But he had to admit that when Walter had pulled that brick out, and Kaia had slipped her hand into his in a completely surprising move, he'd felt a connection to her he didn't want to feel. Which was another reason all this needed to end. Walter had tied him and Kaia together, and he needed to cut that tie.
When they got back to the building, he said he'd wait for Kaia to come back after she saw Walter upstairs. Hopefully, that would prevent Walter from asking him for help with the song.
Before Walter got out of the car, he said, "Thank you again, Jax."
He turned in his seat to face him. "No problem. I'm glad this ended well."
"But I have one more favor to ask, Jax," Walter said. "Could you play the song for me? I think you know how."
He froze at Walter's request, feeling a rush of panic. "No," he said abruptly, then softened his refusal. "I'm sorry, I can't."
"Are you sure?"
"I am."
"Okay," Walter said. "I guess we all have our secret lives, don't we? If I can give you one piece of advice…"
"Sure."
"Sometimes you don't have as much time as you think you do. When something you love is right in front of you, do everything you can to hang on to it, because sometimes you don't get a second chance."
He didn't know what to say to that cryptic comment, and he was very aware of Kaia's gaze on him. Thankfully, they both got out of the car, and once the doors closed behind him, he let out a breath.
He felt bad for saying no to Walter, but he told himself that he couldn't possibly be the only one in town who could play the music for him. And he'd done enough. It was time to get back to his life.
But what the hell was his life? The question rocketed around in his head, along with Walter's words that he might not have as much time as he thought he had. That letting go of something he loved was a mistake.
But Walter was an old man, and he was in his early thirties. He had plenty of years ahead of him. Despite that rationalization, he was very aware of the months he'd been wasting. That couldn't go on forever. And every day he was reminded of that fact.
Kaia returned to the car a few minutes later, letting out a breath of relief when she took her seat. "Walter is feeling good," she said, giving him a smile that made him relax. For some reason, he'd thought her first words would be challenging him on whether or not he could really play the song. "This worked out well," she continued. "Walter got some closure, and hopefully that will do a lot for his overall health. I still can't believe that love song was still in that hiding place after decades. I never thought we would find it."
"I was shocked, too. But that area had obviously been blocked off for a long time."
"And where it was hidden probably wouldn't have been found unless someone remodeled or tore the building down. Walter and Reina got lucky."
"The love song is a good ending."
"I'm not sure it has to be the end," she said. "What if Reina is alive? I'm going to look into it."
"Well, count me out. I'm done."
Disappointment filled her gaze. "Really? You're done? Wouldn't it be great if they could reunite?"
"Even if she's alive, she could be married. She could be sick. She might not remember him. Sometimes it's best to leave the memories where they are. Especially, since your boss already told you to stay out of Walter's life," he reminded her.
Kaia made a disgruntled face as she settled back in her seat. "I'd almost forgotten about that."
"You don't want to risk your job. You can help many more people by staying employed as a paramedic than by trying to find Walter's old girlfriend."
"Well, when you say it like that…" A dry note entered her voice as she smiled back at him. "Despite your pessimism now, you were caught up in the moment back there."
"I'll admit that when he found the loose brick, I felt a jolt," he said, although that jolt had also had something to do with holding Kaia's hand.
"Me, too. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I thought he was going to pull out a clump of dirt, not a love song. That was amazing."
"It wasn't something I expected to see."
"Do you want to stop and get a smoothie? I could use something cold and refreshing."
