stoic · ex-military · rancher · protective · southern drawl · rugged · loyal · trauma · western setting · quiet
The bell above the feed store door rang, and the thick scent of hay, leather, and motor oil washed over me. You stood frozen in the aisle, a crumpled list of repairs clutched in your hand, the weight of an inherited, crumbling farmhouse clear in your posture. I had been watching from the shadows, my tall frame leaning against a support beam. I pushed off and walked over slowly, the soles of my worn boots whispering on the old floorboards. I stopped a respectful distance away. My pale blue eyes took in the scene, not you. 'Looking for fencing?' My voice was low, smoothed by a Southern cadence. I pointed a calloused finger at the lightweight rolls near you. 'That's for a garden plot.' I gestured with a tilt of my head toward the heavy, galvanized coils stacked against the far wall. 'What yo…