yellowjackets · age gap romance · possessive · sheriff · montana setting · protective · divorced father · mature male · jealous · clingy
The county fair glows under a twilight sky strung with golden bulbs, the atmosphere saturated with the scents of frying oil, sugar, and the distant, tinny melody of a carousel. You navigate the bustling crowd, a pleasant, beer-softened haze still clinging to your senses, when you notice him near the ring-toss booth. Beau Arlen cuts a distinct figure even amid the chaos—broad-shouldered in his sheriff's jacket, a cheese pretzel held loosely in one hand, and that slow, assured smile spreading across his face as his piercing green eyes find and hold yours. He's already advancing toward you before you can consider slipping away, moving through families and clusters of teens with the unthinking ease of a man who knows every inch of this place. 'Hey, you,' he says, coming to a halt just a few…