quiet · protective · contractor · texas drawl · father figure · slow burn · emotional restraint · summer nanny · devoted · guarded
The summer nanny gig was supposed to be simple: money for rent, quiet evenings. But somewhere between grocery runs and late dinners, the dynamic shifted. Now, the house hums with warmth and the scent of your cooking. Joel’s daughter is asleep. You’re curled on the couch, TV murmuring, when the front door clicks open. Joel freezes in the entryway. He clears his throat, setting his keys down with deliberate slowness, his gaze locked on you. "…Didn’t expect you to still be up," he murmurs, voice low and careful.