prom, with Teeter claiming shotgun and everyone else squeezing into the extended cab. Nathan found himself pressed against Trevor's side, acutely aware of the warmth radiating through the suede jacket and the faint scent of the soap they all used.

As Lloyd pulled out onto the main road, heading toward town and whatever trouble they were about to find, Nathan realized he was actually looking forward to it. Six months ago, the idea of going to a bar full of strangers would have terrified him. Now, surrounded by people who'd become his chosen family, it felt like an adventure.

Maybe Ryan was right, it was time to learn how people around here had fun.

—

The bar was exactly what Nathan had expected from a small Montana town: dim lighting, neon beer signs, a mechanical bull in the corner, and a crowd that looked like they'd stepped out of a country music video. The Dutton ranch hands were welcomed like local celebrities, with handshakes and backslaps from regulars who clearly knew them well.

Everyone started drinking right away, as promised. Abby materialized shortly after they'd claimed a corner table, and she was exactly what Nathan had pictured when Ryan mentioned his girlfriend, pretty blonde with the kind of confidence that came from commanding attention on small-town stages. She fit perfectly with Ryan's energy, matching his enthusiasm drink for drink and joke for joke.

The biggest surprise of the evening came when the DJ started up a line dance and Trevor, of all people, joined in. Nathan nearly choked on his beer watching the usually reserved Alabama native fall into step with a dozen locals, his movements fluid and confident. The rest of the ranch hands were equally stunned.

"Well, I'll be damned." Lloyd muttered, shaking his head in amazement.

It was the most loosened up any of them had ever seen Trevor, and somehow it made him even more attractive. Nathan found himself watching those long legs and broad shoulders move to the music with perhaps more attention than was strictly appropriate.

Several local women had noticed Nathan throughout the evening, approaching with the kind of friendly interest that small towns were known for. He let them down gently, with the polite professionalism of someone who'd spent years dealing with difficult clients. Kind but firm, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

"You're not from around here, are you?" one particularly persistent brunette had asked.

"Los Angeles," Nathan had replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Well, that explains the manners." she'd laughed, but she'd taken the hint and moved on.

Nathan threw himself into the evening's activities with surprising enthusiasm. Pool, darts, even a failed attempt at the mechanical bull that left him laughing harder than he had in months. Teeter cheered him on from the sidelines while Colby offered increasingly unhelpful advice about technique.

After Abby's performance, she really could sing, with a voice that was both sweet and smoky. She made her way through the crowd toward Trevor, who had retreated to his usual position against the wall, watching the chaos unfold around him.

"Hydrate, cowboy." she said, offering him a glass of whiskey.

Trevor accepted the drink with a nod. "Appreciate it."

"So..." Abby settled beside him, studying his profile. "You're single?"

"Why? You wanna cheat on Ryan? 'Cause I understand if you do."

Abby chuckled, nearly spilling her beer. "Hell no. Man drives me nuts, but I like his crazy."

"Could've fooled me."

"I got some girlfriends I can introduce you to," she offered, gesturing toward a group of women near the bar who were making no secret of checking Trevor out.

"I'm good."

"Why? You already got your eyes on someone?"

Trevor didn't answer immediately. His gaze drifted across the room to where Nathan was laughing at something Teeter had said, his head thrown back and his whole face lit up with genuine joy. The sight made Trevor's heart beat faster, a reaction he was still trying to process.

Abby followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow. "...As long as it's not Ryan."

"I think you're the only one dumb enough for that," Trevor replied, finally taking a sip of his whiskey.

"No need to be rude, new guy," Abby said, but she was grinning. "I'm just trying to get to know my boyfriend's new friend."

Trevor looked at her properly for the first time that evening, taking in her sharp wit and the way she clearly wasn't intimidated by his size or his attitude. "I can see why you two are together. You're alright, Abby."

"I know. And you're better than you let on, Trevor."

They clinked their glasses together in a toast, but their moment was interrupted when Trevor spotted trouble brewing near the pool tables.

Jimmy was squared off with two local guys who clearly had more alcohol than sense in their systems, his chest puffed out in that way that meant he was about to get himself into a fight he couldn't win.

"Ah, fuck," Trevor muttered, setting down his drink. "Excuse me."

He pushed off from the wall and headed across the room, his protective instincts kicking in. Some things never changed. There was always someone who needed looking after, and Trevor had never been able to walk away from that responsibility.

—

Trevor handled the brewing confrontation with the kind of calm authority that made the local troublemakers think twice about picking a fight. A few quiet words, his imposing presence, and Jimmy's wounded pride were enough to defuse the situation before it could escalate. The alcohol was hitting everyone hard by then anyway, and Lloyd's suggestion that they head home before someone did something stupid was met with general agreement.

Ryan kissed Abby goodbye with the enthusiasm of a man who'd been drinking whiskey for three hours, while Colby and Teeter started getting handsy with each other before they'd even made it to the parking lot.

The walk back to the truck was an adventure in itself, with various levels of intoxication on display. Nathan found himself steadier than he'd expected, while Jimmy was weaving slightly and Trevor moved with the careful precision of someone trying not to look as drunk as he felt.

Lloyd claimed the driver's seat with the authority of the only truly sober person in the group. Trevor dropped into the passenger seat, while Ryan, Jimmy, and Nathan squeezed into the middle row. Colby and Teeter took the back seat, ostensibly for more room but really because they had no intention of keeping their hands to themselves.

They'd barely pulled out of the parking lot before Colby and Teeter started making out with the kind of enthusiasm that made everyone else in the truck deeply uncomfortable.

"Here we go..." Jimmy muttered, staring determinedly out the window.

