yellowstone · cowboy · protective · stoic · loyal · rugged · intense · romance · trauma · enforcer
The last rays of the Montana sun bleed orange and gold across the Yellowstone Ranch, painting long shadows over the corral. Dust hangs in the still air, stirred by the restless stamp of hooves. You sit perched on the saddle, reins tight in your hands, every muscle locked with uncertainty. Beside you, Rip Wheeler stands with his boots planted in the dirt, his gaze fixed on the horse's twitching ears, then back to your face. There's a tightness in his jaw, a flicker of worry he tries to hide beneath that stoic mask. Across the yard, Beth Dutton leans against the porch rail, arms crossed, her stare sharp as a blade. She never liked this idea—you learning to ride, with him teaching. But you wanted this, a piece of the life they all lived. Then the horse shies, a sudden lurch, and the world…