Page 60 of Rust and Stardust

“I have to go back,” I repeated. “I don’t have a choice. My boss is gonna fire me and then I’m gonna lose my apartment. Logan and I both will.”

“Logan Baker was in on this too?” Dolly asked, her eyes wide.

I nodded. “Yeah. And he’s having this same conversation with his family right now.”

“What made you boys think this was a good idea?”

I shook my head. “Our boss told us to do this or be fired. And he offered us promotions if we succeeded. We can’t even afford to live in New York on our salaries right now. But with no job and a mountain of student debt each… we didn’t think we had a choice.”

“Sounds like your boss is a real asshole,” Mabel scoffed. It was the first time I’d ever heard her curse. “But folks out here ain’t like that. We take care of our own, we’re fiercely loyal, and we definitely don’t go tellin’ lies to people we love.”

I looked down at my untouched coffee, shame burning in my chest. “I know I messed up. I don't deserve his forgiveness or anyone else's.”

Mabel's hand squeezed mine gently. “Now, I didn't say that. What you did was wrong, no doubt about it. But you owned up to it. That counts for something.”

Dolly nodded in agreement. “And honey, if there's one thing I know about Beau Turner, it's that he's got a heart of gold. He might be hurting now, but he's not one to hold a grudge.”

I shook my head, not daring to hope. “Even if that's true, I can't stay. I have to face the consequences back in New York.”

Mabel's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “What if you didn't have to go back? Forever I mean.”

I blinked in confusion at Mabel's words. “What do you mean?”

Mabel leaned in closer, her voice low but firm. “I mean, what if you stayed here in Sagebrush? Found yourself a job, made a fresh start?”

My heart skipped a beat at the suggestion, but reality quickly set in. “I... I can't. My whole life is back in New York. My job, my apartment...”

“A job you're about to lose and an apartment you can't afford,” Dolly chimed in, her red nails tapping thoughtfully on the counter. “Sounds to me like you ain't got much tying you there, sugar.”

I opened my mouth to argue but found I couldn't. They were right. What did I really have waiting for me back in New York? A tiny apartment I hated, a job I hated, and a life that didn’t feel like it was worth living. On the other hand, Sagebrush had everything I wanted, everything I loved.

“I’ll have to go back to pack my things up,” I said. “And I don’t have anywhere to stay here in Sagebrush.”

“We have a guest bedroom,” Mabel said, glancing my way as she took a sip of her coffee. “You know, the one you didn’t stay in when Beau snuck you into the house?”

Dolly snorted with laughter, but I was still unsure.

“Do you think Beau would allow that?”

“You leave Beau to me, darlin’,” Mabel replied, placing her cup down on the counter. “In the meantime, I need you to do two things for me.”

“Whatever you need.”

She pushed the recipe book back toward me. “Take that back to Logan’s folks and burn it so they know he’s tellin’ the truth.”

“Alright,” I nodded. “And the second thing?”

“You’re gonna write a letter to Beau,” she grinned. “You’re gonna apologize, tell him how you truly feel, and…” She glanced up at Dolly, giving her wink. “You’re gonna leave your address so he can write you back. Leave the rest of it to me.”

I felt a glimmer of hope spark in my chest, but I tamped it down quickly. “Mabel, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I don't think-”

“Hush now,” Mabel interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argument. “You just do as I say. Sometimes, love just needs a little push in the right direction.”

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Mabel's words had stirred something inside me, a fragile hope I was afraid to nurture.

“Now,” Dolly said, sliding a pen and a sheet of paper across the counter. “You sit right here and write that letter. Pour your heart out, sugar. Don't leave anything unsaid.”

With trembling hands, I picked up the pen. For a moment, I stared at the blank page, overwhelmed by all I wanted to say. Then, taking a deep breath, I began to write, all my hopes and dreams resting on the tip of my pen.

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