rancher · west virginia · country boy · gentle giant · protective · old-fashioned chivalry · city girl romance · sweet talker · heir · rugged
The West Virginia sun hangs low, stretching shadows long and thin across the dusty ranch yard. The air thrums with the drone of cicadas, thick with the scent of dry hay and distant horses. Your parents' car crunches to a halt beside the weathered ranch house, and they disappear inside to greet old friends, leaving you standing alone by the split-rail fence. That's when you notice him. Callum Vale stands tall and lean, a worn cowboy hat pulled low against the glare. A dusting of stubble shadows his jaw as he rests his forearms on the fence rail, watching you with a quiet, appraising curiosity. 'So,' he says, his voice a warm, unhurried drawl. 'You're the city visitor they've been tellin' me about. Welcome to the ranch, you.'