Page 39 of Bossy Mountain Daddies (Reverse Harem Mountain Daddies #3)

Ford

D enver's skyline shimmers in the distance through a faint haze of pollution and mountain air. Griff's hands grip the steering wheel, while Buck shifts restlessly in the backseat.

We haven’t talked much since we left Flounder Ridge. Each of us seems to be lost in our own thoughts about Skye, about Daniel, and about what we're about to do.

It wasn't my idea to confront Daniel face-to-face—that was Griff's suggestion—but I agreed immediately. Some things just need to be said in person.

"You think he'll even be there?" Buck finally breaks the silence, leaning forward between the front seats. "What if he's out to lunch or something?"

"Then we wait," Griff says, his voice flat. "I'm not driving all the way to Denver just to turn around without doing what we came to do."

It’s been five days since Skye left. Five days of wondering if I’ll ever see her again. Five days of wondering if she’s doing okay. I thought a million times about texting her but decided against it each time. She obviously needs space.

"We need to be smart about this," I say, turning away from the window. "If we go in guns blazing, he'll just get defensive. We need to appeal to whatever decency he has left."

Griff snorts. "Bold of you to assume he has any."

"Of course he does," I counter. "He’s your son."

Buck scratches his beard, his expression troubled. "Vanna said she checked his social media yesterday. He hasn't posted anything new about Skye yet."

"Key word being 'yet,'" Griff mutters.

I've reread her goodbye note so many times I have it memorized, searching for clues between the lines, for some hint that she might come back. But the truth is simple: she left because she couldn't handle the scrutiny. Because Daniel made her feel ashamed of what we shared.

"I keep thinking about her alone on that drive," Buck says quietly. "Just her and her thoughts for hours. Was she crying? Was she relieved to get away from us? Was she?—"

"Don't," Griff interrupts, his jaw clenched. "Just don't."

"She made her choice. We have to respect that," I say.

"Respecting her choice doesn't mean we let Daniel keep fucking with her though," Buck says, a rare edge to his voice.

"That's why we're doing this," I remind him. "For her, not for us."

Traffic thickens as we enter the city. I check the address on my phone—a downtown office building where Daniel works as some kind of financial advisor.

"So what exactly is our plan here?" Buck asks. "Just walk in and tell him to back off?"

"Essentially," I nod. "We explain that what Skye does now isn't his business. That she deserves to move on with her life without him poisoning it from afar."

"And if he doesn't listen to reason?" Griff's eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror.

"Then we move to plan B," I say calmly. "Make it clear there will be consequences if he continues."

"What kind of consequences?" Buck asks.

I consider this. "We can post on social media just as easily as he can. None of us have accounts but Vanna does, and she’s got a decent following. I’m sure she’d be happy to help us out."

"I still think a good old-fashioned ass-kicking would be more effective," Griff mutters. “I know that makes me a bad dad but this kid…”

"And get yourself arrested for assault?" I shake my head. "Not gonna work."

We fall silent again as Griff navigates the downtown streets.

I check my phone for the hundredth time today, though I know there won't be any messages from her.

What would I even say if she did reach out?

That we understand why she left? That we're angry she didn't say goodbye in person?

That despite everything, I still wake up thinking about her?

We pull into a parking garage attached to a gleaming glass high-rise. Daniel's office is on the twelfth floor. We sit in the parked car for a moment, steeling ourselves.

"Remember," I say as we exit the truck, "we stay calm. We're reasonable men having a reasonable conversation."

"Right," Buck nods. "Reasonable."

"No promises," Griff mutters, but I can tell he's reining himself in.

The elevator ride up is tense, each of us lost in thought.

"What if Skye never comes back?" Buck asks suddenly, giving voice to the fear that's been haunting all of us.

"Then we move on," Griff says firmly, clenching his jaw. "Just like we did before."

"And if she does come back?" I ask, unable to keep the hope from my voice.

Griff meets my eyes. "Then we'll be there for her."

The elevator doors slide open on the twelfth floor, revealing a sleek reception area with glass walls and modern furniture. A sign on the wall reads "Pinnacle Financial Advisors."

The receptionist looks up as we approach her desk, her professional smile faltering slightly as she takes in the three of us—Buck's imposing size, Griff's intense stare, my carefully neutral expression.

We must look like an unlikely trio in this polished financial office with its gleaming surfaces and muted color palette.

I step forward before the other two can speak, knowing I'm the one who can most easily pass in this world of corporate decorum.

"We're here to see Daniel Hawkins," I say, keeping my voice pleasant. "Is he in?"

She blinks, her fingers hovering over her keyboard. "Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but he'll want to see us. It's a family matter." Not entirely a lie—Griff is his father, after all.

"I'll... check if he's available. Your names?"

Before I can answer, Griff steps forward. "Tell him his father is here."

Her eyes widen slightly as she glances between us, clearly trying to process this information. She picks up her phone, murmuring quietly into it. After a moment, she hangs up and points down a hallway.

"Third door on the right. He says you can go on back."

We walk down the corridor, the plush carpet muffling our footsteps. Through glass walls, I glimpse young professionals in crisp suits hunched over computers or speaking animatedly on phones.

