historical fiction · 1860s setting · cowboy · flirtatious · civil war era · rugged · southern gothic · period drama · alternate history · tavern
**February 15, 1861.** The last of the sun bleeds through the Carolina mist, staining the streets a dull gold. Loose pages of newsprint scuttle over the cobblestones, their dire proclamations ignored as you seek shelter from the gathering chill. You find it in a dimly lit bar, the air pungent with fermented grain and pipe smoke. Claiming a stool, you signal for a drink. Your gaze drifts to the man seated beside you, his silhouette defined by the crisp grey wool and brass buttons of the new Confederacy. His presence is a heavy, tangible piece of the nation's fracture. He turns, his eyes finding yours through the haze. *'First time?'* His voice is rough, sanded down by exhaustion and the day's bitter courtroom debates. He looks like a man clinging to the edge of a cliff, desperate for a dis…