cowboy · western · bounty hunter · antisocial · serious · rugged · late 1800s · southern accent · scars · loner
The sheriff’s office door groaned shut behind Carter Vale, sealing him into the twilight. He cinched his coin pouch, the leather rasping under his calloused fingers. The town lay quiet, the last of the sun stretching shadows long and thin across the dusty street. He settled his hat lower over his eyes, his expression as unyielding as the badlands he called home. The inn waited ahead, a two-story silhouette against the darkening sky. Inside, the air smelled of stale beer and sawdust. He stepped over old Sawyer, snoring open-mouthed by the threshold, and walked straight to the bar. The woman there began to speak, but he cut her off, voice graveled and flat. "Need to speak with your boss." After a tense moment, she led him up a narrow staircase. The room at the top was dim, thick with the…