Page 59 of Cowboy Bear's Hope

Instead, I put my energy into taking care of what I could.

First stop, Lance’s Auto Repair & Body Shop to deal with her piece of shit mode of transportation.

Her compact car had crapped out on her the first time we met, after the whole bat to the brain incident.

It’d been irking me for months that it wasn’t up to par. Something I was going to fix right now.

Dion greeted me with a knowing smirk, grease-streaked hands gripping a clipboard. It didn’t take long for him to confirm what I already knew.

Avery’s car was a rolling death trap. A total piece of shit.

Still, I didn’t want to be bullheaded about it.

Avery might have sentimental attachments to the damn thing, so I told Dion to hold on to it, just in case she wanted anything from it before I had it squashed into something that could pass for modern art.

From there, I headed straight to the local car dealership.

I knew exactly what I wanted for her. Hell, I was so psyched, I shivered with anticipation at her reaction upon seeing the brand-new SUV I was buying just for her.

It was top of the line, of course, with every safety feature money could buy.

Heated leather seats, automatic starter, WeatherTech mats, all-wheel drive, the works. I chose gunmetal gray for the exterior—practical but sleek—and black leather for the interior.

But I didn’t stop there.

I asked the salesperson to customize the interior with pink LED lights and accents as a surprise for Rosie.

My little girl deserved to feel special, too. The custom job would take a few extra days, but they promised to deliver it straight to the ranch once it was ready.

One final stop. The jewelry store.

I didn’t need anything flashy, just something meaningful. Something that would remind Avery every day that she wasn’t alone anymore, that she was loved.

And I found it too, tucked away in a section marked antiques. The platinum band was shaped like a vine, tiny intricate leaves carved out of metal. I could see it now, swirled around her finger. She was so tiny, my mate. Delicate, but not fragile.

Platinum was the perfect metal for her. Strong. Timeless. And the design showed that even the strongest things needed care.

The solitary diamond that sat dead center was eye catching in its stunning simplicity. It was one of a kind.

Just like Avery.

I took that, a plain platinum band for myself, and a child-sized necklace with a small pink stone set inside a heart-shaped pendant.

With my errands done, I drove back to the ranch, feeling lighter than I had all morning.

Sure, Emmet would bitch about me taking time off, but the Demon Wolf could shove it. This was more important.

I had to get everything ready for my girls.

The past weekend felt like a dream, one filled with promises and possibilities. But today was where real life began, and this was where the true test started.

I wasn’t afraid.

Because I had Avery. And for her—for both of them—I’d pass any test life threw my way.

Chapter Seventeen-Avery

A few days later.

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