Chapter 10
10
ADDISON
Y esterday, Walker asked for a second chance, and we were interrupted before I could give him my final answer. My initial response was that it was a bad idea. I'd read somewhere it was never a good idea to go back to an ex. There was a reason we broke up. Why would we be compatible a second time if we weren't originally?
I wanted to protect my heart. I didn't want to jump in without any guardrails. I needed protection this time. I couldn't forget what happened last time.
When the knock sounded on my door, I felt jumpy. This whole thing felt surreal. Did he really want another chance? Or was I just convenient since we'd dated before or that he needed me to help him with his daughter?
I slowly opened the door, my heart thudding heavily. "Walker."
He grinned. "Are you ready to have some fun today?"
"I don't know. This feels so weird." Then I cringed because that sounded unwelcoming.
He stepped inside, forcing me to step back. "I told you last night I wanted a second chance. "
"I don't know what that means though." Was he just going to walk away when he had a major life change? Would he even be living in town in a few months?
"I want to get to know the person you are now."
"Ah. Okay." That took the pressure off. He just wanted to spend some time together and get to know me. No pressure. No expectations.
"Is that better?" he asked right before he stepped into my body and cupped my cheek with his rough palm.
"Mmm," was all I could manage because his breath ghosted over my face as he lowered his mouth to mine. The kiss was slow and sweet with promises of more to come.
When he stepped back, he smiled again. "Did that clear things up?"
"Not really." I was more confused than ever. But his kiss left an impression on my lips.
His brow furrowed. "You're not sure about me."
I shook my head. "I'm not sure about anything right now."
He lifted his chin. "I'm going to make myself so clear you'll never doubt me again."
"Okay." Because how could any girl argue with that? This might be the dumbest move I'd ever made, but every nerve ending in my body was firing, yearning for him to kiss me again. The passion was still there, and I was starting to wonder if that intensity would carry over into a physical relationship.
We were intimate as teens, waiting until we were each eighteen to go all the way. But then he'd walked out on me a few months later when he'd enlisted.
"Do you want to go to the farmers market? I thought we could walk around and then grab lunch at our favorite pizza place."
I found myself nodding before he'd finished talking. "That sounds nice."
"You ready to go? "
I fumbled with my jacket. I was nervous.
He stepped closer to help me, sweeping my hair off my shoulders and settling the coat on my back. I grabbed my purse, wondering if it was smart to get involved with Walker again. He hurt me once. Wouldn't he do the same thing this time?
As angry as I'd been at him when he broke up with me, I'd softened over his interactions with Dakota. He'd bought her pads in the store even when he was out of his depth. He put her first and always thought about her feelings. He was the perfect single dad, and I couldn't resist that side of him.
Maybe he had changed. But I wouldn't know if I didn't give him a chance. Not that I was ready to admit any of that to him. I would be wary this time.
He opened the passenger-side door of his truck and helped me inside. When he climbed into the cab on the driver's side, he said, "I hope Dakota's okay with Scarlett and my aunt."
I frowned. "Why wouldn't she be?"
"I wasn't sure she was ready to be alone with my family. She barely knows them."
"That's what the outing is about, right? They'll get to know one another."
"I just worry that she's uncomfortable. What if she needs me?"
"That's a natural feeling. You're a first-time dad, and you want to be there for her. But she's also a teenager, and you have to give her space. It's a delicate balancing act." It felt natural to give him advice about Dakota.
"So far, she's been settling in just fine. I'm not sure if she has good friends yet. But she's in a nice routine with school. I even found her an open gym for volleyball this spring."
I nodded. "You're doing everything right."
"She hasn't cried much about her mother. Not that I would necessarily know. But I like to think she would tell me if she was struggling. "
"She might not cry, or maybe she only does it when she's alone. Everyone handles grief differently."
Walker glanced over me with a panicked expression on his face. "You think she's crying herself to sleep?"
I was touched by his concern. "If you're not seeing any other signs, she might be okay. Or she might be fine one night but cry herself to sleep the next."
"I wish I knew more about how Tammy was as a mother. I want to continue her mother's approach to parenting as much as possible."
"She'll share if she feels comfortable. You can't rush these things."
"She did tell me that her mother expected her to do chores but wasn't paid an allowance. Tammy's theory was that everyone in the family helps out."
"That's a good approach," I said, not wanting to influence his parenting style. He'd need to develop one of his own. But it was good to be consistent for now.
"My instinct is to do everything for her to make up for lost time, but that's not good for her. She needs to learn to be independent and take care of herself. I can't believe she'll be leaving in a few years for college." He rubbed his chest.
"Let's say that, in four years, she goes to college, and your house is empty again. Then what?" I asked him.
