Page 56 of Captivated

Nate’s eyes shone. “Then how about we follow it together?”

Just like that, the day opened up in front of him, bright with the prospect of a new adventure.

And time spent with Nate.

Zeeb couldn’t wait to see what lay around the next bend.

Chapter Seventeen

Zeeb closedthe back of the horse trailer and made sure the latch was down. Sorrel let out a soft whinny, and he chuckled. “I know you can untie yourself from a hitchin’ post, but even you can’t free yourself from one of these.”

“And right now Sorrel’s saying, ‘Heh. Watch me.’” Robert joined him, a cup of coffee in one hand. He leaned against the horse box. “He should be okay on the trail to Mirror Lake. It’s an easy enough one to follow.”

“I thought about taking Bailey and Lucy, but Nate’s used to Sorrel.”

Robert nodded. “Just keep the pace light, and he’ll be fine.” He cocked his head. “How’s Nate doing?”

Zeeb beamed. “I think today might be his best yet.” His chest swelled with pride. He had no idea what had caused the reversal of attitude, but something sure had. Nate was the most positive Zeeb had seen him so far.

Then he realized the boss was awful quiet.

Zeeb peered at him. “Something wrong?”

Robert’s eyes twinkled. “I knew I was right to pick you for this job.” Zeeb gave him an inquiring glance, and the boss smiled. “Maybe because I knew you wouldn’t treat it like a job. You’ve made time for him. You’ve been patient with him. And you take a genuine interest in him.”

Zeeb frowned. “Well, duh. How am I supposed to help him make the most of his stay here if I don’t try to discover what makes him tick?”

Another tilt of his head. “You like him, don’t you?”

Zeeb chuckled. “What’s not to like? He’s a personable guy.”

“And have you discovered what makes him tick?”

He sighed. “Boss, I don’t know what the hell happened to Nate, but I got the feeling it was real bad.”

Robert said nothing for a moment, but just sipped his coffee. He tossed the dregs onto the gravel, then raised his chin to look Zeeb in the eye.

“Sometimes people come our way, and we know they carry a lot of baggage, but we never get to see it. Maybe now and then we get a glimpse, enough to give us a clue and maybe adjust how we deal with them.” Robert’s eyes grew warm. “And once in a while, someone comes along who gets under our skin. Hell, they even crawl into our hearts.”

“You talkin’ ’bout Toby?”

Robert didn’t reply right away. Instead, he studied Zeeb for a second or two. Then he smiled. “Maybe? Anyhow, you’ve got better things to do than jaw with me. Enjoy the trail.” He grinned. “I must do it again some time.”

Zeeb cackled. “As long as you don’t do it in the middle of a flash flood like you ‘n’ Toby did a while back.” He couldn’t rein in his smile. The pair of them had gotten caught out, and they’d spent the night at the lake.

And they’d returned to the ranch sporting huge smiles neither of them could hide.

Robert coughed, and Zeeb had a sneaking suspicion his boss was doing a little reminiscing.

“We’ll be back in time for supper,” Zeeb told him. He’d packed a bag with water, apples, cold chicken, and some of Matt’s cookies.

I might have to fight Nate for those.

It was time to get this show on the road.

Nate gaze through the windshield at the parking lot. “This is the start of the trailhead?”

Zeeb switched off the engine. “Yup. This is where we leave the truck.” He peered at the multitude of hikers. “I knew it’d be busy. So grab that bag, then we’ll get the horses out.” Zeeb pointed to the horizon. “That’s where we’re going. Up there are the Spanish Lakes.”

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