Chapter 6
6
ADDISON
T he last time we were all together, I was Walker's girlfriend. Now I was forced to spend time with the people who had at one time been like a second family.
For years, I wondered how could he walk away from me so easily. But now I didn't want to know the reasons. In order to move on and to give other men a chance, I took his breakup at face value. He didn't want me. End of story.
None of the others were forever material. Something always held me back, and now I was wondering if it was Walker.
I was able to push our history into the back of my mind and enjoyed spending time with the Wildes until Walker brought up our breakup. I didn't want to revisit that time in my life. I didn't need to hear that he thought we weren't compatible or that he didn't see a future with me.
Instead, I joined Dakota and Joey, who were playing a Monopoly game in the living room until Oliver and Walker appeared at the doorway.
"Are you about ready to go?" Oliver asked Joey.
"Do I have to?" Joey whined .
Oliver nodded. "It's almost your bedtime, and you have school tomorrow."
"I have to go to school tomorrow too," Dakota added helpfully.
Joey raised a brow. "You do?"
"Yeah, I'm moving here, and I have to register for school tomorrow. I have to get a tour, figure out where my classes are, and get assigned a locker."
Joey's eyes widened.
"Help me clean up," Dakota said as she grabbed the game box and gathered the cards.
That seemed to placate Joey, and Oliver gave her a grateful look. Dakota might be a teenager, but she was patient with him.
When the game was put away, Dakota asked Joey, "Do you think we can hang out again?"
"Can we, Dad?" Joey looked to his dad for support.
"If Dakota wants to, but she only just moved here. I'm sure she's busy settling in."
"I'd like that. I don't have many friends here yet," Dakota said, earning a respectful tilt of Oliver's head.
"I can be your friend. I know lots of people."
Everyone laughed.
We made the rounds, saying our goodbyes. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to have Dakota in the family.
Outside, Walker held the passenger-side door open for Dakota. "I'll swing by tomorrow around ten so we can go to school."
"Okay."
It was time for me to transition out of my supervisory role in this relationship. Walker could take her to school, get her enrolled, and move her into his house. Once that was accomplished, my job would be mostly complete. I'd visit occasionally to ensure Dakota was handling everything okay. But I wouldn't need to spend as much time with them. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.
"Xander organized a Winter Festival on Saturday. You should come," Walker said to me.
"That sounds fun. Can you come, Addison?" Dakota asked me.
"Sure." I sensed that Walker wasn't entirely comfortable being a dad yet and relied on me to be a helpful assistant. But he'd need to take over on his own soon.
"Drive safely," Walker said before closing her door.
We backed out of the driveway and down the lane. "What did you think of the Wilde family?"
"They were nice," Dakota said.
"Are you okay with how everything is going?"
Dakota sighed. "Yeah, I'm just feeling bad for some reason, and I'm not sure why."
I racked my brain for possibilities. "Do you feel guilty for having fun?"
Dakota's eyes widened. "That might be it. I keep thinking I wouldn't be here if Mom hadn't gotten sick. Would I ever have known about Walker being my dad?"
"I don't know. We might never know the answers to that question. But it's okay to feel good. You can be sad that your mother is gone but happy with your life. That will get easier with time. And your mother would want you to be happy."
Dakota wrapped her arms around herself. "I think she would too."
"You like kids?" I asked her after a few moments of silence.
"I've always wanted a sibling, and Joey is fun."
"You're good with him. Ever thought about babysitting?" With my teenage charges, I routinely recommended a part-time job, and since Dakota was only thirteen, babysitting was one of the few things she could do to earn some extra money .
"I just helped out with the kids at church. I liked playing with him."
"Joey is your cousin. You can hang out with him whenever Walker and Joey's dad say it's okay. And it might be nice to have some income of your own."
She chewed her lip. "I never thought about that."
"I'm not saying you need money. I'm sure Walker will take care of whatever you need. It's just that a job can be good. You gain more independence and even some spending money of your own." I had no idea what Walker's view on buying things for his daughter would be, but it didn't hurt to teach kids the value of work and earning money. In Dakota's case, I wanted to keep her focused on moving forward and not dwelling on the what-ifs. It wasn't a productive line of thought.
"Maybe."
"You have enough going on this week with enrolling in school and moving into Walker's place."
"Will you be there to help me move in?" Dakota asked.
"If you want me to be."
Dakota nodded slightly. "I'd like that."
"Then I'll be there."
I dropped her off with her grandparents who seemed more resigned each time Dakota came home bursting with tales of her time with Walker and his family.
Things were working out with Dakota and Walker, and I wouldn't be needed much longer. I shouldn't be disappointed at the prospect of transitioning into a less active role. I enjoyed spending time with them and watching the progression of their relationship.
But Walker needed to navigate some of this on his own, and it was time. Dakota would test his parenting skills and push the boundaries, and it was best that he be in charge in those moments. He couldn't always defer to me. He was the dad, and there was no reason for social services to be involved once Dakota was fully in his custody.
I'd check on them occasionally and offer advice as needed. But they wouldn't need me unless there were issues, and things had been going so well.
I was happy for Walker. He'd had a successful career in the military, and now he could focus on being a father. Everything worked out for him.
I shouldn't feel any way about needing to give him and his daughter space. This was only supposed to be a professional relationship. The sooner I could distance myself, the easier it would be to find and meet someone who could be the one for me.
I suspected that my past with Walker was holding me back in current relationships. But now that I'd seen him and knew he was happy, I could move on. That felt like a lie, but I figured the more I said it, the more likely it could be true.
