Chapter Five
His father paced in front of yet another horrible daytime drama that played out on TV. His mother positioned a straw into another can of ginger ale, which he was beginning to despise as well. And Russell was captive to their fussing over him, which he’d decided wasn’t the worst part of the hospital stay.
The muffled sound of his mother’s phone came from within her purse. She stopped her fussing, dug in her purse, and pulled it out as she simultaneously greeted the caller.
A broad smile formed on her lips. “Chelsea, it’s so nice to hear from you. I was just talking to Phillip about you earlier today. How is your son?”
Russell bit down on the straw his mother had just put into his drink. How had he missed this little part about her having a son, and why in the hell was she calling his mother?
“Well, I told him I thought it was best for everyone. Besides, it’ll be great to have a little one around again.” His mother moved to the window and looked outside, as his father walked to the side of his bed, and they both listened to the one side of the conversation.
“Yes, come out this evening. Susan is preparing something new for her catering menu, and she’s bringing it over. I think you’ll get along with her perfectly,” she continued, and Russell gathered the sheet in his fingers and began to wad it into his fist as he listened to her. “We’ll see you then.”
She turned off the phone and slid it back into her purse before looking up and making eye contact with the two men who had been listening to her.
Glenda Walker went back to fussing over the lunch tray they had delivered to Russell, without another word. But his father stepped in, placing a hand over his mother’s before Russell had a chance to question her.
“That was a cryptic call,” he said getting her attention. “I think you should fill us in.”
Her eyes were light and the dimples that deepened when she’d smile appeared. “It was nothing.” She opened the napkin and set it on Russell’s chest. “Okay, it was Chelsea.”
Russell clucked his tongue. “You’re having her over for dinner?”
“She’s a very sweet girl, Russ. I’ve missed her coming around.”
“So why now? What does she have to do with you?”
Glenda pulled the lid from the place and began to cut the meatloaf they’d sent up, which he certainly hadn’t ordered. “Russ, she needs some help.”
“Does this have to do with her husband being out on parole?”
“Ex-husband,” she confirmed. “And yes. Phillip told me the story, and I said she and Lucas could stay with us. It would be a great comfort to have her there especially when you come home.”
Russell pulled the napkin from his chest and threw it on the tray. “What are you doing? Chelsea and I are no longer a thing, Mom. What the hell makes you think that having her around is going to help me heal?”
His father pushed the tray out of the way. “Watch how you talk to your mother.”
Russell let out a breath. “I’m sorry. This accident and having her around has messed with my head.”
His mother stepped away from the bed and gathered her purse. “I think I should go. I have upset you, and that wasn’t my intent, Russell.”
“I know, Mom,” he said with his voice softer. He reached for her with his right hand. She hesitated for only a beat before taking it. “Chelsea is a very special woman. I’ve never been able to let go of her,” he admitted. “If you have grand ideas—this faith you have in pairing people—I don’t know that it’s a good idea. She hurt me, Mom. And today I found out she had a son and that the man she left me for hurt her. It’s a lot to take in.”
She patted his hand. “I know. But all of God’s creatures deserve to have someone look after them. Including Chelsea and her son.”
“She’s very lucky to have you, and so am I.”
The smile returned to his mother’s lips. “Thank you. You get some rest.” She kissed him on the cheek, picked up her purse, and headed out the door.
Russell and his father watched her walk away, but his father didn’t leave.
“Dad, is something wrong?”
His father’s brows drew together. “Phillip Smythe said something to me about thinking you’d been run off the road. What do you know about that?”
“Nothing, other than what he said. I don’t remember being followed, Dad. But then I don’t remember crashing either.”
His father nodded and patted his hand just as his mother had, and then he left, leaving Russell alone again with only the monitor to his side making noise.
~*~
Nerves had nearly taken over and stopped Chelsea from driving out to the Walker’s house. She’d packed a bag for both herself and Lucas, just in case they stayed, though she wasn’t sure of how the actual plan would play out.
Christmas lights hung from the gutters of the roof, and the thought that Glenda’s house was already decorated for Christmas gave Chelsea a giddy warmth. The woman always was on the verge of going overboard with her decorations, but not quite. She couldn’t wait to see it, and only hoped that Lucas could keep his hands off of things when they went inside.
Chelsea climbed from the car and opened the back door. Unbuckling his seat, he reached for her, and she pulled him to her. Kissing him on the cheek, she whispered to him, “I’ll bet this is still the prettiest sight around at Christmas. This big ole house out here all by itself lit up like a Christmas tree.”
When Glenda met them at the door, she’d enveloped them in a warm, loving embrace that had nearly brought tears to Chelsea’s eyes. The woman acted as if three years hadn’t passed, and as if Chelsea hadn’t broken Glenda’s son’s heart as badly as she had.
Glenda reached out to Lucas, who to Chelsea’s amazement, went right to her.
“Oh, you are a precious boy, aren’t you?” she cooed and placed a kiss atop his little blond head when he rested it on Glenda’s shoulder. “We’re going to be good friends, you and me.”
