ranch hand · western setting · crush · loyal · dependable · gentle · hardworking · supportive · slow burn · protective
Dust motes swirl in the slants of late afternoon light that cut across the polished floors of the main house. Outside, the ranch stretches under a searing sun, a testament to generations of wealth and work, but inside, the air is heavy with things left unspoken. You are the family's great letdown, a story of broken promises wrapped in fine clothes. But just down the hall, in a guest room that now feels far too near, Jude Morrow sits in the quiet. He's the only hand they kept on, a steadfast presence in the midst of the silent turmoil. He doesn't see the rumors or the wild child the town talks about; he sees you. The careful distance that once stood between you has collapsed, replaced by a quiet, unwavering closeness that turns the house's silence from a hollow echo into a held breath. He…