Page 52 of Rust and Stardust

“It’s what my family does.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow in my direction. “I don’t see what that has to do with what you want to do with your life.”

“I just… I don’t want to let down my Pa,” I sighed. “It’s not that he would be mad about me doin’ my own thing. It’s just that he’s gettin’ on in years, and he’ll need help. And I don’t want to lose the ranch either. I like some of it, I just don’t wanna mend fences for the rest of my life.” I shook my head. “But I don’t think I wanna own a restaurant either.”

“Well, maybe there’s something in between. Then you can have the best of both.”

Lucas's words hung in the air, stirring something inside me I hadn't considered before. I turned to look at him, really look at him, and saw the wheels turning behind those captivating green eyes.

“What do you mean?” I asked, curiosity piqued.

He sat down his plate and leaned in closer, his voice low and excited. “Think about it. You've got this incredible talent for barbecue, right? And you've got all this land on the ranch. What if you combined the two?”

I furrowed my brow, trying to follow his train of thought. “Like... serve barbecue on the ranch?”

“Exactly!” Lucas's eyes lit up. “You could do seasonal pop-up events, or even regular weekend barbecues. People could come out, enjoy the beautiful land, maybe even do some horseback riding, and then feast on your award-winning barbecue. If it went well enough, you could even start building little cabins for people to stay in and give them a taste of what living on a real Texas ranch could be like. That kind of tourism is pretty hot right now.”

“And you’d be there to help me run it,” I said, the words slipping out of my mouth before I thought about it.

The moment they did, Lucas’s smile faded. “Beau… I don’t…”

“I’m sorry,” I interjected, holding my hand up to stop him. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad I just… I got excited is all.”

“It’s okay.”

But I could tell from the tone in his voice that it wasn’t. Lucas wanted to stay with me, that much was obvious. But he had a life back in New York and a career. He couldn’t give it all up to move to Texas on nothing but a hope and a prayer. As much as I wanted to wake up next to him every morning and kiss those beautiful lips of his, there was nothing I could do to convince him to stay. I was fairly certain he’d made up his mind.

I turned back to my smoker, pretending to check the temperature, but really just needing a moment to compose myself. The silence between us stretched, thick with unspoken words and emotions.

Finally, Lucas cleared his throat. “Beau, I... I want you to know that I care about you. A lot. More than I expected to when I came out here.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak just yet. My heart was hammering in my chest, torn between hope and fear.

“But my life is in New York,” he continued softly. “My job, my friends... It's not something I can just walk away from.”

“I know,” I managed to say, my voice rough. “I wouldn't ask you to.”

Lucas reached out, his fingers brushingagainst my arm. The touch sent a shiver through me, despite the heat. “I know you wouldn’t. But that doesn't mean we can’t be friends, right?”

“Friends,” I said, tasting the word on my lips. It was more bitter than I expected, but I forced a smile anyway as I turned back to him. “Friends sounds nice.”

Lucas opened his mouth as if to say something more but was interrupted by the blaring of a horn. The barbecue competition was about to begin in earnest.

“I should probably get back to my station,” I said, gesturing towards my smoker. “Thanks for the funnel cake.”

Lucas nodded, his green eyes clouded with an emotion I couldn't quite read. “Good luck, Beau. I'll be rooting for you.”

As he walked away, I turned back to my smoker, trying to focus on the task at hand. But my mind kept drifting back to Lucas, to the future we could have had together. I shook my head, forcing those thoughts away. I had a competition to win, after all.

The next few hours passed in a blur of smoke, heat, and nervous energy. I tended to my brisket with laser focus, testing, and adjusting the temperature with practiced precision. But even as my hands worked, my mind kept drifting back to Lucas and our conversation.

The idea he'd planted - combining the ranch experience with my barbecue skills - was taking root, growing larger with each passing minute. I could almost see it… families spread out on checkered blankets, the sound of laughter mingling with the sizzle of meat on the grill, the sun setting over the rolling hills of Sagebrush. It was a beautiful vision, one that made my heart ache with longing. The only thing that was missing was Lucas standing at my side, enjoying the dream with me.

As the judging time approached, I carefully sliced my brisket, arranging it on the plate with a drizzle of my homemade sauce. The meat was perfectly tender, falling apart at the slightest touch. It wasn’t long before the trio of judges stepped in front of my booth, one of them being Amber May and her venomous glare.

Clearly, she was still upset with me.

I held my breath as the judges sampled my brisket, their faces impassive as they chewed thoughtfully. Amber May's eyes narrowed as she took a bite, and I could've sworn I saw a flicker of grudging approval before she masked it with indifference.

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