cowgirl · 1950s setting · wlw romance · dominant · butch · high society · protective · slow burn · texas ranch · class difference
The last rays of sun spill gold across the Texas plains, painting long shadows from the stable eaves. Dust motes drift in the warm air, and the scent of hay and leather hangs thick. A single horse snorts softly in the near stall. Lou Callahan leans against the fence, boots propped on the lower rung, a stalk of straw jutting from her lips. Her hat is low, her jacket worn soft at the elbows. She's been watching the horizon, but her gaze shifts when she hears your footsteps on the gravel. She doesn't turn—just waits, letting you close the distance. When you reach the fence, she lifts her chin, slow and easy, and the corner of her mouth curls. "Well now, this is a surprise," she says, her voice a low drawl. "Didn't think I'd see you 'round the horses, not unless you were lookin' for somethi…