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“No. He was very loyal to his captain.”
Borgaz snorted.
“That may have been part of it, but I’m guessing that he was also really annoyed that he didn’t know. He doesn’t like secrets - or at least he doesn’t like other people to have secrets. He has a few of his own.”
“Don’t we all?”
Borgaz gave him another accessing look as they reached the farmhouse but didn’t pursue it.
“Do you mind washing up by the barn?” he asked instead. “My Mary is still asleep.”
Even though it was phrased as a question it quite clearly was not, but he agreed.
“I don’t mind. I still remember when I would have killed for running water.”
“So do I.”
They exchanged a brief glance and Celenk saw the same shadows in the other male’s eyes.
“I understand your mate came to visit my wife yesterday,” he said, changing the subject. “They seemed to hit it off.”
“Mary said that too - while I was lecturing her about going off without telling me. Stubborn little female,” Borgaz grumbled affectionately.
“Females can be a challenge,” he agreed.
“And worth every minute of it.”
He thought of Lottie’s warm, sleepy smile and nodded. In spite of the pain waiting in the future, he wouldn’t have missed a moment of their time together.
“They are.”
A shadow fell over them as they finished washing and both of them looked up at the sky. Clouds were scudding rapidly overhead and the wind was starting to pick up.
“Hope there isn’t another storm coming.”
Something in Borgaz’s voice caught his attention and he looked over to find the big male watching the sky uneasily.
“You too?”
Borgaz didn’t pretend to misunderstand, looking directly at him.
“Yeah. Too much like being back there.”
“I know,” he said quietly, and the other male nodded. “Now I’d better get going before Kalpar decides to use me as target practice after all.”
“Thanks for the help. If you need any help around your place, just let me know.”
“I appreciate the offer.”
He remounted, saluted, and rode off. How long had it been since anyone offered to help him? Not since before the Intelligence branch had plucked him out of his unit. He’s almost forgotten what it was like to be part of such a unit. To have someone’s back and know they had yours.
And I still don’t have it, he reminded himself. That camaraderie is for the person I’m pretending to be.
But he still found himself smiling as he headed up the road to the main house.
Kalpar was irritated that he was late, but when Celenk told him he’d stopped to help Borgaz, he nodded almost approvingly and dropped the subject.
It was still early afternoon when they finished moving another herd and Kalpar suggested he take the rest of the afternoon off.
