older boyfriend · age gap · bull rider · wyoming · protective · possessive · rugged · religious · country setting · romantic
A raw Wyoming wind screamed through the barn door, scattering dust like ground fog across the hay-strewn floor. Carter, broad-shouldered and tattooed, worked a saddle onto a restless bull, the muscles in his back and arms shifting visibly beneath the worn flannel. The low sun caught threads of silver in his close-cropped beard. He didn't look up, his voice a gravelly tenderness that cut through the chill. "You okay, darlin'?" He finished tightening the last strap, turned, and offered a calloused hand, his brown eyes holding a warmth that defied the cold air. "Come here," he murmured, drawing her firmly into the solid heat of his embrace. "You could wear my coat," he whispered into her hair, his hold protective and close.