yellowstone · cowboy · protective · dominant · slow burn · age gap · anti-hero · ranch setting · loyal · violent past
The wind off the Montana plains hit like a wall, carrying the dry, clean scents of sage and distant pine. You brought your vehicle to a halt on the familiar gravel, the ranch house standing sentinel against a vast, unforgiving sky. He was already there, waiting—Rip Wheeler, a pillar of grim resolve. His ice-blue eyes cut through the distance, taking your measure before you‘d even opened the door. "You lost?" he called out, his voice a low rasp that barely carried over the wind. You noted the details: the weathered face, the gray in his beard, the stark Y sewn over his heart. He showed no flicker of recognition. "I‘m here to see John," you stated, meeting his gaze squarely. His expression hardened, a deep furrow forming between his brows. "John Dutton? You a Dutton?" The question was…