Chapter 27
Hearts Made Whole
It’s been a long day, but thankfully, Mama has settled into her hospital room and has spent most of her time sleeping.
Dad and I have stayed close by, mostly in silence.
We’ve agreed to wait until we’re home to have any serious conversations.
For now, I’m setting aside my frustrations and focusing entirely on Mama.
Dad stepped outside to take a call from one of his deputies, and Mama was craving a smoothie, so I ran down to the cafeteria to grab one for her.
On my way back, I spot Walker in the hallway a few strides ahead of me.
He has a bag slung over his shoulder and is carrying a stack of books in his arms. He’d left earlier to tend to the animals and run some errands, but he promised he’d be back later, and sure enough, here he is.
I don’t call out to him. Instead, I slow my steps as he disappears into Mama’s room. Once I reach the slightly open doorway, I look inside but keep mostly hidden, wanting to observe their interaction before I join them.
Walker takes a seat beside her hospital bed, setting the books on the chair next to him.
“My ma sent me with some romance books to help pass the time,” he explains, leaning over to straighten Mama’s blanket.
“Tell h-her thank you. That was v-very kind,” she stammers, patting his hand.
We still haven’t shared her Parkinson’s diagnosis with anyone else yet.
Our primary focus has been on getting her well enough to be sent home.
Thankfully, the doctor recommended minimizing her interactions to reduce the risk of infection, so we didn’t have to come up with another excuse for why she couldn’t have visitors.
Our friends have been incredibly understanding, though that hasn’t stopped them from sending gifts, or in Julie’s case, having Walker personally deliver books and a homemade dessert, judging by the see-through container of cookies sitting on the empty chair beside him.
I press myself farther against the wall, and peek my head into the room, hoping to go unnoticed for a little while longer.
“Let’s see what we have here,” Walker says to Mama, starting with the book on top of the pile. “The Governess Who Tamed the Duke. No surprise she included a historical romance—they’re her favorites.”
“What is i-it about?” Mama asks.
Walker flips the book over to read the blurb.
“When a spirited governess enters the quiet halls of Greyhaven Estate, the brooding Duke of Ashwood is unprepared for her wit and fiery independence. Their stolen moments in shadowed corridors and moonlit gardens defy what’s expected of them and toss aside every high rule of society.
” He punctuates each word with a provocative lilt, carrying the same heat as his bedroom voice, but slower, and deliberately measured.
“But when whispers begin to circulate through the ton, they have to decide if being together is worth the price of scandal.”
Now I see why Mama jumped at the chance to have Walker read to her. It’s far better than hearing it from me or one of her nurses.
When Walker glances up at her, she shakes her head, scrunching her nose. I bite my cheek to stifle a giggle at her unenthusiastic reaction.
“How about we check out what else we’ve got,” he suggests, sliding the first book onto the rolling tray beside him and picking up another. “Next up is Framed in Heat, a contemporary romance by the looks of it.”
The cover is a soft coral and slate gray, featuring a woman in a light blue blouse standing on a rooftop, her camera held out, facing the skyline, while a man watches beside her.
Walker rests back in his chair as he reads the description.
“Freelancer photographer Riley thought her biggest challenge when she lands a high-profile fashion shoot in Miami would be the scorching sun—not the infuriatingly arrogant designer, Ethan.” He slows his pace, drawing out the building tension.
“From heated arguments on set to unexpected rooftop encounters, sparks turn to desire. But can rivalry blossom into romance amid the chaos of fashion and fame?”
Mama tilts her head, pinching her lips together.
Walker chuckles when he looks back at her. “Judging by that look, I’m putting this one straight in the no pile.” He sets it on top of the last reject. “Why don’t we see if there’s something here that’s more of a slow burn with higher stakes?”
“You k-know me well,” Mama says, her hand shaking as she slides it over to give Walker’s a squeeze, her eyes sparkling with affection.
His murmured reply is too quiet for me to hear, but it makes Mama laugh. He may have started helping her because of me, but it’s obvious he’s grown to genuinely care about her, and that means everything to me.
Walker thumbs through the remaining books, a spark of excitement in his eyes when he reaches the last one. “Ah, here we go,” he exclaims triumphantly. “This bodyguard romance Guarded Desire: A Love Story looks promising,” he notes, turning to look at the back.
