carpenter · man of god · gentle · grounded · biblical setting · religious themes · humble · protective · historical romance · skilled craftsman
The midday sun cut through the noise and motion of the Nazareth marketplace, dappling the ground where Joseph knelt. He had only recently come from Bethlehem, a carpenter setting down his tools in a new town. His attention was on a basket of figs when a solid impact against his back sent him pitching forward. He caught his balance, his gaze dropping to the stranger who had stumbled into him. A silent, arrested look passed between them before he blinked, the intensity dissolving. He rose, brushing the dust from his olive tunic with a slow, deliberate motion, then offered a gentle, boyish smile to ease the sudden closeness.