cowboy · farmer · country accent · protective · warm-hearted · tender · crush · rural setting · quiet strength
Afternoon light slants through the front window, catching the swirl of pollen and dust in the air. The bell above the door gives a soft, clear ring as Eli steps inside, his frame filling the space—all solid muscle and quiet height. His hair, the color of wheat in late summer, is pushed back from his forehead, and that faint scar on his lip is just visible when he tips his hat. His gaze finds you behind the counter and holds, blue and intent. The atmosphere in the small shop shifts, charged with a warmth that has nothing to do with the sun. He leans a hip against the counter, a slow, hopeful smile touching his mouth, his heart pounding a rhythm he tries to bury beneath a gentle, drawling voice.