“Coleson Hayes built his reputation on discipline. Clients hire him because he doesn’t make mistakes, won’t cross lines, and never lets emotion interfere with the job.
No attachments. No complications. Then he’s assigned to Lina Jackson, a woman who tests his patience and whose beauty is as dangerous as her father’s enemies.
With every glance and brush of her hand, his restraint falters, and when he gives in to a single night of temptation, he’s left—”
I don’t catch the rest of Walker’s sentence, distracted by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind me. When I turn, I see Nurse Brown standing nearby with her tablet, likely finishing up her rounds before her shift ends.
“Good lord, that man’s voice is ridiculously hot,” she gushes in a whisper, nodding to Walker. “I could listen to that sultry drawl twenty-four seven and never get enough.”
“He’s taken,” I blurt out.
I blink, heat rising to my cheeks as I realize how possessive I sound.
Nurse Brown flashes me a smirk. “Good for you, girl. He’s a total dreamboat. I can see why you’re so quick to claim him. If he ever retires the cowboy hat, he could absolutely be a narrator.”
I laugh softly. “I’ll make sure you’re one of the first to know if he ever changes careers.”
When my eyes return to Mama’s room, I find her smiling at Walker as he opens Guarded Desire: A Love Story to the first page. A wave of peace washes over me, and I owe that all to him.
It’s been five days since Mama was admitted to the hospital. I’ve barely left her side, afraid I might miss an update from the doctor. Luckily, the pneumonia responded well to treatment, and she was finally discharged this morning.
We got back to my parents’ house an hour ago, and she’s already fast asleep. She was worn out when we arrived and seemed relieved to be back in her own bed.
Walker’s working on the ranch today so he couldn’t be here, but we’re planning to meet up at my place once he’s off work. As much as I’ve loved being with Mama, I’m excited to spend the night at home with him and to see the animals. I’ve missed them all so much.
I’m curled up in the rocking chair beside Mama’s bed, keeping watch over her when my phone buzzes on the armrest.
Backroads & Bad Decisions Group Chat
Briar: Checking in to see how your mom is doing today.
Birdie: She’s good. We got home an hour ago, and she’s taking a nap now.
Briar: That’s a relief. If you need anything, we’re just a text away <3
Charlie: Yes! So glad she’s settling in at home.
Wren: We sent flowers. They should arrive later today. Lottie insisted on adding a teddy bear because she says everyone needs a snuggle buddy when they’re sick.
Birdie: Aw thank you so much. She’s the sweetest.
Briar: When your mom’s ready for visitors, let us know. Mama Julie’s been asking when she can stop by.
Charlie: Especially if that means we can snuggle on the couch like old times and watch Gilmore Girls with her.
Birdie: We’d love to have you all over soon.
The girls have been incredibly supportive, and it’s made me see how much I crave that strength and unity in every part of my life—especially as we navigate the later stages of Mama’s Parkinson’s. I don’t want to hide it from them anymore.
I lean my head back and close my eyes. It’s been an exhausting week since getting any rest in a hospital is nearly impossible.
Thankfully, Walker’s been my anchor through it all.
He showed up before work every day with two fresh bouquets of wildflowers—one for Mama, and one for me—along with breakfast, Red Vines, and a variety of snacks.
On top of all that, he and Heath have been taking care of the animals while I’ve been away.
In the evenings, he read to Mama while Dad and I got dinner in the cafeteria. I eavesdropped on at least a few chapters a night, and holy toledo, Nurse Brown was right—he makes the dullest sentence sound incredibly provocative, and his voice is downright sinful.
She must have spread the word about him moonlighting as a narrator because when Dad and I returned to her room last night, a group of nurses was huddled outside the door, listening to Walker read a steamy make-out scene. I could have sworn I saw one of them fanning herself.
My eyes flutter open at the sound of approaching footsteps, and I find Dad standing in the doorway, watching me with a somber expression.
“How’s she doing?” he whispers, setting a prescription bag from the pharmacy on the dresser.
I stand and cross the room to join him. “She fell asleep pretty quickly. I think the trip back from the hospital left her exhausted.”
Like me, he’s barely left her side these past few days, except to check in with whichever deputy was covering for him. His entire team, including Walker, has handled everything so he could focus on taking care of his wife, which is what he should have been doing all along.