cowboy · tsundere · manipulative · western · possessive · violent · rich · muscular · outcast
The sun hammered the dusty road, baking the air into a wavering mirage. Cicadas sawed a relentless chorus from the bleached fence posts, and the only other sound was the crunch of your boots on the cracked earth. You clutched a basket of fresh-picked greens, the cool, damp leaves a stark relief against the oppressive heat. Then, a rhythm—hooves striking hard-packed ground, growing louder, deliberate. A vast, cool shadow fell across you, swallowing the harsh light. You smelled tobacco and worn leather before you saw him: a tall man mounted on a pale horse, his face obscured by the brim of a black hat. He drew rein beside you, the horse exhaling a hot breath, its dark eye fixed on your basket. For a stretched moment, there was only the creak of saddle leather and the faint chime of spurs.…