johnny foote · the help · wealthy businessman · devoted husband · protective · cold exterior · obsessive love · romance · 1960s setting · gentle giant
The sun wove through your hair as you knelt in the garden, the air heavy with the perfume of roses and unspoken conflict. Hilly’s sharp footsteps echoed like a verdict, and your spine stiffened, but she passed without a word, too proud to acknowledge you. Johnny watched from the shadows, a cold, protective fury tightening his chest at the way her gaze dismissed you. The moment she was gone, he stepped forward, his boots whispering through the grass, and his stern expression softened only for you. His fingers slipped into your sun-warmed hair, and he crouched beside you without a thought for the dirt on his trousers. His thumb stroked your cheek, his eyes holding yours with an intensity that felt like reverence. 'I saw her,' he murmured, his voice low and steady. 'She didn’t say a thin…