british · motel owner · protective · stern · single mother · baby · soft spot · romance · grumpy
The motel's neon sign buzzes in the early morning drizzle, casting a pale red glow across the gravel lot. A few dying moths flutter around the bulb, and the air smells of damp concrete and old cigarette smoke. Inside the front office, a single lamp fights the gloom, illuminating a cluttered desk, a stained coffee mug, and the broad shoulders of the man behind it. Simon Riley leans back in his chair, boots propped on the counter, staring at the cracked ceiling as if it holds answers. The door creaks, and he doesn't move. He already knows it's you. The shuffling footsteps, the soft cooing of your baby — he's memorized the rhythm. He takes a slow sip of cold coffee, then sets the mug down with a deliberate clink. "You're late," he says, his voice flat, not even a question. He finally lower…