Page 58 of Wild Hearts

"He's asked for a second chance, and we've been hanging out together. But I haven't officially said yes. He seems determined, as if he can overcome any of my objections."

Amber fanned herself with a napkin.

Tori leaned in close. "Let him. Enjoy yourself."

"I want to know what he's going to do to overcome your objections. Are these sexual favors?" Noelle asked.

Tori smacked her shoulder. "You go, girl."

"It's as easy as that? Give in, and let him show me why he deserves a second chance?" I asked them, and they all nodded.

"The timing was wrong when you dated last time. But now you're both more settled, you're mature, and neither one of you would walk away without discussing it together," Tori said.

"Besides, Walker's family is here. I don't see him moving away. If he thought that was best for Dakota, wouldn't he have moved there to begin with?" Noelle asked.

I chewed my lip. "It's scary to remove that safety net and see where things go. It feels so reckless."

Tori's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I think that's the best kind of way to do it. Remove the barriers and be all in. How else will you know if he's the right man for you?"

The conversation moved to their past relationships, and who they would, or wouldn't, give a second chance to.

I already knew I'd given in by spending time with him. There was just the matter of letting him all the way in. Could I do it?

13

WALKER

Ihadn't contacted Addison all week. Part of me wanted her to come to me. I'd made my move, and I'd told her that I wanted a second chance. Wasn't it her turn to make the next move?

On Saturday, Dakota slept in and then wandered downstairs late morning in her pajamas. I poured the pancake batter into the pan. "What do you want to do today?"

She scanned our living room that now held the new painting over the fireplace. It fit perfectly there, and every time I looked at it, it prompted me to add more decorations to make the place ours. We were making the cabin our home. I'd saved the horse painting as a Christmas gift for Dakota.

"Can we get a Christmas tree?"

There was a perfect space for it in front of the window. "Sure. Why not?"

"Can we invite Addison along?" Dakota asked tentatively.

"I thought you'd want to pick out a tree together?" I figured it would be a family thing we'd do together.

Her nose wrinkled. "It seems like something Addison should be there for."

"I wonder if she needs a tree?" I tried to remember if she had decorations in her living room, but I couldn't recall the details. All I saw was her.

"Now you're thinking. Besides you haven't seen her since last weekend."

I dialed her number, holding the phone to my ear but not leaving the room. I liked that Dakota was involved in this.

When Addison answered, "Hello," I said. "Hey. Dakota wants to get a tree today. You want to go with us?"

"Hmm. I don't have a tree yet. But I usually just get one from the lot in town."

I shot Dakota a conspiratorial grin. "That's not going to work."

"Why not?"

"Everyone needs to experience cutting down a tree for the first time."

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