Page 96 of Dallas Rivals

My inner alarm bells go off immediately.

“You two know each other?” My voice is sharper than I’d like and everyone can tell how tense I just got.

“No,” she laughs. “I’m a fan. I’ve followed him on Instagram for years. Never realized you were a Walker.”

Kill bursts out laughing, his eyes locked on mine. He’s enjoying this way too much, and I can practically see his ego inflating by the second.

“I love meeting my fans,” he says smoothly. “Let me introduce you to the less famous Walkers. This is Silas and his wife, Lauren.”

They wave politely.

“Don’t ask them about high school, it’s a sore subject,” he adds in a loud whisper.

“Then we’ve got Luca and Emma,” he continues, pointing.

Emma hugs Cala immediately, while Luca offers a polite handshake.

“We used to hate her, but now we’re #TeamEmma,” Kill quips, earning a laugh from Cala, louder and freer than I’ve ever heard from her.

“And you already know Oliver,” Kill finishes, grinning wickedly. “And here we have the grumpiest Walker of them all. Though, to be fair, he does look a little less stressed than usual.”

Cala turns to me and smiles. It’s the first smile I’ve seen from her in days that isn’t hiding something.

“The pleasure’s mine,” she says, offering her hand.

I take it and pull her gently toward me, away from Kill.

“Likewise,” I reply.

Silas walks over to Ruby, running a hand along her coat.

“My wife was curious about your work, Cala,” he says. “It’s impressive how well you handle this beast.”

“Are we talking about the horse or Oliver?” Kill throws in.

I shove him hard. He just laughs louder.

God, give me strength not to kill him.

Cala ignores him, calm as ever. She motions for Lauren to come closer and starts explaining the process. Emma joins them, eager not to miss a thing.

My brothers line up beside me, watching their wives. Ruby flinches when Emma reaches out, and the three women laugh at something Cala whispers.

“Is she the one?” Luca asks quietly.

I glance at him, one brow raised. “The one?”

He tilts his head toward her. “Come on, pretending there’s no tension between you two is pointless.”

I look back at Cala, noticing her soft smile and the gentle way she moves. There’s a light in her eyes whenever she’s near the animals and seeing that lights something inside me. It’s as if, all this time, I’ve been trying to ignore what’s right in front of me—but now, I can’t help but feel something twist deep within. Maybe I’ve been denying it all along.

I exhale slowly, my gaze still fixed on her, unable to look away.

“Yeah,” I admit. “She is.”

My father’s rehabilitation center is breathtaking—grand, luxurious, and so immaculate it almost steals my breath.

The entrance is impressive: a paved road lined with trees so tall their branches meet above us, forming a natural archway. The grass on both sides glows a fierce, vibrant green, giving the whole place a kind of fairytale calm. At the end of the road stands a glass building that gleams under the afternoon sun.