Page 19 of Rust and Stardust

“I think I met her inside,” I said, pointing back to the house.

“Nah. That’s Mabel. She’s a great woman but married to my ranch hand Frank. Beau’s mother passed away after he was born.” He let out a long sigh, a look of longing in his eyes. “She was a good woman. Best I ever met.”

“I’m sorry,” I said automatically, not knowing what else to say.

“Don’t worry yourself about it,” he said, the smile coming back to his face. “I apologize. I can get a little caught up in my feelings sometimes. Beau gets that from me.”

There was a grumble of disapproval from the other stall, but the old man, who was obviously Beau’s father, just kept smiling. I stood there for a moment, wondering if he’d seen us kiss in the pasture. There was no hint of it in his expression, but then again, why would he say something like that? Had I accidentally outed Beau to his entire family?

“Anyway,” Beau’s father said at last, tipping his hat up. “I’m glad to see you’re alright. Would’ve been a right mess had that old mare thrown ya. Don’t wanna send ya away in an ambulance on your first visit.”

“I appreciate that. And if it’s alright with you, I think I’m gonna avoid horses for a little while.”

“Well, don’t be a stranger now. It’s not like Beau to bring a friend home. Between you and me, I’m just glad he’s talkin’ to someone else besides that old diner waitress and that damn horse.”

“He talks to the horse?” I glanced over at Beau, my eyebrow arched. He kept his head down, avoiding my gaze. But I could see the pink tinge to his cheeks and it brought a smile to my lips.

“The boy has been talkin’ to the animals since he could speak! Can’t get him to stop, actually.” He took a step back, clapping Beau on the shoulder. “But he’s good with critters, so we let him keep going on.”

“Pa…” Beau sighed at last. “Will you stop embarrassing me in front of company?”

“That’s what parents are for!” The old man looked back at me, holding out his hand. “Jack Turner by the way. Nice to meet ya.”

I returned the handshake. “Lucas Greene.”

“Well Lucas, it’s gettin’ around to supper time, and we’d be mighty bad hosts if we didn’t feed you before you left.”

“You don’t have to do that—” I began.

“He’s probably busy, Pa,” Beau added.

“Nonsense!” Jack laughed, clapping me on the shoulder and pulling me back toward the entrance to the barn. “Mabel always puts on a feast before the fair starts. And since Beau is competin’ this year, it’ll be our last big family meal until after the barbecue competition is over.”

I glanced back at Beau. “I… uh… I mean… if you insist?”

“I do,” Jack smiled, leading me away.

We left the barn, leaving Beau behind to take care of the horses and put them away. Jack led me into the house once more, pausing at the door to hang his hat on a hook. A moment later I found myself in the kitchen once more with Mabel cooking away at the stove. She stopped as Jack sat me down, giving me a big smile.

“I heard you screamin’ all the way down the pasture,” she grinned. “Excitin’ first ride I take it?”

I chuckled nervously, feeling my cheeks flush. “You could say that. I think I'll stick to cars from now on.”

Mabel laughed, a warm, hearty sound that filled the kitchen. “Oh honey, don't you worry. Everybody falls off a horse at least once. It's practically a rite of passage 'round here.”

Jack nodded in agreement. “Yep, even Beau took a tumble or twowhen he was learnin'. Though I reckon he'd rather forget about that.”

As if on cue, the screen door creaked open and Beau stepped inside. His eyes darted around the room, landing briefly on me before quickly looking away. He mumbled something about washing up and disappeared down the hallway.

Mabel turned back to her cooking, but not before I caught the concerned look she exchanged with Jack. There was a moment of awkward silence, broken only by the sizzling of whatever delicious concoction Mabel was preparing on the stove.

“So, Lucas,” Jack said, clearing his throat. “What brings you all the way out to Sagebrush? We don't get many city folk 'round these parts.”

I shifted in my seat, trying to come up with a plausible explanation that didn't involve my growing infatuation with his son or the fact that I was trying to steal family secrets for my company. I decided to stick to my usual lie. “I'm actually here on business. I work for a marketing firm in New York, and we're looking to expand our reach into more rural areas with food festivals. Thought I'd come down and get a feel for the place, see if it’s a good fit for what we want to do.”

Jack nodded, a knowing smile on his face. “Well, you certainly picked a fine place for it. No better food in the world than in Sagebrush, Texas. And Beau’s gonna win that barbecue competition again this year just to prove it.”

“He’s won three times, hasn’t he? I have no doubt he’ll do it again.”

---