"I hadn't thought much about that far into the future. I didn't think I'd be discharged from the military this soon. I never thought I'd be the father of a teenager at my age. That's why this thing with Dakota has been so good for me. It forced me to change everything about my life. I hadn't realized how empty my life had been."
"How so?" I asked, my gaze on the side profile of his face. He had a strong jaw covered in stubble I wanted to run over my skin. He'd kissed me a few minutes ago, but it wasn't enough. I hadn't gotten to touch him or revel in his proximity. I couldn't deny that I still wanted him. That kiss had only been a tease.
"I worked and I had friends, but it was all related to my job. I didn't have a home or a family I was close to. It was all superficial. I wasn't building something. If that makes any sense."
"You feel the desire to do those things because of Dakota. You're a family now."
"I'll never get used to referring to us as a family and her as my daughter. A few months ago, I didn't even know about her. I feel like I'm repeating myself. But it's how I feel."
"It's okay to trust that she'll be in your life forever now. You can relax and think about a future for yourself too. What do you want?"
"I enjoy working with the cabins. I'm maintaining the reservations, maintenance, and ensuring the guests feel like they're getting five-star treatment when they're here." His voice picked up with pride in his work.
I raised a brow. "That's a lot of pressure."
He grinned at me. "I might have added that last part. We're not five-star, but I want guests to feel like they're getting that kind of service."
I wondered if it wasn't too much pressure when he was also building a relationship with his daughter.
"I like working with my hands, fixing things. It's a good fit for me. Eli's talking about buying the property next door and expanding with more cabins."
"Wow. That's a big project."
Walker waved a hand. "That's far into the future. Oliver is freaking out over whether we have the money to do something like that, but Eli insists we do. Eli is impulsive, and Oliver is the one always putting on the brakes."
I shifted in my seat, enjoying this insight into the adult Wilde brothers. "How does Xander fit in?"
"He used to handle lessons, but he's even stepped up more the last few months. He's the one who started the winter festival, which is popular around town."
"It was fun."
"Killian is still traveling the world on the competition circuit. Who knows what will happen when he can't do that anymore?"
"Your cousins don't have everything figured out either, you know. It's not like Eli could predict he'd fall in love with Scarlett."
Walker glanced over at me. "Right? She's his best friend's younger sister. I'm sure there would have been easier girls to date."
I grinned at Walker's assertion. "But it's not always the easy path that's the best one. Sometimes it's the one that takes more work. You have to clear the path before you can find your way."
Walker nodded. "I like the sound of that. I think I know what I want, but the path isn't entirely clear."
Something about that felt so genuine in my soul. I felt closer to him than ever before. He was open to exploring his feelings. He was considering the effects on his family and his future. I could give him a chance, but I wouldn't go in blind. I'd been left behind once before. I'd be on guard until I knew he was serious about me and about us. The voice in my head reminded me that I couldn't have something real with Walker if I wasn't all the way in, but I ignored it. I was being reasonable, careful even. It was the smart thing to do.
He parked in a lot in town. "I've never been to the market."
"I stop by a few times a year. This is the last one until spring. The vendors should be selling their crafts for holiday shopping. I'm hoping to pick up some gifts."
"That's perfect timing then," Walker said as he got out and came around to my side.
He'd always been a gentleman, and his time in the military hadn't changed that .
He opened the door and held his hand out so I could climb down. We walked in the direction of the market.
He pushed his hands into his pockets. "It's good to be back. I haven't spent any time in town in years."
"It is nice to have you back," I said, realizing for the first time that it was true. There was so much more between us than hard feelings over our relationship's demise. Could we salvage the best parts of us? It was too soon to tell, but I was curious enough to find out.
We walked side by side until we reached the closed street with vendor tables on either side. Then it got more crowded. I moved behind him, touching his arm when I wanted to stop. There was a stall of artwork of scenery.
"I've seen your things in the gallery in town, and I bought a few for my house," I said to the woman behind the small desk.
She smiled. "That's so good to hear. I'm Sonya."
"I'm Addison, and this is Walker. It's so nice to meet you."
"Have a look around and let me know if you have any questions." I grabbed Walker's hand and pulled him closer to the framed artwork on the makeshift wall of the booth. "If you're looking to add some color to your cabin, these would be perfect."
"I hadn't even thought about anything like this."
"There are a few larger options that would be great for the space above your fireplace. What about this one? It looks like the mountain where your family's property is located."
Walker leaned in close and read the inscription. "It's called Wilde's Mountain."
I clasped my hands together. "You have to get it. It's perfect for you."
Walker chuckled and squeezed my hand. "Sonya, can we get this one?"
