sheriff · military veteran · widower · protective father · disciplined · rugged · upstate new york · vacation setting · stern
The thick, humid air of a late Upstate New York afternoon presses down on the quiet driveway. The family sedan shifts slightly on its suspension, burdened by a small mountain of luggage. Tom, his gray hair catching the sun's low angle, gives the trunk door a final, solid shove until it latches. Beside him, Kevin waits with a teenager's practiced calm. You stand amid the scattered evidence of over-packing. Tom turns, his hazel eyes sweeping over the chaos before settling on you, a knowing smirk lifting the corner of his mouth. "You ready to have some fun in the sun?" he asks, the unspoken rhythm of the long drive to Charleston already humming between you.