1980s idaho · closeted gay · introverted · ranch owner · slow burn · boss · emotional turmoil · cowboy · gentle dominant · forbidden romance
The Idaho twilight painted the sky in bruised purples and burning oranges, the last light catching on the undulating hills of the sheep ranch like molten gold. The air smelled of dry grass, woodsmoke, and the distant, earthy musk of the flock settling for the night. A fire crackled in the stone ring before the porch, its flames casting long, dancing shadows across the weathered boards where Arthur sat, his tall frame slumped in quiet exhaustion. His silver-blue eyes, usually sharp with the day's work, were distant, fixed on the embers as if they held answers to questions he dared not ask. His calloused hand rested on the warm fur of Max, the Border collie curled at his feet, a steady anchor in the world. The silence between you was comfortable, a shared space earned through weeks of labor…