by T. A. Chase
“Uncle Cai.” Davy came racing around the trailer and flung himself into Cai’s arms.
Swinging him up into the air, Cai whirled around in circles. He loved Davy’s laughter, how the small child enjoyed every second of his young life, living as though he had no knowledge of anything bad in his world. Cai vowed to keep it that way as long as he could.
He set Davy down, then handed him the brightly wrapped present. “Here you go, kiddo. Why don’t you take it to the table where the other gifts are? Then get back to playing with your friends.”
Davy’s grin grew almost too big for his face. His bright green eyes reminded Cai of Dilys’s when she was younger, before she married Rich.
“Thanks, Uncle Cai.” He dashed off with Cai and Owain trailing in his wake.
“What did you get him?” Owain asked. “I had Jim pick up the newest Xbox game. Thank God Rich hasn’t pawned that yet.”
Cai rolled his eyes. “The reason he hasn’t is because Ma threatened to have his balls cut off if he touched it. Besides, having the Xbox to distract the kids means less work for him. I got Davy a BB gun.”
“He’s fucking five, Cai. I don’t think he needs a gun yet.” Dilys hugged then shoved him away.
“It’s not like it’s an actual gun. Don’t worry. I’ll teach him how to use it and everything.” Cai didn’t trust Rich to do it right.
“Hey, fag,” Rich bellowed from where he held court, dressed in his dirty white tank top and holey jeans.
Rich’s high school buddies chortled while Cai rolled his eyes.
“Hey, douche bag. How’s it hanging? Oh right… with that beer belly, you haven’t been able to see it for years now.”
Owain exploded into laughter at Cai’s comeback, clutching his stomach as he bent over. “Oh my God, that’s priceless.”
Dilys punched Cai. “This is a child’s party, jerk. Try to behave like an adult.”
“Why hit me? Go tell your husband not to be a homophobic asshole,” Cai said, lowering his voice so the kids couldn’t hear him.
“Someone needs to be the mature one, and I’m counting on you, Cai. You’re going to have to help me teach my kids not to hate people.” Dilys’s eyes brimmed with tears as she rubbed her hand over her belly.
Frowning, Cai edged closer and encircled his sister’s waist. “What’s wrong, Dil? You know I’ll do anything I can to help you.”
She rested her head on his shoulder for a second. “I’m divorcing Rich and I’m going to need someplace to stay. Also, I’m going to give him the papers tomorrow when the kids are in school. Will you be here when I do that?”
“We’ll help you box up whatever you want to take with you and make sure Rich doesn’t start anything.” Cai glanced over at Owain, who nodded.
A small part of Cai rejoiced over the idea of Dilys leaving Rich, but he wasn’t going to celebrate yet. It was going to be hard on the kids and his sister. Whatever kind of ass Rich was, he was their father—her husband—and they loved him.
“We’re here for you, Dilys, and we always will be,” he vowed.
Chapter Seven
JAMES JUMPED when a knock sounded on his door. He glanced at the clock. It was seven in the evening and he wasn’t expecting anyone. Not even Owain, who’d texted him earlier and said he was just going home after Davy’s party. Another knock and he headed toward the front of the house.
“Just a second,” he called. “Get out of the way, Pharaoh.”
He eased the dog aside as he opened the door. His mouth dropped when he saw Cai standing on his porch. Well hell. He’s really not who I expected to see. Yet he couldn’t help running his gaze over the man.
Taller than James by three inches, Cai’s broad shoulders and narrow waist tempted James to trail his hands all over those tight muscles. His black hair gleamed almost blue in the fading sunlight and his green eyes sparkled with emotion, yet James didn’t think it was happiness at seeing him.
Cai’s skin was dusky. Some of it was from his ancestry, being Welsh and all. Some of it was residue from the coal he mined. Coal dust coated the men when they left the mines and no matter how often they washed, dust remained. James found the lingering evidence of how hard Cai worked fascinating.
“Cai?”
“Yeah. I don’t know why I’m here,” Cai muttered, shoving his hands through his black curls.
