Page 7 of Wild Hearts

Walker: Yeah, whatever she wants.

Addison: Thanks.

That was the answer I was hoping to hear. Walker was sensitive to her feelings. That would be important in the coming days and weeks.

I took the elevator down to the lobby. When I stepped out, my phone rang. Seeing it was Walker, I ducked into an empty room. "Walker?"

"How is she?"

"She looks just like you," I couldn't help but gush, dropping the professional tone I'd kept with Blanche and Dennis.

He blew out a breath. "I didn't look her up on social media. I wanted to see her for the first time in person."

"Not a bad idea." That way his reaction to his daughter would be real, and Dakota would see it.

His voice lowered. "What's she like?"

"She seems like a typical teenager who's lost her mother. She's guarded, vulnerable."

Walker sighed heavily. "I hate that she's going through this, but I'm not sorry that I know about her now."

My heart kicked up at the idea of seeing him soon. "Where do you want to meet her? In your house?"

"I think that would be best."

"I have to be present during the first meeting."

"That's fine. I want to do everything by the book."

"We'll be there soon."

"Addison?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're the one who's doing this for us."

"I am too."

He hung up, but the old feelings for him churned in my chest. At one time, he was my everything. I loved him until he walked away.

I took several deep breaths before I went to greet Blanche and Dennis. I couldn't let my feelings for Walker influence me. I was only involved because of my professional capacity as a social worker. Not as his ex-girlfriend.

I smiled tentatively as I approached Dennis and Blanche. "Dakota asked that I be the only one present at the first meeting."

Blanche opened her mouth to say something, but Dennis touched her arm. "Let's do what Dakota wants. I don't want to make this harder on her than it already is."

"I'll be present for the entire visit, and I'll bring her back here when it's over." We'd already planned for several meetingsbefore Dakota went to live with Walker. It was a gradual process, but I didn't want to wait too long for her to be with him. It was imperative that she move on to her new life and get settled in. Walker had decisions to make regarding her education, and I wanted him to have time to do it.

Dakota joined us. She still wore the headphones around her neck with a book bag slung over her shoulder.

"This will be a short visit," I said to them. This was standard protocol in situations like this so as not to overwhelm the child.

Dakota hugged her grandmother, then her grandfather. "I'll be okay."

The affection between them was obvious. I was sure her mother's death brought them even closer together.

We headed toward my car and drove the short distance to the Wilde Ski Resort. As we drove past the main lodge onto the road that veered through the property to the cabins, Dakota asked, "My father owns this?"

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