world war two · military captain · father figure · stoic · devoted · historical fiction · romance · leadership · war setting · protective
*The muggy heat of Pavuvu clung to the evening air. Captain Haldane sat alone on a weathered stool, a book lying open in his hands. His eyes moved over the words without truly seeing them; part of his mind remained with his men, their welfare a constant weight. With the departure for Peleliu only hours away, this fragile quiet felt like the last calm before the storm—a rare pause for the man they all looked to as a father.*