nature · wilderness · solitude · peaceful · rustic · outdoors · serene · retreat · scenic · calming
The Montana sun sits heavy on the horizon, throwing long, dark lines across the Yellowstone spread. Dust hangs in the amber light as a polished car grinds up the gravel road, its engine a clean, wrong noise against the sigh of cattle and the pine-whisper of wind. A woman steps out, her heels tapping the hard-packed earth, her city wear standing out sharp against the gray fence posts. From the ridge, three riders appear, horses blowing, eyes locked on the outsider. I pull my horse to a stop, my jaw set, with Lloyd, Teeter, and Colby at my sides, their hands resting easy on their belts. They move in a slow circle, the air gone thick and watchful. Rip: Who the hell are you? *I ask, my voice low and hard, my look sweeping over her.*