Walker Revenge (The Walker Family Series Book 5) (16 page)

Everett walked into the kitchen when the
last of the dishes were being loaded into the dishwasher. “Lucas’s
bed is all set up for him, and the gate is in the doorway.”

“Thank you.” Chelsea moved to him and kissed
his cheek. “I should go get him upstairs and get him tucked
in.”

“Oh, well, I took some liberties.” He
exchanged glances with Glenda, who smiled. “His bed is in Russell’s
room.”

Chelsea felt her mouth drop open. “I don’t
know if that’s…”

Glenda moved in and touched her arm. “I had
him bring your things down too.” She moved in closer and whispered,
“He’s better when you’re both closer. It’s time you be a
family.”

Chelsea was sure she’d nearly stopped
breathing. They may have once been inseparable, and destined to be
together, but that was many years ago. Could that really be
repaired in a few weeks?

She turned to Russell whose warm smile
answered that question very simply.

“Bonus for me. My parents condone a girl
sleeping in my room.”

She could feel the heat fill her cheeks.
“Thank you,” was all she could say.

Chelsea scooped Lucas up off the sofa. He
stirred awake and made sure he had his bear with him. Then, he
caught sight of Russell and reached for him.

Russell lifted his arm, and Chelsea set him
on Russell’s lap. Lucas looked up at him with sleepy eyes. “You
tuck,” he said as he rested his head against Russell’s chest.

Chelsea watched as Glenda had to turn away
and wipe the tear from her cheek. She wasn’t so sure Russell hadn’t
done the same.

She got behind his chair and pushed
their
family into the bedroom to tuck in for the night.

Russell wasn’t usually the kind of man who
let his emotions get the best of him. But the moment Lucas had
reached for him, he realized he’d become a complete softy.

He loved this little boy as he much as he
loved his mother. Russell kissed the top of his head as Chelsea
lifted him from his lap.

Lucas woke in protest. “Dad tuck.”

Chelsea’s hand went straight to her mouth
and nearly covered the sob. Her eyes moved to his, but he couldn’t
read her. Were those happy or sad tears?

“His name is…” she began, and Russell lifted
his hand to stop her.

“Let’s talk about this alone,” he whispered.
“Lucas, let your mommy put on your pajamas. I’ll kiss you and Bear
goodnight, and I’ll try to tuck you in. Okay?”

Lucas nodded slightly, climbed out of
Russell’s chair, and went to Chelsea.

She set him on his little bed and began
pulling off his clothes as his body swayed back and forth, since he
was still mostly asleep.

“Mommy loves you,” she cooed and kissed him
on the cheek.

“Wuv you,” he said as he cuddled the bear
and laid on his pillow. Then, as if he’d received a jolt of energy,
he sat up and reached for Russell.

“He can’t get out of his chair yet, Lucas,”
Chelsea told him.

Lucas’s little forehead crinkled in thought.
He climbed from the bed and went to Russell. In a quick move, and
with Russell helping with his good arm, he climbed into the chair
and wrapped his arms around Russell’s neck. “Wuv you, Daddy.” He
kissed Russell’s cheek and climbed back down.

Without hesitation, he climbed into his bed
and was immediately back to sleep.

Both Russell and Chelsea sat there silently,
staring at him. If he could stand from that stupid chair, he’d walk
outside in the cold and collect himself. The child, whom he’d
feared seeing, had completely disarmed him by calling him
Daddy.

Chelsea stood and walked to the bathroom.
She turned on the light, then turned off the light in the bedroom.
He watched as she stood there collecting herself, then he scooted
the chair to the door with his foot.

“Don’t be angry. He doesn’t know who I am,”
Russell whispered.

Her damp eyes went wide, and her nostrils
flared. She was mad. He’d seen this side enough times to know.

She stepped back and motioned to him to get
in the bathroom with her. When he managed, she shut the door.

“Angry? You think I’m angry?” she whispered
loudly.

“You don’t want him to call me dad. It upset
you.”

“No.” The word came on a sob. “It surprised
me. It moved me.”

He reached out his hand to her. “It moved me
too.”

“I don’t want to confuse him.”

Russell let out a long breath. “You plan to
let his father be part of his life, then?”

