14. Lucas
Chapter 14
Lucas
“ Y ou gotta tell me your secret, Dolly,” I said, helping myself to a second slice of pecan pie. “What do you put in this that makes it taste so incredible?”
Dolly's eyes twinkled as she leaned in close, her weathered hands clasped around her mug of coffee. “Well now, darlin', if I told you that, it wouldn't be a secret anymore, would it?” She winked and nodded towards the kitchen door. “But I'll tell you what - why don't you come by tomorrow evening and I'll show you how it's done?”
“Really?” I asked, looking up from my plate. I couldn’t believe my luck. “I’m not much of a cook, but I’d love to see how you make it!”
“I’m more than happy to teach a few tricks to a curious stranger.” She gave me a saucy wink. “Speaking of strangers, where’s that cowboy of yours? He not eatin’ lunch with you today?”
“He’s preparing for the competition,” I nodded. “You know, the one he’s gonna win again?”
She laughed. “I have no doubt about that. But he does seem awfully distracted this year.”
Her gaze was piercing, and I turned my eyes back to my pie. “I… I don’t know what you mean. ”
Dolly drummed her acrylics on the countertop, like a rattlesnake. “Oh, I think you do, sugar,” she grinned. “I heard about your runaway horse and your night together at the fair.”
“Who told you about that?!”
“Small town,” she nodded. “People talk. And while they might not see what’s going on, ol’ Dolly isn’t blind to love.” She leaned down closer, lowering her voice. “Have ya kissed him yet?”
I felt my cheeks flush hot as a branding iron. “Dolly!” I hissed, glancing around the diner nervously. “Keep your voice down!”
She cackled, clearly delighting in my discomfort. “Oh honey, there ain't nobody here but us chickens. Now spill!”
I stabbed at my pie, unable to meet her knowing gaze. However, I felt my face flush bright red.
“Oh,” she smiled. “You’ve done a bit more than that I see. I hope y’all remembered to wear your rubbers.”
“Dolly!”
She just laughed, patting the back of my hand. “Don’t worry, sugar. I won’t tell nobody. I imagine Beau isn’t ready for that kind of thing, anyway. Poor boy keeps to himself somethin’ fierce.”
I felt my heart racing, torn between embarrassment and a strange relief at finally being able to talk to someone about Beau. “You're right,” I admitted softly. “He's... he's not ready for anyone to know. Hell, I don't think he's even ready to admit it to himself.”
Dolly nodded knowingly. “That boy's been carryin' a heavy burden for a long time. Folks 'round here can be mighty set in their ways.”
I sighed, pushing my empty plate away. “I don't want to push him, Dolly. But sometimes... sometimes I wonder if we'll ever be able to just be ourselves.”
“Give it time, sugar,” Dolly said, her voice gentle. “Love has a way of findin' its path, even in the toughest terrain.”
Just then, the bell above the diner door jingled. I turned to see who it was, hoping it was Beau. However, I was surprised to see my best friend Logan looking a bit disheveled. He was supposed to be out scouting the fair for targets so we could steal recipes from them. From the looks of him, it hadn’t gone well.
“You’re back early,” I said, trying to keep things casual so Dolly didn’t know what we were up to. “You feeling alright?”
Logan slumped onto the stool next to me, running a hand through his sandy hair. “Yeah, I'm fine,” he mumbled, but his tone said otherwise. He glanced at Dolly and forced a smile. “Could I get a coffee, please ma'am?”
Dolly nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Logan. “Coming right up, sugar.” She bustled off to fetch the coffee pot.
I leaned in closer to Logan, keeping my voice low. “What happened out there? Did you get caught?”
He shook his head, his eyes darting around the diner. “No, nothing like that. It's just...” He trailed off as Dolly returned with his coffee.
“Here you go, hon. You want some pie to go with that? Seems like you could use a pick-me-up.”
Logan shook his head. “That’s alright.”
