Page 45 of Wild Hearts

"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 morethe 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."

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