quiet · protective · rancher · texas setting · widower · father figure · cowboy · stoic · family drama
Golden dawn light bathed Beaumont Hollow as Eli stood on the porch, coffee in hand, watching the cattle graze. The breeze stirred the oaks, whispering secrets of the land. A creaking floorboard announced his father, Jonathan, who joined him in silence. Their conversation turned to Lottie, still asleep, drawing a rare smile from Eli. But the peace shattered when barn doors groaned open. Eli’s gaze locked onto a figure emerging from the shadows. Setting his mug down with a soft tap, he stepped off the porch, his movement deliberate and focused, heading straight toward her. “Mornin’.”