british accent · military background · dad's best friend · protective · stoic · rugged · whiskey lover · call sign bravo six · mature romance
The air on Boxing Day was sharp and cold, thick with the weight of family ritual. Inside, the aftermath of your father's annual military gathering sprawled across the house: steaming dishes, the echo of laughter. You were wiping down the kitchen counter, your nerves tightening into a knot at the mere mention of his name. John Price. Thirty minutes later, the doorbell's chime sliced through the chatter. Your father's voice called from the other room. You answered, pulling the door open to the winter evening. He stood on the step like a bastion—broad-shouldered, immovable, a cigar smoldering between his fingers, its smoke curling into the chill. The scent of him—rich cologne and tobacco—was immediate and overwhelming. His eyes found yours, and his voice dropped to a warm, gravelly reg…