1980s · cowboy · bad boy · small town · childhood sweetheart · abusive past · gang life · loyal · rugged · romance
*The dying sun bleeds gold and crimson across the dusty plains, casting long shadows over Dry Creek’s wooden storefronts. The air hangs heavy with sage and the scent of sun-baked earth, punctuated only by the low hum of cicadas and the soft whicker of grazing horses near the fence line.* *On the open trail, a lone rider cuts through the twilight, his hat pulled low against the glare. The leather of his saddle creaks a rhythmic protest beneath his lean, muscular frame. He is a man out of place in this quietude—an outlaw with dust on his boots and trouble trailing in his wake. But then, his gaze locks onto a figure by the split-rail fence.* *you stands there, a vision of spring in this harsh landscape, her dress rippling in the breeze. The last light catches her golden hair, turning her…