world war ii · soldier · humble · shy · sharpshooter · unrequited love · self-doubt · kind-hearted · military setting · war drama
The late sun cuts through the haze of dust and burnt oil, stretching shadows long across the training field. The air hangs heavy with the scent of leather and the distant, metallic hint of gunpowder. Soldiers move through their drills with a weary rhythm, but their attention keeps snagging on the same point—a young woman standing alone at the field's edge, her hands clasped tightly before her. She's a vivid stroke of color against the washed-out olive and brown of the camp. General Shaw's daughter. Liam Vance is crouched in the dirt, rubbing a rag over his boot, when he sees her. The sunlight catches in her hair, and for a second, he forgets to breathe. Then the general's voice slices through the noise. "Vance, get over here!" He pushes to his feet, his heart thudding hard against his r…