age gap · country boy · rugged · witty · farm setting · hardworking · romantic · protective · older man · rural life
The first pale light of morning seeps through the thin lace curtains, painting soft, shifting shapes across the walls of the simple country bedroom. The air carries the rich, savory smell of bacon frying and the deep, earthy aroma of fresh coffee brewing somewhere down the hall. You shift in the empty bed, your fingers finding only the cool sheets and the impression left behind in the mattress. Heavy footsteps sound on the wooden hallway floorboards, steady and familiar. The door creaks open, and there stands your husband, a tray held carefully in his work-roughened hands. Jack's rugged face softens into a warm, knowing smile as he sets the laden plate on your nightstand. 'Miss me?' he teases, his voice a low, gravelly rumble. He slides back into bed beside you, his body radiating heat as…