The wool blanket is heavy on her shoulders as she steps out onto the porch of her dad's house. She watches as the sun rises in the distance – turning the dark purple sky into a light blue as she nurses the warm cup of coffee in her hands. It's refreshing, the quiet and the fresh air – the familiarity of this place. Her eyes take in the sights as her surroundings come to life. The cowboys and wranglers saddle up their horses for the day and the cattle become restless in their pens as they impatiently wait to be let out to graze. Then she sees him, he's in a corral to the right of the stables. The dark grey and black mustang he's breaking, runs circles around him while he remains still in the center of the circular enclosure. She smiles fondly at the sight and stands from the wooden chair she's occupied for the last hour.

The gravel and dirt crunches and crackles beneath her boots as she slowly makes her way over to the corral. She folds her arms – pulling the blanket tighter around herself as she leans against the top post of the fence. "Looks like he's enjoying giving you a hard time."

Jay turns towards her and a smile comes to his face – the previous serious expression melting away. He nods his head "Yeah he's certainly not making it easy."

Just then the horse trots over to her and lets out a few deep breaths as he stops just in front of her.

"But maybe it's just me." He looks at them in awe as Erin reaches out to touch the horse's head. The wild animal jumps a little at first so Erin drops her hand and lets him come back to her. Moving slower than before she reaches out and this time the horse lets her place her hand on his face.

The smile that's dancing on her lips is victorious but Jay can also see a hint of sadness held within as they both become more relaxed in each other's presence.

Jay cautiously moves to the side of the pen while keeping his eyes on them. But the movement spooks the horse and the large animal runs away from Erin.

"It seems you haven't lost your touch. Maybe you should train him." He jokingly attempts to hand her the rope in his hand but she shakes her head and steps down from the fence.

"You know I can't." She looks away from him with her words and he tentatively places his hand over hers. When she doesn't move away he gives her cold hand a gentle squeeze.

Andrew watches from the window as his girlfriend and Jay talk and laugh. He grits his teeth seeing them interact – the lingering looks and soft touches making his blood boil. He slams his mug down on the table near the window and slips into his shoes before going outside – seeing Erin and Jay moving towards the barn.

Jay hangs up the rope and gets the equipment together to bathe the mustang as she walks a few feet behind him, taking in the changes to her family's stables that have transpired in her absence.

"Hey Jay since when do we let city slickers in with the horses?" Adam yells from outside the barn.

Erin looks at Jay, both of them with confused expressions on their faces before they realize what the other cowboy is talking about.

They run out to the corral they were just by to find Andrew inside with the mustang. The large animal is bucking and kicking as Andrew tries to console it.

"Woah, woah." Jay yells as he jumps into the pen and holds his hands up as if it will help calm the frantic animal. With one hand he pushes the smaller man back with so much force that he's sure he knocked the wind out of him. But he doesn't care and chooses to focus on the horse in front of him. "Easy, easy boy." His voice is quieter and calmer this time. The horse nickers and his tail flicks several times before he stills with his breathing remaining erratic. "Easy." Jay repeats.

Once Andrew is pulled out of the corral Jay quickly moves to the side and jumps through the posts just his horse starts bucking again – becoming more and more agitated with each passing second.

After a moment Jay rushes over to where Andrew is standing next to Erin. Jay's voice is quiet as he politely asks her to move to the side. He keeps his eyes on her as she nods and takes a couple steps away. Then he looks at his horse and his hands clench at his sides. He takes two calculated steps towards Andrew and then he throws one punch and another hitting Andrew on both sides of his face. Erin moves back in to stand between them after the second hit – the look in her eyes is pleading for Jay to stop. He nods and takes a step back, pulling his hand down his face and through the thick stubble along his jaw as he begins to pace. "You may think that this isn't a real job but you just fucking threw out weeks of progress." Gone is the gentleness he had with Erin, his voice is now rough and stammering with anger.

"If you ask me, I think a thank you is in order. That animal is clearly dangerous and needs to be put down." Andrew's words cause everyone around them to gasp – not at the absurdity of his word but from the reaction they know will come from Jay. Erin who's still watching her best friend, closes her eyes briefly as if willing her boyfriend to shut the hell up.

"I should have let him kick your fucking skull in." Jay's fuming – practically spitting fire and Andrew has the nerve to look as if he's enjoying this confrontation. If he was still looking to piss Jay off – to push his buttons, he succeeded. You can talk all the shit you want about him but the moment you fuck with his animals or his friends – the only family he has left, that's when you're in for it. And he voices that to them.

"It looked easy." Andrew shrugs, still holding his aching jaw.

Jay chuckles as he scratches at his beard and he looks at his fellow wranglers.

"It looked easy." He repeats as he takes another few steps forward just to be pushed back when Erin's hands take place on his chest. His eyes meet hers again and he looks down at her fisting his shirt - her simple touch calming him. "I tell you what Abraham. You can spend the day here, then you tell us what you think."

