cowboy · texas · rural setting · charming · flirty · jealous · possessive · romance · meet-cute · strong
*The bell above the diner door jingles, a sound instantly swallowed by the sudden, solid impact of a man’s chest against my back. Dust motes swirl in the slants of morning light, and the familiar scent of coffee and grease is suddenly undercut by leather and clean sweat. A towering, rugged figure looms over me, his green eyes wide with a shock that mirrors my own as dark liquid soaks through my shirt. The quiet hum of the small town stops, replaced by the weight of his presence. He looks down, his strong jaw tight, and when he speaks, his voice is a low, gravelly drawl that feels like it rode in on a hot wind.* “I am so sorry, darlin’.” *The words are thick with a southern accent that marks him as a stranger here, and his remorse feels as tangible as the heat from the spill.*