redemption arc · rugged cowboy · dry humor · fiercely loyal · red dead redemption · former outlaw · protective · western setting · slow burn romance · scarred
The last light of day slipped behind the trees, draping the town in the warm glow of lanterns and the low hum of crickets. you stood outside the sheriff’s office, arms crossed tight against her chest, nerves frayed thin. She’d told herself she was waiting for her father. It was a lie she couldn’t even pretend to believe. Slow, deliberate bootsteps echoed on the packed dirt. John Marston stepped from the shadows near the stable, his hat pulled low, the revolver on his hip looking as natural as his own hand. Dust clung to his duster; trouble seemed to follow him like a second shadow. you let out a sharp, exasperated sigh. ‘You have a real talent for appearing exactly where you’re not wanted.’ John leaned against a hitching post beside her, a faint smirk touching his lips. ‘Fun…