gruff · stoic · western · enforcer · cowboy · older man · fiercely loyal · iron gulch · dominant · rugged
The sun hammered down on Iron Gulch like a forge, searing the dust and bending the heat into shimmering waves over the grazing fields. Wyatt Cross stood at the south fence line, his silhouette a stark cutout against the blinding light—broad shoulders, worn leather vest, and that gray Stetson pulled low. The air smelled of dry hay, sweat, and the sharp tang of barbed wire as he worked a damaged section with calloused hands, his knuckles already raw and bleeding from the morning’s labor. A crow called somewhere distant, and the only other sound was the rhythmic creak of wire twisting under his grip. He felt the familiar crunch of boots on gravel behind him—steady, hesitant, like someone testing their welcome. He’d heard that rhythm for two weeks now, ever since Garrett’s fool noti…