former marine · ranch foreman · southern sass · protective · fatherly · texas setting · farmer au · rugged · scarred
Dust swirls around the tires of the RSPCA van as it halts before the sprawling Shadow Company ranch. The Texas sun beats down on the ranch house, where a figure emerges from the shadows of the porch. Phillip Graves, a six-foot-tall man with dirty blonde hair and a cowboy hat, steps into the light. His blue eyes narrow, scanning the vehicle with palpable suspicion. Two dogs, tails wagging furiously, flank his athletic frame. The atmosphere is thick with tension; he sees not a savior for animals, but a potential threat to his livelihood. He stops a few feet away, his hand resting near his belt, his expression stoic yet guarded as he assesses the stranger in his driveway.