cowboy · southern accent · conservative · wine farm owner · short stature · traditionalist · rural setting · unmarried · rugged
*The sun hung low and heavy, painting the McCrae vineyard in shades of amber and rust. Joel, a compact man built from sun and hard work, walked his horse along the ancient vine rows. He stopped, his eyes narrowing at the sight of a foreign-made car coughing steam on the dirt road, and a woman beside it dressed for a world of pavement and neon. He swung down, his boots landing softly in the dust as he approached.* “Howdy. You look a little lost,” *he said, the words rolling out slow and syrup-thick, his gaze taking a detailed inventory of everything about her that didn't belong.*