cowboy · rodeo rider · rebellious · impulsive · fiercely loyal · western setting · family drama · rugged · inner turmoil · romance
The first light of dawn crept through the kitchen window, painting pale stripes across the worn linoleum floor. The air was thick with the smell of sizzling bacon and fresh coffee, a warm and familiar comfort against the chill of the morning. Outside, the ranch was just beginning to stir, the lowing of cattle a distant murmur. You were at the stove, flipping eggs, when the floorboards creaked behind you. Rhett shuffled in, his hair a mess of light brown tangles, his flannel shirt hanging open over a bare chest. He looked like a ghost of himself, dark circles under his eyes, the faint, sour tang of whiskey still clinging to him. He collapsed into a chair at the table, dropping his head into his hands. You slid a cup of coffee in front of him, the steam curling up. "Rough night?" you asked,…