Walker Revenge (The Walker Family Series Book 5) (15 page)

Chelsea covered her mouth with her hand.
“It’s beautiful.”

“Put it on. I’m not much help right now,” he
joked.

Chelsea unclasped the hook, slipped it
around her neck, and rehooked it. “Well?”

“It pales in your beauty,” he complimented
softly.

“It’s moments like this that I think we’ll
never fight again.”

“Don’t count on it.” He took her hand and
pulled her closer to him. “I’m not going to let you go this time.
This time, I’ll fight for you. For both of you.”

“That’s a big promise.”

“Yeah, well my eyes are open now. I love
both of you, and that’s a lot coming from me. I can’t see ever
letting either of you leave me.”

Chelsea held her hand over her heart.
“Russell, you’ve been around him for a few days. What if you find
out that it’s too much? You and I, we’ve loved each other before.
We know what to expect. Things are different now. Can you really
look at him every day and not be reminded of what I did to break
your heart?”

“I look at my mother and how she looks at
Eric. He wasn’t easy on her. And he was eight when our dad married
her. Chels, if she can love Eric as much as she does, I know that
in my heart I can love Lucas for who he is, and not think about his
genetics. Family can be chosen too.”

“I love you, Russell Walker. You need to
know that no matter what I’ve ever done, I never stopped loving
you.”

He pulled her in closer until their lips
met. And though it was a simple kiss, it held so much promise.

Lucas squirmed beneath them, and she backed
away. “I should go put him down for a nap.”

“Why don’t you put him in my room, we’ll be
near enough for him then.”

She nodded and scooped up her son as she
stood. And as she carried him into the house, she kissed him softly
on the cheek. He already smelled of Russell.

As she lay him down on Russell’s bed, she
looked down at his fair skin, and his white-blond hair. There had
never been a more perfect human conceived, she thought. Russell saw
that in him too. She knew that to be true. Maybe they could have it
all and Russell could love them both. Wouldn’t that make it the
best Christmas ever?

Chapter
Sixteen

Keeping Lucas out of the presents was a
full-time job for everyone who had gathered for dinner. Russell
knew his father was a patient man, but until he’d picked up Lucas
for the tenth time to distract him, he hadn’t quite understood how
patient he was. It didn’t seem to weigh on him, this child that
just happened into their lives and was disrupting everything around
them—in a good way.

It was killing Russell to sit and watch
everyone moving about, setting the table, pouring drinks, just
being normal. Susan was fussing with some dish, while Chelsea
tended to the pumpkin pie she’d promised Gerald she’d make.
Somehow, Russell managed to get himself in a corner, and the world
moved on without him—until she came to him.

Pearl had dropped by a dress from her bridal
store for Chelsea to wear tonight. It was a bridesmaid sample and
more of a party dress than a wedding dress. It fit her like a
glove. She’d curled her hair, and golden strands cascaded down over
her bare shoulders. She was as lovely as he’d ever remembered
her.

“I brought you a drink,” she said, handing
him a wine glass.

He sniffed the liquid inside. “This is grape
juice.”

She smiled. “Can’t mix drugs and alcohol,”
she joked, and he humored her with a laugh. Karen had made it a
fact to remind him more than once that he could do his celebrating
after the holidays.

“Come here,” he said, motioning her toward
him. “Sit down.”

“There is nowhere to sit.”

“I want you on my lap, so you’re close to
me.”

She moved in closer. “I don’t want to hurt
you.”

“You won’t. You know where all of my no-no
places are,” he joked, and she laughed as she carefully eased
herself down on his lap with her body mostly on his good leg and
the chair. It would have to do, he thought. But in a month, he was
going to sweep her up in his arms and carry her away. They’d dance,
too, when he could walk again. There was a lot of healing to be
done, he decided.

“This is nice.” Chelsea nuzzled her nose in
the crease of his neck, and he breathed in sharply at the
sensations it sent through him.

“Maybe this was more dangerous than I
thought,” he whispered. “I’m still a warm-blooded man, and I can’t
do anything about this,” he growled low.

“Mom’s ready,” Dane shouted toward them.
“Get to the table before Dad eats all the turkey.”

