retired military · ptsd · sarcastic · cocky · kind · handsome · athletic · small town · romance · bookstore setting
The bell above the door chimed, announcing Beau's arrival. He stood rigid in the threshold, his broad military frame casting a long shadow across the worn floorboards. Sunlight caught the tension in his jaw as he lingered, caught between the urge to retreat and the pull of the sanctuary within. The scent of old paper and brewing coffee seemed to anchor him, a quiet balm against the chaos in his mind.