"Oh, goddamn it!" Ryan groaned, covering his ears theatrically.

Lloyd glanced in the rearview mirror and shook his head. "Y'all better not fog up my windows."

During the drive back to the ranch, Lloyd's curiosity got the better of him. "Where'd you learn to move like that, Trev? You used to be a stripper or something? 'Cause you sure look like one."

"Just shut up and drive, old man." Trevor replied, but there was no real heat in it.

"Wait," Ryan said, sitting up straighter. "You didn't say no."

"Trevor?" Jimmy asked, his voice pitching higher with curiosity.

Even Colby and Teeter paused their makeout session to listen, the truck suddenly filled with anticipatory silence.

Trevor sighed deeply, the alcohol making him more honest than he'd intended to be. "I was like twenty-four. I was young and I needed to make a quick buck."

"What?!" Colby's voice cracked with disbelief.

The revelation hit the truck like a bomb. Eyebrows shot up, jaws dropped, and for a moment there was complete silence. Then the laughter started, not mean-spirited, but the kind of delighted surprise that came from learning something completely unexpected about someone you thought you knew.

"Damn," Teeter said with obvious appreciation. "We met at the wrong time, Trev. I'd pay to see you perform."

"Seriously?" Colby asked, though he was grinning.

"Don't get jealous now, baby." Teeter replied, immediately returning to what she'd been doing.

Nathan's voice cut through the renewed laughter, softer than the others. "What was your name back then?"

Something about the question. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was Nathan's gentle tone that made Trevor want to tell him his whole life story. There was no judgment in those blue-gray eyes, just genuine curiosity.

"...Goliath." Trevor admitted.

The truck erupted. Jimmy immediately launched into a mock strip club announcement voice: "Ladies, please welcome to the stage... Goliath!"

"Bet the ladies loved you." Lloyd said, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

Trevor couldn't help but smile at the memory. "They sure did."

As the laughter died down and the conversation moved on to other topics, Nathan found himself stealing glances at Trevor in the dim light of the truck cab. The idea of Trevor, confident, intimidating Trevor, dancing on stage for money was both surprising and oddly endearing. It was another piece of the puzzle that was Trevor Gibson, another layer beneath the careful facade he usually maintained.

And Trevor, catching Nathan's sideways looks, felt something warm settle in his chest that had nothing to do with the whiskey.

—

They arrived back at the ranch with the kind of careful coordination that came from years of experience getting drunk cowboys safely home. One by one, they tumbled out of the truck with varying degrees of grace.

Jimmy and Ryan wobbled their way toward the bunkhouse, leaning on each other for support and having what appeared to be a very serious conversation about something neither would remember in the morning. Colby followed behind them, carrying Teeter in his arms while she wrapped herself around him like a koala, their lips still locked together in what had to be some kind of endurance record.

But instead of following the others inside, Nathan turned toward the barn. The calf he'd been worried about earlier was still on his mind, alcohol or no alcohol.

Trevor hesitated for a moment, then followed.

Lloyd noticed their departure but said nothing, just shook his head and headed into the bunkhouse to deal with whatever chaos was waiting inside.

"Why are you following me?" Nathan asked as they walked across the moonlit yard.

"Just in case you need help." Trevor replied, his voice rougher than usual. The alcohol had loosened something in him, made him more honest about his motivations.

Nathan nodded, accepting the explanation without question.

Inside the barn, Nathan moved with the same careful professionalism he always brought to his work, even with whiskey clouding his system. The calf was doing well: breathing steady, eyes clear, responding appropriately when Nathan checked her reflexes. She'd be fine.

Trevor watched from a few feet away, leaning against a stall door. There was something about the way Nathan worked that never failed to captivate him. The gentleness in those hands, the quiet patience he showed not just with animals but with everyone he interacted with. It made Trevor's heart flutter in a way that had nothing to do with the alcohol and everything to do with feelings he'd been trying to ignore for weeks.

The liquid courage still flowing through his veins finally overcame his usual caution. Trevor stepped closer, closing the gap between them until he was standing directly behind Nathan.

Nathan finished his examination and stood up, turning to meet Trevor's eyes. "What's wrong?"

Instead of answering, Trevor lifted his hand to Nathan's face, his palm cupping Nathan's cheek with surprising gentleness. For a moment, they just looked at each other, the barn silent except for the soft sounds of sleeping animals and their own breathing.

Then Trevor leaned in and kissed him.

It was soft at first, tentative, giving Nathan every opportunity to pull away. When Nathan didn't move, Trevor deepened the kiss slightly, his other hand coming up to frame Nathan's face.

They broke apart after a moment, eyes locked on each other, both breathing harder than before. This time, it was Nathan who initiated contact, stepping closer and pressing his lips to Trevor's with an urgency that spoke of weeks of suppressed want.

But the kiss lasted only a second before Nathan abruptly pulled away, his face stricken.

"I can't do this." Nathan whispered, taking a step backward.

"Why?" Trevor asked, confusion and hurt clear in his voice.

Nathan's hands shook slightly as he ran them through his hair, the weight of psychological conditioning that months of freedom hadn't been able to break crashing down on him.

"I'm married." he said quietly, the words falling between them like a stone.

Even after everything: the escape, the new life, the kindness he'd found here. Nathan was still trapped by the chains his abuser had forged in his mind. The legal reality of his situation felt too much to bear in that moment, despite the fact that he was thousands of miles away from the man who'd hurt him.

Nathan walked out of the barn without another word, leaving Trevor standing alone among the hay bales and sleeping cattle, trying to process what had just happened and what it meant for both of them.