Page 54 of Claimed By the Cowboys

“Sometimes crossing paths is temporary. We’re asking Brandy to make a huge sacrifice.”

“We’re offering her a home in return.”

Bo nods. “We are.”

“And if her mama needs convincing, I can turn on the charm,” I say.

Bo shakes his head. “Somehow, I don’t think your charm is the kind her mama is looking for.”

***

Claire shows up mid-morning with the kids in tow. They fill the quiet yard with noise.

“Looking good,” she says. In her hands, she clutches a plate of pancakes with a side of fruit and a thermos of coffee. Exactly what we need.

“There’s a lot to be done.” Bo helps himself to a pancake, chewing as he looks around the filthy space.

“There’s a small bookcase upstairs in the back bedroom, and a comfortable chair. You could bring those down.”

“You’re stripping the house, huh?”

“You two don’t need half that stuff,” she shoots back. “There’s an old toy box in the attic that’ll clean up nicely, and I can cut down some fabric for curtains. Give the place some softness.”

“Yeah?” I’m touched that our sister is willing to help out so much for the benefit of a woman she’s never met.

“I’m taking the kids into town. I’ll see what else I can pick up while I’m there.”

“Our budget isn’t huge,” Bo admits. “We’re neck deep in costs for this place.”

“Don’t worry. The thrift stores are packed with great finds. I’m good at being frugal.” Claire loads the kids into her truck and heads into town.

After Bo and I eat, we move on to painting the walls a warm, soft white, to make the room appear bigger and calmer. The smell of fresh paint mixes with the warm breeze coming through the open door. I look around, already seeing the potential of what this place could be.

When Claire returns a few hours later, the truck bed is half full.

“Ocean painting,” she says, handing me a framed print in soft blues and yellows. “Found it at the thrift store for next to nothing. And look, pillows, a thick rug, and toys.”

The kids are already climbing out, arms full.

Brayden holds up a soft-bodied doll with yarn hair. “She has a blue dress! For the girl.”

“We can toss her in the washer so she’s nice and fresh,” Claire says.

Harrison dumps a small wooden dinosaur set onto the new rug the second we roll it out. “This one’s a T. rex. He’s gonna fight the long-neck one.” Harrison makes roaring noises that echo off the freshly painted walls.

Claire laughs and helps me hang the curtains. “They’ve already claimed the place. You realize that, right?”

I watch Brayden arrange the dinosaurs in careful battle lines while Harrison tucks the doll into the toy box “so she can sleep.” Something tight and hopeful pulls in my chest. If we pull this off, Claire’s kids will have some ready-made cousins.

Bo stands in the doorway with his arms crossed, taking it all in. “Looks good.”

I wipe paint from my hands onto my jeans. “Donuts and flowers were small gestures. This is a place for her in our world. A place for the kids if she ever trusts us that far.”

Claire comes up beside me and squeezes my shoulder. “She’d be crazy not to see what this means… and even crazier not to appreciate it… and appreciate you both.”

This has to work. It’s crunch time. We’ve shown Brandy patience. We’ve shown her care. Now we’re showing her a future. She has to see how serious we are, because we’re not playing anymore.

We’re building a life, and there’s a space in it shaped exactly like her.