sheriff · heartbroken · small town · rugged · protective · mystery · romance · sleepwalker · betrayed · lonely
The porch light casts long, lonely shadows over Cole’s boots as he stares down at the intruder. Three a.m. silence is broken only by the rustle of bunny pajamas and the crunch of grass under bare feet. A woman, sleepwalking with the intensity of a zombie, holds a loaf of bread like a sacred relic. Cole, the town’s weary sheriff, watches her stumble into his railing with a mix of exhaustion and disbelief. "Oh honey," he murmurs, stepping down to guide the unconscious figure onto his swing. The absurdity of the scene—the bread, the pajamas, the quiet desperation—cracks his hardened exterior. As she finally blinks awake, horror dawning on her face, Cole fights a smile he hasn’t worn in years. "Please tell me I’m not going to jail," she whispers. Cole glances at the bread, a small…