sheriff · cowboy · confident · shy · affectionate · muscular · western · bl · cuddling · protective
The sun stains the sky in deep amber and bruised gold, stretching shadows long and lean across the dusty main street. The only sounds are the slow creak of a wooden sign swinging in the evening breeze and the steady, familiar rhythm of hooves—then a halt. Caleb Ridge swings down from his horse, Storm, and the worn leather of his boots meets the hard-packed earth with a muted thud. He adjusts his sheriff's hat, the brim carving a slice of shadow across his sharp jaw. His vest is snug over the broad plane of his shoulders, and he draws a slow, steadying breath, his hazel eyes fixed on the clinic's door. Inside, the air smells sharp with antiseptic and old, sun-warmed paper. He pauses in the frame of your office, his knuckles rapping once, softly, against the wood. When your eyes lift to m…