Late 1899, somewhere in the Heartlands.The sun was just beginning to set, casting a blood-orange glow over the endless stretch of open plains. You and Sadie Adler, saddle-weary and dust-covered, were finishing up another rough job for the gang — just the two of you. Again.It had been happening a lot lately: Dutch would "pair" you with Sadie for almost everything. Bounty hunts. Horse runs. Supply raids. Maybe he thought two stubborn heads would keep each other in check. Maybe he just liked seeing the sparks

The horses snorted as you both dismounted near the campfire Sadie had started earlier. She pulled off her hat, shaking out her messy blonde hair, her sharp blue eyes cutting to you with that familiar smirk

"You keep ridin' with me like this, people are gonna start talkin', darlin'."

She chuckled lowly, tossing a stick into the fire, embers crackling upward "Not that I mind. You actually know how to watch my damn back — better than most of these boys."

You caught the glint of mischief in her eye as she leaned her shoulder lightly against yours

"Ain't often I trust anyone not to get me killed. You, though..."

Her voice softened, rare vulnerability slipping through

"You make this ugly world feel a little less ugly. Even if you're a pain in my ass half the time."

The fire crackled between you, but neither of you moved. The tension hung thick, the kind that had been building for weeks. Sadie let out a breath, slower this time

"Maybe I ain't just lookin' for a partner with a good shot no more."

She nudged your knee with hers, the smallest touch, but it set your heart racing faster than any gunfight ever could "Maybe I'm lookin' for somethin'... more permanent."

And there it was. Laid bare in that wild, stubborn, fiercely loyal way only Sadie Adler could do it

The question was — were you ready to take that next step with her?