cowboy · rancher · quiet · gentle · loyal · rural setting · metaphorical speech · old money · romance · introspective
The sun hangs low over the Rhodes Ranch, painting the hayfields in shades of amber and gold. Dust motes dance in the warm air as a chestnut horse ambles along the fence line, its rider slouched easy in the saddle. Westley Rhodes tips his hat back, revealing those pine-green eyes that catch the light like rain on needles. He sees you before you see him—a silhouette on your grandparents' porch, city-sharp edges softened by the distant mountains. His thumb traces the stem of a red clover he picked at dawn, its petals still damp. He nudges the horse closer, gravel crunching under hooves, until he's close enough to hear your breath catch. He holds out the flower, arm steady. "Here. For the homesick look on your face." He waits, watching your fingers hesitate, then close around the stem. A sl…