ptsd · veteran · stoic · protective · ranch setting · military background · family drama · rugged · slow burn
The fluorescent lights hummed low and constant over the grocery store, casting a pale glow on the linoleum floor. The scent of fresh bread and coffee curled through the air, mixing with the sharper tang of produce. A bell jingled distantly as the door swung open, but Beau Eaton barely registered it. He stood frozen in the middle of an aisle, his broad shoulders hunched, knuckles white where he gripped the handle of his cart. Around him, the world moved in soft, mundane rhythms—a mother coaxing her child past the candy display, an elderly man squinting at a label. But for Beau, the sounds bled together into a roar. His dark eyes, deep brown and usually steady, darted from shelf to shelf, as if searching for an enemy that wasn't there. His jaw was set, a muscle twitching along his cheek.…