Walker Revenge (The Walker Family Series Book 5) (8 page)

Luckily, this time, she’d remembered the
Tigger, which had fallen behind the bed. That should help Lucas
ease into life at the Walker’s house. Toiletries were gathered and
even some of the food she’d spent her budget on, she took with
them.

As she unpacked her clothes and put them in
the dresser drawers at the Walkers’, she thought of how ironic it
was that she was now living in Russell’s old bedroom. She’d only
been in there a few times, but they’d made plans once to live in
that very room. Oh, they’d been young and stupid, she could say
that now. They’d planned a whole life where they lived on the ranch
in the very house in which he’d grown up. How interesting they
hadn’t thought of starting their own lives away from the land his
family owned. Russell’s mind had always been set on living there
and working the ranch with Eric.

Lucas sat on the bed watching a movie on her
iPad as she made the room look like home to them. A knock at the
door had her stopping as Glenda pushed open the door slowly.

“How’s it coming along?”

Chelsea pushed in the dresser drawer. “It’s
going well. You have no idea how grateful I am to be here.”

“Phillip told me about the truck. I’m glad
you’re here too. I just thought I’d let you know that they’re going
to let Russ out in two days.”

Her heart jumped in her chest. “That’s
fantastic.”

“I’ll be happy to have him home,” Glenda
pressed her hand to her chest. “Dane said Gia called, and she will
be back here before Christmas too. Her plans have changed. I’ll
have my entire family here.”

As happy as she was to be there, Chelsea
felt the pang of guilt tug at her. She would be part of that family
now, but she didn’t belong. “My parents aren’t able to come out
until the end of January. I’m very thankful that we will be here
with you all. I hope we won’t be in the way.”

Glenda moved to Chelsea and placed her hands
on her arms. “You are part of our family. Family doesn’t have to be
blood.”

“I’m honored to have you think of us in that
way. I don’t deserve your compassion.”

“Never think that.” She kissed her on the
cheek. She looked at Lucas sitting quietly on the bed. “You know
Santa hasn’t been to my house in years. I think we’d better make
some cookies for him,” she said to Lucas. “What do you think? Would
you like to do that with me?”

His eyes widened, and he jumped from the bed
and ran straight to Glenda, taking her hand.

“You get settled in. Lucas and I are going
to go make a mess of the kitchen,” she said with a laugh.

Chelsea watched as Glenda Walker walked away
hand in hand with her son. It was a sight she’d dreamed about for
years. Who knew it would happen?

What would Russell think if he’d seen them?
Would it make him mad?

She supposed they’d find out in two days.
Then Christmas was only a few days later.

Phillip had the gifts she’d bought for Lucas
with him so that he wouldn’t see them. They weren’t many, and now
she wished she had something for Glenda and her family. Maybe she
could convince someone to take her to town. She certainly didn’t
want to go alone.

There was another knock at the door and this
time, Gerald was standing there with a bouquet of daisies. “Mom
thought you’d like these to brighten your room.”

She could feel the tears form, but she
pushed them back. “That is very sweet of her,” she said as she took
them and set them on the dresser. “I hope I’m not putting everyone
out by being here.”

“Of course not. She’s giddy to have you here
and your son. They are in the kitchen laughing and having a great
time.”

“I’m glad. With my parents living in Florida
now, he doesn’t get to be with them. And of course Dominic’s
family…well, they’re not allowed to have anything to do with him
after Dominic kidnapped him.”

“He’s safe now, and so are you,” Gerald
said, sitting down on the bed. “I have the room downstairs, off the
kitchen, ready for Russell when he gets home. Mom says you’re going
to be taking care of him.”

“If he’ll let me.”

A grin formed on Gerald’s lips. “Oh, I’m
sure he’ll let you. He’ll be an ass, but he’ll let you.”

“You’re all being very kind to me. I’m not
sure why.”

“You’re family,” he said standing. “You
always have been.” He moved back to the doorway and turned around.
“I’m headed into town. Do you need anything?”

