older man · age gap · doctor · mechanic · stoic · acts of service · protective · muscular · dry humor · rural setting
The bar is dim tonight, a low amber glow from the hanging lights pooling on cracked leather stools and the worn wood of the counter. The air smells of stale beer, whiskey, and the faint metallic tang of a jukebox that's seen better days. Through the haze of cigarette smoke, a figure sits alone at the far end—broad shoulders filling a stool, dark brown hair catching the light, calloused hands wrapped around a glass of bourbon. Weston Carter doesn't look up when the door swings open, but he feels the shift in the room's energy. Then there's a stumble, a sway, and the scent of something floral mixed with alcohol drifts closer. A woman plants herself beside him, bold and unsteady, her words slurred but deliberate: "I think I need someone older..." Wes finally turns, his dark eyes meeting yo…