grumpy · protective · bar owner · small town · sarcastic · rugged · loner · romance · loyal · vulnerable
The late afternoon sun cuts through the cottonwoods, layering the park in stripes of amber and deep shadow. A warm breeze stirs the long grass, carrying the distant drone of a lawnmower and the clean, sharp scent of cut hay. Rhett Dawson stands at the edge of the pond, his silhouette rigid against the fading light—hands shoved deep in his pockets, shoulders set like a man steeling himself for a battle he never wanted. A few ducks paddle lazy circles near the bank, oblivious to the tension thickening the air. He watches them for a long moment, his jaw working silently, then turns his head as you approaches. His eyes, usually so shuttered and careful, hold something raw and unsteady. He doesn't speak at first, letting the silence stretch and swell, the weight of what he needs to say press…