“I’d love to get your parents something for
Christmas. I don’t know what, but…”

“Can you still make that pumpkin pie you
used to make?”

She chuckled. “Well, yes.”

“I’ll get the ingredients for that. Text
them to me. Mom would love that for Christmas.”

“Oh, that’s not enough.”

“Sure it is. She has Santa coming this year
too. You have no idea the joy you’re bringing her. We’ll keep you
safe, and you’ll be giving Mom something she’s been yearning
for.”

“You know, Russ might kick me out.”

“No. He’d never put you in harm’s way.
Phillip seems to think you’re in it. He’ll be happy to have you
here, even if he doesn’t act like it.” With a wink, he turned and
left.

She stood there a moment and laughed when
she thought about the pie. Seriously, she could not repay them with
dessert.

In time she would find a way. For now, she
was going to enjoy the moment. She was part of a family again—the
family she’d always wanted to be part of.

~*~

Russell lay in his hospital bed, free of
wire and tubes, except for the stupid catheter they thought he
needed since some shard of glass had stabbed him. He still had
stitches, bandages, and of course the stupid bandage that took up
all of his leg. But the doctor had given him release, and now he
just waited for the nurse to finish the paperwork.

His mother sat in the chair next to his bed
with an enormous grin on her face, and his father paced, as he
normally did.

He couldn’t deny that he was ready to go
home, but he knew what waited for him. His mother hadn’t stopped
talking about Chelsea and her son since she’d walked in that
morning.

There was some surprise that his blood
pressure had been fine. He’d been stressing over Chelsea for the
past two days. Even more, he was nervous to see her son for the
first time. There was something finite in knowing he’d been born of
a bond that had torn Russell’s world apart.

Pettiness didn’t sit well with him. The
feeling that he couldn’t quite let it go irritated him. In fact,
he’d had to control his breathing so that he wouldn’t alarm
anyone.

He didn’t want to be mad at Chelsea anymore.
She had a lot on her plate. Certainly, he didn’t want to hold a
grudge against some three-year-old either.

It was going to take some work, but he was
willing to have an open mind. After all, his mother was ecstatic
for Christmas morning with a toddler in the house.

“I remember when you boys would walk down
the stairs and see the Christmas tree. You and Ben would plan all
year for Santa’s arrival. Gerald and Dane were a little leerier of
him. Eric, well he was just a good sport for so long.” She opened
her purse and took out her lipstick, applied it, and returned it to
her purse. “I know Lucas is going to enjoy Santa this year. He and
I made two batches of cookies. Well,” she laughed, “we ate the
first batch.”

“I’m sure Chelsea appreciates all you’re
doing.”

She took a breath to say something else, but
the nurse walked in causing his mother’s excitement to shift.

“Mr. Walker, you’re all set to go home.” She
handed him a stack of papers. “Here is your discharge information.
Your appointments are all made and listed on the last sheet. Your
mother assured us you'd have some home care. That’ll help in your
recovery. Of course, there will be no walking. When you come back
for your visit, and they remove the staples from your surgery, they
can assess you then and decide on your recovery. Until then, you’ll
keep your leg elevated and bandaged as it is now.”

“How long will that be?” He wanted out of it
now.

“A few more weeks. Mind your nurse, and
you’ll heal faster,” she said with a wink.

Russell gritted his teeth. How had it come
to be that his healing and his return to normality would depend on
the one woman who stole all of that in the first place?

He was helped into a wheelchair and out to
his mother’s car. Even though he wasn’t thrilled about what awaited
him at home, he knew his father couldn’t drive fast enough, because
home was right where he wanted to be.

Chapter Nine

Susan scurried around the kitchen with Lydia
in tow prepping dinner. Eric had come through the back door and
stolen food from the tray his wife had set out, which had given her
reason to slap his hand.

Dane walked in with Gia, after having picked
her up at the airport. She’d been in Everett Walker’s office making
phone calls since she’d said hello to everyone.

Gerald, Ben, and Dane now joined Eric in the
kitchen, and they all paced as if they didn’t know what to do with
themselves.

