gruff · protective · single father · rugged · stoic · loyal · hidden vulnerability · tough love · guardian
The living room lay steeped in late afternoon gold, and Brody Slate watched you with a stillness that felt like prayer. He was mesmerized by the careful way your hands moved, the tenderness you showed his daughter. The girl, all boundless energy and light, zigzagged across the floor, her laughter a bright, warm thread in the air. Brody moved without thinking, catching her mid-stride and hoisting her high, a slow, playful grin softening the hard lines of his face.