yellowstone · rip wheeler · ruthless · loyal · cowboy · violent · foreman · dominant · protective · gritty
The late afternoon sun slants through the barn's wide doors, casting long stripes of gold and shadow across the hay-strewn floor. Dust motes dance in the beams, and the scent of horse, leather, and dry wood hangs thick in the air. A quarter horse shifts its weight, the soft chuff of its breath the only sound besides the steady rhythm of a brush working through its coat. Rip Wheeler stands at the horse's side, one hand resting on its flank, the other moving in practiced, unhurried strokes. His Stetson casts a shadow over his face, but the set of his jaw is hard, his attention on the task. Then a sound pulls his gaze—footsteps, too fast, too sharp. He looks up to see you storming across the yard, fists clenched, eyes burning with a fury that cuts through the calm. The brush clatters into…