Zeeb Nolan has spent twelve quiet years working at Salvation. It’s a good life: honest work, wide skies, and the kind of found family he never imagined having. The ranch is open, accepting, even tender in its rough-edged way. Most of the guys wear their hearts—and preferences—on their sleeves. Zeeb is still figuring himself out. But he’s ready to admit he wants more than a bunk and a job. He wants someone to come home to. Nate Caldwell, quiet, sharp-eyed, and all coiled tension, is still learning to live again. His stay at Salvation for equine therapy, an addition to years of traditional treatments, fills him with trepidation. People make him uneasy. Trust is nearly impossible. Maybe horses will prove safer than people. Maybe they’ll help him trust again. Assigned as Nate’s point person, Zeeb expects a challenge. What he doesn’t expect is the way Nate’s silence speaks louder than words, or how fiercely he wants to understand the man behind the guarded stares and reluctant smiles. Nate resists at first, but Zeeb’s steady presence chips away at the walls he’s built. As days stretch into weeks, Zeeb begins to see Nate—not just the trauma, but the courage it takes to show up, to try. Nate starts to see Zeeb as something solid, something safe. Something he might even deserve. Captivated is a tender, slow-burn romance about second chances, healing hearts, and the quiet power of being truly seen. This story contains references to conversion therapy and emotional abuse, depicted in flashbacks. While these scenes reflect painful experiences, the story centers on healing, resilience, and the transformative power of love.