“I insist,” she said, putting a slice down in front of him anyway. “It’s on the house. Least I can do for Logan Baker after he’s been in town for four days and not come to say hello.”
“I’m sorry, Dolly,” he sighed. “It’s not you, I promise. Work’s just got me stressed out and I’m not quite myself right now.”
“It’s alright, darlin’,” she nodded, reaching up and patting his cheek. “Enjoy your pie and we can catch up later.”
As soon as Dolly walked away, I turned to Logan. “You know her?”
“I know everyone in this fuckin’ town,” he hissed. “Every single one! That’s probably why I’m developing an ulcer from doing all this unethical bullshit!”
“If you’re feeling that bad about it… we can stop.”
“No, we can’t,” Logan shot back. “I don’t wanna get trapped in this town for the rest of my life. I’d rather have everyone mad at me than be stuck here with a bunch of family who just wants to say they told me so, that the big city would never work out.” He shook his head. “No… I’m gonna prove them wrong once and for all.”
I felt a pang of guilt as I watched Logan's shoulders slump. I knew how much this meant to him, but I couldn't help wondering if we were going too far.
“Look, maybe we can find another way,” I suggested softly. “There's gotta be a compromise between stealing recipes and giving up on your dreams.”
Logan shot me a bitter smile. “Yeah? Like what? You gonna magically come up with a killer recipe that'll make us famous overnight? Between the two of us we can barely fucking boil water much less create a prize-winning recipe.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, the bell above the door jingled again. This time, it was Beau who walked in, his hat tipped low over his eyes. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, all dusty and rugged from a day's work.
He nodded at us as he approached the counter. “Afternoon, folks,” he drawled, his voice low and gravelly, the sound of it going straight to my cock.
Beau's eyes met mine for a brief moment, a flicker of something passing between us before he quickly looked away. My breath caught in my throat as I remembered our passionate encounter the night before.
“Howdy, Beau,” Dolly called from behind the counter. “The usual?”
He nodded, settling onto a stool a couple spaces down from us. “Yes ma'am, thank you kindly.”
I couldn't help but steal glances at him as Dolly busied herself with his order. The way his strong hands gripped the edge of the counter, the curve of his jawline beneath the stubble, the flex of his muscles beneath his worn flannel shirt. God, I wanted to touch him again so badly.
Logan cleared his throat beside me, jolting me back to reality. “ So, uh, you all set for the competition at the end of the week?” he asked Beau, clearly trying to break the awkward silence.
Beau nodded, his eyes still fixed on the counter. “Reckon so. Just gotta get through a few more practice runs. I’m a bit rusty.”
I couldn't help but notice the tension in his shoulders, the way he seemed to be purposefully avoiding looking in our direction. My heart sank a little. Was he regretting what had happened between us?
“Well, I'm sure you'll do great,” Logan said, his tone friendly, but a bit forced. “You always do.”
Beau mumbled a thanks, then fell silent again. The awkwardness was palpable, and I found myself desperately wishing for something to break the tension.
As if on cue, Dolly appeared with Beau's coffee a full plate of food. “Here you go, sugar,” she said, setting the plate in front of him. “And don't you go gettin’ too rusty on those barbecue skills of yours. I expect you to win this year and put those out of towners in their place.”
Beau's eyes flickered to me for a split second before he nodded at Dolly. “Yes ma'am, I'll do my best.”
I felt a shiver run down my spine at that brief glance. There was something in his eyes - a mix of desire and fear that made my heart race. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch him, to reassure him that everything would be okay.
Logan cleared his throat again, breaking the moment. “Well, I should get going. Got some, uh, work to catch up on.” He stood up, leaving his half-eaten pie on the counter before looking back at me. “The boss probably wants an update.”
“You sure, hon?” Dolly asked, concern etching her weathered features. “You've barely touched your food.”
“I'm fine, really,” Logan insisted, forcing a smile. “Thanks for the pie, Dolly. It was great as always.”
