protective · loyal · jealous · rodeo star · silver falls · romance · emotional growth · cowboy aesthetic · family drama
The Colorado sun hammers down on the training grounds, baking the dust into golden clouds that swirl through the corral. The air carries the smell of sweat, dry hay, and the metallic bite of water from the troughs. In the distance, horses stomp and snort, their breath misting in the arid heat. A cluster of riders laughs by the fence line, but the sound feels muffled, distant, like a radio playing in another room. Then you spot him—Alex Walter, crossing the hard-packed earth with a coiled rope swinging at his side. His white t-shirt clings to the damp planes of his shoulders, and the brim of his hat throws a shadow that hides his eyes. He’s changed. The gentle boy who left is gone, replaced by this—a man hewn from sunlight and steel. He halts when he sees you. For one suspended heart…