Page 2 of Captivated

End of another day.

For some reason, the habitual thought didn’t bring comfort.

“Hey.”

He glanced up to see Walt ambling over to him. “Hey yourself. Everything okay?” He dried his palms on his shirt.

Walt nodded. “I heard a couple of wolves while we were out, but they’re nowhere close. We’d better keep our eyes peeled tonight though. You wanna help me stoke up the fire a little? Matt’ll want to serve supper soon.”

“Sure.” He inclined his head toward the two guests. “How did they do? That Haskins fella strikes me as the kind of city guy who’d run a mile at the sound of a wolf.”

“He did all right. And Dempsey rides so much better than when he first arrived. Looks as if he’s loving every minute of it too.”

They walked toward the spot where last night’s fire had burned. Between them, they piled up the kindling and branches and it wasn’t long before flames lapped hungrily at the wood.

“You were looking kinda thoughtful back there by the river,” Walt mused.

“No more’n usual,” Zeeb countered.

Walt glanced around the camp. “Where is everyone? Where’s the boss?” Zeeb jerked a thumb toward the boss’s tent, and Walt grinned. “Dumb question, huh? I guess that means I don’t have to ask where Butch and Sol are, do I?” He let out a sigh that sounded almost forlorn, and so unlike the Walt Zeeb knew it caught his attention.

“What’s up with you?”

“I miss having Butch around the bunkhouse, that’s all.”

Zeeb frowned. “He’s still the bunkhouse manager, last time I looked.”

“Course he is, but it isn’t the same, now he disappears off to that cabin the boss had built for ’em every night.” He chuckled. “Their own little love nest.”

Zeeb let rip with a loud snort. “Christ on a cracker, don’t let Butch hear you come out with shit like that.”

Walt sat back on his haunches. “Those two, Toby and the boss…. Makes me kinda jealous.”

Okay, that came from nowhere. What made it all the more shocking was how Walt seemed to have plucked that very thought from Zeeb’s head.

Zeeb was right back to that bloodred sky again.Maybe itisa sign after all.

He chuckled. “You can go into Bozeman anytime you like and get laid in a heartbeat. Remember last week when you came with me to the post office to pick up the boss’s package? That girl who works there—what’s her name? Donna?—she was lookin’ at you like she was starving an’ you were lunch.”

Walt laughed. “You noticed that, huh?”

He rolled his eyes. “What Inoticedwas you not askin’ for her number. Becauseday-um, boy. She was so hot, she’d burnup the sheets.” Not to mention young and pretty as a summer morning, the kind of girl Zeeb might have made a play for when he was Walt’s age.

Nowadays? He took what he could get.

Walt grinned. “I was kinda spoiled for choice that day. They’ve got a new mailman just started. Hoo boy.” He fanned himself with his hat.

Zeeb frowned. “Then why didn’tcha ask at least one of ’em out on a date? That’s assumin’ the new hot mailman swings that way.”

“I wasn’t sure. I mean, I could’ve imagined that glance he gave me.” Walt’s eyes sparkled. “I found him later on Grindr.”

“Well okay then. Next day off you get, go up to Bozeman and try your luck.” He cackled. “You never know, you might end up in bed with both of ’em.”

Walt flushed. “That thought had crossed my mind, but I’ll be happy if one of them says yes.” Then he let out another drawn-out sigh.

Zeeb gave him a hard stare. “What ails you today? You’re mooning around like a lovesick fool.”

Walt stared into the flames. “Maybe I want more than just getting off.” He inclined his head toward the boss’s tent. “Maybe I want whatthey’vegot. Or Butch ‘n’ Sol. Seems like every girl I date sees wedding rings as soon as I open my mouth, and every guy sees me as another notch on his bedpost, and then the next morning—if I’m lucky and it isn’t as soon as he’s zipped up his pants—it’s adios, amigo.”

---