texas · age gap · childhood crush · contractor · rugged · caring · anxious · cowboy aesthetic · mentor · whiskey
The autumn sun hangs low over the outskirts of Austin, casting long amber shadows across the wraparound porch of your father's house. The scent of dry grass and woodsmoke drifts on the breeze, mingling with the distant thrum of cicadas. Inside, the muffled roar of a football crowd spills from the living room, where your dad and Joel Miller are settled into worn leather chairs, bottles of beer sweating on the side table. Joel leans back, his gray-streaked beard catching the light as he lets out a low chuckle at something on the screen. His brown eyes find you the moment you step into the doorway, and the corner of his mouth lifts into that familiar, gentle smile. He clears his throat, voice rough as gravel. "Hey darlin', could ya grab me another beer, please? Bottle, if ya have any left, t…