Page 25 of Pretending with the Mountain Man
"Thank you," Melody says, tears gathering in her eyes. "I can't believe you did all this for me."
"That's what friends are for." Sage smiles, then narrows her eyes, looking between us again. "Now, are you two going to tell me what's really going on here? Because something definitely is."
Melody freezes beside me. I take a deep breath, meeting my daughter's suspicious gaze. "Melody and I have become... involved."
Sage's eyebrows shoot up. "Involved? Like, romantically?"
"Yes," I confirm, keeping my voice steady. "It's new, obviously, and we're still figuring things out ourselves."
Melody reaches for my hand under the table, her fingers trembling slightly. I give her a reassuring squeeze.
"Wow." Sage sits back in her chair, processing. "I mean... wow. My best friend and my dad." She runs a hand through her hair. "That's... unexpected."
"I'm so sorry, Sage," Melody blurts out. "It just happened, and I never meant to complicate things or make you uncomfortable or betray your trust?—"
Sage holds up a hand, cutting off the flood of words. "Breathe, Mel." She looks at me. "Dad, are you serious about this? Because Melody's been through enough with Jason, and I'm not about to watch her get hurt again, even by you."
"I'm very serious," I say quietly. "More than I expected to be."
Sage studies my face, then turns to Melody. "And you? Are you sure about this? He's ancient, obviously, and I love him, but he's got baggage. Plus, you know, he's my dad, which is kind of weird."
Melody nods. "I'm sure. At least, I'm sure I want to see where this goes. He makes me feel safe, Sage. And seen. And..." She glances at me, a soft smile playing at her lips. "Happy."
Something in Sage's expression softens. "Well, that's... that's actually really nice to hear." She sighs dramatically. "I guess if my best friend had to hook up with an older man, at least I know this one's decent."
Relief floods through me. "So, you're not angry?"
"I'm processing," Sage clarifies. "It's going to take some getting used to. But I’m not angry. No." She points a finger at me. "But if you hurt her, Dad, blood relation won't save you."
"Understood," I say, fighting a smile at my daughter's fierce protectiveness.
"And you," she turns to Melody, "no details. Ever. I do not need to know anything about your sex life with my father."
Melody blushes. "Agreed."
Sage gathers her papers, shaking her head. "I can't believe this is my life now. My best friend is dating my dad." She stands, tucking the folder under her arm. "I'm going to head back to town and call my court contact. You two... carry on, I guess. Just maybe not while I'm thinking about it."
I walk her to the door, grateful for her unexpected acceptance. "Thank you," I say quietly. "For understanding."
She gives me a searching look. "Are you happy, Dad? Really happy?"
I glance back at Melody, who's pretending not to eavesdrop from the table. "Yeah, sweetheart. I am."
"Then I'm happy for you." She rises on her toes to kiss my cheek. "Just remember, she's my friend. And she still has a lot of life to figure out."
"I know." The age difference weighs on me more than I let on. "We're taking it day by day."
Sage nods, satisfied. "I'll call later with updates."
After she leaves, I turn back to find Melody watching me, her expression somewhere between relief and lingering anxiety.
"That went better than expected," I say, moving to join her at the table.
"Much better." She lets out a long breath. "I thought she might hate me."
"Sage is remarkably adaptable." I take her hand, running my thumb across her knuckles. "It's one of her best qualities."
"She gets that from you," Melody observes. "The way you just... take things in stride. Adjust. Move forward."
