Page 49 of Captivated (Salvation #3)

Chapter Forty-Two

“I wish everyone’d quit fussin’ over me like a bunch of mother hens,” Zeeb groused from his seat on the couch.

Lunch had just finished by the time they’d arrived back on the ranch, and the hands had all been in the bunkhouse to greet Zeeb with a lot of enthusiasm.

As soon as they’d left to head back to whatever it was they were doing, Zeeb had let out a long sigh.

Nate gave him a hard stare. “They’re fussing because they care about you.”

“But I’ve only been home five minutes an’ already they’re drivin’ me nuts. Askin’ if I’m okay. If I want anything.” He scowled. “Butch asked if I wanted him to cut my food up and feed it to me.” He gestured to the band around his neck, supporting his wrist. “This is gonna bug the hell outta me.”

“It’s there to do a job. You have to keep the arm immobile. At least you can take it off. And remember what Nurse Paton said. It might only be a minor crack in the bone, but bones take a minimum of four weeks to heal.”

Another scowl. “Four weeks of this. Fuck .”

“And as for everyone fussing, I’m happy you’re here to listen to them.” Nate narrowed his gaze. “Because the alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.”

Zeeb opened his mouth to speak, but clammed up when the door opened and Teague walked in.

Teague pulled out a chair and sat at the table. “Robert called to see how you were doing.”

Nate glared at Zeeb. Go on—complain about Robert. I dare you.

Zeeb took one look at Nate and coughed. “I’m doing okay.” He winced. “Shit. That hurts.”

“That’s kinda why I’m here.” Teague removed his hat and set it down on the table. “The boss says you’re not going to be doing any work for a while.”

Nate raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Thank you. I’ve been trying to tell him this ever since we left the hospital.”

Zeeb pouted, and if Nate hadn’t been so annoyed with him, it would’ve been adorable.

“I’m okay,” Zeeb protested. “The docs said so.”

“Uh-uh. What they said was there was no brain swelling or bleeding, so you could be discharged.” Nate gave him another pointed stare. “They also said you have a helluva lot of bruising, and movement— any movement—is going to be painful. For weeks. Maybe longer.”

“Listen to him, Zeeb,” Teague said. “It’ll take time to heal. You’re not as young as you once were.” His lips twitched. “Which is exactly what the boss said on the phone. He also mentioned the sleeping arrangements.”

Nate knew what was coming. Robert had already broached the subject with him in a phone call the previous night.

He’d been buzzing ever since.

Zeeb blinked. “What arrangements? I’m gonna sleep in my bunk, same as I always do.”

Teague shook his head. “While you’re healing up, you’re going to need taking care of. So Robert has arranged a nurse for you. So?—”

Zeeb’s eyebrows shot up. “What the everlovin’ fuck ? I don’t need no nurse.”

Teague’s eyes twinkled. “If you’ll let me finish?” He smiled. “Allow me to introduce you to… Nurse Caldwell.”

Nate grinned. “Something tells me you’re going to be a bad patient.”

Zeeb gaped. “What the fuck is going on around here?”

“It’s simple.” Teague clasped his hands on the table.

“Nate’s back in the cabin. All his stuff is there.

That seemed the most logical place for him at the moment.

But until you’re better, you’re going to be staying with him.

No distractions. No trying to sneak off to the stable before you’re ready, just so you can climb on a horse and bust something else.

You need peace and quiet.” He locked gazes with Zeeb. “Time to heal.”

Zeeb glanced at Nate, who nodded. “Robert asked if I’d be okay with it. I told him of course.”

“I thought you said you were gonna work on the ranch.” Zeeb frowned. “You can’t do that and look after me.”

“I will be working—but only once you’re back on your feet. Right now you take priority.”

“And before you think of objecting some more, can I remind you of something?” Teague’s face tightened.

“Robert’s spending a lot of time at the hospital, so that means I’m in charge.

” He arched his eyebrows. “You hear me? For now, I’m the boss.

