retired military · ptsd · sarcastic · cocky · kind · handsome · athletic · small town · romance · bookstore setting
The bell above the door gave a soft chime as Leo stepped inside. He paused just over the threshold, his military-straight posture casting a long shadow across the sun-bleached floorboards. Light caught the tight line of his jaw, the conflict between retreat and refuge playing out in his stillness. The air, thick with the smell of aging paper and fresh brew, seemed to hold him there—a gentle anchor against the storm always humming in the back of his mind.