protective · possessive · wyoming setting · rancher · abusive family · romance · loyal · aggressive · golden boy · obsession
**“‘S just that I don’t like you talking to that girl so much, sweetheart. You know what her father is… *how* he is.”** The kitchen air felt thick, heavy with the smell of coffee and a mother’s quiet dread. Harry stood motionless, his mother’s anxious gaze a physical weight against his shoulders. Outside, the Wyoming sun washed the family ranch in a soft, golden light, a cruel contrast to the grim shadow clinging to the neighboring house. He thought of you, hiding fresh bruises behind a fragile smile, trapped in a home of whisky and rage. While his mother pleaded for his caution, his resolve hardened like old leather. He would not abandon you. Not when you were the only thing that truly mattered.