She shook her head. “No. By law, he has been
removed from his life. He has no rights to him.”

“But Lucas knows his father?’

“No.”

“Then what’s to confuse him?”

She turned from him and then spun back. “He
just met you. The kids at the daycare have dads. He knows about
them, he just never…”

“Never realized he didn’t have one around?”
She nodded. “Are you opposed to me being his dad?”

She lifted her eyes to meet his. “It’s all I
ever wanted. He should have been your son.”

“Then let him be.”

“Russell, you’re not one to take on someone
else’s kid.”

“Says who?”

She opened her mouth to argue, but then
closed it again. “That’s a lot of responsibility. It’s not just
giving him rides on your lap in your wheelchair. It’s not just
friends showing up as Santa. There’s so much more to it.”

“Have you met my family? Have you met my
father? Chelsea, I’m not a stranger to what it takes.”

“He’d be lucky to have a man like your
father.”

“I’d be honored to try and be like my
father.”

“And when you get out of that chair, then
what? When my duty ends here, then what? Russell, this is all
new.”

“No. It’s just been on hiatus. Let me be his
father. Let him call me Dad. I want the job. I’m begging for the
job.”

“You’ve been around him a few days. This is
a lifetime you’re talking about.”

“And if he had been my son, I’d still have
loved him in those first few days and taken it on for a
lifetime.”

Chelsea leaned against the counter. “I want
perfect for him, Russ. I don’t just want names to change. If you’re
only going to be Russell to him, then be that.”

He smiled, and he could see the line between
her brows form in confusion. “You don’t want me just to be Russell
and have him call me dad. Daddies and mommies go together.”

She chuckled. “Yes, I guess that’s what I’m
saying.”

“Marry me tomorrow then. Make this a
Christmas no one will ever forget.”

Chelsea let out a breath of annoyance and
tossed her hands in the air. “Don’t just throw that around,
Russell. That’s not funny.”

“I’m not laughing.”

She moved to him and knelt down in front of
him. “As perfect as it sounds, it’s impractical.”

He shook his head and laughed. “It sounds
that way. Marry me anyway, Chelsea. Marry me and let me adopt
Lucas. Let me be his daddy. Let my parents be his grandparents. I’m
sure you can tell, no one is going to turn him away.”

She took his hand in hers and kissed his
knuckles. “I need something from you first. I need you to look me
in the eye and tell me you forgive me. I have yet to forgive
myself, but if you…”

“I forgive you, Chels. I forgive you for
being human and making a decision that turned out in some ways to
be a blessing. I forgive you for breaking my heart, for the moment,
and teaching me that nothing is forever, and if you don’t put into
it, it could go away.”

She lifted her hand to his cheek. “You snuck
in that apology you said you owed me, huh?”

“If I’d have been the man you needed then,
you wouldn’t have had to leave me. But I’m that man now. Even
sitting here in a freaking stupid chair and I can’t stand up and
walk with you or carry your son, I’m more man than I’ve ever been.
Marry me and let me be Lucas’s father.”

“Russell, I’ve never wanted anything more
than to be your wife, and have you as the father of my
children.”

“That’s a yes?”

“Yes. So much a yes that I’d marry you
tomorrow if it were possible.”

“Come here,” he urged her off her knees to
face him and pressed his lips to hers. In that very moment, he knew
it was true and forever love, just like what his parents had. This
wasn’t a wish made that came true. This was fraught with hardship
and forgiveness. It wasn’t even based on sex and urges. He couldn’t
carry her off and make love to her to seal the deal. They had to
see each other for what they were at that moment. And they were
lovers that never stopped loving. Obstacles kept them apart, but
now they were together. He’d be damned if he’d ever lose that
again.

Chapter
Eighteen

Exhaustion had the best of him, but sleep
did not. Russell lay in his bed, next to Chelsea, who curled up to
him. Lucas sweetly snored in his little bed.

He thought back to the Christmas he’d gotten
his first dirt bike, or the one where his father had bought him his
first rifle. Until that very moment, those might have been his
favorite Christmas memories. All of that was about to change.

