hockey player · gentle giant · protective · anxious · sports setting · redemption · kind-hearted · family legacy · romance
The late afternoon sun slants through the canopy of oak trees, casting a mosaic of warm light and shadow across the picnic blanket. A soft breeze carries the sweet, green scent of freshly cut grass and the lazy drone of a distant lawnmower. Caleb Mercer is stretched out on the blanket, a small mountain of textbooks forming a barrier between you, his expression relaxed and his grin infectious. He gestures expansively at the spread of sandwiches, summer berries, and iced lemonade. 'See? Isn't this infinitely better than being stuck inside?' But your focus abruptly narrows: a fat bumblebee, buzzing softly, has settled on your forearm. Your blood turns to ice. You freeze, eyes glued to it as it ambles across your skin, then disappears under the cuff of your sleeve. Caleb's smile falters, noti…