The nerves which had threatened Chelsea had now turned into a compelling mix of tearful emotion and regret. This could have been how things ended up had she waited. Had Chelsea not fallen victim to charm, Glenda would always have held her son that way, because he would have belonged to Russell.
“Are you okay, honey?” Glenda asked, and Chelsea realized that the tears that promised to rise, had.
“I’m fine. This is all a bit emotional for me.” She gathered her thoughts. “Glenda, you’re very kind even to have me in your home. I tore your family apart for a bit. I broke Russ’s heart, and I can never take that back. I’m sorry.”
Glenda pulled her in for another hug, this time, Lucas hugged her too. “People make mistakes,” she said as she inched back. “But when I look in the eyes of this little boy I don’t see a mistake. Much as when I look into the eyes of my step-son Eric, I only see a loved little boy who became a loving man. I didn’t have to give birth to him to see it in him—but he’s mine.”
Her words squeezed at Chelsea’s heart until she thought it might explode in her chest. “Thank you. I don’t know how this is all going to work out. Russ might not want me around, but…”
Glenda smiled as she rubbed Lucas’s back. “Oh, he does,” she said, as she turned and walked toward the kitchen holding Chelsea’s son in her arms.
The kitchen was just as she’d remembered it, only now a different woman, wearing an apron, hurried about from the island to the stove.
“Hi,” she lifted her head from the pot she stirred. “I’m Susan. I’d shake your hand, but…”
“I understand. I’m Chelsea and that’s my son Lucas,” she said pointing toward Glenda.
Susan smiled. “Thank you for giving her a baby fix. She wants one of those, and Eric and I aren’t quite ready yet.”
Glenda swayed back and forth with Lucas, who had fallen asleep on her shoulder. “He’s getting older, and you don’t have much time,” she sang as if she were singing a lullaby.
Susan laughed. “I’
ll tell him you said so.” She continued to stir whatever was in the pot, which smelled divine. “So you’re going to be staying here and helping when Russ gets home? I haven’t seen him in a few days. Does he look any better?”
“He does look better. The bruises on his face are still pretty dark, but they’ll go down soon. He’ll do much better when he’s here with everyone.”
“And with you,” Glenda whispered.
That still didn’t sit well with her. She supposed they’d find out quickly enough. Russell would either allow her to help aid him back to health or kick her to the curb. Either emotion was valid and expected.
“Can I help here?” Chelsea asked Susan.
“I have it all under control. I’m a vegetarian, so everyone is gracious to try out my meat dishes. I’ll be a little while yet, if you and Glenda want to go talk and make plans.”
Glenda gave her a nod to join her in the other room.
Just as she’d imagined, the interior of the house was nearly drowning in elegant Christmas cheer. The Christmas tree was beautifully decorated and reached the ceiling. Christmas stockings hung over the mantle. Chelsea noticed that there were more than the usual seven Walker Christmas stockings. Now there was one with Susan’s name and one with Gia’s.
She looked away. Once upon a time there had been one that had her name on it too. They’d come that close, she and Russell. That stocking had probably been dropped into that very fireplace under the mantle, and burned with her memory.
“I brought a blanket to set on the floor for him. You don’t have to keep carrying him while he sleeps,” she offered to Glenda.
“You have no idea how much this does for my heart. It’s been a very long time since my boys were this size. I never had the chance to snuggle Eric like this. He was eight by the time I became his mother. But I made sure I snuggled the other four until they could run from me.”
“I can’t imagine any of them would ever have run from you,” she said with a laugh as she sat down next to Glenda on the sofa.
“Russell and Dane were the ones who didn’t take to my excessive affection. Always wanted to do things on their own. Now, Ben and Gerald, they were my love bugs.” She smiled warmly. “It’s a healing kind of feeling, don’t you think? When you can just sit, and hold your child?”
That was exactly what it was, Chelsea thought, and she’d used it as such, many times over the past three years.
Glenda adjusted on the sofa so that she could better look at Chelsea, but she never set Lucas down. “I know you’re uncomfortable being here. I don’t want you to be.”
Chelsea wasn’t sure what to say to that, and Glenda didn’t offer her a chance.
Glenda rubbed Lucas’s back. “I don’t know what happened between you and Russ that ended things. It’s not my business. You married someone and had this beautiful baby. That’s in the past. Phillip Smythe has filled me in on your ex-husband, so I know a little about what you’ve gone through.” She pressed a kiss to Lucas’s head as he stirred slightly. “He seems to think there’s a need to keep you around people and that’s what I expect to do. You’ve been a vital fixture to this family in years past, and I don’t want to see anything happen to you or your son. My son needs your skills and I think your company would offer him a lot of comfort.”
“Mrs. Walker,” she finally interrupted. “Your invitation means more than I could tell you. I’m grateful for everything. I want to tell you that things will be okay, and I don’t need to be hidden away, but I can’t say it with conviction. And knowing that my ex-husband has kidnapped my son once, I can’t assure he wouldn’t do something like that again. But I don’t want to put any of you in danger.”
“You won’t be. Trust me. Nothing will happen to you or anyone in this family.”
Chelsea eased a bit. “Thank you. But when it comes to Russell, I don’t know where he stands on me being here. He needs to heal and he needs therapy. I might hinder that.”
