Page 88 of Captivated

Zeeb gestured to his cup. “I’m gonna grab another cuppa coffee and I’ll be with you.” He waited until the bunkhouse door closed behind them before sagging into his chair.

I did not seethatcoming.Nate had taken the wind from his sails, and then some.

“I didn’t expect to see Nate here.” Sol gazed at the door. “Was it his decision?”

Zeeb nodded. “One hundred percent. You could’ve knocked me down with a feather when he said it.”

Sol’s face glowed. “Good for him.”

“Zeeb…” Dave stared across the table at him. “That didn’t sound good.”

Sol helped himself to coffee. “Have I missed something?” Zeeb repeated Nate’s words, and Sol’s eyebrows shot up. “He actually said that?” He gave Zeeb such an obvious look of approval and admiration that Zeeb’s face grew hot.

“Hey, I ain’t takin’ the credit for anything. This is all Nate’s doing, pure ‘n’ simple.” He frowned. “Except there’s nothing simple about any of this. Truth be told, it curdles my stomach.”

Teague stared at him with wide eyes. “NowIfeel like I’ve missed something.”

Before Zeeb could come back with a response, Sol intervened. “To be honest, we shouldn’t really be discussing this while Nate isn’t present. And please, don’t ask him any questions. The day may come when he’ll tell you his story, but that isn’tthisday.”

Zeeb rose. “Think I’ll go see how many horses he’s groomed.”

“I’ll come with you.” Sol glanced at Butch. “Save me some breakfast?”

Butch’s eyes gleamed. “What’s my reward gonna be?” Sol bent down and whispered in his ear, and Butch’s cheeks seemed to be on fire. He spluttered coffee onto the wooden tabletop.

Teague snickered. “Whatever he said, I don’t wanna know. I’m an innocent.”

Butch guffawed. “You might wanna rethink that last statement, given the present comp’ny. They knowwaytoo much about you.”

“Well, judging by how red your face is, I think I need to take lessons from Sol. I don’t think I can even come close tothatlevel of dirty talk.”

Sol grinned. “My door is always open. Bring a notebook.”

Zeeb shook his head and headed for the door, Sol right behind him. Outside, the temperature was already climbing. Itwas going to be another hot one, and the prospect made Zeeb long for the cooling waters of the lake.

“I got your message.” Sol put on his hat as they strolled toward the stable. “Butch said you spent the night at the cabin.”

“Nate asked. I said yes. And if me being there kept the nightmares at bay, then I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” Zeeb scowled. “Sol, I swear, I’ve never wanted to kill a living soul, but if I ever get my hands on those fuckers…”

Sol laid a hand on his arm. “He’s gotten the ball rolling. That’s an achievement. So if you can get him to open up some more without actuallyaskinghim to do it, that would be awesome.”

Zeeb let out a rough chuckle. “You don’t want much, do you?” He sighed. “I’ll do my best. But if it gets too heavy, I might be the one needin’ therapy when he’s done.”

No matter how onerous the task threatened to be, he aimed to be there for Nate, no pushing, no pressure.

Nate’s had more than his fair share of that.

Zeeb ambled into the large stable that smelled of hay and horses. Paul was at the far end, grooming Toby’s horse, Lightning.

Nate was brushing Sorrel’s coat with firm strokes, and as Zeeb approached, he caught Nate’s murmurs.

He rubbed his hand over Sorrel’s nose. “I know I’m calm, becauseyouare.” He smiled. “You’re my emotional mirror, aren’t you? You’re my thermometer. You show what my emotional temperature is.” He turned his head as Zeeb approached, and his smile widened. “Are you listening in on a private conversation?”

“I keep telling you, one of these days, he’ll answer back.”

Nate chuckled. “I’d love to know what goes on in the mind of a horse.” He stroked Sorrel’s mane. “But what I get is non-verbal feedback, and it’s just as good as words. If he’s agitated, thatmeans I am too.” He smiled. “It took me a whole week to work that out, but you’ve been saying it from day one. I guess I wasn’t really listening.” His gaze met Zeeb’s. “I am now.”

Nate’s expression spoke of gratitude, but there was something else.

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