Erin knows her boyfriend won't even be able to do half the things the wranglers do on any given day, so she steps closer to her best friend. "Jay I don't think he'll-"

"I'll do it." Andrew cuts in and it causes Erin to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Alright let's go then." Adam nods towards the stables.

"I don't suppose you're going to take it easy on him?" She asks bashfully as she looks up to see Jay still standing in the same spot watching his horse begin some.

"Not a chance." He says honestly because as much as he respects her and can tell she obviously sees something good in the man she calls her boyfriend, he can't pretend to like the guy and he's most certainly not going to be nice after what he's said and done. His lips meet her forehead after he hands her the keys to his truck, knowing she'll want to head to the hospital. He gives her one last nod before going over to the corral again.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry about him Jay." She says sincerely as he starts to walk away.

"You have nothing to apologize for." He shakes his head and his eyebrows furrow before a smug grin comes to his face. "It's not your fault that he's threatened by me and honestly I can't blame him. I am quite the catch – twice the man he aspires to be." He winks at her and she chuckles and rolls her eyes. Then they part ways for the day – with him going back to work and her into the house to get ready to spend the day with her dad.

XXXXXX

Jay fastens the last strap on the saddle before he gets on his horse. He makes a clicking noise and gently swings his feet into the tan animal's sides to get him to move. They don't have to go far before they reach where Adam and Andrew are. The expression that comes to his face is one of amusement and pity as he sees Andrew fall off the saddle and flat on his ass. When he stands up again he brushes his hands against his pants and begrudgingly murmurs to himself.

"Still look easy Adrian?" Jay asks causing Andrew to glare at him but he doesn't reply as he tries again. Both Kevin and Adam try but fail to hold in their laughs as they look between the other men.

Kevin gives his advice to the native Chicagoan as Jay tells Adam where they'll go to check the fence line.

Eventually Andrew is able to stay on the calm and patient horse that got stuck with him and they move out to the valley.

Jay's racing heart begins to slow as he takes in the land before him – the scenery having it's usual calming effect on him. But it's still not enough to block out the hemming and hawing of Erin's boyfriend. They've had to listen to him complaining about how uncomfortable he is since they left the ranch. And Jay bites his tongue and closes his eyes as he takes a deep breath and listens to wind blowing through trees and the faint flowing water of the river to their left. He opens his eyes again as his horse stops in front of the barbed wire of the fence they'll be inspecting. He takes a few more deep breaths before looking at the other three men with him.

"Adam and Kev you'll go south to the river, we'll head north to the mountain and then meet you back at the ranch." Jay instructs and both Adam and Kevin look at him confused before looking at Andrew as he readjusts on the saddle. Jay just nods his head at their concern before the two men move in the opposite direction. The first stretch goes surprisingly smooth as they begin to venture along the property line of the ranch.

But the silence is disrupted an hour in when Andrew gets bored. "What the hell is the point of this? Why are we all the way out here checking for nonexistent breaks in the fence?"

Jay sighs as he jumps off his horse to fix a loose wire on the fence. "It's a cattle ranch. Any and all profit that's made is from the cattle. One heifer is valued at almost two grand, so it may seem like a waste of time to you. But even if as little as five are lost because of a faulty fence then that's ten thousand out the window when all it takes is just a few hours to make sure they can't get through."

The conversation dies out with that explanation and Jay's able to find his reprieve again but it doesn't last long as Andrew decides to continue his questions.

"Erin said you came to live here when you were fourteen? Why's that?" Just his tone of voice is enough to set Jay off but he manages to remain calm and doesn't even acknowledge his words.

The answer to that question is not one Jay tells to everyone – the Voight's and Al are the only ones that know Jay's story and why he came to live on the ranch at such a young age. And he's certainly not going to delve into his deepest and darkest secrets to someone he doesn't know or even like for that matter. So he doesn't reply instead pretending to focus on the job he's set out to do.

Andrew seems to get the hint but Jay finds that the other man is incapable of staying quiet as he goes on to ask different questions. The thought of leaving Andrew in the harsh and unforgiving wilderness of Montana passes through Jay's mind for a moment before he reminds himself that for Erin he can manage a few hours with the guy, even if he is a prick.

A small smile comes to his face as he thinks of his best friend – letting different images of her dimpled smile get him through the remaining miles back to the ranch.

Jay's thankful when they get back to the stables and he's able to distract himself with other tasks around the ranch while he waits for the shipment of hay to arrive.

XXXXXX

Andrew huffs as he struggles to move a bail of hay off of the truck and into the loft. But the bail only comes off the bed of the truck a couple inches before his arms give out and he drops it back down causing Adam and Jay to shake their heads at him. Jay throws his thumb over his shoulder and tells Andrew to move off the back of the truck. Jay rolls up his sleeves as he takes his place.

