“I’m gonna get it together!” Her voice was rising.
And at that, I lost hold on Buck as he broke loose and advanced on her, so the only choice I had was to follow, and fast, since he was moving like a bullet.
He was going so quickly, Kristy almost tripped in her retreat.
She hit her car.
And Buck got close, bent right into her face and thundered, “She was nearly raped!”
I put my hand on his back and whispered, “West. Honey.”
But my eyes darted to Kristy when I heard her broken words.
“I know.”
Okay, maybe not mother of the year and maybe late, as in too late.
But knock me over with a feather…
She cared.
From his next words, Buck clearly did not see this.
“You think she had a mom at home who gave more of a shit about her daughter than her own problems, she might not act out and maybe wouldn’t have been in a position to get herself nearly…motherfucking…raped?”
Okay, that might have a kernel of truth.
It was still below the belt.
“West,” I whispered again.
“You think I haven’t thought that?” Kristy demanded.
“No, I think you haven’t thought that. ’Cause, see, since that happened, my girl isn’t callin’ home tellin’ us about the joys of livin’ with her mom and her stepdad and how understanding and supportive they are and how she can’t come down for the weekend ’cause all her friends got all sorts of plans, she can’t tear herself away. She calls Clara and bitches about what a bitch her mom is and how she needs to get the fuck outta there ’cause she’s goddamned miserable.”
Kristy’s attention came to me when he mentioned me, but it went back to Buck on the word miserable.
“I’m gonna try harder, Buck,” she reiterated.
“Too late.”
“I think I’m gonna leave Knuckles.”
“I think I don’t care.”
“He doesn’t get on with the kids.”
“No shit?” Buck asked sarcastically.
I knew Kristy had had it just by the expression on her face, even before she spat, “You know, you’re not perfect.”
“Yeah, I do know that. I also know that house,” he swung his arm out behind him to point at the house, but he didn’t take his face out of Kristy’s, “is a safe place for my kids. Safe from their mother. And I’m gonna do what I can to give them more of that. I might lose. I might also win. We’ll see. But I don’t think dick. I’m gonna fight to give my kids some happy. And whatever happens, they’re gonna know their dad went to the mat for them. That’s what I know.”
They stared at each other, Kristy was near tears, Buck was not backing down.
“Go inside, West,” I said.
He turned his heat to me.
“No fuckin’ way.”
“Go inside, honey,” I whispered.
He didn’t go inside.
He took a step back from Kristy and crossed his arms on his chest.
I turned to her and said, “I think you should let the kids come live with us.”
Her face twisted, she opened her mouth, but I got there quicker.
“For a spell. If things aren’t good with your partner, sort that out. Tell them you need to handle it, and you need to protect them from it while you do. Tell them you want to see them and keep the path clear should they want to see you. Or come down here and see them. Buck won’t stand in your way.”
Buck grunted his indication he was not at one with the last part.
I persevered.
“Kristy, you have this shot to take care of your kids. I know it seems like losing them, but in the end, it might be winning them back.”
“So you get my kids,” she said snidely.
“No, all three of us get to look after them while you deal with your life issues and start on the road to repairing your relationship with them,” I replied.
Now she and I were in a staring contest.
Ours didn’t last as long as hers did with Buck since Buck wasn’t feeling it.
“We’re done. Go home,” he said to Kristy, catching my hand and beginning to drag me to the house.
“If I have to move out on my own, I won’t have the money to fight for custody,” she called after us.
Buck made no response, he just kept dragging me.
“For fuck’s sake, Buck, Gear is nearly eighteen!” she shouted. “I’m not stupid. I know he’s gonna bail as soon as he’s legal to do it. He’s gone come May, and then I only have a couple of years with Tatie.”
Buck turned at that. “You know, I have not one single fuckin’ issue with you feelin’ my pain. You took my kids from me, not across town, two goddamn hours away, and then you made their lives a misery and I could do dick. So no, Kristy, I do not have one single fuckin’ issue with you feelin’ my pain.”
It was yet another shock, but at that, Kristy looked ashamed.