I was fine without Walker Wilde in my life. I didn't need his explanations about what happened years ago. I wasn't the right woman for him. There was nothing more to it than that.
O n Monday, I busied myself with work, diving into the cases I'd neglected while I was wrapped up in Dakota's. Walker called later that day to say he was excited to report that he'd enrolled Dakota in school.
"That's great. When will she start going?"
"She wants to start tomorrow, but that means we need to move her in tonight. She wants you there."
"I promised her I would be." I looked at my online calendar. "I can be available at six to help. Do you want me to meet you at the hotel?"
"No, the cabin's fine. She didn't bring much more than suitcases, and I want to talk to her grandparents about moving anything else she wants from Virginia."
"That's a good idea." It was great that he was communicating with her grandparents. That meant he didn't need me as the middleman. I should be pleased. But I felt like time with him was up, and that sucked.
"So I'll see you tonight? Dakota requested pizza for dinner."
"That sounds nice." Why did this invitation feel like a date? I was Dakota's social worker. Not Walker's girlfriend. I wasn't there in a capacity beyond my professional one.
"Great. I'll see you later." He clicked off, but my heart was beating erratically. I wanted more. I wanted to sink back into the relationship I had when we were younger. It would be so easy to do, except Walker didn't want me, and nothing had changed.
I repeated the mantras to myself as I got to work. Unfortunately, I was excited to go to Walker's house that night. I stopped at home and took a little extra time changing out of my work clothes into my favorite jeans and softest sweater. It looked effortless, and Walker would have no idea how much time I spent on my makeup to make it look natural.
I pulled up to the cabin at five minutes before six, and Dakota was just coming out of the house. When I opened the door, Dakota said, "Hello."
"How's it going so far?"
"I don't have much, but Walker said I could go shopping with Scarlett this weekend to decorate my room the way I want."
I kind of hoped Dakota would ask for me to assist her, but I wasn't her family. Scarlett was her cousin’s wife. It didn't make sense for me to be involved. Over time, Dakota would lean on Walker's family more, and it made sense, because they were great.
Dakota grabbed my hand and pulled me into the house. "Come see what he got me. "
We passed Walker in the hallway who just smiled as we rushed past him. She paused in the doorway to her room. It looked different from the time I inspected the house for her arrival.
There were pictures of the Wilde family. "This is great."
"This chair is new." Dakota pointed to a soft white round chair that was perfect for reading. "And he bought me an ereader."
"That's great. You enjoy reading?"
Dakota nodded eagerly. "I haven't had much time lately, but I'd like to get back into it. Walker said I can also buy whatever books I want."
Dakota was a lucky girl. Walker was providing her with whatever she needed. She already had a phone and a laptop for school. But those were things her mother had bought her. She was a typical teenager and hopefully she'd be okay in her new home.
She didn't need me anymore, and neither did Walker. The problem was that I got attached to some of my charges, and it made it hard to let go. Dakota was one of those kids. I was invested in her happiness. I didn't want to keep my distance or take a more professional role. "Will you let me know how school goes tomorrow?"
"Sure," Dakota said.
"But after that, I won't be here as often. My role will be done."
Her forehead wrinkled. "Can I call you sometimes?"
"As long as it's okay with your father." My job was to make house calls to check on kids, but not text them for updates.
Walker arrived with suitcases. "That's the last of it."
"Will you help me unpack?" Dakota asked me.
"That's what I'm here for."
Walker hefted them onto the comforter and unzipped one. " I'll let you get to it and order some pizza. What do you like on yours?" he asked Dakota.
"Just cheese, please."
Walker grinned. "One cheese pizza coming up. Adds, the usual for you?"
"Whatever you're having is fine." Adds? He hadn't called me that since we were dating. Of course, we also hadn't talked until I needed to tell him he had a daughter.
I was still flustered when he walked out of the room to order the pizza. Thankfully, Dakota didn't say anything about the shortened name. If she noticed a familiarity between us, she didn't mention it.
We opened the closet and got to work hanging her shirts, dresses, and skirts, and folding the rest in the drawers. The furniture in the room was good quality and sturdy. I didn't think she'd need to purchase anything other than pillows, blankets, and maybe some wall coverings.
Once the second suitcase was unpacked, I sat on the bed to take a break. "It looks nice."
"It feels like my room now."
Walker walked in. "Good. That's the idea."
Dakota hugged him. "Thank you for the chair and the ereader."
His arms came around her, and he shot me an almost panicked look. Then the doorbell rang. "That must be the pizza."
We followed Walker out of the room and into the kitchen where I pulled out dishes for us. He dropped the boxes on the island and opened them. We grabbed slices and carried them to the kitchen table to dig in.
"I didn't realize how hungry I was," I said when I finally finished my third slice.
Walker nodded. "Moving will do that to you."
Dakota rested a hand on her stomach. "I can't believe I have school tomorrow. "
"Did you want to wait another day before going? I'm sure it will be okay with the school," Walker said, his face etched with concern.
Dakota shook her head and smiled. "I want to go. It will feel good to get back into a routine."
I heard what she hadn't said. It would feel good to have a home, to know where she fit in, and have a plan. Her life had been upended since she found out her mother was sick and then that it was terminal. She could finally move forward, and it was time for me to do that too.
This time with Walker and Dakota was a closure of sorts. I could turn the page on our past and move on without him.
This was the universe's way of finishing this chapter of my life. I should grab onto this opportunity with both hands.