Page 24 of Her Mountain Rescuer

I’m tempted to hammer home how hypocritical he’s being, but I don’t feel like that’s my path to getting what I want most, which is for us all to find a new way forward without anger or resentment.

The knock on the door echoes through my house, and I steel myself for what’s to come.

Hopefully he doesn’t punch anyone today.

I open the door, and there stands my dad, his expression completely unreadable. He steps inside, his large frame filling the space.

“You want some coffee?” I ask when the silence stretches between us for a beat too long. Nohello, good morning, nice to see you.

He nods, and follows me into the kitchen, where I pour him a cup and hand it to him. He takes it, still not saying anything.

I sit down at the table and gesture for him to do the same. He does, the air thick with tension. Dad takes a sip of his coffee, his eyes on me. “You wanted to talk.” It’s a statement, not a question.

I nod, folding my hands in front of me so I don’t fidget. “Yeah. I do.” I take a deep breath, choosing my next words carefully. “I know you’re upset about Beau and me. I understand why. But I need you to hear me out.”

Dad leans back in his chair, the mug cradled in his large hands. “I’m listening.” He sounds less than thrilled about it.

“I love him, Dad,” I say, my voice steady and sure because loving Beau is my truth. “I’ve loved him for a long time. And he loves me, too. Do you know why I went on that hike a few weeks ago? The one where I got caught in the storm and Beau had to rescue me?”

He shakes his head, studying me intently.

“Because I saw Beau having dinner with a woman, and I assumed he was on a date. And Dad, it destroyed me. I was a mess. I was heartbroken. I went on that hike to try to distract myself from how much I was hurting over what I thought were my unrequited feelings.”

His expression softens. “But it wasn’t a date.”

I shake my head. “No. He was having dinner with a former co-worker.”

Dad sighs heavily, then sets his coffee down on the table and scrubs a hand over his face. “You love him.” It’s as though he’s testing out the words, weighing them one by one.

“Yes.”

He flinches, but just barely. He tries to cover up his reaction by picking up his mug and taking a sip of coffee, but I saw it.

“You’ve known him your whole life.”

“I’ve known a version of him, yes. And I fell in love with the man he is now. These feelings weren’t there—for either of us—when I was growing up.”

He sighs, not saying anything. I can tell how hard this is for him.

“And he loves me back. Deeply. Truly.”

“Does he treat you with respect?”

I scoff. “Of course he does. Dad. He’s still Beau. I don’t think he even knows how to be rude.”

The corner of his mouth kicks up at that.

“I’m not trying to convince you of anything,” I say after a moment. “I just want you to know the truth.”

He swallows, and a flash of pain crosses his face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I was afraid. Not of you being angry, because I knew we could get past that. I was afraid that you wouldn’t trust me to know what’s right in my own life. I was afraid of damaging your relationship with your best friend.”

Dad looks away, his jaw tight. “You’re my little girl, Hailey.”

“I’ll always be your little girl, Dad. But I’m also a grown woman who knows what she wants, and what I want is to be with Beau.”

A heavy silence hangs between us, thick with emotion. I can feel Dad’s hurt radiating off of him like heat from a bonfire. He looks down at his coffee, his broad shoulders tight, his jaw tense.I’ve never seen him like this. So…so wounded. It’s a stab in my heart, but I hold firm. I won’t apologize for dating Beau.

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