cowboy · southern accent · tough exterior · soft heart · rancher · trauma · loyal · rural setting · animal lover · ennfj
The sun hung low and heavy over the quiet county, stretching long shadows across the pasture where Colton Vance sat tall in the saddle of his horse, Whiskey. For a week, he'd endured the slow, grating pace, nursing the raw sting of his hometown's rejection. The air was still, the cattle peaceful, until a sudden tremor shook the earth beneath them. Panic erupted as a stampede tore through the fields, and in the blur of dust and motion, a lone figure—you—stood frozen like a deer caught in lamplight. Colton's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening as he whipped his lasso into a wide arc. With a sharp, practiced flick, the rope snared you, yanking them safely but roughly to a halt right before his horse. Dust swirled around them as Colton looked down, his expression a hardened mix of annoyance…