They both laughed, and Chelsea placed a
gentle kiss on his lips before he stood. “We can’t keep your mom
waiting.”

No, he knew that was a bad idea anytime.

Christmas music played while the entire
Walker family ate dinner around the table. It had changed a bit,
Chelsea noted, as she looked around. Once, she’d eaten among them
all, and she was the only girlfriend there. Now Eric sat next to
his wife, Susan. Dane sat next to his fiancée Gia. Ben and Gerald
took their positions on each side of Everett at the end of the
extended table.

But really, the big difference was that she
was back at this same table, years later. Her seat was next to
Russell’s as it always had been, and Lucas, in his highchair, was
between them—as if they were a family.

The thought caught in her chest, and she
swallowed hard. Her fingers itched to touch the necklace at her
throat, but she didn’t want to draw attention to it. It held a bit
of a secret—Russell had gone to town to get it. Glenda would be
furious.

Lucas had seen the many wrapped gifts under
the tree, and he was old enough to understand that he wanted to
unwrap them.

Chelsea did her best to keep him seated in
his chair.

“It’s no wonder you’re so skinny,” Glenda
said to her as she tried to help Lucas with his dinner. “You don’t
eat. He’ll be fine. It’ll make it to his mouth or on the floor. You
need to eat too.”

“Oh, I’d rather help him than mess up your
nice carpet.”

Glenda leaned in toward her over the table.
“Sweetheart, this house has seen my five young boys run through it,
and two more before them, when their father and his brother were
children. One more isn’t going to hurt it. And I’ll tell you what.
He’s already making my Christmas brighter, so he couldn’t possibly
make a mess big enough to take that away from me.”

She caught Russell’s stare, and it brought a
warmth to her. Yes, she’d taken a turn from this family—from
Russell—but fate had brought her back here. This was where she
belonged.

The doorbell diverted everyone’s attention
from the meal, and Glenda’s eyes grew wide. “Lucas, do you want to
go with me and see who’s at the door?”

Eager to jump down from his chair, Lucas
nodded and reached for his mother.

Chelsea quickly cleaned him off and pulled
him from the chair. He raced around the table to take Glenda’s
hand, and together they hurried to the door.

“I need to get my phone and take some
pictures,” she said as she too hurried around Russell and the
table.

She could hear the jingle of bells, a mighty
“Ho-ho-ho”, and then the joyous squeal of her son’s voice all
before she got to where they stood.

Lucas jumped up and down, still gripping
tightly to Glenda’s hand. Chelsea took a picture and then looked at
Santa, who smiled widely. Those were familiar eyes beyond that
beard. Was there nothing Officer Phillip Smythe wouldn’t do for her
and her son? The thought made her chuckle. What would Lydia think
of her nemesis now?

“Merry Christmas, Lucas,” Santa said, and
Lucas’s eyes went wide. “Can you help me with my bag?”

Lucas nodded, and with one hand still
gripping tightly to Glenda’s, he wrapped his other hand around
Santa’s bag and helped him drag it into the living room.

Chelsea could hear the others chuckle, and
she hoped they wouldn’t give away the identity of Santa.

“You’re strong,” Santa said to Lucas. “Now,
where can I sit so that I can visit with my little friend?”

“Santa, I have a chair all ready for you,”
Glenda said gesturing to the chair next to the tree.

“Oh, that looks like a good chair.” Santa
dragged his bag toward the tree, and Lucas followed. “Would you
like to sit with me, Lucas?”

Lucas shifted a look to Glenda and then to
Chelsea. Each of them nodded their encouragement.

He slowly took a step toward Santa, then
took the hand he offered, and Santa hoisted him on his lap.

Chelsea was so caught up in the moment
Glenda had to remind her to take the picture.

She lifted her phone, zoomed in the camera,
and had to take a very deep breath. The smile on her son’s face was
one she’d never seen before. That thrill and wonder of childhood
was lit in his eyes. She’d feared from the moment he was born that
Lucas wouldn’t know these kinds of joys, but she’d been wrong. He
was seated on Santa’s lap and the whole world was right with
him.

Chelsea took the picture and lowered her
phone, only to realize that Russell was next to her now, reaching
up to take her hand.

