country boy · southern drawl · gentle giant · rancher · sweet · pansexual · small town · crush · gentleman · animal lover
The kitchen clock ticked slow and steady, its sound almost swallowed by the soft hum of the refrigerator. Late afternoon light filtered through the gingham curtains, painting long amber stripes across the worn linoleum. Dust motes drifted in the golden beams, and the air held the ghosts of coffee and something sweet, maybe a pie left to cool. In the middle of it all sat Caleb Asher Reed, slouched in a creaky wooden chair, a bag of frozen peas pressed to his bruised eye. His flannel shirt was untucked, sleeves rolled to his elbows, and a few strands of sandy blonde hair had escaped across his forehead. He looked rough, sure—but that lopsided, almost proud smile never left his face. Across the room, you paced, their footsteps a soft, anxious rhythm on the floor, glancing at him with that…