James stepped back, gesturing to him. “Come on in. I have some cold beer and a back porch you can sit on. I’ve got a great view of the woods.”
He let his gaze drop to ogle Cai’s ass as the man walked past him. Pharaoh whined and James patted the dog’s head. “I agree, boy.”
“What?” Cai looked back at him.
“Nothing.” James shut the door, then headed to the kitchen. “Do you want a beer?”
Cai nodded, but continued on through the sliding doors to the porch.
“Okay, then,” he mumbled as he grabbed two bottles from the fridge. After opening them, he wandered out to find Cai leaning against the railing and staring out into the forest.
“Here you go.” He held out the beer.
Turning to face him, Cai took it, then drained half of it before saying anything. James flopped into one of the rocking chairs on the porch. Pharaoh leapt off and raced away, howling as he disappeared into the brush.
“Did the party just break up? I didn’t think kids would last so long,” he commented.
Cai dropped into the matching chair, but leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees, and let the bottle dangle from his fingers. “No. It broke up around five. The kids were whining and tired, so the adults called it. Owain and I have been talking since then. Trying to figure out what to do.”
James frowned. “That sounds serious. Is everything okay?” He tensed, ready to do whatever needed to be done.
“Dilys dropped a fucking bomb on us today. She’s divorcing Rich. Serving him the papers tomorrow while the kids are in school.” Cai stared at the floor. “Owain and I told her we’d be at her side when she did it. Even though she’s pregnant, no reason to assume he won’t hit her.”
“Has he done that before?” James tried to think of all the times he’d seen Dilys. He couldn’t remember seeing bruises on her. “Or the kids?”
Shrugging, Cai replied, “He could have. I haven’t seen anything, but Dil would probably keep it quiet because she knows we’d beat the shit out of him if he ever touched her like that.”
Hiding the abuse to protect the abuser. James had heard of that happening before at the domestic violence hotline he’d worked during college. Shifting in his seat, he studied Cai. “You’d kill him if he ever hit her.”
“Sure. No man should ever use violence to get his way—or make someone afraid of him. My pa’s a tough guy. He truly believed in ‘spare the rod, spoil the child.’ I got the switch more times than not when I was younger. Yet I never feared him. I respect my pa. The kids and Dilys don’t respect Rich. I’m pretty sure the children are scared of him.” Cai lifted his gaze to meet James’s. “Why am I telling you this?”
“Maybe because I’m an outsider. The only deep conversations I have when I’m here are with Owain, and he already knows all this.” James reached out to touch Cai’s arm, then let his hand hover there as he thought twice about it.
Cai squinted before grunting. “That might be it. I mean, it’s not like we’re friends. Hell, I’ve always tried to run the other way whenever I saw you, unless it was at work. Owain’s your friend and he takes some shit from the rest of the folks because he’s friends with the owner’s son.”
Pushing to his feet, James wandered over to the railing. “Seriously? People are harassing him because of me? He’s never said anything.”
“Of course he hasn’t. He doesn’t pay any attention to them. Owain does what he wants.” Cai came to stand beside him. “He always has. Don’t worry about it.”
James didn’t respond to that. He’d worry about Owain, no matter what Cai said. He hated the thought that being his frie
nd caused Owain any kind of trouble. He shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind. He’d discuss them later with Owain.
“What is Dilys going to do?”
Snorting, Cai drained his beer, then started peeling the label off the bottle. “Not sure. For now, she and the kids will move in with Owain and me. It’ll be very crowded, but we’ll deal. They can’t stay with Ma and Pa. They’re getting on in years and the kids would be too much for them.”
“I won’t tell your ma you said that,” he teased.
“Good. She’d take a hunk from my ass.” Cai smiled, then his merriment disappeared as he turned back toward the yard. “We’ll make it work somehow.”
James clicked his tongue against his teeth as he thought. Cringing a little, he made his proposition, not sure how Cai would take it. “One of you could move in here. There might only be one bedroom, but the couch folds out into a bed. Owain’s slept on it often enough and says it’s quite comfortable.”