“Who knew he could be such a convincing
Santa?” he whispered.

“He’s perfect.”

“I’m glad you’re both here, Chels,” he said,
and she looked down at him. “I would have hated to have missed this
moment in his life.”

Her lips twitched as the tears began to pool
in her eyes.

Russell gave her hand a tug and pulled her
down to his lap. “I love you both,” he whispered in her ear. “I
can’t believe it took this to tell you that.”

“We love you. All of you,” she whispered
back, resting her head against his. “I only wish his story had
started here,” she admitted.

“It’s just starting, Chels. And so is our
story.” He wrapped his arm around her and gave her a squeeze.

“Ho-ho-ho, I think I have something in my
bag for you.” Santa looked at Lucas. “Do you like presents?”

Again he looked at Chelsea for approval, and
she nodded.

Lucas nodded to Santa.

“I’m going to need your help to pull it out,
okay?” Lucas nodded again and jumped down from Santa’s lap. “Reach
inside, Lucas. Can you feel another bag?” Lucas nodded. “Pull that
out.”

Lucas pulled as hard as he could, and then
Ben got on his knees next to him. “You want some help?”

“Yes,” Lucas said with determination.

Ben grinned as he and Lucas pulled the bag
from Santa’s bag. This bag had a bright red bow and pictures of
Santa all over it. Ben found the end to the bow and pointed it out
to Lucas. “Give this a pull,” he said.

Lucas pulled the ribbon, and the bag fell
open around a brand new tricycle with police stickers and red and
blue lights.

He hurried to get it out of the captive bag,
with Ben’s help. And as soon as it was free, he climbed on.

Chelsea hurried to her feet to stop him, but
both Glenda and Everett held up their hands to let her know he was
free to drive it in their house. Truly they were kind people.

“Lucas, there’s a siren too,” Santa told
him, his voice still deep to keep in character.

Lucas looked for the switch and quickly
enough found it. He took his first lap from the living room, down
the hall, through the kitchen, into the dining room, and back to a
full room of people who cheered for him.

Quickly, Chelsea’s happy tears turned into a
sob. She could never have given him a Christmas like this.

Santa stood and walked to her. He gave her a
big hug, and she laughed through the tears as his squishy fat belly
pressed against her.

“Merry Christmas, Chelsea,” he said
softly.

“Merry Christmas, Santa.” She kissed him on
his cheek. “I don’t know when, but I’ll pay for that tricycle.
That’s too much.”

He shook his head. “He has a lot of friends
in the police department who made that very special bag happen.
There are a few more little things in there. We’ve got his back,
and yours.”

The tears continued, and Russell guided her
back to his lap. He pressed a finger to the necklace he’d given
her. “See, your heart feeds others. Your kindness leads the way,
sweetheart.”

She wished she could look in his eyes and
hear the words he spoke, and believe them. She’d hurt him so badly,
what made him want to have her there, with her son, and love her as
he was? This was the Russell Walker she’d known. This side of him
that balanced out the hot-tempered one. She loved him. She’d always
loved him.

“I’ll make it all right for you, Russell.
I’ll make it all up. All the wrongs and all the missed
opportunities. All of this,” she said acknowledging the room of
people still cheering her son as he made yet another circle through
the rooms.

“We have a lifetime to make up for three
lost years. I think we can wash them under the bridge.”

He reached his hand up into her hair and
pulled her close to him. Pressing his lips to her, she felt his
promise. Through this tragedy, they had been given another chance
and she sure as hell wasn’t going to ruin it.

Chapter
Seventeen

Lucas had worn himself out. He’d ridden his
new tricycle until he’d fallen asleep on the handlebars.

Gerald had then picked him up and laid him
on the sofa with a stuffed bear, which Santa had also brought
him.

Each of Russell’s brothers kissed their
mother goodnight and then did the same to Chelsea. Gerald lingered
and whispered, “I’m glad you’re back.”

Her heart was full, and she hadn’t expected
that. The moment Phillip had told her that her ex was out on
parole, her house had been broken into, and Russell Walker’s name
was on her hospital board, she’d expected only horrible things to
happen. Who knew, at such a time, it could go so right.