Page 5 of Claimed By the Cowboys
“Hey there, can I—oh shit, you’re crying.” The teen server looked at me with wide eyes, his face a mixture of anxiety and panic.
I wanted to reassure him, but when I opened my mouth to speak, another sob escaped. My pack had betrayed me; they cared more about getting their dicks wet than me.
“I’ll be right back!” he rushed to say, disappearing into the kitchen so fast, I would have thought his ass was on fire.
Great, I was even managing to scare away the locals. I was about to grab my purse when a sweet, elderly lady slid into my booth, a dish of pie in each hand.
“Well, it looks like you’re having a day. Apple or cherry?”
Her smile was serene, and she was wearing a polo shirt with the diner’s logo on it.
“Apple?” It came out as a question as I shook my head, trying to figure out how I got into this mess. “I’m sorry, you are?”
“Evelyn. I own this here establishment with my husband, Judson. He’s out back manning the grill right now. That young boy you frightened off just happens to be my grandson Lucas—he’s not exactly the most socially skilled, so I apologize for him. Now, what’s got a pretty girl like you sitting all alone in my diner with tears in her eyes?”
Her face was open and sincere, with laugh lines and graying hair, and her scent reminded me of freshly baked cookies.
Pure comfort.
Her look of genuine concern set off another wave of tears.
“I just walked in on my pack cheating on me,” I admitted, like I was ashamed, when I had nothing to be embarrassed about. They were the problem, not me.
Then again, would they have been loyal if I’d managed to get pregnant?
“Well, they don’t sound worth a speck of your time. I hope you kicked them to the curb; a pretty girl like you could have her choice of alphas.”
I shook my head. “I took their car. I just wanted to get out of there.” Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair. “We’ve beentrying for a baby for over a year—and I want one. Oh god, do I want to be a mother! I love kids; they’re always learning and exploring and growing. They’re the future!” I hung my head, unable to stop my babbling. “But my pack refused to even officially bond with me until I got pregnant, and now they think I’m defective and…and decided to bang the concierge!”
Tears rolled down my face as I sobbed, and Evelyn took one of my hands in her own, the heartbroken expression on her face breaking me. I was blubbering and telling this complete stranger my life story, but as my insides twisted in distress, the words just tumbled out of me.
“Oh, darling, that sounds horrible. You arenotdefective! Hell, it took me three years to get pregnant with my first. The world works in mysterious ways.”
“How many children do you have?” I asked, grabbing a handful of napkins and using them to dab at my face.
“I was lucky enough to have six babies! They’re all grown now—most of them are off living their lives with their own babies—but every one of them was a joy to raise, even when they were out doing donuts in town and sneaking out to meet up with their friends after curfew.”
A giggle escaped me. “Sounds like a handful.”
As if on cue, a waitress appeared from the back, a spray bottle and a roll of paper towels in hand. “Hey, Gran, I just put on fresh coffee.” She smiled sweetly, her green eyes the same shade as Evelyn’s. “Can I get you or our guest a cup?”
“Oh, I don’t need anything, Emmy, thank you, but our friend Piper here might like something hot to drink after the night she’s had.” Evelyn laughed before taking a moment to introduce us. “By the way, Piper, this is Emmaline, my granddaughter.”
“Hey, Piper!” Emmy said happily, extending one of her hands to shake, her fingers glittering with many silver rings. “Everyone calls me Emmy. Well, I say ‘everyone,’ but this town is so damnsmall that’s only a handful of people.” She laughed as I took her hand in mine.
“Emmy’s always complaining about havin’ trouble meeting new friends in a small town.” Evelyn rolled her eyes, but her lips still quirked up in a smile.
“Well, it’s true!” Emmy insisted, giving my hand a final squeeze before letting go of the handshake. “But you look like you could use a friend right around now, Piper.” She winked at me with a mischievous smile.
Emmy was a little taller than me, lean and lithe in her cropped diner logo T-shirt and denim miniskirt. With her warm freckles and long chestnut brown ponytail, we could have been sisters or cousins. I could feel the spunky energy radiating off of her when she smiled, and her sunflower and sweet strawberry omega scent was warm and inviting.
She wasn’t wrong—I desperately needed a friend.
“Nice to meet you, Emmy! I specialize in shopping, movie marathons, at-home spa days, and of course a little healthy gossip.” I did my best to come off as friendly and inviting, with my eyes still so swollen from crying.
“Here.” Emmy passed me her phone, a new contact profile open on the screen. “Put your number in my phone. I gotta get back to work, but you’re stuck with me now.” She made a silly face as I handed the phone back to her, then rushed off to wipe down empty diner tables.
“She’s a sweetheart and a spitfire.” Evelyn shook her head with a smile before she turned to face me, a knowing smirk on her face. “Do you have much experience with children?”
