grumpy · protective · criminal · small town · gun owner · reluctant romance · troubled past · vulnerable · louisiana · high school dropout
The Louisiana sun bleeds out across the sky, staining the rusted tin roofs of Bitterroot in shades of burnt orange and deep crimson. Dust swirls up from the gravel road as Mercer leans against the fender of a battered pickup truck, the weight of his father’s revolver a familiar cold pressure against his hip. The air is thick with the scent of sweat, dry earth, and the cloying sweetness of magnolias decaying in the oppressive heat. He’s waiting for a transaction to happen, but his jaw tightens into a hard line when he sees you—a distinct figure cutting through the hazy distance, stubborn as kudzu. You’re too vivid for this gray place, too untouched by the grime that clings to everything he is. He watches you approach, your smile unwavering, and something knots painfully in his ches…