She stood up and smiled. "Of course. I'll wrap it and have it delivered to your place. Are you staying in the lodge? "
"In one of the cabins."
"This will look lovely in a cabin," Sonya said as she wrote up the invoice.
"Your work is absolutely gorgeous. Are you just selling locally?" I asked her.
Sonya nodded. "For now.
I could see these selling anywhere. "They're great for locals and tourists."
"I enjoy painting scenery, and we have so much to choose from here." Sonya waved a hand at the mountain range that surrounded the town.
We perused the rest of the pictures, and Walker paused at one with horses running through a snow-covered landscape. "This is different than the others."
"She usually does landscapes." I wandered over to Sonya who was just finishing wrapping Walker's picture in brown paper.
"I can drop this off sometime this week if you want to write your number here." Sonya handed Walker a Post-it.
While he grabbed a pen and filled out his information, I asked, "We like the picture with horses."
Sonya blushed. "I wasn't sure about putting that one out. It's different than my other work."
"It's absolutely gorgeous. You can see the power of the animals and the beauty of the landscape. It's so wild and free," I gushed.
Sonya smiled. "That's the name of it."
I laughed with her. " Wild and Free ? How perfect."
Walker lowered the pad of paper and handed her a credit card. "Can you wrap up the horses? I want to give it to my daughter."
"She'll love it," Sonya said as she swiped his card, then handed it back to him. "I'll drop both off later this week."
We wandered into the crowd.
"I want to give the painting of the horses to Dakota. Do you think she'll like it? It reminded me of her. She's wild and free and so strong."
"Oh, my gosh. I love that, and she will too." My eyes burned with unshed tears. Walker never failed to surprise me with his love and adoration for his daughter.
"I want to show her everything. Maybe I can be the one to teach her how to ski. Xander already said he wants to give her ski lessons, but I want to be the one who teaches her those things."
I wrapped a hand around his arm. "You can be. I'm sure Xander will understand."
He looked down at me, his expression so vulnerable. "I'm slowly finding my way."
He was the best dad. He'd risen to the occasion as soon as he found out about Dakota. I think he would have been upset if the DNA test had come back as not a match.
"Sometimes we have plans for our lives, and they don't work out as intended."
"A year ago, I could never have imagined that I'd be living in Telluride with my daughter. And I never thought I'd ever get a second chance with you."
A smile played on my lips. "Who said I've given you another chance?"
He grinned. "You're here with me, aren't you?"
I shook my head. "I am."
He covered my hand with his. "I can't help but hope that everything I've ever wanted will come true."
I couldn't respond because the emotion welled up in my throat.
We meandered through the stalls. I bought some baked goods and trinkets for my mom. When we got hungry, we ducked into the pizza parlor.
Inside, Walker said, "It's smells exactly the same."
"Like pizza?" I asked, feeling lighter than I had in a long time. For a while, I'd thrown off the weight of the past, and I was living in the present. I was hopeful about what this was, even if I was afraid to think too hard about what I was doing and where this was going.
He closed his eyes and sighed. "Yeah, like pizza," and when he opened his eyes, I remembered how I fell so easily for him.
There was a danger in falling for him this time. I just hoped I learned from past mistakes and kept my heart guarded against him. But the more I spent time with him, the harder it was going to be.
The hostess led us to a booth near the arcade.
"Want to order pizza and play some games while we wait?"
I grinned. "Just like old times."
"Yeah," he agreed as we lowered our gazes to the menus.
We ordered a meat lovers and sodas, then made our way to the arcade area. There were new machines, but the old ones were still there. I watched while Walker played a new game.
After the first round, he said, "Come here."
He lifted his arm so I could stand between his legs. His arms flanked my sides, and I felt surrounded by him. "Want to play a round?"
I tried to steady my breath. "Sure."
He explained the game and the controls to me, his breath ghosting over my neck. We stood so close; I could feel the heat emanating from his body.
"Here we go," he said, and when I didn't move right away, he moved my hand to the controller, covering it with his.
His chest was pressed to my back, and I couldn't focus on anything but the feel of him.
"Turn slightly left. Now right."
He issued commands in my ear, but I didn't have to do anything because he was doing it for me. My heart was beating so hard; I felt the rhythm in my ears, and my body was warm .
"Are you paying attention?" Walker asked, and my cheeks heated.
"Yeah."
He chuckled, and the rumble moved through my body. "Sure you were."
My mouth was dry. "I was."
"Mmm. Let me do this round."
He angled his body so he could reach the controls and curled himself around me. It was really nice. I felt protected and safe, like he was claiming me. It was a position we'd assumed often when we were dating. Walker had always been affectionate. I couldn't help but sink into this moment with him.