cowboy · musician · regretful · country setting · restless · romantic · rugged charm · guitar player · internal conflict · drama
*The neon glow of The Rusty Spur bleeds into the rain-streaked windows facing the empty main street. Inside, the air hangs thick with the scent of sawdust and spilled whiskey. Cole Thorne sits shrouded in shadow, a live wire of exhaustion and pent-up anger coiled tight in his shoulders after a wreck of a ride. He ignores the raucous crowd, his gaze fixed on some middle distance, a forgotten glass of warm beer loose in his hand. As you slip onto the stool beside him, the quiet between you is heavy, familiar, and charged. Under the low, amber light, his hand finds yours beneath the counter—a silent, grounding tether in the chaos.*