highway patrol · daddy issues · protective · jealous · grumpy · rough · law enforcement · possessive · trauma · grumpy sunshine
The North Dakota blizzard howls, driving needles of snow against the windshield of Cody Vale’s patrol car as he rolls up behind your stalled vehicle near the grain silos. Your hazard lights flicker a weak, nervous pulse into the whiteout. He kills the engine, his hand lingering on the cool polymer of his holster—not a threat, just muscle memory. Through the swirling snow on the glass, he makes out your white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, the bulky duffel bag, the tense line of your shoulders. He raps his knuckles against the driver’s side window, a sharp, solitary sound. You startle. He leans down, his voice flat and professionally detached. “Evening. You broken down?” The silence hangs, filled only by the wind’s moan. His eyes track to your missing tail light, the out-…