22. Lucas
Chapter 22
Lucas
“ W ell, that should do it,” Logan said, finishing up the last page. “If the company can’t pick five winning recipes out of that, I don’t know what to tell them.”
“I can’t believe we managed to get over a dozen,” I replied, looking over his shoulder.
“To be fair, I made a couple of them up from bits and pieces I found in the family recipe box.”
“Yeah, but do they taste good?”
Logan scoffed. “Anything with that much butter in it is going to taste good. Guaranteed.” He flipped the little notebook closed and turned to look at me. “You all packed?”
I shifted nervously. “Yeah…”
“But?”
“Well, I promised Beau I’d go to the award ceremony tonight.”
“Why did you go and do a thing like that?!”
“He’s gonna win that competition and I wanna be there for him,” I said, trying not to look Logan in the eye. “You know how important this is to him!”
“Yeah, and I also know that come tomorrow mornin’, we’re leaving, and we can never come back.” He shook his head, running his fingers through his sandy brown hair. “They’re never gonna forgive us.”
“I know that,” I sighed. “And you might want to work on your accent again. It’s coming back.”
“God dammit,” he muttered, pushing himself up from the desk. He paced around the room, carefully articulating each word as he spoke. “I hate how this place gets under my skin. I spent years trying to leave it all behind me. I spent all of college training myself to speak in a way that would make people take me seriously. Now I’ve been here for a week and I’m talking like a hick again.”
“You don’t sound like a hick,” I replied, trying to calm him down. “You just sound… I don’t know… nice.”
“Nice?”
“Yeah. Nice. Everyone back in New York sounds like a fucking robot, like they’re nothing but cold metal and wires inside. But here… I don’t know… people have soul here.”
Logan lifted an eyebrow. “That’s because you’re too na?ve to hear their nasty remarks tucked neatly between their words.” He ran his hands through his hair again, shaking his head as he flopped down on the bed. “I spent my entire life listening to people call me nasty things in the nicest way possible. It was infuriating.”
I walked over, taking a seat next to him. “This place wasn’t kind to you, was it?”
“No,” he huffed. “Growing up here fucking sucked.”
“Is that why you want to go through with this so badly?” I glanced down at him, realizing something I hadn’t until that moment. “To get revenge on all those people that hurt you?”
“No!” He paused. “I… I don’t know. Maybe…”
“It’s okay if you feel that way,” I replied, looking back to the other wall to give him a little space. “I feel that way about my parents. Sometimes I wanna drive back to the hills in Pennsylvania, kick down their door, and just scream until they feel as bad as I did living there. ”
“Yeah… that’s what it feels like.”
“I get it. I really do.” I turned myself sideways on the bed, resting my head against Logan’s side. “I guess there’s a reason you and I became such good friends. We’ve got more in common than I thought.”
“Who would’ve thought the two damaged gays in the office would end up working together?”
“Like attracts like I guess.”
We sat there for a long moment, just existing in our newfound revelation.
“You know, when you told me about Sagebrush for the first time… I thought you loved it. You spoke so fondly of this place. I thought you’d be glad to go home.”
Logan let out a long sigh. “I do love it here. I love the sky, the plains, the hills, and even all the damn dust. But every time I look at it, all I can do is remember how bad everyone was to me. How they treated me as if I didn’t belong, like something was wrong with me.” He paused. “The good in this place feels… tainted.”
“Do you think anything would ever make it better?”
Logan sighed again, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t know. And I’m not sure I’m willin’ to stick around long enough to find out.”
I turned my head, catching his gaze. “What if I was here?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“What if we were both here?” I explained. “People in this town have changed, Logan. Nobody even batted an eye about Beau and me. So why would they care about you?”
“Beau Turner…” he scoffed. “He could never do any wrong, anyway. He’s always been a saint to these people.”
“He’s a good man, Logan,” I said a bit defensively. “I know that for certain.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he is.” He didn’t sound convinced as he rolled away from me, facing the wall. “But that’s not gonna matter when we leave tomorrow morning. No matter how nice he is, I’m not comin’ back to this place again. I don’t want to. These people don’t deserve my forgiveness.”
I sat up, letting out a long sigh. Logan was upset and I couldn’t blame him for it. I was still mad about my parents and my hometown too. Going back there wasn’t something I wanted to do ever again and there I was, trying to convince him to do that same thing.
“Logan,” I said softly, patting him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry things were so shitty here for you. I understand, I really do.” I paused for a moment, debating whether to continue. “And I’m sorry the past still has such a hold on you. I hope that goes away sooner rather than later so you can heal and enjoy your life again.”
Pushing myself up from the bed, I slipped on my shoes and headed for the door. It wasn’t until I’d pulled it open that I heard Logan turn over.
“Where are you going?”
“I told you, I’ve got a man to support. I might be about to betray his trust, but I’m gonna be the best boyfriend I can while I have the chance. Even if… Even if it’s only for tonight. He deserves that much at least.”
“Are you gonna be on that plane in the morning?”
I nodded. “You’re my best friend, Logan. And we’re in this ordeal together. I won’t give you another reason to hate Sagebrush or Beau.”
“And you won’t hate me for going through with this?”
I gave him a soft smile. “I could never hate you buddy. I might be sad for a little while, but I knew the deal before we started. So, get ready because you and I are gonna start apartment shopping as soon as we get back.”
“Thank you, Lucas.”
