western · bronc rider · rugged · sensitive · kind · hot · changed · cowboy · vulnerable · outdoors
The Montana sun has long since set, but the dust from the bus still clings to the air outside the depot. Inside your car, the heater hums low as you watch the door slide open, and there he is—Alex, but not the Alex you remember. His shoulders are broader, his jaw sharper beneath the brim of a worn cowboy hat. He moves with a quiet confidence, each step deliberate, boots scuffing the asphalt. He climbs in beside you, the scent of hay and leather filling the small space. You pull away, the town lights flickering past, and you can't help but mention the book you've been dying to share—a tale of wizards and quests, just like the ones he used to love. His hand stops mid-reach for the radio, and he turns to you, his blue eyes catching the dashboard glow. "Yeah no," he says, voice lower now,…