Page 18 of Captivated
“That you’ll leave me alone if I want.”
Zeeb met his gaze. “I will. But I won’t be far away. I’ll be right here—when you’re ready.”
Nate stared at him, long enough that Zeeb wanted to ask if Nate was okay.
In a voice so quiet it almost didn’t carry, Nate murmured, “That’s new.”
Then he picked up his bags, and the door closed behind him.
Zeeb stood on the porch a minute longer, listening to the creek bubbling over rocks, the pines swaying over his head.
Then he smiled.
“Well okay then. Welcome to Salvation.”
Chapter Six
Nate listenedto the sound of Zeeb’s boot heels on the steps. When he could no longer hear them, he drew in a deep breath. Zeeb seemed like an all right guy—on the surface—but Nate knew better than to trust anyone from the get-go.
Dr. Keller had seemed like an all right guy, remember?
It had been years since he’d last seen the doctor, but the memories were still there, lurking in shallow water, occasionally rising to break through, like those long dead bodies fromThe Lord of the Rings.
He gave himself a mental shake.
Stay positive. Or at least try.
He gazed at his surroundings. The cabin was pretty much an open space with a vaulted ceiling. What light there was soaked into the dark logs that comprised the walls. A heavy wooden staircase led up to a mezzanine, and he peered through the railing running around it.
That’s the bedroom part, I guess.He could just about glimpse the bed.
Below that was a small kitchen area, complete with refrigerator, and the rest of the room was taken up with a couch in front of a brick fireplace, lamps, and a couple of rugs. No TV, but that was fine. Nate hadn’t expected one. Everywhere appeared clean and uncluttered?—
Except for a bottle of lube on the mantelpiece.
He bit back a smile.I don’t have to guess what went on in here, do I?
His phone pinged, and he knew without looking it would be Dad. He pulled his phone from his jeans pocket and checked.
Dad: Are you there?
Nate clicked on Call. “Hey. I got here about ten minutes ago.”
“Have you seen the cabin yet?”
He laughed. “I’m standing in it.” He had to admit, the cabin gave out a chilled vibe.This feels like a safe space.
“I was telling the truth, wasn’t I? It’s a beautiful place. The ranch, I mean.”
Nate chuckled. “I haven’t seen that much of it. But I did meet someone called Zeeb.”
“He’s a good guy.” Nate could hear the smile in his dad’s voice. “He’s good with horses too.”
“If you say so.”
There was a pause. “Nate, if you’re going to get anything out of this, you’ve got to keep an open mind. Remember what I told you. A mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work if it isn’t open.”
Nate snickered. “You know, for years I thought that was something you’d come up with. Then I discovered it was some guy called Frank Zappa.” He waited for the explosion, smiling.
