Walker Revenge (The Walker Family Series Book 5) by Bernadette Marie Read Free Book Online Page B

“I’ve wanted to say I’m sorry for so long,
but I was embarrassed. I’ve lived this close to you for all these
years and…”
    “Shh,” he hushed her. He hated when she
cried. “Water under the bridge.”
    “Are you kidding me?” Chelsea’s voice
cracked under her tears. “I can’t even tell you why I did it. I
loved you so much, and I was so excited that you were coming home.
We had so many plans, Russell. So why…what makes someone…I
mean…”
    “Chelsea, stop.” He squeezed her hand. “I’ve
never been so hurt in my life.”
    “That doesn’t help.”
    “I’m just being honest.” He gave her hand a
tug. “Get a chair and sit down with me. I’m getting a pain in my
neck looking up at you.” He smiled, and she let out a quick
laugh.
    Chelsea pulled the chair up to the side of
his bed and sat down. “I brought you a cookie from the coffee shop
and a little carton of milk.”
    He knew the grin on his lips had to match
the lightness in his heart at the moment. “You know me pretty well,
don’t you?”
    “Well, I did,” she said reluctantly.
    Russ pulled the bag to him with his free
hand.
    “Let me help you,” she offered.
    Chelsea took the bag and pulled out the
napkin. She laid the cookie on it and then took out the milk.
    “Do you want it open to sip it or dunk?”
    “Oh, dunk.”
    Chelsea laughed as she opened the full top
of the carton and set it on the table. She then pushed the table
closer to him so that he could reach it with his good arm.
    Russell picked up the cookie, broke it in
half, and dunked one of the halves in the milk. When it was just
right, he pulled it back and took a bite.
    “That’s the best thing I’ve had in a week,”
he moaned as he chewed. “Thanks.”
    “It was the least I could do. I wasn’t sure
how this visit was going to go down.”
    “Because you came to tell me that you’re
going to be my nurse when I get home?”
    Chelsea sat back down and clasped her hands
in her lap. “So you already know about that?”
    “No. All I know is my mom is excited to have
you at the house with your son. And she thinks it would be a good
thing to have you there when I get home. I can only imagine that’s
so you can take care of me.”
    “And what do you think of that?”
    He pushed the table away and took a deep
breath. He’d had all night to think about it.
    “I don’t think it’s a good thing at all.” He
cleared his throat. “I’ve been so mad at you for the past three
years. I mourned us. I was pissed as hell. Confused. Then I wake up
in the hospital, and you’re here. Suddenly…I don’t know what to
think.”
    “So, I should let your mom know this isn’t
going to work.” She stood and pushed back the chair. “I’m going to
go pick up Lucas and…”
    “Sit down,” he ordered, and he noticed how
gruff it sounded.
    Chelsea stood there frozen. He kept his eyes
locked on hers then looked back at the chair as if to direct her
back to it.
    Slowly she sat back down, twisted her
fingers together, and kept her eyes to the floor.
    “Russ, there’s no reason for me to stay if
you think this is all a bad idea.”
    “Look at me,” he demanded quietly. Chelsea
lifted her eyes. “You’re leaving me hurt. I didn’t know about Lucas
until yesterday.”
    “That’s why I was in such a hurry the other
day. I had to pick him up.”
    “I just wish I’d known.” He reached for her
again. “My mom wants to protect you and Lucas. She thinks that
having you around our family will do that.”
    “I know. I’m very thankful for her
generosity.”
    “Chelsea, I’m so mad that you were involved
with a man that would hurt you.”
    “I know. I think about it every day.”
    “I never would have done that to you.”
    Chelsea bit down on her lip. “I know. I hate
myself for what I’ve done to you—to me.”
    “Don’t say that. I suppose the part of my
mother inside of me knows that it was fate. We weren’t meant to be
together, but I guess it doesn’t