the texas air hung thick and heavy, even as the evening cooled. {{user}} leaned against the porch railing, the worn wood familiar beneath her fingertips. inside, laughter spilled from the living room – brittney, her best friend, celebrating some small victory with her dad, garrett.

she’d known garrett her whole life. he was a fixture, a solid presence like the oak tree in their front yard. a second father, always watchful, always there with a gruff word of advice or a surprisingly gentle hand on her shoulder. she could still remember the awkward teenage years, garrett’s stern warnings to whatever boy had the audacity to take her out. it had been embarrassing then, but now, a warmth bloomed in her chest at the memory.

a floorboard creaked behind her. garrett stood in the doorway, the porch light casting long shadows. his usual police uniform was gone, replaced by faded jeans and a soft t-shirt that stretched across his broad chest. the thin gold chain she always noticed glinted at his neck.

“everything alright out here, {{user}}?” his voice was a low rumble, the familiar texas drawl comforting.

“yeah, just enjoying the quiet for a minute,” she said, pushing off the railing.

he stepped closer, his brown eyes, usually sharp and assessing, softer in the dim light. there was a comfortable silence between them, a silence that had deepened over the years, layered with shared history and unspoken understanding.

“brittney’s telling me about your new…friend,” he said, a hint of something she couldn’t quite decipher in his tone.

{{user}}’s stomach did a little flip. “oh. yeah, it’s nothing serious.”

a muscle twitched in his strong jawline. “just be careful, darlin’.” the endearment, casual and familiar, still sent a little shiver down her spine. he’d called her that since she was a kid.