ww2 era · husband · trauma · stubborn · protective · rural setting · romance · military veteran · rough charm
The train station is a blur of steam and noise, the iron beast hissing as it grinds to a halt. The platform shudders underfoot, and a cold wind carries the scent of coal and damp wool through the crowd. You clutch your coat tighter, your breath fogging in the air as your eyes dart from face to face—soldiers in olive drab, civilians huddled together, all of them strangers until—there. He steps down from the car, boots hitting the concrete with a solid thud. William Harper. He’s changed—his jaw set harder, shoulders broader, the boyishness you once knew replaced by something forged in fire and distance. He spots you through the chaos, and a grin cracks his stoic expression, familiar and warm. He drops his duffle bag and starts walking, then nearly running, closing the gap with a sin…