Page 23 of Pretending with the Mountain Man
“Plenty,” I assure her. “But fall in the mountains means apple cider. It's non-negotiable."
"I’ll take both then. But I’ll start with my coffee and grab the cider after." Smiling, she comes to stand beside me, watching my hands work. "I'd like to know more about you. The real you, not just the sexy dominant mountain man persona."
"What do you want to know?" I pour the eggs into the heated pan, adding the vegetables.
"Everything," she says simply. "But let's start with how you ended up in Crimson Hollow."
I focus on folding the omelet while I consider my answer. "Military career ended. Needed somewhere quiet to raise Sage after her mother left. Found this town by accident during a cross-country drive. Something about the mountains spoke to me."
"Man of few words, aren't you?" She bumps her hip against mine. "When did Sage's mom leave?"
"When Sage was eight." I flip the bacon sizzling in another pan. "Decided family life wasn't for her. Then signed away her parental rights and disappeared to Europe with her yoga instructor."
Melody's hand comes to rest on my forearm. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. The best thing she ever did for Sage was leave cleanly instead of drifting in and out of her life." I plate the food, gesturing for Melody to sit at the small kitchen table. "Your turn. Tell me something about your family."
She settles into a chair, tucking one leg beneath her. "Let’s see if I can do this like you. Only child. Parents still together, living in Toronto. Dad's an accountant, Mom teaches kindergarten. They're good people, just... conventional. They wanted me to marry a nice lawyer or doctor, have three kids and a house in the suburbs."
"Instead, you became a teacher and ran off to a mountain town with a man twice your age." I sit across from her, sliding her plate closer. "I'm guessing they don't know about that last part yet."
She laughs, the sound warming something inside me. "God, no. That would give my mother heart palpitations." She takes a bite of the omelet, making an appreciative noise. "This is good. You cook like this often?"
"Most nights. Cooking relaxes me." I watch her eat, enjoying her obvious pleasure in the food. "What about Jason? How did he fit into your conventional upbringing?"
Her expression clouds slightly. "Jason Mills, golden boy. Corporate lawyer from a good family. My parents loved him. Perfect on paper." She pokes at her food. "Not so perfect behind closed doors."
I wait, giving her space to continue or not.
"It started small," she says finally. "Comments about my weight. Demands about my clothes. Then it was my friends are too much, not wanting to see my family, not wanting me to keep my job." She takes a sip of coffee. "By the end, I barely recognized myself. When I finally tried to leave, he showed me how much control he really had. His family knows everyone in Toronto’s legal circles. The restraining order I filed mysteriously disappeared from the system."
My hand tightens around my fork. "If he shows up here, restraining orders will be the least of his worries."
She reaches across the table, her fingers brushing mine. "My hero."
"Not a hero," I correct. "Just a man who doesn't tolerate that kind of behavior."
"Speaking of behavior," she shifts topics, a playful glint returning to her eyes, "when did you discover your dominant tendencies?"
I nearly choke on my coffee. "That's quite the conversational pivot."
"I'm curious." She leans forward, resting her chin on her hand. "Were you always like this, or did you discover it later?"
I consider how to answer. "I've always been naturally dominant, but I didn't have a name for it until after the military. Found Club Crimson when it was just starting up, realized there was a whole community of people like me. Started learning, training, eventually became part of the security team, and occasionally a mentor for newcomers."
"And Sage knows about all this?" She looks genuinely curious.
"She knows I work security at a private club. She knows it caters to alternative lifestyles. We don't discuss the details." I take our empty plates to the sink. "Some boundaries are healthy between parents and children."
"Fair enough." Melody brings her mug to join me at the sink. "What now? More questioning, or do you have other plans for our day off?"
I turn to face her, backing her gently against the counter. "I was thinking we could continue your education."
Her breath catches. "What did you have in mind, Professor Harris?"
Before I can answer, my phone buzzes with an incoming call. I check the screen and frown. "It's Sage."
Something like guilt flashes across Melody's face as I answer. "Hey, sweetheart. Everything okay?"
