Page 43 of Untamed Heart

My bike growleddown the tree-lined street as I guided it to the curb in front of Dakota’s house and killed the engine, kicking the stand down and throwing my leg over.

A shrill scream that turned into hysterical laughter had me twisting to look across the street, and just like that, I felt my heart start beating against my ribs like it was trying to break through.

Dakota’s long, golden hair flew behind her, catching the sunlight as she ran circles in the yard across the street from her place. Her laughter filled the air as four little boys chased after her with water guns, shouting battle cries at the tops of their lungs as they pelted Dakota with water. She didn’t seem to care one bit that she was practically soaked to the bone; she was too busy having the time of her life with those little boys.

“You’ll never defeat me!” she shouted, dropping her gun that had emptied at some point and snatching up the kid nearest her to use like a human shield. “I will destroy you all!”

The boy in her arms flailed as water splattered him in the chest, doing a stellar impression of some very believable deaththroes. The kid either had a future in acting, or he was going to destroy the world. Only time would tell.

“Jesus, son. You gonna stand there droolin’ or you gonna get your behind up here and keep me company while my girl defeats the evil Dementors?”

I opened the saddle bag on my bike and pulled out the plastic bag I’d stowed inside. I took the path up to Dakota’s front porch and lowered myself into the chair beside Pops. Kicking my feet out in front of me, I crossed one booted ankle over the other and made myself comfortable.

“The hell is a Dementor?”

The old man lifted his shoulder in a shrug. It had only been two days since he got out of the hospital, but he already looked a million times better. His cheeks had color in them again and his eyes were bright instead of that dull haze he’d been sporting for a while. I had a feeling the improvement had nothing to do with his actual health and everything to do with the woman who was currently laughing and smiling as the kids took her to the ground and dog-piled on top of her.

I tipped my chin in Dakota’s direction. “How long have they been at it?”

Pops chuckled. “Couldn’t tell you. Been so long I lost track of time. One minute we were having lunch, and the next the doorbell rings and those kids are askin’ my girl if she wants to play.”

A smile tugged at my lips as I continued to enjoy the show. The door across the street opened and a tall Black man and a much shorter Black woman came out, smiling at the scene unfolding in front of them.

“Don’t go breakin’ her just yet,” the woman called. “Or she won’t be able to play water guns with you guys for a while.”

The kid who’d died so brilliantly stood from the mass of limbs on the front yard and shot his mom a peeved look. “We aren’t playin’ waterguns,Mom. We’re playin’ Dementors.”

“Ah, so itisn’tonly my kid who talks to me like I’m an idiot,” I muttered, choking on a laugh.

“Hate to break it to you, son, but that’s all of them, and it only gets worse.” He bumped his fist into my shoulder. “Welcome to the club.”

Just then, Dakota let out a monster roar as she shoved her way up to sit, picking up the youngest kid, who looked to be a toddler, and pretending to body slam him into the ground. “I will destroy you all!” she growled, sending them into a fit of hysterics before they all took off running again.

I spotted a pair of binoculars resting on the arm of his chair. “Your vision getting that bad, old man? You need those just to see?”

He shot me a smirk. “They aren’t for that, asshole. They’re for Mrs. Hofstetter at the end of the cul-de-sac.” He held then out to me and pointed at a house down at the end of the road. I lifted the binoculars and as soon as they were in focus, I spotted the elderly woman sitting by her front window, her own pair of binoculars pointed toward all the action across the street.

I squinted my eyes and leaned in that direction. “What’s she drinking? Is that a pitcher of margaritas?”

“Mai Tai’s,” Pops answered. “And they’re damn good too. She’s the self-declared neighborhood watch. Sits there all day, every day, makin’ sure the street is safe.”

Just then the old woman noticed me spying on her and lowered her binocs and smiled brightly, waving hello.

Pops and I both returned the gesture, then I put the binoculars down and focused on the people I’d come to see. I noticed Pops didn’t just look healthier. He looked happy. Happy in a way I wasn’t sure I’d seen on him before. Even beforehis daughters left, all because that bitch of an ex-wife was determined to make his life a rotten hellscape.

“She’s always been great with kids, huh?” he asked me, his tone wistful and a little sad.

“She has.” There had never been a doubt in my mind that Dakota Riley was going to make an incredible mother one day. She had so much love to give that any child she had would never feel lacking. “You look good, old man. Real good.”

He blew out a slow breath. “It’s been a really good couple of days.”

“Yeah?” I was thrilled to hear him say that. The man had one hell of a shitty life up until this point, losing his girls, stuck with a wife he despised, afraid to make any move for fear his whole world would implode. To see him genuinely happy loosened something in my chest. This man was the closest thing I’d ever had to a father, and I wanted him to be happy. “Fuck, man. I’m thrilled to hear it.”

“Thrilled to be living it.” His smile grew even bigger. “We talked and I told her everything you’ve been pushin’ me to say. We got all that shit out in the open, and she said she wants to rebuild our relationship.”

My brows furrowed because despite the incredible news, he looked downright nervous as he finished that sentence. “Then why do you look like someone took a piss in your Wheaties?”

He heaved a sigh and scrubbed at the steel gray scruff that covered his jaw and cheeks. “I can’t fuck this up again, Roe. I just got her back, and I’m terrified I’ll do something to ruin it.”