Page 107 of Captivated

“Is it a boy or a girl?” he asked Zeeb who stood next to him.

“Boy. He’s a colt—he still has all his bits ‘n’ pieces.”

“Does he have a name?”

Zeeb snorted. “From what Robert said, no one paid him enough attention to bother to name him.” He scowled. “I guess the only attention he got was the wrong kind, or maybe they just neglected the fuck out of him.”

Paul came over to them. “Hey Nate. I thinkyoushould come up with a name for him.”

“Me?”

He smiled. “Why not? I’m usually the one who does that, but I don’t mind giving someone else the honor for a change.”

Nate looked the pony up and down. The most noticeable thing about him was his coloring. It was a warm, light brown shade that reminded Nate of?—

He smiled. “Butterscotch. He’s the same color as the butterscotch pudding my mom used to make when I was little.”

Paul beamed. “I like that.” He glanced over in the pony’s direction. “Hey, beautiful. You have a name now. Pleased to meet you, Butterscotch.”

Nate watched as Butterscotch tossed his head back, stamping his hoof on the dusty ground. “How long do you think it will take him to settle in?”

“In his state?” Paul shrugged. “At least a week, but probably longer. Sometimes it can take a horse between six months and a year to fully settle.” He gazed at Butterscotch. “All I can do right now is provide him with fresh food and water, and give him his safe space.”

“The boss said you had some difficulty getting him into the horse trailer,” Zeeb remarked.

Paul sighed. “It was the sight of the halter that did it. I won’t be taking one anywhere near him for a while.”

“So how do you even start to work with him?”

Zeeb chuckled. “You should see Paul when he gets a horse that doesn’t trust humans. He strolls into the paddock, and just stands there. Doesn’t move, doesn’t even look at the horse. Just plain ignores it. Then he walks away. He does that over and over again, and eventually the horse gets curious an’ comes over to him. Then after that, it follows him. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.”

“Thank you, by the way.” Paul’s eyes twinkled. “For all your hard work this afternoon. The stable and barns look amazing.” His face lit up. “Did Teague tell you? Friday night, he’sorganizing a campfire for the hands and the guests. I think the boss and Toby are coming too. And Sol, of course.” He smiled. “Can’t have Butch without Sol.”

“Teague does that sometimes, ’specially on the last night,” Zeeb told Nate. “Beer, hot dogs, s’mores, toasted marshmallows… Matt brings his guitar too.”

Nate smiled. “That sounds great.”

A wonderful note to end on.

That last thought gave him a pang.I don’t want to leave. This place is…

Special.

Nate took a moment to take in his surroundings.

The sun was on course to dip low behind the distant mountains, casting long shadows across the land and bathing the sprawling ranch in a golden light, soft and amber. The wind, warm and dusted with the scent of sagebrush and dry grass, whispered its way between the barns, carrying with it the faintest trace of the horses’ musk, along with a mixture of earth and leather. The birds had fallen silent, and somewhere off in the distance, a lone wolf called, its voice rising and falling in the evening air.

The sounds of the ranch were quieter: the occasional snort of a horse and the soft murmur of voices drifting from the bunkhouse, morphing now and then into raucous laughter shattering the reverence of the evening.

It felt as though time had been suspended in the stillness of the ranch and the fading light of a long day.

“You okay?” Zeeb nudged him. “You seem a little tired.”

His voice broke Nate’s focus, pulling him into the moment. It was then Nate became aware of his aching muscles.

Ithadbeen a long day.

“Yeah, I am.” It was almost supper time, and from the bunkhouse wafted the delicious aroma of roasted chicken, herbs, garlic, freshly baked bread….

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