Wild Hearts (The Wilde Brothers #5)

Chapter 11

11

WALKER

I couldn't believe I was here in the same position we found ourselves in so many times when we were younger. This was an excuse for me to touch her when we'd first started dating. I loved holding her close. Everything about her was so familiar.

I couldn't believe I was so lucky to have found Dakota and been reunited with Addison. This was my second chance at life, and I wasn't going to squander it.

I'd use everything in my arsenal to convince her to be mine. If going back to our teen haunts and doing things we did back then worked, then I was all for it.

At the moment, her body was molded to mine, and I could barely keep my focus on the game.

I hadn't felt so alive in a long time. I was grieving after my parents died, and then I was wrapped up in Addison. When I'd enlisted, it felt like another death. I was mourning the loss of my support system, the woman I loved. I thought I'd get over her. But I was young and stupid. Maybe if I explained that to her, it would help her understand what I was going through back then .

The waitress appeared. "Your pizza is at your table."

"Thanks. We'll be right over," Addison said while I finished the game.

I reluctantly dropped my arms so that she could move away. "I'm not as good at video games as I once was."

She sat in the booth. "You don't get to play much?"

I shook my head as I grabbed a slice for her and one for me. "Not at all. I feel like I've been so focused on work and nothing else. It's nice to just enjoy life."

Addison smiled. "I love this for you."

I didn't realize what I had back then. Most girls wouldn't have bothered with me. But she looked past the grief and ingrained herself into my heart. I might have broken up with her, but I never let her go. She was always with me. And I was ready to make her mine again.

We ate for a few minutes, commenting on the few changes we noticed in the place. New upholstery and curtains in the same colors as they were before. The familiarity, the memories of the past were comforting. It gave me hope that if I reminded Addison of our past, she'd see our future.

"How's Dakota doing with Scarlett and your aunt?"

My heart dropped. I hadn't even thought about her while we were playing. I fumbled with my phone. But before I could turn it over to read the screen, Addison covered my hand with hers. "I didn't mean to scare you. I was just curious if she was having fun."

"I'm just not used to worrying about someone like this. It's always been just me."

"I'm sure she's fine."

I turned the screen to show Addison the picture they'd sent of the three of them at lunch. "Looks like they're having fun."

Her gaze lifted to meet mine. "See? Nothing to worry about."

I ate until I was stuffed, then sat back in the booth. I wasn't ready for the day to be over. "Do you think Dakota would want to try night skiing? We could teach her how to ski and then take one of the easier trails."

"That sounds nice."

I sent Dakota a message, asking her if she wanted to learn how to ski with Addison, and she returned the message with a stream of emojis. I showed them to Addison. "I think that's a yes."

Addison laughed. "You're going to have to get used to reading emojis."

"Yeah. I guess I'm going to have to." I liked spending time with Addison and talking about Dakota as if we were her parents. I'd gotten used to the idea of single parenting, but it would be nice to share the load.

"I'll need to get her gear. Do we need to stop and get yours?"

"If you don't mind."

I threw enough cash on the table to cover the bill and tip, then held my hand out to Addison. It was something I would have done when we were dating, and it felt natural to do it now too.

We stopped at her house so she could grab her snow gear and skis. Then we headed to the lodge. Scarlett planned to drop Dakota off there.

We curled up on the large leather couch in front of the fire. The TV played a classic holiday movie. It was nice to sit and enjoy the large Christmas tree adorned with lights and ornaments.

"It's hard to believe it's almost Christmas," I said to her softly.

"I bet this year looks a lot different than last."

I nodded. "I have a daughter, and I'm home for good."

"You're planning to stay here with Dakota?"

I frowned. "Yeah, why wouldn't we stay here?"

"Her grandparents, her friends, and her old school are all in Virginia. "

"You were the one that said it would be good for Dakota to have a fresh start." I didn't even want to think about moving across the country. I'd only just gotten Dakota settled.

"I wasn't sure if she'd change her mind."

"I guess she could, but we'd have to make that decision together. Here, we have a home, and I have a job. We have family. I don't want to move."

"But you're a good dad, and you would if that's what Dakota wanted."

"Sure." For some reason, I felt like that was the wrong answer. But logically, it made sense, even if it wasn't what I wanted. When you had kids, you did things in their best interest, not yours.

Just then, Scarlett and Dakota walked in, laden down with shopping bags.

I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees. "What did you get?"

Scarlett dropped to her knees in front of us pulling out various items from the bags. "Books, pillows, and throws. A few pictures for her room."

Dakota chewed her lip. "Was it too much?"

