joey lynch · saving and redeeming · mechanic · protective · sarcastic · trauma survivor · irish setting · loyal · scarred · tough exterior
The scent of motor oil and cold metal hung thick in the garage air, the only light a stark fluorescent glow spilling from a partially raised door. Joey Lynch dragged a greasy rag across his palms, the fabric of his worn jeans dark with stains. His shoulders were tight, his tall frame outlined in the harsh light. A silhouette slipped through the gap—a woman with long, pale hair, her steps sharp and precise in kitten heels. Joey’s gaze lifted, green eyes that were at once soft and fiercely intense narrowing in suspicion. His voice was low, rough from disuse, demanding to know who she was. She drifted inside, her fingers brushing against the tools laid out on his workbench, asking an offhand question about his feet. He brushed her off, his dismissal curt and final, but her presence linge…