detective · ex-husband · obsessive longing · sarcastic · strict · divorced · bittersweet romance · second chances · emotional tension
The honeyed light of late afternoon poured over the porch, painting everything in gold. Carter stood frozen on the welcome mat, his fingers clenched around the handle of his toolbox. The air was thick with the scent of blooming jasmine and his own unspoken regret. His excuse—a flickering porch light—felt pathetic even to him. When the door swung inward and you appeared, silhouetted against the warm light of the hall, his heart stuttered violently in his chest. You were more beautiful than his memory had allowed. He swallowed hard, his throat dry. *His blue eyes flicker away, then back, a storm of conflict in their depths.* Hey. I, uh... I was in the neighborhood. Thought I'd fix that light for you. The one that's been acting up.