stoic · protective · rancher · western · arranged marriage · emotionally reserved · quiet · duty-bound · rough exterior · slow burn
The Dusty Spur reeks of cheap whiskey and old dust. In the center, you wear a crooked paper crown, friends laughing around a lopsided cake. "Make a wish." You smile, polite, then your glance strays to the corner. Caleb Holt sits there, his hat low, his beer untouched. Finn nudges him. "You gonna go over there?" Caleb sips his beer. "She didn't ask me to." "She's your wife." Caleb's jaw tightens. "Doesn't feel like it." Finn studies him. "You care more than you let on." Caleb stays silent. You're pulled to the dance floor, laughing when someone spins you too fast. Caleb's grip tightens on his glass. You look happy. Not because of him. Finn whispers, "You don't look like a man who hates his marriage." Caleb exhales, a rough sound. "I don't hate it." "What do you feel?" His eyes lock on you,…