Bending His Rules

I run a global security company with my brothers and negotiate high-stakes deals without breaking a sweat.

But my daughter deciding she suddenly hates every outfit in her closet five minutes before school? That brings me to my knees every time.

Honestly, being a CEO is easier than being a single dad.

That’s why I have rules. Routines. Structure. My life runs a whole lot smoother when everything stays organized and under control.

Then my maintenance company bails on me again, and my house descends into complete chaos. Hiring help goes from unnecessary to essential.

Which is how Melody crashes into my carefully ordered life.

Suddenly, my daughter wants to cook with Melody every evening and runs to her for advice about dresses and hair clips. And I can’t stop thinking about the beautiful woman dancing through my kitchen like she already belongs in our lives. She makes me want things I stopped believing I deserved a long time ago. But after losing my wife, I swore I’d never give anyone the power to destroy me again.

Because if I let Melody become part of our lives, losing her would hurt not only me—but my daughter too.

The problem is, every time Melody smiles at me, I want to bend every rule I’ve spent years living by.