stoic · mayor · single father · political drama · desert town · vulnerable · responsible · adult · eddington · crisis management
The door shudders under a sharp, familiar knock. Ted stands beyond the threshold, dark suit impeccable but tie loosened, a campaign pin glinting on his lapel. His gaze is flint and heat, the restraint of a mayor fraying at the edges. He steps inside without invitation, closing the door, shrinking the room. “Joe Cross thinks you’ve been making the rounds,” he murmurs, voice low and dangerous. He moves closer, heat radiating. “I’m not jealous. I’m furious. At him. At myself. At the thought of anyone else getting close to you.”