“Thank you, Logan,” I replied softly. “This was one of the best weeks of my life. I never would’ve come here without you.”
A crowd had gathered for the announcement of the grand champion of the barbecue competition. It was obvious from the size that more than just locals had shown up to see who won. From the looks of it, anyone within a hundred miles had driven to Sagebrush just to catch a glimpse of the next great barbecue master. I hadn’t expected such a turnout. And considering I had Beau’s recipe, I already knew I’d be a hit back in New York with the boss. That recipe alone would be enough to secure the promotion I so desperately needed.
I made my way through the throng of people, catching snippets of excited chatter and the tantalizing aroma of smoky barbecue lingering in the air. My eyes scanned the crowd, searching for Beau's familiar face. Finally, I spotted him near the front, his tall frame and sun-kissed blonde hair standing out among the sea of cowboy hats and denim.
As I approached, Beau turned and caught my gaze. His blue eyes lit up, a smile spreading across his rugged features. “Lucas! You made it,” he drawled, his Texas accent pulling at my heartstrings like it always did.
“Wouldn't miss it for the world,” I replied, trying to ignore the pang of guilt in my chest as I forced a smile. I reached out and gave his arm a gentle squeeze, savoring the feel of his muscular bicep beneath my fingers.
Beau leaned in close, his breath warm against my neck. “I'm glad you're here,” he murmured, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine. “Means a lot to me.”
I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to pull him into a kiss right then and there. “Of course,” I managed to reply. “I wouldn't be anywhere else.”
Just then, the crowd began to hush as the master of ceremonies stepped onto the makeshift stage. The older man, sporting an impressive handlebar mustache and a ten-gallon hat, tapped the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” he announced, his voice booming across the gathering, “it's time to announce the grand champion of this year's Sagebrush Fair Barbecue Bonanza!”
The crowd erupted in cheers and whistles. I felt Beau tense beside me, his strong hand reaching for mine. I intertwined our fingers, giving him a reassuring squeeze, surprised he’d risk such a thing in front of all those people.
“Now, we've had some mighty fine entries this year,” the announcer continued, building the suspense. “But one stood out above the rest. A recipe that's been passed down through generations, perfected over time, and executed with true Texas passion.”
My heart raced, knowing what was coming. I glanced at Beau, seeing the mix of hope and nervousness on his face.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the grand champion of this year's competition is…” There was a drumroll from somewhere in the back of the stands. “Beaufort Turner!”
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Beau's eyes widened in disbelief, a grin spreading across his face. Before I knew it, he had swept me up in a bear hug, lifting me off my feet.
“We did it, Lucas!” he exclaimed, his voice thick with emotion.
“We?” I laughed as he placed me back down on the ground. I reached up and straightened his hat. “You did it Beau. All by yourself. I didn’t do anything.”
Beau's eyes softened as he gazed down at me, his hands still resting on my waist. “You did more than you know, darlin',” he said softly. “You believed in me. That means everything.”
My heart clenched at his words, guilt washing over me anew. I forced a smile, trying to push away the nagging voice in my head reminding me of what I'd done. “Go on,” I urged, giving him a gentle push towards the stage. “They're waiting for you.”
With a quick squeeze of my hand, Beau made his way through the crowd, accepting handshakes and back slaps as he went. I watched him climb the steps to the stage, his broad shoulders straight and proud. As the announcer handed him the trophy, Beau's face lit up with a joy I'd never seen before. It was pure, unfiltered happiness.
As Beau accepted the trophy, the crowd's cheers swelled. I felt a lump forming in my throat, a mix of pride and guilt threatening to overwhelm me. Beau's eyes scanned the crowd until they found mine, and he gave me a wink that made my heart skip a beat.
The announcer handed Beau the microphone, and a hush fell over the gathering. Beau cleared his throat, his deep voice resonating through the speakers.
“I... I don't rightly know what to say,” he began, his Texas drawl more pronounced than ever. “This recipe, it's been in my family for generations. My daddy taught it to me, just like his daddy taught him.” He paused, his eyes misting over. “I wish my ma could've been here to see this.”
A collective “aww” rippled through the crowd. I noticed Jack on the other side of the crowd reaching up and dabbing his eyes. The man wasn’t kidding when he said he was a crier. But it made me smile.
“And I want y’all to know that I won’t be competin’ again.”
The entire crowd went silent.
“Because I’m gonna do somethin’ with this recipe. The Turner Ranch is gonna start hostin’ barbecues for families in and around Sagebrush. And, once we get everythin’ up and runnin’, we might even start bringing some tourists to our dusty little town and show them how good Texas life can really be.”
Beau's words hung in the air, and for a moment, the crowd was silent. Then, as if a dam had broken, cheers erupted louder than before. I stood there, stunned, my heart racing. This wasn't just a win for Beau; it was a declaration of his future, of his commitment to Sagebrush.
As Beau made his way off the stage, people swarmed him, offering congratulations and asking questions about his plans. I hung back, my mind reeling. The guilt that had been gnawing at me all evening now threatened to consume me entirely .
Eventually, Beau managed to break free from the crowd and made his way to me, his blue eyes shining with excitement. “Lucas,” he said, his voice breathless. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Before I could say anything, Beau took me by the hand in front of all those people and pulled me away from the crowd. People stared as we went, and I couldn’t help but realize how much Beau was risking in front of them all.
However, we only made it to the edge of the crowd before a high-heeled figure stepped in front of us, her arms crossed over her chest.
It was Amber May.