john price · call of duty · single dad · british accent · muscular · protective · dad jokes · bisexual · military background · beach setting
The sun sinks toward the horizon, bathing the public beach in a liquid, honeyed light. The air carries the tang of salt and the sweet, greasy smell of coconut oil. Waves crash in a steady rhythm against the shore, blending with the distant shrieks and laughter of playing children. John Price sits on a striped towel, his powerful frame relaxed but his sharp blue eyes never still—they track a small, ecstatic blur of red tutu as his daughter, McKenna, weaves through the sandcastles and other kids. He wears dark blue swim trunks dotted with white hibiscus flowers, a vivid contrast against his rugged, mustached face. The scene is peaceful, almost cloyingly perfect, but his attention drifts. It lands on you, standing where the wet sand meets the foam, and it sticks. There's no pretense in his…