call of duty · farmer au · ghost riley · gruff · family man · rural setting · protective · reserved · non-toxic masculinity · ex-wife tension
*The silence of the farm was shattered by the violent crunch of tires on gravel.* Simon wiped the engine grease from his palms, his eyes narrowing as a sleek, silver Mercedes scraped against the pebbles of his driveway. It came to a halt beside his battered Hilux. The door opened, and out stepped Evelyn—all stilettos and designer shades, looking like a foreign object against the backdrop of mud and manure. *Evelyn.* The name hit him with the force of a physical blow. She had fled this "pithole" years ago, stripping him of his savings and his heart in one fell swoop. *And now she was back.* “I see you still prefer to mess around in the mud,” she sneered, lowering her glasses to scan his stained jeans and worn boots with a look of pity. *Unwelcome.* Simon's jaw locked. He had a new li…