So what I say goes.” Teague leaned back and folded his arms. “Got it? I tell you to flap your arms and cluck like a chicken, you’d better hop to it, mother clucker. ”

Zeeb snorted. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

Teague let out a wry chuckle. “I won’t.” Then he sighed. “To be honest, I just want things back the way they were. I want Toby home.”

Nate’s throat tightened. “Me too.” He didn’t know Toby all that well, but it was obvious from listening to the hands that he was a good guy.

“The boss said something else. Saturday should be when we have our monthly supper for the hands up at the house. He said we’re to have it as usual.”

Zeeb stilled. “With Toby in the hospital? That don’t seem right.”

Teague shrugged. “I’m just telling you what he said. He also says he’ll be here for it.”

“That makes sense,” Nate remarked. Zeeb glanced at him, and he sighed too. “It would take his mind—and ours—off Toby. Not that we’re going to stop thinking about him, but we need a break.”

Teague stood. “I assume you’re going to be on Nate’s couch. I think you slept at the cabin damn near every night of Nate’s last week here. So this’ll be just a rerun.”

That twinkle in Teague’s eyes told Nate maybe Teague didn’t believe that for a second.

“Matt’ll have your food ready for Nate to collect.” Teague peered at Nate. “Unless you want to cook for the two of you. If that’s the case, just give Matt a grocery list, and he’ll sort it for you.”

“I like the idea of cooking.” Nate caught Zeeb’s sharp intake of breath, and glanced at him. “I can cook, you know.”

Teague snickered. “I’m gonna leave you two to fight it out.

” He put his hat back on. “If I don’t see you before, I’ll see you at the Saturday night supper.

” Then he smiled. “Talk about role reversal. You looked after Nate when he stayed here. Now he’s going to look after you.

” He gave Nate a nod, then left the bunkhouse.

“Tell me what you want to bring to the cabin, and I’ll put it all together.” Nate stood and went over to the bunks. “Where do you keep your clothes?” When there was no reply, he turned to look at Zeeb. “Are you all right?”

Zeeb frowned. “You don’t mind me stayin’ at the cabin?”

Nate walked slowly back to where Zeeb sat. “Why on earth would I mind? I get to have you close to me. And you don’t really think you’re going to be sleeping on the couch, do you?”

That flush rising up Zeeb’s neck was answer enough.

Zeeb stared at him. “You came back.”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

Nate smiled. “Because I couldn’t stay away. Because every night I wasn’t here, I thought about you. Wondering if you felt the same. Wondering if I imagined the way you looked at me that last day.”

Zeeb’s jaw clenched. “You didn’t imagine it.”

The silence that followed was rich with the promise of what could be.

A promise Nate wanted to explore.

“I thought I could ignore it,” Zeeb said at last, his voice low. “I thought if I kept my head down, kept working, it’d go away. Only it didn’t. If anything, it got worse. Then you showed up at the hospital and I forgot how to breathe.”

Nate let out a shaky laugh. “I’ve been losing sleep over you too.

” He swallowed, his pulse quickening. “I’ve been trying not to say something because the timing wasn’t right, what with you in this state.

It was more than that, though. I didn’t want to screw things up.

” Another hard swallow. “But I can’t do it anymore. ”

Zeeb’s breathing caught, and Nate sat beside him on the couch, so close their thighs were touching.

“I’m not good at this.” Zeeb’s gaze flicked to Nate’s mouth, then back up to his face. “I’m not good with words.”

Dear Lord , Nate’s heart was pounding. “Then don’t use them. You— we —don’t need them.”

Zeeb reached out but stopped just short of touching him. His hand hovered over Nate’s chest, as though he wasn’t sure he had the right.

“You’re here.” The awe in Zeeb’s voice unraveled him a little. “You’re really here.”

“I am.”

And the space between them, that electric thread, was about to snap.

Zeeb brushed the back of his fingers down Nate’s jaw, his touch featherlight. Nate closed his eyes, taking shallow breaths.

“Okay?” Zeeb asked.

“Yes.” The word slid from his lips in a whisper.

