Page 53 of Claimed By the Cowboys
“Just a few stitches, but it could have been a lot worse, so I decided I wouldn't be driving those things anymore. There's a collector in town who's had his eye on a few of them for the last few years, but I have been refusing to sell to him. This seemed like a good enough reason to sell. So this morning, he gave me a nice big wad of cash, and we're using that to build your nest.”
I stared dumbly at this alpha for a few moments. He had sold something near and dear to him to fund making me a nest? Part of me wanted to yell at him for selling something he cared about, but another part of me wanted to yell at him for not selling it sooner, considering he could have injured himself.
I was kind of glad I hadn’t known about the bikes, because I would have been terrified of him getting hurt.
“You didn't have to do that for me…” I trailed off, unsure what to say.
“You’re part of this family now, Piper, and family takes care of each other. You’re an omega and you need a nest, so we're going to make sure you have one.” He said it like it was the simplest thing.
“But I'm not exactly contributing, am I?”
“You are. You're taking care of the house. You're looking after Maisie. Contributing isn't as simple as just making money.”
I could see his logic, but I wasn't quite sure it applied, given our unique situation. “But it's not like you chose to bond with me because you love me. You chose to bond with me to save your child from a witch. Hell, Clay, you didn't even like me a week ago!”
“Oh, I liked you plenty. Probably a little bit too much. Why we chose to bond is irrelevant. We’re a family now, and that is that. Now, you can either come with me to the nesting store and pick out supplies for yourself, or I’m just going to go and spend a stupid amount of money on nesting supplies that Ithinkyou’ll like.”
“You are such a stubborn ass!” I growled, sitting back and crossing my arms.
The smirk on Clay's face shouldn't have been so damn attractive, but it was. “Yep. That I am. Now, are you going to be a good girl and pick out your nesting supplies?”
“I guess I'm going to have to because I'm under duress!”
He cocked his head to the side. “Good to know this tactic works.”
I gaped at him. “Oh, you ass!”
But for some reason, I couldn't wipe the small smile tugging at the corner of my lips.
As an omega, I was used to nesting supply stores. I had visited a great many in the city over the years, whether it was to pick up new sheets or simply window shop. Many teenagers went clothing shopping. Teenage omegas went nesting-supply shopping.
So, walking into the small store one town over from Sweetwater, I thought I knew what to expect. Most of the stores I had gone to were almost sterile in nature, without a single scent, but this one was smaller and filled with a scent I could only describe as comforting.
Instead of bright recessed lights, it was lit with natural light and a few yellow lamps. It was cozy and inviting.
“This place is lovely,” I hummed as we started walking through the aisles.
There were large wooden barrels piled high with blankets, squishy throw pillows, and wooden racks full of sheets. For a small store, there were an abundance of choices.
“There’s so much…” I trailed off, my head whipping around, trying to look at everything.
“We've got plenty of time, so get hunting.” Clay smiled. “Grab whatever you want.”
First, I practically tiptoed through the aisles, picking up various items before deciding whether or not they were crucial. After ten minutes of this, Clay took over and snatched anything out of my hands that I picked up and threw it into the cart.
I gravitated toward more neutral colors. Sandstone cream, light brown, those sorts of tones. An omega's color scheme was a personal choice, and I preferred my nest to be a more neutral place so my brain could switch off when I was inside.
Despite my best efforts to keep my cart only modestly full, Clay had pretty much ensured we had nearly two carts full by the end of the trip.
“Hey, can you do me a favor and go grab us a couple of coffees while I sort this out?” he asked, handing me a ten-dollar bill. “There’s a coffee shop across the street.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “The timing of this request feels suspicious…”
He shrugged. “I'm just a man who wants some caffeine.”
“We could always go together after we've checked out.”
He shook his head. “Nah, we need to get back to the ranch for the little lady.”
