Page 71 of Rust and Stardust

Lucas just chuckled, following her in. “I don’t mind.”

“Yeah, but I do.” She glanced back over her shoulder. “Take your boyfriend’s bags upstairs like a gentleman and come back down. I got breakfast reheatin’ in the oven for ya both.”

I felt my cheeks flush even hotter at Mabel's casual use of the word “boyfriend.” It still felt surreal to hear it spoken aloud, especially by her. But the warmth in her tone and the twinkle in her eye told me she approved, and that meant more than I could say.

Lucas followed Mabel into the house, throwing me a wink over his shoulder as he went. I hefted his bags and made my way up the creaky old stairs to the guest room. It was smaller than mine, but cozy, with a patchwork quilt on the bed and lace curtains at the window. I set the bags down and took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart.

When I came back downstairs, the smell of bacon and coffee filled the air. Lucas was already seated at the kitchen table, chatting easily with Mabel as she bustled around the stove, pulling out a large glass baking dish full of her famous breakfast casserole. It was one of my favorites and something she didn’t make unless we had company. With Lucas around, I hoped that meant we’d get it more often. A little hot sauce and I was in heaven.

I slid into the chair next to Lucas, our knees brushing under the table. The simple contact sent a shiver through me, and I had to force myself to focus on the plate Mabel set in front of me. Even after several days on the road and several nights fucking like rabbits in cheap motel rooms, I still couldn’t get enough of that man.

“So, Lucas,” Mabel said as she settled into her own chair, “what are your plans now that you're back here in Sagebrush? No more sinister deeds I hope?”

Lucas swallowed a mouthful of casserole before answering. “No ma’am!” he replied quickly. “Well, I can work remotely for now, but I'm hoping to find something local, eventually.” He glanced over at me. “Maybe help a cowboy transform his winning barbecue recipe into something special.”

“That'd be real nice,” I chimed in, unable to keep the pride out of my voice. “Although I don’t know where to begin.”

“We’ll start small,” Lucas nodded. “Find a way to use your barbecue to bring in some extra money.” His eyes lit up as he took another bite of the casserole. “Maybe Dolly could help with that!”

“Dolly? How so?”

“I bet you she’d pay a premium to have your barbecue at the diner. People around here love your food. And once you get enough cash coming through, we can look at expanding onto the ranch itself. It’ll take some time to get set up, but I bet she’d go for it.”

His excitement was contagious, and I found myself nearly vibrating beside him. “Do you really think so?”

“We won’t know until we try.”

“Well, I see you two have ideas,” Mabel nodded approvingly. “And what about you two? Any plans to make things public? Or should I stay quiet for now?”

Before Lucas could speak, I put my fork down and looked Mabel in the eye. “I’m not gonna hide from anyone,” I said, not sure if I was trying to convince her or myself. “I won’t make that mistake again. Lucas is my fella, and I don’t care who knows it. And if they’ve got aproblem with it, well… forgive my language, but they can kiss my ass.”

Mabel lifted an eyebrow, clearly not approving of Beau’s cursing, but she nodded along. “Good for you, Beau. I’m real proud of you for that.” She glanced up at Lucas. “You hold him to that now. And don’t let him bottle things up. He’s just like his daddy when he was this age.”

Lucas laughed, nudging me as I took another bite, my cheeks blushing. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Breakfast passed with easy conversation, like Lucas had been my boyfriend for years. Mabel treated him just like kin. And when Pa and Frank came in for lunch, we all sat there chatting like nothing had changed. But, for the first time in my entire life, I didn’t feel like I was hiding. I got to sit there next to the man I loved, my hand resting on his thigh, like it was the most normal thing in the world. And I guess, the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was normal. A family sitting around the dining table laughing and carrying on was the most normal thing in the world and nobody cared that I was myself.

It was a beautiful feeling.

When things had finally died down, I glanced up at Lucas. “Hey… will you come with me? There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Y’all headin’ into town?” Pa asked.

“I think we’re gonna take Willow and Daisy out to the northeast corner,” I replied.

Pa nodded knowingly, his eyes getting a little glossier than usual. “I think that’s a real swell idea.”

Lucas didn’t ask as I pulled him up from the table. He waved as I led him out the front door and down to the barn, his fingers laced through mine. We were both quiet as I saddled the horses and helped him up onto Daisy’s back. Mounting Willow, we headed out into the pasture at a brisk trot, the intense Texas sun beating down on us.

The rhythmic sound of hooves against the dry earth filledthe air as we rode in comfortable silence. I stole glances at Lucas, marveling at how natural he looked atop Daisy, his posture relaxed and confident. The city slicker had come a long way since his first awkward attempts at horseback riding. I’d make a cowboy out of him yet.

As we approached the northeast corner of the ranch, a lone oak tree came into view, its branches stretching wide to provide a pocket of shade in the vast expanse of sun-baked prairie. I slowed Willow to a walk, and Lucas followed suit.

“This is it,” I said softly, dismounting and tying Willow's reins to a low-hanging branch. Lucas did the same with Daisy, then turned to me with a questioning look.

I took a deep breath, suddenly nervous. “There's someone I want you to meet,” I repeated, pulling him toward the tree.

“Who’s that?” he asked softly, noticing my nervous behavior.

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