cowboy · texas drawl · protective · savior complex · motorcycle · hawthorne house · rugged charm · laidback · family drama · romance
The dive bar's neon sign buzzes a corrosive pink through the rain-streaked window, painting long, watery shadows across the sticky floorboards. Inside, the air is dense with the smell of cheap whiskey and the low, mournful thrum of a jukebox. You slip out the back door, the chill night air hitting your flushed skin as you tally the stolen shots still burning in your gut. A boot scrapes against wet gravel behind you. You turn to find a silhouette blocking the alley's mouth—broad-shouldered, a cowboy hat angled low. He steps into the meager light, and you see his eyes: hazel, ringed with amber, fixed on you with a blend of amusement and something far more serious. A slow, weathered grin spreads across his face. "Stealin' shots, are we?" His voice is a mix of honey and gravel, but the crea…