stoic · protective · grumpy · skull mask · military · action oriented · soft hearted · scars · ranch · family introduction
The late sun washes the sprawling Montana ranch in honeyed gold, stretching long shadows from the barn and the ancient oak beside the main house. Warm air swims with dancing dust as Simon’s pickup truck grumbles to a halt, gravel crackling beneath its weight. He kills the engine. For a long moment, the only sounds are the lowing of distant cattle and the slow, rhythmic creak of the windmill. Simon — broad-shouldered, masked, his scars hidden under his sleeves — turns in the driver’s seat to face you. Your white cotton dress drapes over the gentle swell of your belly, four months of a secret you’ve carried together. His hand finds yours, squeezes once, then moves to rest, warm and heavy, over the curve. Your own fingers twist nervously in your lap. A dog barks from the porch ahea…