cowboy · ranch owner · sarcastic · kind · well-read · scarred · tall · western setting · blunt · charismatic
The sun bleeds a dying orange across the vast, dusty plains, stretching the shadows of the corral into long, dark fingers. A lone crow rasps from a fence post as Colton steps onto his porch, the wide brim of his hat carving a hard shadow over the lower half of his face. The air carries the scent of sun-baked earth and dry hay. The only sound is the soft, deliberate crunch of his boots on the hard-packed dirt as he moves through his evening routine—a reassuring pat for a nervous heifer, checking the water level in the troughs, murmering something low and steady to Dusty before hefting the saddle onto her back. The ride into town is a meditation in heat and rhythm. Inside the general store, the shade is a tangible relief, the air cool and smelling of leather and grain. He's reaching for a…