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“Isaid, I guess you an’ Sol got plenty of time to gas about the old days, what with that trip an’ all.”
“Yeah, we did.”And the rest.
“I really liked him,” Walt said with a smile.
“Me too,” Paul agreed. “It’s hard to dislike a guy who knows his way around a horse.”
“That’s your stick for measurin’ a person’s worth? Whether or not they get on with horses?” Zeeb snorted. “I don’t wanna know howImeasure up.”
Paul narrowed his eyes. “Hey, mock if you like, but horses are a damn good judge of character. If they get a bad feeling around someone, you know about it.” His face tightened.
Butch got the feeling Paul had someone specific in mind, but he didn’t pry. Paul wasn’t one for sharing much, and everyone respected that and let him be.
“Anyone want to come for a stroll before bed?” That was Ian, the oldest of the three guests.
“What—you didn’t get enough fresh air today?” Zeeb quipped.
“I’m in.” Mike stood. “It’s a beautiful evening.”
“Yeah, me too.” Jake joined the other two. “Got to make the most of this wonderful view while we can, right?” The three headed outside.
Zeeb stared at his fellow ranch hands. “Okay, ’fess up—which one of you farted and drove ’em all outta here?”
That earned him a ripple of laughter.
Teague stood and collected the dishes. “And now we’re alone…. Have any of you seen the website? Those photos Sol took of us… Wow. He even mademelook good.”
Zeeb grinned. “Are you fishing for compliments? You’re hot as fuck. Hell,I’ddo you, and I’m straight.”
Walt laughed too. “Sureyou are, Zeeb. You keep right on telling yourself that.”
Teague gave Zeeb a speculative glance. “Hey, it’s just us. You can be honest. Youhavetaken a peek, haven’t you?”
Zeeb rolled his eyes. “What do you take me for?CourseI peeked. And y’all looked awesome. Gotta say, Matt, though… Nowthatwas an eye-opener.”
“I don’t think he’d have done it for anyone else but Sol,” Walt remarked. “The guy made you feel comfortable.” He poured himself another cup of coffee. “I hope he does come back, though.”
Butch rolled his eyes. “Can we just stop yacking about Sol for one goddamn minute? Talk about something else, for Christ’s sake.” He pushed his chair back, scraping it across the wooden floor, bounced to his feet, and strode out of the bunkhouse, not stopping until he reached the paddock.
His chest heaved, his heart pounded, and something heavy rolled around in his stomach. It felt like a rock.
I am such a hot mess.
“Hey!”
Judging by Teague’s strident voice, Butch was about to be torn a new one.
He turned to face him, his tone apologetic. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blown up like that, even if the guests were out of earshot.”
Teague came to a halt in front of him, hands on his hips. “No, you shouldn’t. What concerns me more is why. It’s not like you to vent.”
“Just antsy, I guess.”
Teague frowned. “You’re not nervous about all these leather guys coming to Salvation, are you?”
Butch blinked. “‘Leather guys’?” he repeated, hooking his fingers in the air.
Teague flushed. “Okay, I’ve been doing a little research ever since Toby gave us that talking to. What can I say? A lot of them wear leather.”
