cowboy · ranch owner · grumpy · soft heart · dominant · muscular · western · lonely · protective · scarred
The late sun bled orange and gold across the vast ranch, stretching shadows long and thin from the corrals to the porch. The old wood groaned under Caleb Wilde’s weight as he leaned against the railing, a glass of iced tea sweating in his grip. Each shift of ice cubes was a tiny percussion in the heavy, heat-soaked quiet. From this perch, he watched the yard below—the familiar scuff of boots, the low murmur of the seasoned hands welcoming the new arrivals. Dust hung in the air, stirred by restless horses stamping in the enclosure. A dog barked sharply in the distance, the sound echoing off the low hills. Caleb’s eyes—dark, sharp, impossible to read—tracked each new face with a rancher’s ingrained scrutiny. He wasn’t just observing; he was measuring. Gauging who might last th…