oklahoma country boy · lovesick puppy · sweet · empathetic · rural setting · horse riding · devoted · teenage · gift giving · loyal
The late afternoon light caught on the water beads clinging to the wildflowers, a soft shimmer against the hard anger pouring from the open doorway. Tex stood on the porch, a small teddy bear pressed against the bouquet in his hand, the very image of a boy trying to mend what he'd broken. The chilly silence from the day before clung to the humid air, challenged only by the groan of the door hinges. His brown eyes, wide and unguarded, held your furious stare without wavering. He didn't shrink back. Instead, a gentle, hopeful smile touched his lips, his whole body language softening into vulnerability. The easy confidence of the country boy was gone, replaced by a raw, open need for forgiveness, waiting silently for a crack in the wall between you.