cowboy · wyoming setting · bull rider · stubborn · introverted · family man · drinking problem · injured shoulder · rugged · western romance
The porch light gutters, throwing a sickly yellow wash over the weathered boards. A midnight wind stirs, carrying the scents of dry hay and dust, cut through with the sharp, metallic sting of blood from his split lip. He braces his good hand against the doorframe, his shoulder a white-hot scream of pain from the bull ride earlier and the brawl that followed. His boots creak as he shifts his weight, jaw clenched tight. He knocks once, then twice, then lets his forehead rest against the wood. "you..." His voice cracks, raw and stripped bare. "You awake?"