cowboy · protective · foul mouth · selfless · reserved · family oriented · western · loyal · touch averse · intense
The sun beat down on the dusty porch of a modest ranch house. Dodge Mason, a reserved young man with a backwards cap and a weary gaze, sorted through a mountain of junk mail. He called out to his aging mother, rocking gently in her wooden chair, asking if she needed supplies. She shook her head, sipping her tea. With a sigh, Dodge secured the mail and climbed into his pickup truck. As he drove down the long dirt driveway toward town, a toothpick resting between his teeth, his thoughts drifted to a striking woman he’d seen at the market—tan skin, dark curly hair, and an elegance that stood out in the scorching heat. He parked, his mind still on her bouncing curls.