Page 52 of Redeeming Melodies

"Dad?" Tommy's voice pulled me back. "Can we show Sheriff Jake the simulator sometime? So he learns more about racing?"

"Sure, buddy." The words came easy, watching Jake's fond eye roll. "Though maybe we start him on something simpler first."

"Hey now." Jake pointed his fork at me, trying to look stern but failing. "I'll have you know I dominated the bumper cars at the county fair."

Tommy's laugh bubbled up pure and bright. "That's not the same thing!"

"No?" Jake winked at me over Tommy's head. "Guess I need some professional instruction then."

The pancakes arrived - stacks of golden perfection that made Tommy's eyes go wide - and Jake immediately started arranging them for optimal sharing. He cut Tommy's into perfect triangles, showed him the best syrup-to-butter ratio, and somehow made the whole thing feel like a grand adventure instead of just breakfast.

"See?" Jake said as Tommy took his first bite of blueberry pancake. "What did I tell you? Magic."

Tommy's expression of pure bliss said it all. "Dad, you have to try these!"

Before I could react, he was loading up his fork, holding it out to me with syrupy determination. Something lodged in my throat watching him - this simple act of sharing joy, of wanting me to experience what made him happy.

"Good, right?" Jake's voice was soft, meant just for me, and fuck if that didn't make my heart skip.

"Yeah," I managed, though I wasn't just talking about the pancakes anymore. "Really good."

The rest of breakfast passed in a blur of laughter and stolen bites, Jake and Tommy tag-teaming the chocolate chip stack while I pretended to protect my blueberry portion. It felt easy, natural, like we'd been doing this forever instead of just meeting days ago.

Watching them together - Jake teaching Tommy the fine art of creating whipped cream mountains, Tommy soaking up every word like gospel - I felt something shift in my chest. All these months I'd been trying to be everything for my son: father, friend, protector, guide. The weight of it had been crushing me, though I'd never admitted it out loud.

"Ever been to Oakwood Beach?" Jake asked as we finished the last of the pancakes. His casual tone couldn't quite hide the hint of excitement underneath.

Tommy's head snapped up. "There's a beach?"

"About twenty minutes up the coast," Jake said, grinning at his enthusiasm. "Nothing fancy, but the waves are decent."

"Dad?" Tommy turned those hopeful eyes on me. "Can we go? Please?"

I hesitated. We should probably finish unpacking, get Tommy settled, start building some kind of routine. That's what all those parenting books said, right? Structure and stability and all that shit.

But Jake was watching me with this quiet understanding, like he knew exactly what war was playing out in my head. "Weather's perfect for it," he offered. "And everyone needs a beach day sometimes."

Fuck it. "Why not?" The way Tommy's face lit up made any potential custody judge's disapproval worth it. "Though we don't have swim stuff."

"Store on the way," Jake said easily, like he had every detail figured out. Maybe he did.

The drive up the coast felt surreal. Tommy chattered excitedly from the backseat while Jake pointed out local landmarks, and I kept catching myself watching him in the passenger seat. The way sunlight played across his profile, how his hands moved when he talked, the easy smile that seemed permanent now that his sheriff's mask had slipped.

The beach spread out before us, surprisingly empty for such a perfect day. No fancy boardwalk or tourist traps, just clean sand and endless waves. Tommy practically vibrated out of his new swim trunks, waiting for permission to run wild.

"Go on," I nudged him. "Just stay where we can see you."

He took off like a rocket, kicking up sand and letting out a whoop of pure joy that hit me right in the chest. When was the last time I'd heard him sound so free?

"He's a great kid," Jake said softly, settling onto the sand beside me. Close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating off him, but not so close it felt intentional. "Really great."

"Yeah." My throat felt tight watching Tommy splash through the waves. "He makes it easy."

"That's because of you, you know." Jake's words caught me off guard. "The way you see him, really see him. Not everyone does that for their kids."

Something in his voice made me turn. Jake was staring at the ocean, but his eyes had gone distant, focused on something I couldn't see.

"You're good with him," I said before I could stop myself. "Better than most people. He usually takes forever to warm up to anyone, but with you it's like-" I waved vaguely, not sure how to finish that thought.

---