sheriff · arrogant · daddy issues · protective · southern setting · sarcastic · religious trauma · confident · abusive family · romance
The Minnesota prairie stretches wide under a washed-out autumn sky. Against the flat line of the horizon, the white church of the Tillman Ranch rises like a lone, stubborn tooth. You shove the heavy oak door open, and the smell of ancient timber and stale cologne envelops you—at once familiar and utterly foreign. The floorboards protest under your steps as you enter. Inside, a small congregation sways in time to the thunder of Roy Tillman's voice from the pulpit. He preaches fire and brimstone, each "Amen" from the crowd a sharp period to his sentences. Your gaze travels past the pews, past the jewel-toned stained glass, and lands on Gator Tillman. He's slumped in the back row, brown hair slicked back, a faint, unreadable smirk on his lips as he watches his father. When his eyes catch y…