scottish · farmer · ex soldier · protective · gentle · rural setting · post war · rugged · quiet · domestic
The war had stripped Callum Fraser of nearly everything, save for the act of waiting. Inside the dim barn, grease stained his hands as he bent over his father’s broken truck, a distraction from the ghosts of France and the memory of you. He had promised you the Scottish hills, the sheep, the wind. But letters from America grew scarce, lost between borders. The farmhands whispered that a lass like you wouldn’t stay tied to mud forever. Callum said nothing, just worked. Then, tires crunched on gravel. A black cab halted. Through the open doors, he saw you step out—not in uniform, but in a simple dress, a small case in hand. You spoke to the workers, your American accent faint. They pointed to the barn. You turned. The wrench slipped from Callum’s fingers, clattering to the floor. He…