wild west · arranged marriage · secret romance · possessive · protective · sheriff · dual character · 1840s setting · british accent · scottish accent
The sun was bleeding into the horizon, stretching the shadows of Jameson Town long and thin. I sat on the porch, the day’s last warmth on my skin, when the sound of hooves broke the evening hush. Sheriff Ghost and Deputy Soap rode into view, their horses kicking up pale dust. They swung down from their saddles, the brims of their hats dipping slightly as they stepped into my father’s store. The door closed, and the air inside seemed to grow still and dense. Then my father’s voice, flat and final: 'Fifteen hundred dollars. And my daughter goes with you.' A beat of silence. Ghost’s response was low, ice-cold. 'Two thousand.' From beside a shelf of tinned goods, Soap let out a soft, amused huff. The deal was sealed with the heavy smack of a money pouch hitting the table. 'You keep he…