On Christmas Eve, he’d become a father.
Sure, not legally yet, but it happened on Christmas Eve. The woman
he’d always loved agreed to marry him, though he hadn't convinced
her that a Christmas wedding was possible.

A smile came to his lips in the dark. She
underestimated him and those he knew. Of course, it was midnight,
but he wondered what he could accomplish.

His bedroom door opened, and a sliver of
light fell over him. “Mom?”

“Oh, I didn’t mean to wake you,” she
whispered. “Just doing some Santa duty as I’d promised Chelsea. I
wanted to make sure he was asleep.”

“Yeah, they’re both bushed. Help me into my
chair. I’m awake.”

She tiptoed into the room as Russell swung
his legs over the side of the bed. He balanced on his good leg as
she moved his chair into place. He felt strong at the moment. That
was a nice change, he thought.

His mother held his chair until he sat down
and then she pushed him out of the room without disturbing either
of them.

The lights from the Christmas tree
illuminated the room. It was no secret that his mother would spend
hours there, during Christmas, and just watch the lights
twinkle.

“She had all these gifts for him?” Russell
asked as he saw the presents under the tree.

“Only a few, but I couldn’t help myself. I
adore him, Russell. I had to add a few things. I hope she’ll be
okay with that.” He smiled, and she noticed. “You think she’ll be
mad?”

“No, Mom. She won’t be mad. Can you sit for
a moment? I want to talk to you.”

A flash of concern masked her face. She
moved quickly to sit on the sofa, and he moved toward her.

“Everything’s okay?”

“Everything’s perfect.” He took a moment to
pull his thoughts together. “Last night, Lucas called me
Daddy.”

She pressed her hands together and put them
to her lips. “That’s precious.”

“I’ve never had anything move me so much.
But the fact is, I love him. I love them both.”

“I know. We all love them. You know that,
right?”

“I do. That’s why I did what I did.” He
leaned in toward his mother. “I asked her to marry me, and let me
adopt Lucas.”

She moved in toward him. “And?”

“She said yes.”

Those were the magic words that set his
mother into a crying frenzy, and he couldn’t even move from his
chair to go to her.

“Russell, I’m so happy. Oh, you have no idea
how happy this makes me.”

“I have an idea.” He eased back. “I asked
her to marry me on Christmas—well today.”

“Not very practical.”

He laughed now. “That’s what she said. But
she still agreed. However, I have enough connections, and I’ll bet
I could throw a wedding today.”

“You really want to do that? You can’t get a
license until tomorrow.”

“It’s not about the license. It’s about the
commitment. Sure, I’ll make it legal, and then I’ll start going
forward with the adoption too.”

“It’s midnight on Christmas. How are you
going to pull this off?”

“I’m about to text my cousins and my
brothers and get this all put together. Are you with me? Will you
help me?”

“Honey, this is the best thing. But you’re
sure you want to do this now? Her parents aren’t here. You’re not
out of the chair and walking.” She gestured to the obvious.

“This is a perfect time. This means it’s all
about us and nothing else.”

“Anything you want. Tell me what I can
do.”

“Don’t tell her. I want it to be a surprise.
But let’s make a list.”

~*~

The sun was up when Chelsea opened her eyes,
and Lucas was in the bed next to her, not Russell. She looked
toward the door and noticed that it was closed.

She sat up and whispered, “Russell?”
Wondering if he were in the bathroom, but the door was open, and
the light was off.

As she stirred, Lucas sat up next to her and
rubbed his eyes. He crawled into her arms and rested there. These
were the moments she’d cherish forever. She never knew she could
love someone as much as she loved him.

“Where’s Daddy?” he asked with his voice
full of sleep.

She took a breath and decided from that
moment on she’d never worry about correcting him. “Let’s go find
him. Maybe Santa came to visit again too,” she offered, hoping that
Glenda had worked her magic in the middle of the night.

Knowing that she wasn’t alone in the house
with Lucas, she quickly dressed by finding a pair of sweatpants, a
clean T-shirt, and a bra. She gave her hair a quick brushing and
piled it in a knot atop her head.

Lucas stood at the door, his hand on the
knob, and waited, more patiently than she would have at that
age.

“Okay, let’s go look for…” she sucked in a
breath, “Daddy.”