Zeeb traced the line of Nate’s cheekbone, moving to his neck, and finally let his fingers rest above Nate’s collarbone, his fingers warm and steady.

Unlike Nate.

“You’re shaking,” Zeeb murmured.

“I know.” Nate opened his eyes. “Don’t stop.”

Then Zeeb tilted his head slightly and kissed him, his hand resting on Nate’s waist.

It was sweet, tender, and perfect.

Nate pressed his forehead to Zeeb’s. “You’re the first man to ever kiss me.”

Zeeb blinked. “Oh.” Then he chuckled. “You’re only the second man I’ve kissed. And the first was a long time ago.” He bit his lip. “So we’re both kinda on the same page.”

Warmth surged through Nate.

“I like that.” He pulled back and gazed into Zeeb’s eyes. “This way, the next page will be a surprise for both of us.” And then Nate kissed him, not hesitantly, but with the confidence of someone who knew what he wanted.

And what he wanted was Zeeb.

“Now, let’s get all your stuff, then I’ll drive us to the cabin.”

Zeeb’s smile reached his eyes.

“Whatever you say— Nurse Caldwell.”

Nerves fluttered in Nate’s belly at Zeeb’s expression.

“What’s that look for?”

Zeeb’s lazy smile made something unfurl in his belly. “Just thinking this could work out. You giving me sponge baths sounds mighty fine.”

And for the first time since he’d stopped in Bozeman and had his world spin out of control, Nate could laugh.

Zeeb was back home, where he belonged, safe and sound.

There was something sacred in the stillness.

Zeeb was in Nate’s bed again, but this was different.

Nate was different.

Sure, he was careful to lie on his side of the bed, so as to avoid contact with Zeeb’s bruises. But then Zeeb brushed his thumb across Nate’s shoulder blade, and Nate didn’t flinch. He melted into Zeeb, his breathing even, not guarded.

This was Nate letting himself be seen in the quiet hours, messy-haired, bare-faced, soft with trust. And Zeeb knew better than to rush it.

Not that he was physically able to do such a thing.

Not without strong drugs. And seeing as that would knock him out for at least eight hours, it kinda defeated the purpose.

Zeeb shifted a little, closing the gap between them, close enough to lean over and press a kiss to Nate’s temple, a movement he regretted a second later.

“You said in the hospital you weren’t going anywhere.”

Nate’s breathing hitched. “Then you did hear me.”

“Yeah, I did.” Another kiss, fleeting and gossamer light, while his body complained about the motion. “But I’m not going anywhere neither.”

“When you’re in less pain, there’s something I’d like.”

Zeeb’s heartbeat raced. “Tell me.”

“I… Can we be skin to skin? Nothing else. I want to know what it feels like to be held. Really held.”

Zeeb caught his breath. “Why don’t we try this for now?” He took his time, moving slowly, until his bare chest was against Nate’s warm back. He curled his arm around Nate’s waist, his palm resting flat against Nate’s stomach.

“Is this okay? I mean, with your collarbone.”

Zeeb frowned. “As long as I don’t make any sudden movements.”

Or move at all, if it came to that.

Pain flared, and he shifted onto his back. “Okay, that’s not gonna work.”

Nate snugged up against his side. “This is enough.” He let out a strangled noise.

Zeeb stiffened. “Hey. Are you okay? I thought I was the one who’s supposed to be in pain here.”

“I’m not sure I can describe what I’m feeling.”

Zeeb stroked Nate’s arm. “Try.”

There was a pause. “It’s like… I guess the closest I can get to it, is that it feels like something is uncoiling in my chest. Like a tight, tangled knot I didn’t even know I was carrying.” Another pause. “And lying here with you? I can feel it loosen. Maybe even dissolve a little.”

Zeeb smiled in the darkness. “And you say I should write.”

He closed his eyes and lost himself in the feel of Nate’s warm skin, the smell of the soap they used at the ranch, the sound of his breathing as he eased into sleep. All of those added up to something Zeeb was grateful for.

The feeling of coming home.