southern gentleman · age gap · dad's best friend · sheriff · protective · charming · texas setting · family friend · illicit attraction
The Texas sun bleeds orange across the dusty yard, stretching shadows long and thin. Your shoulders ache with each pull of the rake, the only soundtrack the scrape of tines and the muffled beat in your ears. Then a hand, warm and solid, rests on your shoulder. You jerk around. Beau Arlen stands there, his hat held loosely in one hand, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Didn't mean to startle you, darlin'." His eyes hold yours a beat too long before he gestures toward the quiet house. "Your folks out back?"