“I think you’re the right medicine for it.” Glenda rubbed Lucas’s back again. “Don’t you worry about Russ. You let me worry about him.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, we have made room for both of you upstairs. I think, for now, you should stay away from your house and keep Lucas out of daycare.”
“But I have school and training.”
Glenda nodded. “Lucas will be fine here with us. We will pay you to take care of Russell. And I have already been in touch with your school, and under supervision, they will approve you to work with Russell since your emphasis is on home health care and therapy anyway. It’s as if it were meant to be.”
Chelsea sat across from Glenda Walker, her mouth open, dumbfounded. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to be enthusiastic about the opportunity or mortified that she had done such a thing.
“I…I don’t know what to say.”
Glenda scanned a look over her. “You don’t know if you should be thankful or upset.”
Now how did she know that? “Mrs. Walker…”
“Glenda.”
Chelsea took a breath. “Glenda, I don’t know what to think or what to say.”
“You don’t say a word,” she patted her hand. “I know that this isn’t what you planned, and I suspect that spending time with Russ isn’t something you’re looking forward to either.”
Chelsea wanted to say something, but she wasn’t sure what. A paying job where she was comfortable, that was an absolute bonus. And the way she understood it, Lucas would be with her, or around her, at all times.
Then it hit her and she even gasped. Russell had said he loved her the other day. Should that matter? Did he mean it? Did he now regret it?
“I’m afraid that my being here will cause everyone discomfort.”
“I believe that everything happens for a reason, no matter what it is.” She winked. “Chelsea, perhaps fate didn’t have you marrying my Russ. Maybe it was fated that you came back into his life in this capacity only, but I don’t believe that.”
Lucas lifted his head and looked at Glenda. Chelsea waited for him to fuss, but he didn’t. He looked around and when he saw her there, he reached for her, and she pulled him to her. Was that a sign? Any other stranger, he would have screamed, but not with Glenda.
There had to be an apology to her, one that encompassed her regret to the entire Walker family, before she accepted the offer—because she wasn’t stupid enough not to consider it.
“Before I make my decision, I need to say something,” she said as she turned Lucas to sit on her knee. “I can’t even explain what possessed me to do what I did.” She gave Lucas a squeeze. “It was disrespectful to your entire family.”
“You can’t look into his eyes and think that.”
Chelsea pressed her cheek to his head. “He is my entire world. But I hurt Russell. I hurt all of you.”
“We all rebound. Russell included. Please come live with us, work for us, and get Russ back on his feet.”
It was the generosity and sincerity of Glenda Walker that had Chelsea seriously considering the offer.
“I would be honored to do this for you all.”
The smile on Glenda’s lips widened. “That makes me very happy. I’m very excited to have you both here,” she said taking Lucas’s hand and he giggled.
“But I want to talk to Russ first,” Chelsea said. “I want to be the one to tell him that I’ll be here.”
Glenda’s smile faded, only slightly. “If you think that would be best.”
“I do.”
She nodded, but Chelsea wasn’t sure she agreed. It wasn’t something she could worry about. It was the right thing to do, and God knew she’d done enough wrong by Russell. It was time she did something right.
Chapter Six
For the first time, in a very long while, Chelsea felt at ease as she drove toward town. Sure, Martha took great care of Lucas, but that morning when she’d left him in the arms of Glenda, he’d smiled and waved goodbye. He knew he was in good hands, too.
Chelsea parked in the visitor lot and walked into the hospital.
Deciding that she needed a few more moments to calm herself before going up to talk to Russell, she stopped in the coffee shop and ordered a coffee. As she waited, she noticed the chocolate chunk cookie in the case. Knowing Russell’s dietary restrictions had been lifted, she thought it might ease her entrance if she walked in with his favorite cookie.
Moments later she walked down the hall to his room. Standing just outside his door, she took a minute to collect herself before pushing open the door.
The room was dark, and Russell lay peacefully asleep. She could turn around, and he’d never know she was there, but that wasn’t the purpose. This time, she was there for him. She’d wait for him to wake.
Chelsea set her purse in the chair by his bedside and the bag from the coffee shop on his table. She shrugged out of her coat and draped it over the back of the chair.
Taking her coffee, she walked toward the window and gazed out over the city she loved. She could have gone to Florida with her family, but she knew she would never have been happy. It was hard staying in Georgia, and making it all work with a baby and school. But she was doing it, and they were doing okay. Well, that was until the news that Dominic was let out on parole.
She blew through the lid of her coffee absentmindedly to cool her drink.
It would all be okay, and she’d have those around her to thank for that. Between Phillip Smythe and the Walker family, she and Lucas would be just fine. But she couldn’t help but worry a little. Dominic had kidnapped Lucas once before. He’d been driven to do it by his mother, when Chelsea had said she’d wanted full custody. It had been the longest and worst two days of her life. She couldn’t imagine what he might do if he came back to Georgia now. And what if his mother still held a grudge against her for making sure the law kept them all away from her? How long could his parole hold him to Texas?
Walker Revenge (The Walker Family Series Book 5) Page 4