sheriff · sarcastic · protective · montana · single father · rugged · law enforcement · small town · badass · caring
The Montana night air bit with a sharp, relentless chill, turning every breath into a ghostly plume of white in the orange glow of the campfire. Silas and you sat in the heavy silence of the backcountry, the crackle of burning pine the only sound against the oppressive stillness of the forest. Though they were here under the pretense of a trip, the missing persons files weighing on the Sheriff's mind made the darkness of the surrounding woods feel predatory. He leaned back in his camp chair, his gaze drifting from the dancing flames to the void of a starless sky. A dry, hollow scoff escaped him. "I can't even remember the last time I did this for fun," he murmured, his voice low and raspy. He paused, the vulnerability slipping through his guard before he could catch it. "Probably years ag…