Cai gaped at him. “Umm… thanks for the offer. I wouldn’t want to put you out.”
“It would be good to have someone staying here when I’m not,” he suggested, not entirely sure why he was pushing. “Don’t get me wrong. I trust the people of Willow Hollow and Owain does check on the place from time to time. Unfortunately, there are hikers and travelers who find their way by. They tend not to be so concerned about private property.”
“Hmm….”
Taking the bottle from Cai, James cleared his throat. “Would you like another one?”
“Yeah.” Cai sounded distracted.
Pharaoh jumped onto the porch and went directly to Cai, who crouched to scratch his ears. James grinned before going inside to get more drinks. He stood in front of the open fridge, letting the cool air wash over him.
“What the hell were you thinking?” he muttered. “You should’ve waited and talked to Owain. Though it’s not him you want sleeping on your couch.” He snorted softly. “Hell, you would be more than willing to share your bed, but not with your best friend.”
“Who are you talking to?”
He jumped when Cai spoke from right behind him. Slamming the fridge shut, he whirled around and found himself pinned between the door and Cai. James raised his hands, unsure whether he wanted to push Cai away or draw him closer. Licking his lips, he stared up into Cai’s intense green eyes.
“Myself,” James whispered. “I have a habit of doing that.”
“Hmm…,” Cai hummed, his gaze dropping to James’s mouth. He took a step closer, causing James’s hands to press against Cai’s chest. “This isn’t a good idea.”
“Right.” James pushed up on his toes and crushed their lips together. Even if Cai came to his senses and left, James would have this one moment to know what the man tasted like.
Cai didn’t let James have control for long. Cradling the back of James’s head, Cai tilted it so he could get a deeper angle as he swept his tongue in. James moaned when Cai shoved him back against the fridge and ate at his mouth. Feeling Cai’s hard body pinning him down, James trembled as he threaded his fingers through Cai’s hair, doing his best to hang on as his knees buckled.
He broke the kiss and let his head fall back, giving Cai more skin to kiss. Cai nibbled along James’s jawline then dropped to suck up a mark at the base of his throat. James grunted at the slight sting of pain.
Before it could go any further, a phone rang and Cai jumped back. The look of shock on his face caused James’s heart to drop. Fuck! He wasn’t thinking straight and now he’s going to race out of the house. It was a good thing James was used to rejection. He fumbled to get the phone out of his pocket, then swore when he saw the name on the screen. “It’s Dilys.”
He tossed it at Cai, who answered, “Dil. Why are you calling James’s phone?”
James tensed. After what Cai had told him about Dilys’s plans, it couldn’t bode well for her to be calling right now. He eased a few feet away and pursed his lips as he tried to remember giving Dilys his phone number.
“Wait a minute, Dilys. Take a breath. What the hell is wrong? Do you need me to come over there?” Cai snapped his fingers to get James’s attention. “All right. Tell Owain to hold Rich off for a few minutes more. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Be safe, sis.”
“Owain’s already there?” James snatched up his keys. “Let’s go. I’ll follow you over there.”
“No. You stay here. This is family business. A Callahan shouldn’t be involved.” Cai growled. “This isn’t going to end well. He fucking hit her and Davy. I won’t let that stand.”
James raced after Cai. “What the fuck? Rich hit your sister and one of the kids? I’m surprised Owain hasn’t shot him yet. And you’re going to need someone to help wrangle the kids. That’s what I can help with.”
Cai stopped and James dug his heels in to keep from running face-first into the man’s back. He braced for an argument, but Cai whirled around, grabbing James by the arms and jerking him forward to place a bruising kiss on his lips.
Stumbling back when Cai suddenly let go, James shook his head. “Umm… what?”
“Get your ass moving. I can’t waste any more time. If I’m late, Owain will get all the fun of pounding Rich’s ass into the ground.” Cai turned and headed out the door.
Shit! I’m going insane at the moment. This is not happening. Once he got outside, he whistled for Pharaoh. “In the house,” he ordered.
