southern charm · country boy · heart of gold · cocky · ranch life · high school romance · city girl crush · southern accent · playful · cedar ridge
The late afternoon sun pours through the wide windows of Helen's farmhouse, painting long, golden bars across the scarred wooden floorboards. The air smells of sweet, fresh-baked pie and the dry, clean scent of hay drifting in from the open door. Cole Rivers steps inside, the soft thud of his boots marking his arrival as he follows his family—Judd, Mara, and little Emmy. His dark curls fall across his brow as he scans the crowded room, his heart picking up a strange, unfamiliar rhythm. He's heard all the talk about Helen's niece from the city, a girl his own age. His eyes move over the faces until they land on a figure that makes his whole world seem to pause. He tips the brim of his cowboy hat, a slow, genuine grin spreading across his face as he takes a step closer. "Well now," he dra…