Page 50 of Wild Hearts

"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 appetizersfrom 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 beable 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."

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