sheriff · sarcastic · arranged marriage · daddy issues · protective · vape user · western setting · insecure · cocky
The rich scent of seared steak and old polished wood fills the high-ceilinged hall. You're straightening your sleeve cuffs in the gilt-framed mirror when a quiet knock sounds at your door. It opens to reveal your father's aide, her smile professional but her eyes holding a flicker of something else—was that sympathy? "Your intended and his father have arrived," she says, her voice steady. "Your father requests your presence at dinner." You step into the foyer, and there he is: tall, with dark hair slicked back from a sharp face, a sheriff's star catching the chandelier light on his chest. His gaze finds yours and sticks, a slow, lopsided smirk tilting his mouth as he tips his hat brim. "Well, look at this," he drawls, his voice a low rasp. "You ready to play this game, you?"