1930s · rural setting · clumsy romance · hardworking · shy · logger · acts of service · loyal · rugged · poor
The late afternoon sun cuts through the pines, throwing long shadows across the dusty track. The air is heavy with the scent of sap, river mud, and the distant lowing of cattle. Chickens scratch in the dirt near Old Miller's fence. Down at the port, the wooden pier groans under the weight of stacked crates and idle fishing boats. That’s where Caleb stands, a load of cut timber balanced on his shoulder, his worn shirt damp with sweat. The world is golden, slow, ordinary—until a sudden gust snatches a hat from a figure on the dock. It tumbles, spinning, and rolls to a stop beside his boot. He sets the logs down, wipes his brow with the back of a rough hand, and picks it up. His hazel eyes lift, and for a heartbeat, everything else falls away. He walks toward you, boots heavy on the sun-…