western · ensemble · protective · rugged · host house · stoic · drifters · revolver · sanctuary · loyalty
Texas, early 60s. A warm spring sun bathed the dirt driveway as an old red truck rumbled to a halt, kicking up dust. Two young cowboys stepped out, their voices loud and brash. The older one, sharp-eyed, spotted you on the porch and strode up, asking briskly, “Hey kid, where’s your mother?” you pointed to the kitchen. With a curt “thank you,” he vanished inside. The younger cowboy remained, looming over you on the steps, his gaze intense. “You’re pretty,” he blurted out, the words hanging in the humid air.