Page 67 of Whiskey and Wildfire

“I heard that, Lucas Greene!” Dolly called, a tone of playful warning in her voice. “I’m only one woman! I can’t do it all!”

He flashed her a brilliant smile. “I forgive you I suppose.”

Their banter lifted my spirits a bit, lending an air of normalcy to the situation. As he sat down and we all started to carry on as usual, I almost forgot that our entire future was up in the air, that a single phone call could mean the beginning or end of the ranch.

As we settled into our usual routine of banter and breakfast orders, I felt a momentary sense of calm wash over me. The familiar clinking of silverware and the hum of conversation in the diner provided a comforting backdrop to our own quiet chatter.

Lucas took a long sip of his homemade iced coffee, his gold earring catching the morning light. “So,” he said, his east coast accent a stark contrast to Beau’s drawl, “any word from our potential investors yet?”

I tensed slightly, but Logan answered smoothly. “They’re still deliberating. We should hear back in a few hours.”

Beau’s blue eyes flickered between us, concern evident in his rugged features. “Y’all okay?”

I forced a smile, not wanting to burden our friends with the full weight of our anxiety. “We’re hanging in there.”

There were a lot of unspoken words between us, but he understood my meaning, nonetheless.

“I did try calling the other investors last night after we talked,” Lucas said, turning his attention to Logan.

“Any luck?”

His smile faded as he shook his head.

“It’s okay,” Logan said, patting the back of his hand. “We knew it was a long shot anyway.”

Dolly bustled over with our usual orders - pancakes for Logan, eggs and bacon for me, and a hearty stack of French toast for Beau. Lucas, on the other hand, received a skillet full of fried potatoes topped with beef, cheese, and eggs.

“You boys let me know if you need anything else, ya hear?” Dolly said with a wink before heading back to the counter.

I glanced over at Lucas’s plate, and he caught my eye. “I… uh… I’m a bit of a stress eater,” he said, taking a big bite. “Happy to share though if you want some. In fact, you’d probably be doing me a favor.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, pushing my bacon around that had suddenly lost its appeal. “You and I have opposite problems.”

“Lucky you,” he replied sarcastically, giving me a wink. “Hot and doesn’t like to eat. The gay man’s dream.”

“I still think you’re hot even if you like to eat, darlin’,” Beau said smoothly, wrapping his arm around Lucas. “All them other boys are missin’ out.”

It felt so strange to watch Beau be open about his sexuality, especially in public. He’d come a long way from the stoic cowboy I used to know. In fact, we’d all changed a lot. Never in a million years did I think I’d be sitting at a table with not only my male lover, but his gay friends, eating breakfast like it was the most normal thing in the world.

But maybe it was normal. I just had to learn to accept that for myself instead of fighting it. I reached down, squeezing Logan’s thigh just to make sure he was real. Despite everything going on, my life still retained its sweetness.

We fell into an easy rhythm of eating and casual conversation, carefully avoiding the elephant in the room. Beau regaled us with tales of his latest rodeo adventures, while Lucas chimed in with amusing anecdotes from his marketing days in New York. For a little while, it almost felt like any other morning at the diner.

But as our plates emptied and the conversation lulled, the weight of our situation settled back over us like a heavy blanket. Logan’s phone sat on the table between us, silent and ominous.

At least it was until it suddenly buzzed, startling all four of us at once. A name flashed on the screen. It was the investors. Logan grabbed it, hitting the green button and heading out the front door of the diner without a word.

My heart leapt into my throat as I watched Logan’s retreating form through the diner window. The cheerful chatter of the other patrons suddenly felt distant and muffled, as if I was underwater. I gripped the edge of the table, my knuckles turning white.

Beau and Lucas exchanged a worried glance. “You okay, Dakota?” Beau asked softly, his blue eyes filled with concern.

I nodded mechanically, unable to form words. My gaze remained fixed on Logan’s silhouette outside. He was pacing back and forth, one hand gesticulating as he spoke into the phone. I strained to read his body language, searching for any clue about the conversation’s direction.

“Hey,” Lucas said, reaching across the table to gently touch my arm. “No matter what happens, we’re here for you guys. You know that, right? We’ll figure something out either way.”

Just as I opened my mouth to respond, the front door dinged again. I watched as Logan stepped inside, his face expressionless. He came back to the table and sat down next to me, placing his phone on the table.

“Well?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “What did they say?”

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