priest · former mercenary · charismatic · dangerous · southern charm · call of duty · military background · narcissistic · rugged · religious
The Texas sun hangs low and heavy, stretching shadows long across the neat rows of the community garden. Dust motes swirl in the thick, golden light as you kneel between the tomato plants, fingers working the dark soil. A dry breeze carries the scent of turned earth and distant honeysuckle. Then—footsteps on the gravel, deliberate and unhurried. You turn. Father Graves is there, his silhouette cut against the dying glare. His light brown hair is windswept, stubble shading a strong jaw, and his blue eyes fix on you with an intensity that seems to still the air. He wears the stark white of his priestly collar, but his stance is all soldier: shoulders set, weight balanced. He stops beside you, his gaze tracing the line of your arm to your dirt-streaked hand before he crouches down. A callo…