Chelsea sat at the table with Lucas while he
ate his snack. She was surprised that he was eating from a plate of
cut up snacks Susan had made for him. Perhaps living with the
Walkers would be good for him. Chelsea certainly wasn’t culinary,
and Lucas needed a broader food base, that was for sure.

But, she thought, at least it kept her from
joining everyone and pacing the room. She was more nervous than she
could remember. Even more so than when she’d first been standing in
Russell’s hospital room, holding his arm, taking his vitals when
he’d awoken that first morning.

How they possibly heard the car driving up
to the house amongst the chatter going on in the kitchen, she had
no idea, but the entire family dropped whatever they were doing and
headed to the front door.

Chelsea sat at the table, Lucas still on her
lap. She was paralyzed in the chair. It wasn’t appropriate for her
to run to the door. She shouldn’t be excited to see him come into
the house. Fear had her sick, knowing he was going to have that
scowl on his face that meant he wasn’t happy to see her. Why would
he be?

Lucas squirmed on her lap until he managed
out of her arms and ran off toward the door. How was it she
couldn’t even keep up with a toddler?

She followed him out to where everyone
gathered outside the door. He pushed through their legs and ran
straight to Glenda.

“Oh, look who came to greet us.” She picked
Lucas up and rested him on her hip as Gerald pushed the wheelchair
to the car and helped Russell out.

When Russell had returned from the service,
he’d received much of the same greeting he was receiving now. Only
then, it was just his brothers. He noticed Susan was standing next
to Eric, and Dane stood with his arm around Gia. Lydia Morgan had
moved in front of the group, and Ben had rested his hands on her
shoulders.

Gerald had moved in and helped balance him
as he managed his way out of the car and into the wheelchair, which
was now his norm.

As Gerald turned him from the car, he got
his first glimpse of the boy he’d been thinking of. Chelsea’s son
had run outside and right to Glenda, who had scooped him up and
planted a kiss right on his cheek.

“I guess he was eager to meet you,” she said
as she walked toward him. “This is our guest, Lucas.”

The little boy buried his face in Russell’s
mother’s neck. “He seems to like you.”

“Of course, he does. I’m loveable,” she
agreed.

He looked at the boy—studied him as he
raised his head. Blond hair, blue eyes, and a familiar smile gazed
down at him. He looked like his mother, and that eased the pain he
was having in his chest.

As Gerald pushed him toward the house, each
of his brothers and their significant others shook his hand, patted
him on the back, or kissed his cheek.

Lydia jumped right in front of his chair,
placed her hands on his cheeks, and gave him a generous kiss on the
lips.

“I’m so glad you’re home. You will heal so
much better here. And then when you’re ready…”

He laughed. “I can help you with your new
place.”

“Absolutely.” She kissed him again before
stepping to the side.

Just as Gerald pushed him to the door,
Chelsea stepped into view. “Welcome home,” she said, with as much
trepidation as he was feeling.

“Thanks.” His voice cracked as he spoke. How
was this possibly going to work, when both of them were so
obviously uncomfortable?

“I’d better get Lucas, so your mom can get
you settled.”

She started by him, and he reached for her.
“He looks just like you,” he said, hoping the sincerity relayed
correctly.

“He’s my life.” Though her words should have
sliced right through his heart, seeing her there, and having seen
him, he knew the extent of her love for her son. It was admirable,
especially considering his paternity.

She slid by them, and Gerald pushed him into
the house, through to the kitchen where it looked as though they
were having a party.

“What’s all this?” he asked.

“They’re all excited to have you home. So if
you need to rest, you’d better let me know. You know how this
family is, this could go on for hours,” Gerald joked at their
family’s expense.

Russell chuckled. “I know I’m supposed to
rest, but I think this might be what I need for the moment.”

Chelsea reached for Lucas and pulled him to
her. “He’s going to do much better at home,” she told Glenda, who
watched her family file into the house.

“I know he will. It’ll surprise
everyone.”

“Would you mind if I took Lucas out back and
showed him the chickens?”

Glenda’s brows drew together. “Now? Don’t
you want to come in and eat?”