Page 47 of Wild Hearts

"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."

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