'Til Grits Do Us Part Read Free Page B

off my forehead.
    I screamed and leaped back, flinging my arms up. “Shoo! Get out of here!”
    The cow jumped, rearing her head, and lurched a few steps backward on the grass, moonlight glimmering in her enormous eyes. She stood there staring, chewing her cud like a Tastee Freez waitress jawing watermelon bubble gum.
    Then she inched forward with another snort and sniffed my hair. The audacity!
    â€œGo on!” I squirmed away and hollered for Tim and Becky, but all I heard was Christie’s distant barks.
    Two more cows loped over, curious, and I put my hands on my hips, angry breath flaring. What was this, some kind of small-town circus? I needed to get home and finish my articles. Southern initiation bah-humbug. Becky could say all she wanted about fun in the South, but I drew the line at cud-scented cow breath.
    Wait. Didn’t Tim say cows slept at night? Maybe they were sleepwalking. I craned my neck to see their bulging eyes in the darkness.
    I twisted around to see across the rest of the moonlit field, but no sign of Tim and Becky. Just cows. And a few more loping over, shadow-like, their hooves making a soft swishing sound in the grass.
    Maybe I could just…touch one. Really fast. And see if it tipped over like Tim told me.
    And then I could get my tail out of the cow pasture and reward myself back home with a hot bath and an even hotter cup of my favorite Japanese green tea.
    I wiped sweaty palms on my jeans and inched forward.
    â€œShah-loh?” Becky called from across the pasture. “We got yer knothead dog. She ran after some ugly ol’ possum. Shoulda seen him!”
    â€œShh!” I waved her away in a loud whisper, reaching out a trembling index finger. “You’ll break my concentration.”
    â€œShah-loh?”
    I found cow fur and pushed, hiding my face with my free arm.
    Nothing. The cow just stood there munching. I uncovered my face and blinked in surprise then pushed against her warm, fuzzy side with two hands.
    Nope. She didn’t budge.
    I leaned against her with all my weight, grunting with the effort. “What’s the matter with you?” I complained through gritted teeth. “Aren’t you supposed to tip over?”
    A flashbulb and a snicker startled me, and the cow jumped back with a snort. A low chorus of moos filtered up from the field, and my bovine friends grunted and stamped in irritation.
    â€œBecky Donaldson? Tell me you didn’t.” I backed away, horrified, as Becky’s shadowy figure held out something like a cell phone. “If a picture like that gets out, I’m sunk.”
    Silence.
    â€œBecky?” I whirled around. “Where are you?”
    â€œShush!” she whispered fiercely, dropping down on the grass as dark clouds covered the moon, like a bad omen. “He’ll see ya!”
    â€œWho’ll see me?”
    â€œThat big bull over there! He don’t like no one messin’ with his cows. I thought Ron had him penned up.”
    â€œWhat bull? I didn’t see a bull.”
    As soon as I said it, I heard him. He gave a low, angry bellow, and suddenly the thud of heavy hooves pounded on the ground. Louder and louder, rising to a low thunder as the cows scattered in all directions.
    â€œThey’re gonna stampede!” Becky screamed, jumping up and jerking me by the arm. “Ruuuuun!”

Chapter 2
    B ecky Donaldson!” I hollered, sprinting across the field so fast I knocked into Becky, nearly bumping her to the ground. “You’re in so much trouble!”
    â€œI don’t care, so long as we get outta here alive!” Becky pushed me ahead, yelling for Tim to open the gate. “What on earth got into ya?”
    I screamed and swerved around a cow pie, hearing a furious snort not far behind me—and a loud pounding of hooves. Dust rose up from the grass, making us cough.
    â€œYou’re the one who told me they tip over!” I lunged for the gate as