Griff pushes open the door without knocking. Daniel is standing behind his desk, his posture rigid, clearly bracing himself for Griff's arrival. When Buck and I follow Griff in, Daniel's face shifts from wariness to shock.

"What the hell?" His eyes dart between us.

"Surprised?" Buck asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

Daniel's office is exactly what I would have expected—tastefully minimalist with expensive art on the walls and a view of downtown Denver. A framed diploma hangs prominently behind his desk. So fucking corporate America if makes me sick.

"What is this, some kind of intimidation tactic?" Daniel asks, his voice rising slightly.

"We need to talk," Griff says, his voice steady. "About Skye."

Daniel's face hardens. "There's nothing to talk about. She made her choices."

"Yes, she did," I step forward, keeping my tone measured. "Choices that are none of your business anymore."

"She's fucking my father and his two best friends. You don't think that's my business?" His voice drips with disgust.

Buck moves forward, towering over the desk. "Watch your mouth."

I place a restraining hand on Buck's arm. "Daniel, Skye left town because of what you posted online. She was afraid you'd post more about her relationships with us."

"So?" Daniel scoffs. "People deserve to know what kind of person she really is."

"No," Griff says firmly. "What happens between consenting adults is nobody's business but theirs. You don't get to shame her publicly because your ego can't handle her moving on."

Daniel's jaw works silently for a moment. "She's with three men at once. I mean, what the actual fuck?"

"I get it" I say. "This doesn't fit into your narrow view of what's acceptable. But she wasn't cheating on anyone. Unlike you."

The barb hits home. I see it in the way he flinches slightly.

"You were the one who broke her heart, Daniel," Buck says, his voice quieter now but no less intense. "You were the one who betrayed her trust. She found something that made her happy after you hurt her, and you're trying to punish her for it."

Daniel sinks into his chair, some of the defensiveness leaving his posture. "I never expected her to end up with..." he gestures vaguely at us, "with my father. With all of you."

"Neither did we," I say honestly. "It wasn't planned. It just happened."

"And now she's gone," Griff says, his voice rough with emotion.

Something flickers across Daniel's face—a shadow of regret, perhaps.

"We're not here to threaten you," I continue. "We're here to ask you—as men who care about her—to leave her alone. To let her live her life without fear of public humiliation."

Daniel is quiet for a long moment, staring at his desk. When he finally speaks, his voice has lost its edge. "Alicia dumped me last week."

His vulnerable words catch me off guard. "I'm sorry to hear that."

He laughs bitterly. "For some rich asshole."

Buck shifts uncomfortably. "That's rough, man."

"Yeah, it is." Daniel runs a hand through his hair. "It fucking hurts, actually. Being replaced. Being... disposable." He pauses. "I’m guessing that's how Skye felt when she found out about me and Alicia."

"Probably," I say quietly. "Maybe worse, since you were living together. Planning a future."

He nods slowly. "What I did was shitty." His shoulders slump. "And then seeing her with all of you. It felt like... like I'd been replaced three times over."

"She didn't do it to hurt you," Griff says. "She was just trying to heal."

"And you posting about her online," Buck adds, "that was meant to hurt her."

Daniel doesn't deny it. "I wanted her to feel as humiliated as I did when I saw her with you. It was petty. Stupid."

"Yes, it was," I agree. "But you can choose to be better now."

He looks up at us. "She really left because of what I might post?"

Griff nods. "Left without saying goodbye. Just a note saying she couldn't face the scrutiny when everyone found out about us."

"Shit." Daniel rubs his face.

"So will you leave her alone?" Buck asks directly. "No more posts about her? About us?"

Daniel is quiet for a moment, then nods. "Yeah. I will." He looks at Griff. "I'm sorry. For everything. For how I've treated you since the divorce."

The surprise on Griff's face is palpable. "Where's this coming from?"

"Getting dumped gives you perspective, I guess." Daniel's smile is sad. "Makes you realize who's actually been there for you all along."

An unexpected weight lifts from my chest. This isn't at all how I expected this confrontation to go.

We stand in awkward silence for a moment, all of us processing this unexpected turn.

"I should get back to work," Daniel finally says, gesturing at his computer. "But... thank you for coming. For telling me how my actions affected her. I needed to hear that."

As we turn to leave, he calls out. "If she comes back... tell her I'm sorry. For everything."

"We will," I promise, though I don't know if we'll ever get the chance. “Or you can just call or text her yourself.”

“I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want to hear from me,” he replies.

Walking back to the car, the tension that carried us into that office has dissipated, replaced by a strange mix of melancholy and relief.

"Well, that went better than expected," Buck says as we climb into the truck.

"Yeah," Griff agrees, staring at the steering wheel. "Never thought I'd hear an apology from him."

"People can surprise you," I say, looking back at the gleaming office building. "Sometimes it takes getting your heart broken to understand how badly you've broken someone else's."

As we pull out of the parking garage, I feel a tiny spark of hope ignite in my chest. Not for Daniel's redemption, but for the possibility that if he can change, maybe other things can too. Maybe, just maybe, this isn't the end of our story with Skye.