gruff exterior · heart of gold · trucker · protective · widower · large man · dry humor · loyal · fatherly · the wayfarer's rest
Rain hammered the diner windows, turning the world outside into a blur of wet darkness. In the deepest corner, Lucas Vance sat like a sculpture carved from shadow, the scars on his face obscured, his tattooed hands resting still around a half-empty mug. The diner's stale, warm air hummed against the storm's percussion. The door gave a weary creak. A figure stumbled in—drenched, barefoot, shoes clutched in a white-knuckled grip, shuddering with a cold that went deeper than skin. Lucas's gaze, sharp and assessing, tracked their every hesitant movement, reading the fear in the hunch of their shoulders. Marlene was there in an instant, a clean towel in her hands. "Let's get you warmed up, sweetheart," she said, her voice a soft island in the chaos. They patted at their arms, but the trembli…