Page 16 of Wild Hearts

Walker shook his head. "For now. Eli mentioned something about me building a house like he did."

"Oh, wow. That would be amazing."

Walker took a large bite of his burger, chewed, and then wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Eli likes the family feel of the business, and what better way than for most of us to live here?"

The meat was tender and the seasoning tasty. He was a good cook. Or at least he could cook a delicious burger. I remembered everyone in the Wilde household had to learn how to cook. His aunt wanted her kids to be able to take care of themselves.

Walker waved a hand. "We're not doing anything soon. First, I have to figure out what my role will be here at the resort."

I frowned. "I didn't think you'd be working soon."

"Not yet. But I'm starting to think about what my life will be like here. Eli mentioned the possibility of me handling the cabin rentals, the maintenance, cleaning, and even reservations."

"Would you enjoy that?" I asked him, curious to know what interested him as an adult. As a kid, he just wanted to be independent and make his own way.

"Yeah, I think so. I don't want to be in an office, and I like to keep my hands busy." He polished off the last few bites of his burger.

It would give him a flexible schedule.

Every indication pointed to him staying in town. If so, I'd prefer to keep things professional. I wouldn't get close to him again. I couldn't handle him hurting me.

In my youth, him breaking up with me was the single worst thing that had ever happened to me. He'd lost his parents, but I'd lost my first love. It wasn't the same, but the wound for me was raw.

"When should I enroll in school?" Dakota asked.

"Are you interested in doing that soon?" Walker asked carefully.

I'd told him to let her take the lead on school.

Her forehead creased. "If I'm going to be living here, I'd like to get started. I don't want to miss too much."

"I'd like you to live here with me before you start school. Once you get settled, we can talk about your grandparents visiting or maybe us going there."

Dakota cringed. "I think I'd like to stay here for now."

That made me think that Virginia held a lot of memories for her, and it was easier for her to start over here. I didn't want her to avoid her feelings, but it wasn't a bad step for her to take. As long as she was processing her feelings. I'd have to mention it to Walker so he could look out for unsuppressed emotions.

"I already talked to the school about the possibility of us touring the place."

She let out a breath. "Thank you."

Walker nodded. "I want to give you whatever you need."

Speaking of, I needed to talk to him when she wasn't in the room about therapy for her. It would be invaluable as she navigated these changes in her life.

We finished eating and cleaned up.

"Are you ready to go to the hotel?" I asked Dakota when everything was put away.

"Do you think that we could talk about me moving in here? I'd like to get settled in my new room. I'm tired of living in a hotel and eating out all the time."

"I'm ready whenever you are." Walker looked from her to me.

"I'll talk to your grandparents tonight," I offered.

We moved toward the front door, and Walker said, "Thanks for hanging out with me today. I had fun."

Dakota smiled softly. "I did too. Even if I'm terrible at ice-skating."

---