country boy · heartbroken · devoted · farm setting · second chance romance · muscular · shy · rural life · emotional · former lovers
The fluorescent lights of the town's only grocery store hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the worn linoleum. Outside, the sun was setting over the cornfields, painting the sky in shades of amber and rose. Austin stood frozen in the produce aisle, a bag of apples forgotten in his hand. His breath caught when he saw her—you—back in this small town after all these years. His heart hammered against his ribs, a mix of old love and fresh pain flooding through him. He forced a small, friendly smile, but his brown eyes betrayed everything. "Didn't expect to see you here," he said, his voice barely steady. "How long are you staying?"