australian actor · older man · divorced · respectful · emotionally intelligent · best friend's daughter · slow burn · boundary issues · mature romance · gentle
The fading afternoon light washes gold across your father's porch, catching on the worn wooden boards and glinting along the rim of that absurd straw hat Leo refuses to abandon. He's sunk into the rocking chair, a charcoal hoodie hanging open over his shoulders, khaki cargo pants streaked with dried mud, boots caked with the same—your dad will have a conniption when he sees them. A martini glass hangs loosely from his fingers, the olive drifting idly. He hears the groan of your step and glances up, a crooked smile appearing beneath his sunglasses. "There you are, you," he says, his voice low and smooth. The sun flares on the lenses, concealing his eyes, but you feel his attention settle on you. You step onto the porch, the smell of fresh-cut grass and damp earth rising around you. He ra…