Page 21 of Dust and Desire
“But you want there to be something?”
Heat crept up my neck. “Maybe. Yeah.”
Dolly studied me for a moment, then nodded like she’d made a decision. “You know, sometimes the quietest ones have the most to say. They’re just waitin’ for someone patient enough to listen.”
“I’m plenty patient,” I insisted. “But it’s hard to listen when he won’t even look at me.”
“Give him time,” she advised, patting my hand. “But don’t give up either. I don’t think he’s the type to take the bait on the first try.”
The bell above the door jingled as a new customer walked in, and Dolly straightened up. “Your brisket’ll be out in a minute, hon. Think about what I said.”
As she moved away to greet the newcomer, I stared into my coffee, thinking about Dustin. About the way he leaned into my touch at the bonfire, eyes closing for just a moment before panic had overtaken him. About the tears I’d glimpsed in his eyes as he’d pulled away. There was something there… something he wanted to give into. But he was fighting it tooth and nail.
But why? He couldn’t be that bad and I’d dated some real fucking stinkers in my time.
Maybe he was just shy. Maybe he had a past like mine, with people who didn’t accept him for who he was. God knows I understood that well enough. Or maybe he just wasn’t into me, though that thought stung more than I cared to admit.
My brisket arrived, steaming and smothered in Beau’s famous sauce. Dolly set it down with a wink and moved on to her other customers. I cut into the tender meat, savoring the smoky flavor while my mind continued to wander.
The truth was, I wasn’t used to caring this much about someone’s rejection. Usually, I’d just move on to the next willing partner. But something about Dustin had gotten under my skin in a way no one else had before. It wasn’t just his looks, though Lord knowsthose blue eyes of his could drown a man. It was something deeper. That sadness he carried, maybe. I wanted to know its source. I wanted to ease it, if I could.
“Refill, sugar?” Dolly was back, coffeepot in hand.
“Please,” I nodded, pushing my cup toward her. “Dolly, do you know if he’s seeing anyone? Dustin, I mean.”
She chuckled, filling my cup. “In Sagebrush? Honey, if that man was dating anyone within fifty miles, I’d know about it. This town don’t keep secrets like that for long.”
“So, he’s alone,” I mused, more to myself than to her.
“As a fence post,” she confirmed. “Though not for lack of interest. Caroline Baker’s tried to set him up with half the eligible women in the county before she figured out he wasn’t interested in the fairer sex.” She paused for a moment. “The first time I caught him staring at Colt Dawson, I knew she was barkin’ up the wrong tree. But then again, whodoesn’tlike to look at Colt Dawson?”
I couldn’t help the small smile that played at my lips. So, Caroline knew. And if Caroline knew, the whole ranch probably knew. No wonder no one batted an eye when I flirted with him.
“Does that bother folks around here?” I asked carefully.
Dolly gave me a knowing look. “Some, sure. Always will be those with their minds stuck in the last century. But most folks around here are too busy with their own troubles to worry about who’s sharing whose bed.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “Besides, after what Lucas and Beau went through, most people came around. Hard to hate what makes your neighbors happy, especially when their business is keepin’ this dusty old town afloat.”
I nodded, relief washing over me. It wasn’t like that everywhere. I’d worked on ranches where I’d had to keep my preferences hidden, where discovery meant violence or worse.
“So, what’s holding him back then?” I wondered aloud.
“That,” Dolly said, wiping her hands on her apron, “is something only Dustin can tell you.” She leaned in close, her red acrylicsdrumming on the counter. “So why don’t you go see him? Get him to talk to you?”
“I don’t know…” I began. “It feels…invasive.”
“Nothin’ invasive about taking a man his dinner.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” she grinned. “That I’m gonna give you a dinner to go and you’re gonna take it to that lonely man out in the wilderness. And then,” she added, leaning in closer. “You’re gonna keep him company. I’ll leave it up to you how you’d like to accomplish that.”
She gave me a wink, and I couldn’t help the blush that crept into my cheeks.
“You’ve got a deal,” I grinned.
But inside my heart was racing with excitement. This time I was going to see Dustin, and I was gonna have arealconversation with him even if I had to drag him kicking and screaming through the entire thing. I wanted to know about him, about who he was. And even if nothing ever came of it, at least I could say I tried.
Chapter 9