The canine dashed around the house then leaped onto the porch and into the house. After shutting the door, James raced to his truck, started it, and pulled out behind Cai. How any man could raise his hand to a woman boggled James’s mind. To hit his child as well? Rich deserved whatever punishment Cai and Owain chose to hand out.
James would get Dilys and the kids out of there. He’d take them to Cai’s house, so they could have a safe place to recover while the rest of the family worked out the kinks. He might have to take Dilys and Davy to the hospital. The closest one was about two hours away, but it might be the right thing, considering Dilys was pregnant.
Cai’s truck fishtailed into the driveway of a run-down double-wide. James pulled up just as Cai jumped from the vehicle and disappeared around the side. Stepping out, James could hear children crying, men yelling, and Dilys screaming.
“James,” he heard Cai shout, and that was enough to get him moving.
In the side yard, he found Owain and Cai restraining a man he assumed was Rich. Dilys stood a few feet away, one hand resting protectively on her belly while she held a little boy. Two other kids wound themselves around her legs. James saw a bright red handprint on Dilys’s cheek along with a drop of blood at the corner of her lips. He assumed the child with his face buried in her shoulder was Davy.
“Dil, you and the kids go with James. He’ll get you safe while Owain and I deal with Rich,” Cai told her.
She looked over to where he stood and his anger grew when he saw the fear and hurt in her eyes. There was also a lot of rage, which he figured came from the fact that Rich had hit her son. James approached her cautiously, not wanting to do anything to scare her—or the children.
“It’ll be okay. Cai’s got the bastard under control. We just have to watch over you and the kids.” James smiled at Cai’s sister. “Hi, Dilys. Do you think the kids would be willing to hang out in my truck while we pack clothes for them?”
Dilys nodded. “Rhonda can keep an eye on Keith and Davy. Let’s go, guys.”
James held out his hands to Rhonda and Keith. “Come on. We’ll get you settled in, all right?”
The girl looked at her mother, then at her father, who was cursing and trying to throw punches. She took James’s hand without saying a word. Keith did the same, and then they walked to James’s vehicle. The two oldest climbed in. Davy wouldn’t let go of Dilys.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
James shook his head. “Don’t apologize. He’s had a very rough day. I don’t blame him for wanting to stay as close to his mother as he can. We’ll go inside
and you can point out what you want to take.”
He hustled her into the trailer, not wanting to waste any more time. They needed to get out of there before Rich got free—or pissed Cai and Owain off enough that they forgot about not doing this in front of the kids. After they got some bags packed and he carried them out to his truck, he settled Dilys in the front seat.
“I’ll be right back.” He handed her his phone. “Call your mother and have her meet us at Cai’s. She’ll be able to watch Rhonda and Keith while I take you and Davy to the hospital.”
“But we’re all right,” she protested.
“You’re also pregnant, Dilys. We don’t want to run the risk of the stress causing something to the baby. Also, Davy should be checked out, just to be on the safe side.” James stared at her until she nodded. “Good. I’m going to let Cai and Owain know where we’re heading.”
The sound of skin hitting skin caused him to wince. As much as he wanted to close his eyes and not see what was going on, he wouldn’t. To do so would be to deny what Dilys and Davy had gone through.
Rich and Owain were exchanging punches while Cai watched. James whistled to get his attention. Cai kept an eye on the fight as he made his way over to him.
“How’s Dil and the kids?” He took James’s hand as though he couldn’t stop from touching him.
“They’re okay. I convinced her to let me take them to the hospital to get checked out. She’s calling your mother to meet us at your place. I figure Mary can watch the two oldest while we’re gone. Then when you are done here, you can go over there.” James tightened his grip on Cai’s hand.
Cai studied him for a second, then nodded. “All right. Pa will probably show up here, so you can head out. I appreciate this.”
Taking a deep breath, James confessed, “I’d do anything to help you.” Cai blinked and James quickly added, “And Owain. I mean, he’s my best friend and everything.”
Now you just sound like a desperate idiot.
“Thanks.” Cai lifted James’s hand to give his knuckles a kiss. “We’ll have to discuss what happened earlier tonight.”
