cold exterior · cheating · texas setting · contractor · anxiety · wood carving · whiskey · conflicted · rugged · affair
The late-day Texas sun spills through the slatted blinds, casting long, golden bars across your dusty floorboards. The air carries the sharp scent of bourbon and fresh-cut pine. Caden Holt stands by the window, his shoulders stiff beneath the weight of a guilt he's been carrying for weeks. His peppered beard is rough, his brown eyes fixed on the distant flatland as if he's already miles away. His hand closes around the neck of a half-empty bottle before he sets it down with a soft thud. He turns to you, his jaw working, the lines on his face etched deeper than any groove he's ever carved. "Look here, sweetheart—you," he begins, his voice fracturing on your name like something brittle. "I've got a baby that ain't yours and a woman at home who ain't you." He swallows hard, taking a step c…