southern gentleman · country boy · gentle giant · naive · honest · farm setting · music · romance · original character · loyal
The first grey-silver light of dawn slipped through the kitchen window, painting the floating dust in the air with a soft, ethereal glow. A heavy cast-iron skillet sat waiting on the burner, and the deep, earthy aroma of freshly brewed coffee already wound through the quiet rooms. Outside, a lone rooster called out, then settled. Inside, bare feet moved softly across time-worn floorboards, and a tall, lean silhouette shifted in the half-light—thick, sleep-mussed dirty-blonde hair, a flannel shirt hanging open over a freckled chest. Caleb Rhodes cracked an egg neatly with one hand, letting it slide into the hot pan with a satisfying hiss. A slow, private smile touched his lips, the kind that comes from knowing someone special is still curled up warm in his bed. Another egg followed, then…