Page 35 of Rust and Stardust

Beau mumbled a thanks, then fell silent again. The awkwardness was palpable, and I found myself desperately wishing for something to break the tension.

As if on cue, Dolly appeared with Beau's coffee a full plate of food. “Here you go, sugar,” she said, setting the plate in front of him. “And don't you go gettin’ too rusty on those barbecue skills of yours. I expect you to win this year and put those out of towners in their place.”

Beau's eyes flickered to me for a split second before he nodded at Dolly. “Yes ma'am, I'll do my best.”

I felt a shiver run down my spine at that brief glance. There was something in his eyes - a mix of desire and fear that made my heart race. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch him, to reassure him that everything would be okay.

Logan cleared his throat again, breaking the moment. “Well, I should get going. Got some, uh, work to catch up on.” He stood up, leaving his half-eaten pie on the counter before looking back at me. “The boss probably wants an update.”

“You sure, hon?” Dolly asked, concern etching her weathered features. “You've barely touched your food.”

“I'm fine, really,” Logan insisted, forcing a smile. “Thanks for the pie, Dolly. It was great as always.”

As Logan hurried out the door, I felt torn between following himand staying near Beau. I knew I should check on my friend, but the magnetic pull towards the rugged cowboy was hard to resist.

Beau's eyes met mine briefly again as he sipped his coffee. The air between us felt charged, crackling with unspoken tension. I desperately wanted to say something, anything, to break the silence.

“How's the, uh, practice going?” I managed to ask, my voice sounding strained even to my own ears.

Beau set down his cup, his strong hands wrapping around the cool glass. “It's goin' alright,” he drawled, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. “Still got some kinks to work out.”

I couldn't help but think of other kinds of kinks we could work out together, memories of our passionate night together flashing through my mind. I shifted uncomfortably on my stool, trying to banish those thoughts.

“I'm sure you'll figure it out,” I said, aiming for a casual tone. “You've always been good at... working things out.”

Beau's eyes met mine again, a flicker of heat in their blue depths. “Reckon so,” he murmured. “Sometimes it just takes a bit of... practice.”

My breath caught at the low, suggestive tone in his voice. Was he flirting with me? Here, in the middle of Dolly's diner?

The diner door rang again as Logan poked his head back inside. “You coming, Lucas?”

“Yeah,” I called back. I glanced over at Beau and Dolly. “Sorry. Duty calls.”

“No problem, sugar,” Dolly replied, giving me a wink. “You go get your work done. We’re lookin’ forward to having our very own food festival here in Sagebrush once you’re done!”

I felt my chest tighten, knowing that would never happen. “Me too,” I said, forcing myself to smile. “And I’ll meet you here tomorrow night for that pie lesson, alright?”

“See ya then, darlin’!”

I turned to Beau, nodding my head in his direction. “See ya, cowboy.”

“Bye,” he whispered back, his cheeks blushing immediately.

Chuckling to myself, I left the diner with a grin on my face. As I stepped out into the hot Texas sun, I could feel Logan's eyes boring into me. He was leaning against his rental car, arms crossed tightly over his chest.

“What the hell was that all about?” he hissed as soon as I was within earshot.

I feigned innocence, shrugging my shoulders. “What was what about?”

Logan rolled his eyes. “Don't play dumb with me, Lucas. I saw the way you were looking at that cowboy. And the way he was looking at you.”

I felt my cheeks flush, but I tried to keep my voice steady. “I don't know what you're talking about. I’m just playing the part like you want me to.”

“Playing?” Logan scoffed. “That was about as 'playful' as a pair of cats in heat. Jesus, Lucas, what are you doing? We're here on a job, remember? When this is all done, you need to leave him behind. End of story.”

“I know Logan,” I snapped, a bit louder than I meant to. “I know, alright?! We have to go back to our big city jobs and live our big city bullshit lives because you can’t stand to live in rural Texas!”

Despite his irritation, I saw Logan’s expression shift. I knew what I’d said was unfair and it hurt him. We were in this together after all.

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