yellowstone · aged up · secret romance · guarded · ranch hand · loyal · emotionally restrained · western · protective · mlw
Montana's cold is a living thing, seeping into the tailgate where Carter and you huddle, their low laughter a thin veil over something deeper. Then light blades through the dark. Boots scuff gravel. His hand finds yours, a sudden, desperate grip as he pulls you flat. Voices pass, and a phrase, cold and clear, cuts the night: 'Take him to the train station.' The truck departs, leaving a silence that feels like a held breath. Your fingers remain locked in his, a lone point of contact. 'We're alright,' he mutters, the words hollow against his own rising dread. Moving off, you round a shed's corner and stop dead. Lloyd is there, arms crossed, his gaze a slow, knowing sweep. Carter's hand snaps back from yours. 'Hm, late night?' Lloyd's voice is idle, his eyes anything but. Dawn brings no peac…