Page 123 of CowSex

“Mom.” Kai’s voice has a pleading tone, and I hate that he knows that there’s gonna be trouble. Dani’s here, so that’s a given.

“Oh, so you do remember me then? You are aware of my existence?”

“Of course, Mom. I only got into town last night, I was gonna come visit you tomorrow.”

“Like fuck you were,” she spits.

“Amy, get the kids outta here,” Dean orders his sister-in-law. A few of the other women help round them up and take them upstairs.

Gracie is absolutely rigid beside me. She’s had a great day, made new friends, and visited with about everyone. She whooped Dean’s and Kai’s asses at pool, but she couldn’t beat me. She made fun of the players and their padding when we were watching the game and almost caused another riot when she once again declared soccer a much better game than football.

“Don’t panic, people. Your kids are safe, I’m walking, not driving a car. So, no chance I’ll be killing anyone today.”

That crass comment hits me right in the chest, which I’m positive was Danielle’s intention.

I move forward, not entirely sure what I’m gonna do to shut this down, I just know that I need to do something.

Gracie’s hand reaches out and grabs my arm, holding me in place.

“Mom, why don’t you come with me? I’ll take you home, and we can talk.”

“Talk?Nowyou wanna talk?” I’ve been calling you for weeks, Kai, and you haven’t wanted to talk. You didn’t even bother to let me know you were in town. I had to find that out from your friend, Tanner’s mom.”

“It was a last-minute thing. Grandma and Billy went on a cruise, so Shannon invited Dad and me to spend the day here.”

My heart hurts for my son. He doesn’t deserve a mother like this, and I feel in some part responsible for the way our lives have turned out. I chose her, so this is on me, if that even makes sense.

“Dani, let the boy take you home.”

“Oh, and here he is. The great, the wonderful, the amazing Koa Carmichael.” She announces me like I’m a circus performer, and I go to step forward. This time, Gracie keeps her hand on my arm but puts her other one on my chest to keep me in place.

Danielle stretches her neck like she’s a boxer about to fight and looks right at Gracie.

“And who do we have here? Heard you’d been seen around town with a new woman, Koa. Who is she? She know your track record?”

“Mom, please.” This time Gracie steps away from me and holds on to Kai’s arm, her other hand reaches up and starts rubbing his back reassuringly.

Her actions, the intuitive way she moves to soothe my son has my heart feeling like it’s too big to fit in my chest. Gracie’s gonna make a great mother one day, and I know for sure that I can’t wait to put my babies in her belly.

“Leave it, Kai, just take her home,” Gracie says quietly.

“Get your fucking hands off my kid,” Dani screams right before she launches herself at Gracie.

For a moment, all fucking hell breaks loose. I move, Kai moves. Everyone in the damn kitchen moves, but somehow, Dani still seems to manage to get a hold of Gracie’s braid and pull her forward by it.

I’ve never hit a woman in my life, but at that moment, if that bitch lays a hand on Gracie, I swear—

“Let go of my fucking hair!” I don’t think I’ve ever seen any living thing move as fast as Gracie. Her arms and legs are flying as she makes contact at least once with Dani’s face. Cal appears and grabs his sister around the waist, and I’m tempted to knock him the fuck out for standing there this long and letting it happen.

Gracie flips her braid over her shoulder and stands up straight, apart from her hair looking a little messy—and sexy as fuck—she’s fine. Dean has a hold of Curtis Walker, and Misty is fighting with Mason.

“What is wrong with you? What the fuck is wrong with you?” Gracie screams at Dani. “He’s your child. He’s your little boy, don’t you care about how your behaviour affects him? How you rolling around drunk makes him feel?”

“You best shut your mouth, bitch. This has nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with me. I’m with Koa, Kai is part of Koa’s life, therefore making him a part of my life, so like it or not, it has everything to do with me.”

Dani breathes deeply, her hair, which was once the colour of sunshine and as soft as silk, hangs limp and lifeless over her shoulder. Her face is puffy and bloated, so is her body. Dani still has money, she’s a wealthy woman because of what her daddy left her, and it’s obvious that her clothes aren’t cheap, they’d just look better on a woman twenty years younger and four sizes smaller.