He watches in disgust as Jay effortlessly moves the large, heavy bails by himself. Once the last bail is in the loft, Jay signs for the delivery and bids the driver goodbye. That's when Andrew's eyes zero in on the black ink on Jay's left arm – more specifically his wrist. There in cursive letters are the initials ELV next to a small outline of a daisy. It's darker, a deep black versus the worn grey color of the rest and it's easy to spot – standing out from the thick lines and bold details of the sleeve of tattoos decorating his forearm.

Jay starts talking to Adam about closing down the ranch for the night when Andrew decides to ask about the ink on the other man's wrist.

"Why do you have my girlfriend's initials tattooed on your wrist?"

Adam's eyes go wide as he looks between the other two men. Jay's jaw is set tight and his hands clench much like they did earlier and Adam finds himself wondering if the smaller man has a death wish.

"My past isn't any of your business." Jay practically growls at Andrew.

"She's mine now so that makes it my business and that looks new." Andrew all but whines at Jay.

"And that just goes to show that you don't know her at all." Jay says as he turns around. His words cause Andrew to look confused but the expression doesn't last long as he tries to mask it.

Jay just continues "Erin hates when people refer to her as if she was a trophy or possession. You may be in a relationship with her." For now he thinks as he goes on. "But you don't own her. And you aren't entitled to every or any detail of her past because of your relationship status. It's her right to tell you. So if you must know about it then be a man for the first time in your life and talk to her about it." Jay says as he begins to walk away and continue his conversation with Adam.

Andrew just stands there for a few more moments, his eyes narrowed at Jay.

"You can go now Ayden." Jay says with a dismissive wave of his hand, not even bothering to look his way.

Andrew just huffs and moves out of the barn.

Dust flies as she pulls onto the gravel road of the ranch. The sun setting in the distance is quite peaceful and she stays there in the driver's seat for a little longer. But then she sets sights on her boyfriend. He's walking bow legged and he's holding his back as he walks towards the main house. She can't help but chuckle at how pitiful he looks as he practically drags himself up the stairs of the front porch.

She tries to mentally prepare herself for the sour mood he'll be in as she hops out of the truck.

Jay nods at her when he sees her look over at him. She gives him a sad smile as she nods back at him before following her boyfriend into the house.

"Hey." She greets quietly as she takes off her shoes.

He takes a sip of water before placing the glass on the counter. His back is to her and his shoulder are tense as he grips the edge of the sink. "You said you're just friends."

She huffs as she sits on the couch. "We're not talking about this again."

"I don't give a shit if you want to or not. If you want to continue this relationship we're going to talk about this." He bellows and his voices echoes through the house.

She scoffs at that and moves to go upstairs – deciding she'll take a shower and let him cool down before trying to have a conversation with him again. She only makes it up a couple steps before his loud voice stops her in her tracks.

"Are you still in love with him?" He yells from his spot near the fireplace.

"You don't know what you're talking about." She deflects as she slowly turns to face him.

"I know that he has your name tattooed on his fucking arm."

"Ok." She drags out the two letters a little and then waits to see where he's going with this.

"What's Jay's last name?"

"I don't see how that's relevant."

"Come off it Erin. I'm not one of your idiot clients or a fucking judge."

"Could've fooled me." Erin mumbles and the glare he shoots her almost makes her nervous – almost.

"He has a tattoo with your initials and I'm willing to bet that fucking blue bird you have on your rib cage has his initials on the wing and not your brothers." He speculates as he begins to pace but she can see how much physical pain he's in - his legs still bowed and his back is hunched - an obvious sign of a long day of horseback riding.

"We got them the last time he was in Chicago almost a year ago. It's not a big deal."

"But it is Erin. I specifically asked about your relationship with him and you lied."

"No I didn't. I simply omitted the truth. Did we ever have something more?" She repeats his question from the other night and pauses for a moment before she sighs and continues. "Yeah we did which I thought we had already established and it ended, so now we're just friends."

"But would you pick him over your boyfriend?"

"Andrew-"

"Just answer the fucking question."

"You don't want me to answer that question." She admits and he scoffs at that and storms out of the house as quickly as his sore legs with allow.

She knows she should probably go after him and make sure he doesn't do something stupid but in the moment she's too annoyed to care. So she turns and continues up the stairs to take shower.

She's surprised when she goes back downstairs after her shower to find him asleep on the couch. He looks uncomfortable but she leaves him be – still not wanting to deal with him.

Her dinner consists of a simple sandwich and she stands at the large window in the living room to eat it. She releases a shuttering breath as her heart begins to pound and her shoulders slump when she sees Jay guiding the last of the horses into their stable for the night. The thought of taking him his keys crosses her mind but she just tells herself that she can give them back to him tomorrow – not wanting to cause anymore trouble than she already has.

XXXXXX

A/N: Thank you to those of you that have been reviewing and sharing your thoughts on this fic, your words have really helped keep me inspired and motivated to update every week. I hope you enjoyed this little filler before we get to some of the heavier stuff in the next few chapters. Sorry again for the mistakes. As always nice reviews are much appreciated!