Page 27 of Claimed By the Cowboys

And all I can think about is how much I wish they’d dragged me somewhere private to ravish me instead.

Chapter 13

Bo

I stand in the bakery, pondering the options before me as the warm smell of sugar and fresh bread wraps around me like a damn hug. The glass case is full of colorful donuts, and I’m taking this way too seriously for a man who usually eats whatever is still in date standing up in the barn.

The girl behind the counter smiles at me patiently. “What can I get you?”

I point. “One chocolate. One lemon. One strawberry.”

She boxes them up in a white box with a clear plastic window on top. Perfect. I want Brandy to see exactly what she’s getting.

Chocolate for her because she moaned around that chocolate shake like it was the best thing she’d ever tasted. Lemon to remind her of me. Strawberry to remind her of Jensen, because the man’s got a sweet tooth.

I pay, thank the server, and head back to the truck with the box tucked carefully under my arm.

The drive to the care home is tense with anticipation. My hands are tight on the steering wheel, and I keep glancing at the donuts like they’re a bomb waiting to go off. Part of me wonders if I’m pushing too hard, showing up at Brandy’s work like this. She’s got a life. A reputation. A mama who would lose her mind if she knew two cowboys were trying to court her daughter in secret. Maybe three donuts are a stupid gift. She might not understand the significance. She might not remember the kind of detail that’s etched into my brain.

But I don’t have a choice. I can’t go to her house. She barely goes out unless her friend Annie drags her. Waiting around for the next time she ends up at the Dusty Boot isn’t an option. I need her to know we’re thinking about her, and we want more than the wild night she gifted us. Seeing her on Main Street dressed in her Sunday best was the sweetest torture. All I wanted to do was pull her against me and kiss her until her knees went weak. Maybe buy her some chocolate ice cream and watch her devour it, making her hum happy sounds. Instead, we had to act like polite strangers, and it killed me. So did the fear in her expression. She thought we’d make our familiarity known, but there’s no way either me or Jensen would have risked that.

I park a respectful distance from the entrance, kill the engine, and sit there for a second staring at the building. This may backfire. Maybe she’ll be angry that we’ve stepped over the line into her real life. Or maybe it’ll make her smile. I guess I’m not going to know unless I try. I grab a small piece of paper and scribble a note. I tell her we’re thinking of her, and I give her our address. Anytime you want to spend time with us, come over, I write. Then I grab the box and walk up to the front door before I can talk myself out of it.

I ring the bell, saying a little prayer that it’ll be Brandy who responds.

A minute later, the door swings open, and it’s not Brandy.

Annie’s face practically explodes with glee the second she sees me. Her eyes drop to the donut box and light up even brighter.

“Well, well, well,” she says, voice dripping with delight. “If it isn’t one half of the trouble that had my girl walking funny the other day.”

I clear my throat, out of my depth. “These are for Brandy. Thought she might like something sweet during her shift.”

Annie takes the box carefully, peeking through the clear top. “Chocolate, lemon, and strawberry. That’s quite a mix. You boys are dangerous. You know that, right?”

I shrug, feeling awkward. “We’re not trying to be dangerous. We’re trying to do this right. No pressure. We just… wanted her to know we’re thinking about her.”

Annie studies me for a long moment, her usual playful energy softening into something more serious. “She’s going to push back, you know. That’s what Brandy does. She can’t imagine a life where she isn’t sacrificing everything for everyone else. But don’t give up on her. Keep showing up like this. She needs it more than she realizes.”

Some of the tension in my shoulders eases. “We’re not going anywhere.”

She smiles, and it’s warm and genuine, losing the teasing edge. “Good. I’ll make sure she gets these right away. Probably while she’s charting so she can’t hide how much she likes it.”

I tip my hat. “Thank you, ma’am.”

As I turn to leave, Annie calls after me, “Hey, Bo? Or is it Jensen?”

I glance back. “Bo.”

“Brandy smiled all day after the last time she saw y’all. Even when she was trying to act normal. Don’t stop giving her reasons to smile.”

I walk back to the truck lighter than when I arrived. The image of Brandy opening that box, seeing the combination of flavors, and maybe smiling that soft secret smile she gets when she thinks no one’s watching… it settles any anxiety I had driving over. Jensen and I have a plan. Give her the small things. Be consistent. Show her we care.

Life isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about reminding someone of the feelings they’ve inspired.

We’re going to keep chipping away at those walls she’s built so high and show her what life could look like if she let us take care of her.

One donut at a time if we have to.