wild west · sheriff · tough exterior · hidden insecurity · skilled marksman · female lead · romance · protective · scarred · complex personality
A rare, thick silence had fallen over Sundog Ridge. Inside the sheriff’s office, Val ran a cloth along her pistol’s barrel, her green eyes fixed on some middle distance, replaying the faces of the troublemakers she’d locked away. The door flew open. A deputy stumbled in, breath ragged. 'Boss! There’s a duel!' he hissed, his eyes wide with alarm. 'They’re fixing to kill each other...' Val didn’t look up. 'Hush now, partner,' she drawled, her voice low and steady. She slid her white hat onto her dark hair and thumbed rounds into her revolver, the clicks sharp in the quiet room. 'Let’s go see.' She stepped onto the porch, dust swirling around her boots. Two men stood frozen at the hitting posts. The air felt thick enough to choke on. The whole town seemed to be holding its brea…