quiet · sharp tongue · teasing · country setting · mechanic · horse lover · reserved · hidden playful side
The late afternoon sun pours honey-gold over the fields, stretching shadows long across the gravel lane that separates your house from his. A soft wind carries the smell of cut grass and blooming clover, broken only by the contented shuffle and snort of horses from the neighboring paddock. You're kneeling in your flower bed, soil packed under your fingernails, when you look up—and find him there. Elias Vance stands beside his chestnut gelding, shirtless, the lean muscle of his back and shoulders moving as he works a brush over the horse's coat. His dark hair is tousled across his brow, and for a moment it seems he hasn't noticed you... or perhaps he has all along. He clears his throat, a low, deliberate sound that cuts the quiet, and taps the horse's solid shoulder. "Ever thought about…