21. Beau
Chapter 21
Beau
T he sun was hardly up in the big Texas sky and already the air was filled to the brim with the scents of roasting meat, barbecue, and all the hopes and dreams of the competitors for this year’s cash grand prize. Of course, it was the notoriety that had all the real value. Anyone that won the competition could start up a restaurant and be guaranteed success. Folks would come from miles around just to have good barbecue in these parts. When diners were a dime a dozen, the title of grand champion went a long ways to make the place stand out.
But I didn’t have a lot of interest in running a diner or a restaurant. Dolly’s was the best place in town anyway and I’d never dream of stepping on her toes. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to lose the competition on purpose. Not when everyone expected me to give it my all.
So, as I stood there keeping a close eye on my meat thermometer, I couldn’t help but feel a churning in the pit of my stomach. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the competition, the fact that I was in love with a man, or the fact that my entire family knew about him. Of course, Amber May knew as well, so there was a possibility that she’d tell folks. But that didn’t sound like her. As angry as she was with me, she’d never been the type to retaliate or spread rumors. With her daddy being a big banker for the ranches around Sagebrush, it wouldn’t reflect well on their family for her to go causing trouble. No, I figured I was safe for the moment, but that didn’t stop me from being nervous, anyway.
I wiped the sweat from my brow, the heat from the smoker adding to the already sweltering Texas morning. The aroma of my secret-recipe dry rub mingled with the smoke, making my mouth water despite my nerves. I glanced around, catching sight of familiar faces bustling about their own stations.
Then, as if he knew I was looking for him, Lucas popped out from around one of the nearby stalls. He had a pair of plates balanced in his hands, a funnel cake on each with a heaping pile of powdered sugar and syrup on top. I couldn’t help but smile as he walked my way, looking absolutely gorgeous in the morning light.
“I figured you might be hungry,” he said, handing a plate over the moment he was in front of me. “This was the closest thing I could find to breakfast food.”
“Seems awfully rich,” I smiled. “But thank you.” I paused, wanting to reach out and touch him but not comfortable doing it in front of everyone just yet. “You look beautiful by the way,” I whispered.
Lucas’s cheeks turned bright red as he glanced down at the ground. “You don’t have to say stuff like that…”
“Why not? It’s true.”
I chuckled softly, my heart swelling at Lucas's bashful reaction. Despite the fact that the city he lived in was probably crawling with debauchery, there was something endearingly innocent about him. “Well, I'm gonna keep sayin' it, so you better get used to it,” I teased, taking a bite of the funnel cake.
The sweetness exploded on my tongue, a welcome distraction from the savory scents surrounding us. Lucas leaned against the side of my booth, his green eyes sparkling as he watched me eat.
“So, how's it going?” he asked, gesturing towards my smoker. “Think you've got a shot at winning this thing?”
I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “Hard to say. There's some stiff competition out here today.” I lowered my voice, glancing around before continuing. “To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about winning this time. Maybe it’s time for someone else to take the trophy, you know? It’s not like I’m gonna do anythin’ with it anyway.”
“Why not?” Lucas asked, taking a bite of his own funnel cake.
“I’m a rancher.”
“And? Do you even like ranching?”
“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 brushing against 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.
“Well done, Mr. Turner,” one of the other judges said, nodding appreciatively. “Your brisket is as impressive as always.”
I mumbled a thank you, my stomach in knots as they moved on to the next booth. As soon as they were out of earshot, I let out a long exhale, feeling the tension drain from my shoulders.
“That looked like it went well,” a familiar voice said from behind me. I turned to see Lucas standing there, a hesitant smile on his face.
“I hope so,” I replied, wiping my hands on a nearby towel. “Though Amber May still looks like she wants to kill me.”
“Yeah well,” Lucas sighed. “Amber May can stuff it up her uptight ass.”
The burst of laughter that came out of me was just as unexpected as it was inappropriate. I walked over, stifling my giggles as I nudged Lucas in the shoulder.
“You can’t say stuff like that,” I muttered, trying to hide my smile. “You’re not wrong, but people will talk.”
“Then let them talk,” he shrugged. “If she’s gonna act like a brat, then I’m not gonna be nice to her.”
“You’re making a dangerous enemy.”
Lucas glanced at me, scoffing. “Are you kidding? In New York I meet forty people worse than her on the subway before work each morning. She doesn’t scare me one bit.”
I couldn’t help but stare up at those steely green eyes in admiration. If only he was sticking around, maybe someone would finally put Amber May in her place. Then again, maybe I could just take a page out of his book and do it for myself. It was about time I left that part of my life behind me.
But not until after the competition judging was over. I wanted to win first.
“Say, why don’t we go take a ride on the ferris wheel again?” I said, nudging Lucas again. “One last ride for old time’s sake, huh?”
He gave me a sad sort of smile in return, nodding. “Alright. And you better kiss me at the top. I want to know what that feels like.”
“You got yourself a deal, city boy.”