I'd given Scarlett my credit card earlier. I'd saved my money over the years, and had a lot of time to make up for when it came to Dakota. I wanted to take care of her, but I was conscious of not wanting to spoil her. In this case, it was a necessity. I wanted her to feel at home. "Not at all. You got everything you needed?"

Dakota nodded. "I think so."

"We even went shopping for a few clothes. She wanted warmer sweaters, a jacket, and boots."

I winced. "I'm sorry I hadn't even thought of that."

Dakota shrugged. "It's okay."

It wasn't okay but I'd try to stay on top of what she needed in the future. Dakota relied on me to take care of her .

Scarlett's shoulders dropped. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to head home."

"Where's Aunt Clara?"

"She's in the car. Come out and say goodbye."

"I can do that." And then to Dakota and Addison, I said, "I'll be right back."

I walked with Scarlett through the lobby. "Here's your card back. We didn't get too much, did we?" Scarlett asked.

"I said it was fine."

"Dakota was worried about spending your money."

"She's not used to me yet. It will take time."

"I think her mother was more cautious with money. Dakota seemed to be counting every dollar we spent and frequently asked if it was okay to spend your money. At one point, she wanted to call you to ask permission herself."

I grimaced. "I don't like that Tammy struggled. I could have helped."

"If she truly needed money, her grandparents could have stepped in too."

"True."

"And it was her fault she didn't reach out to you."

Scarlett's SUV was parked in front of the front doors. I went to the passenger-side door and waited for Aunt Clara to lower the window. "You have a good day?"

"The best. I love shopping especially with my newest granddaughter."

"She's your niece," I said teasingly.

Mom waved a hand. "She's my granddaughter, and you won't take this joy away from me."

I grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."

She waved me off. "Good. Now I'm exhausted. Enjoy your night skiing."

"Will do."

Inside, we watched the rest of the movie, ordered appetizers from the restaurant, waiting for the sun to go down, and then we headed to the ski shack to get what Dakota needed. I intended to purchase her gear at some point. But tonight we'd rent until we knew exactly what sizes would work.

We stepped outside in our snow gear, holding our poles and skis. Xander approached us. "You ready for me to teach you how to ski?" he asked Dakota.

I bristled. "I've got it."

Xander raised a brow. "You don't want her to learn from the best?"

"I think I can teach my daughter how to ski."

Xander caught my meaning. "If you need additional instruction, you know where to find me. I don't charge for family lessons. Every Wilde must be a good skier. We have a reputation to uphold."

"I'm not a Wilde though."

The air felt thick. Her mother had given Dakota her last name. I didn't blame her for that. I'm sure it staved off any questions about where her father was, but I wouldn't mind Dakota taking my name. Dakota Wilde had a nice ring to it. "You're a Wilde," I told her.

Dakota smiled, and I wondered if she'd want to add my name to hers at some point. She could hyphenate it or just tack it onto the end. I wouldn't push her for it, but it would be nice.

"I'll leave you to it. Enjoy your night," Xander said with a wave.

"Xander is fun."

Xander surprised everyone by settling down recently with his childhood best friend and the town doctor, Tori Clarke. He'd mellowed out quite a bit, or as my other cousins liked to say, he was more serious than we gave him credit for. He came across as an easygoing guy, but it turned out he had a good head for business.

The jury was out on whether I did too. But I hoped I'd be able to make meaningful contributions to the lodge and resort. I didn't want to disappoint my cousins. They trusted me to be a good addition to the business.

I helped Dakota snap her boots into the skis and handed her poles. "This is similar to ice-skating. You glide off to each side. Like this."

I demonstrated the motion, and when I turned, she was watching me intently. "Now you try."

She glided forward easily. "This is so much easier than skating."

"I think so too. Snow is more forgiving than ice."

"We'll make our way over to the lift, and then hit the light trail." We glided easily over to the line. At night, it was mainly large groups of teenagers and couples.

A boy turned around. "Hey, Dakota, want to ride with me?"

It was Christopher.

Dakota's face lit up, and I didn't have the heart to tell her no. Besides, I'd be able to keep an eye on them since they were in front of us in line. "She's never been skiing before."

Christopher grinned at Dakota. "I can help her on the lift. Don't worry about it."

But I was worried. Shouldn't I be the one to take her on the lift for the first time? Addison curled her hand around my arm and leaned in close. Unfortunately, the layers of puffy material meant I couldn't feel her body pressed against mine. "Relax. She'll be fine."

My jaw tightened. "Do you think she's safe with him?"

Addison gave me a look. "Do you think she isn't? We can see them. And we'll be with her once we descend."

I groaned. "I just got her, and now I have to give her space to let her hang out with boys." I said the word boys with as much disgust as I could muster, but Addison just laughed.

