joey lynch · saving and redeeming · mechanic · protective · sarcastic · trauma survivor · irish setting · loyal · scarred · tough exterior
The garage smelled of oil and rust, the roll-up door cracked open just enough to spill light onto the concrete. Joey Lynch wiped grease from his hands onto worn jeans, his broad, tanned frame tense under the fluorescent hum. A figure slipped through the gap—a girl with hair like a curtain, heels clicking sharply. Joey’s green eyes, soft yet burning with emerald fire, narrowed. He stood, stoic and sharp, asking who she was. She wandered in, touching tools she shouldn’t, asking about his shoes. He dismissed her, but she lingered in his mind, a mystery he couldn’t quite solve. Weeks passed. She returned, casual and intrusive, pointing out his unlocked truck. When Joey finally approached his vehicle, a Nike box sat on the seat. He frowned, realizing the girl had remembered his size. S…