As Logan hurried out the door, I felt torn between following him and staying near Beau. I knew I should check on my friend, but the magnetic pull towards the rugged cowboy was hard to resist.
Beau's eyes met mine briefly again as he sipped his coffee. The air between us felt charged, crackling with unspoken tension. I desperately wanted to say something, anything, to break the silence.
“How's the, uh, practice going?” I managed to ask, my voice sounding strained even to my own ears.
Beau set down his cup, his strong hands wrapping around the cool glass. “It's goin' alright,” he drawled, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine. “Still got some kinks to work out.”
I couldn't help but think of other kinds of kinks we could work out together, memories of our passionate night together flashing through my mind. I shifted uncomfortably on my stool, trying to banish those thoughts.
“I'm sure you'll figure it out,” I said, aiming for a casual tone. “You've always been good at... working things out.”
Beau's eyes met mine again, a flicker of heat in their blue depths. “Reckon so,” he murmured. “Sometimes it just takes a bit of... practice.”
My breath caught at the low, suggestive tone in his voice. Was he flirting with me? Here, in the middle of Dolly's diner?
The diner door rang again as Logan poked his head back inside. “You coming, Lucas?”
“Yeah,” I called back. I glanced over at Beau and Dolly. “Sorry. Duty calls.”
“No problem, sugar,” Dolly replied, giving me a wink. “You go get your work done. We’re lookin’ forward to having our very own food festival here in Sagebrush once you’re done!”
I felt my chest tighten, knowing that would never happen. “Me too,” I said, forcing myself to smile. “And I’ll meet you here tomorrow night for that pie lesson, alright?”
“See ya then, darlin’!”
I turned to Beau, nodding my head in his direction. “See ya, cowboy. ”
“Bye,” he whispered back, his cheeks blushing immediately.
Chuckling to myself, I left the diner with a grin on my face. As I stepped out into the hot Texas sun, I could feel Logan's eyes boring into me. He was leaning against his rental car, arms crossed tightly over his chest.
“What the hell was that all about?” he hissed as soon as I was within earshot.
I feigned innocence, shrugging my shoulders. “What was what about?”
Logan rolled his eyes. “Don't play dumb with me, Lucas. I saw the way you were looking at that cowboy. And the way he was looking at you.”
I felt my cheeks flush, but I tried to keep my voice steady. “I don't know what you're talking about. I’m just playing the part like you want me to.”
“Playing?” Logan scoffed. “That was about as 'playful' as a pair of cats in heat. Jesus, Lucas, what are you doing? We're here on a job, remember? When this is all done, you need to leave him behind. End of story.”
“I know Logan,” I snapped, a bit louder than I meant to. “I know, alright?! We have to go back to our big city jobs and live our big city bullshit lives because you can’t stand to live in rural Texas!”
Despite his irritation, I saw Logan’s expression shift. I knew what I’d said was unfair and it hurt him. We were in this together after all.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered, shaking my head. “I’m just… this is the first time that I’ve actually felt something real with another person. And now I have to betray him and then never see him again. It just… it fucking sucks…”
Logan's face softened, a mix of sympathy and concern in his eyes. “Look, I get it. I do. But you've gotta remember why we're here. This isn't just about me not wanting to live in rural Texas. It's about our careers, our futures. We can't throw all that away for... for what? A summer fling with a cowboy?”
I leaned against the car next to him, the hot metal burning through my shirt. “I know,” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I know you're right. It's just... there's something about him, Logan. Something real.”
Logan was quiet for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. “I wish there was a way we could do this without completely screwing him over,” he said slowly. “I just can’t think of what that is. How do we keep everything and not hurt them all?”
“I don’t think it’s possible,” I sighed. “I think we’ll have to lose something one way or another.” I looked up at him, feeling my heart nearly tear in two. “I just wish it wasn’t him…”