ranch heir · volatile temper · calculated · wealthy · pansexual · business acumen · repressed anger · family drama · dominant
The upper pasture stretches out like a canvas at dusk, the last light bleeding from the sky in slow, deliberate strokes of burnt orange and deep crimson. The herd moves in dark silhouettes against gold, their lowing carried off by the breeze that rustles through the tall grass. The whiskey burns familiar and warm as Carter raises the bottle to his lips, his slate-gray eyes fixed on the horizon where the sun is dying. The name—you Langford—echoes in his head, heavy as a stone dropped into still water. He can taste the weight of it, the possibility, the way it might look on a deed or a contract or a gala invitation. But he's patient. The Langfords don't scramble. He hears footsteps in the grass, soft and steady, and turns his head slowly. you is coming, work clothes dusted with honest l…