Page 11 of Wild Hearts

Dakota gave me a look of disbelief. Then her arm flailed as she lost her balance.

I gripped her elbow and hauled her up. "Maybe keep your eyes on your feet for a bit longer."

Her face screwed up. "I'm terrible at this."

"I'm sure I was the first time I tried it. But I'm fairly sure it was on a frozen pond, so I was more worried about the ice giving way."

"Really?" Dakota asked.

"That was before I came to live here. We had a pond behindour house, and we'd go out on it when it was frozen. It wasn't as big as this, but it was fun."

"I like hearing about you growing up."

"Whatever you want to know, you're welcome to ask."

She fell silent, concentrating on the rhythmic glide of her skates from side to side. Her grip wasn't as tight, but I wasn't ready to let her go. I suspected I wouldn't get many opportunities to hold her hand.

"Why didn't my mom look for you?" she finally asked after we'd completed another lap.

"I wish I had an answer for that. I'm sure it's my fault for not exchanging more information with her."

"You remember her?"

"I do." I recognized her first name. "We didn't exchange last names or phone numbers. We both knew I'd only be in town for a short time, and neither of us were looking for anything serious. I was young, constantly moving from one place to another. But had I known about you, I would have done whatever I could to be with you. I'm sorry that we missed out on the first thirteen years."

"I am too."

I wondered if it was the fact that we were looking down at the ice that made it easier for her to talk about this.

"I want to try and do it without holding on." Dakota dropped my hand.

I skated close by, ready to grab her should she fall. I hadn't felt protective over anyone like this before. I was acutely aware that Dakota could get hurt. My instinct was to stick close and be ready to react should she go down. Logically, I knew she was capable of handling herself, but I was here now. I could finally be the dad she deserved.

Dakota pushed off once, gliding forward, then a second time. Her gaze met mine, and I grinned. "You're doing it."

In slow motion, she tipped backwards and went down. I skated over to her, and caught her with my hands under her arms before her butt hit the ground. "I got you."

When she stood straight again, I asked, "Are you okay?"

She grinned despite the scare. "I did so much better, right? I just need to keep my eyes on my feet."

"Not forever. Just until you feel steadier."

"Thanks for catching me," Dakota said before she turned away from me, a hand on the side as she continued to practice her skating. She eventually was able to move off the side of the rink for longer periods of time.

After one of our laps, Dakota paused at the exit. "Can we take a break? I'm tired."

"Absolutely." I untied my boots and grabbed hers. "I'll get us some hot chocolate."

"I'm not going to move from this spot."

I laughed, and it felt good to just enjoy this moment with my daughter. It was still hard to believe that she was mine even when she looked so much like me. The same hair and nose, but I think she had her mother's eyes.

I tried not to get upset that I'd missed out on her early years. Thankfully, I had her now, and we'd make up for lost time.

By the time I made my way back with two hot chocolates, a boy was sitting next to Dakota. I set the drinks on the bench next to her so I could draw myself to my full height. I tipped my head slightly as I fought for control. "Can I help you?"

The boy was leaning back in the bench, his arm over the back behind my daughter. "We were just talking."

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