"It's not funny."

She covered her mouth. "It kind of is. "

Before I could respond, it was Christopher and Dakota's turn, and he was talking to her about how to sit on the chair. This was the easy part.

"We're doing the light trail," I called to him.

"Got it, Mr. Wilde."

Was I so stiff that he felt like he had to be formal with me? Then they were seated on the chair, and he pulled the gate down over their laps. Before I could say anything, the chair was hitting the backs of our legs, and we were ascending.

Addison bumped her shoulder against mine. "See? That wasn't so bad."

I pulled down the bar. "I don't like it."

Addison smiled wider. "I know."

"Does this get any easier?" My chest was tight, my jaw ached. How would I ever let her go out on a date? The possibility of that wasn't that far off into the future.

"I don't have a child, so I'm not sure. I'd imagine it's a bit harder for you. You got an instant teenager and all the stress that comes with that. But babies are hard too."

"At least she sleeps in on the weekends."

Addison laughed. "That's a perk."

"I'm glad I amuse you."

"Is it bad that I like seeing you so tortured over Dakota talking to a boy?"

"You forget we weren't that much older when we met."

"Fourteen?" Addison contemplated.

"And I remember exactly what I was thinking back then."

"Oh?" And then Addison laughed harder.

"Why is that so funny?" I asked, but we were already descending. I didn't even get a chance to see how Dakota made out on the landing before we were forced to raise the bar and disembark. We joined Christoper and Dakota where they stood off to the side, talking about a tech class they shared .

"You two are partners in that class?" I asked them, feeling every bit the stiff old man I was turning into.

"That's right," Christopher said, his eyes darting nervously from my daughter to me.

"I appreciate you looking after her. I wouldn't want her to lose a finger."

Christopher blanched. "Oh, we're very careful. There's school safety procedures, and Mrs. Fran is very thorough."

Addison gave me a look. "Relax, Christopher. Walker was just kidding."

Before I could protest, Addison led the way toward the trail with the lights. The wooden sign was wrapped in a string of white bulbs.

"This is so cute," Dakota said as she glided past it onto the trail. Lights hung from the trees. Occasionally, we'd spot a present in the woods or a small Santa Clause. Those were new additions, and I wondered who'd added them.

Eventually, Addison motioned for me to slow down so the kids could go ahead of us. "Why are we going slow?"

"I want to show you something, and I figured they wanted some time alone. I'm positive they can feel your gaze burning a hole through their jackets."

"I'm not that bad," I argued as she motioned for me to follow her through a clearing in the woods.

"Why are we going off the trail?" I asked, looking ahead to where Christoper and Dakota had disappeared.

The woods were quiet, and soft flurries fell around us. "Come on."

Curious, I followed her deeper into the woods until we came to a small clearing. Addison stepped out of her skis, and I did the same. She stood behind a boulder, gazing down at the resort and the town.

"This is a great view. I haven't been here since we were teens. "

Addison smiled softly. "I thought you might remember it. We spent a lot of time on this rock."

"You don't think Christopher will try to kiss Dakota tonight, do you?" I remembered why I brought Addison to this spot. It was usually to make out.

Addison shook her head. "I think he's scared of you. They're young, you know?"

"I know what teenage boys are thinking about."

"You forget that Christopher works for your family. I'm sure he doesn't want to upset you or any of your cousins by taking advantage of Dakota."

I lowered my shoulders. "That wouldn't stop every kid."

"Christopher seems like a conscientious kid. Besides, I know his family needs the money."

"You're involved with his family?"

"I'm friends with his older sister, Noelle. I think they could take advantage of services the county and local churches offer, but their mother is too proud to ask for assistance.”

"I didn't realize that." I made a mental note to inquire about his pay, and to ensure he was getting enough hours.

"The thing with teenagers is that you should trust them until they give you a reason not to. In the meantime, you might want to talk to her about using protection."

I stiffened. "I'm not sure I'm ready for a discussion about condoms."

"Maybe just ask gently if her mother talked to her and if she has any questions. If she wants to go to a doctor, you'll be happy to set that up for her, or I can go with her. But I think you should ask the questions. If you're concerned of course."

"She's not thinking about that yet, is she?" I asked, panic bubbling in my chest.

"Dakota doesn't seem interested in boys, but that doesn't mean she isn't. Some kids are more private about that kind of thing. "

That eased my anxiety somewhat. "She is more focused on school and sports."

A smile curved over her lips. "You can trust her."

I sighed. "I'm not going to survive raising a teenager."

"You will, and you have me to help out."

I liked the reality of Addison being here for us.