Let It Go by Mercy Celeste Read Free Book Online Page A

poured what was left of his water over his head, hoping the tepid liquid would cool him down faster. No such luck. “It’s like breathing in liquid air. And then all the damned dust. How do you people live like this?”
    Eli laughed as he worked to brush his horse down before letting one of Sawyer’s boys take him. “You get used to it. It’s that dry heat out west that gets to me. Air should have water in it, know what I mean?” Brush still in hand, he came over to help with Kip. Wiped sweat off the horse as best he could. “Go find the hose, Creed, the horse looks better than you do. Get out of those chaps and wet your head. I’ve got the horse. Better yet, go jump in the pool.”
    He was right. Besides a little sweat, Kip seemed fine. Creed’s head spun when he pushed off the railing. His vision blurred a little. He started fumbling at the buckles at his waist when a second set of hands joined his. Reaching out a hand to steady himself, he found nothing but smooth, sweaty skin. Not his.
    “Boots. Gimme a foot,” Eli ordered when the leather chaps were lying on the rail. Creed didn’t think; he held on to one shoulder and stuck up a foot. Followed by a second. “Shirt. Strip now.”
    Creed tugged at the hem of his shirt. Eli so close made his brain sluggish. Not good. “Dammit, Creed man, look at me.” Creed felt his shirt slide up his body and over his head, not really sure how he’d done that when he couldn’t find his fingers. “Creed, look at me.” Strong fingers gripped his chin, making Creed want to whimper.
    “Which one of you?” Creed smiled for some unknown reason. Light-headed and woozy. He liked Eli’s hands on him. Both Elis. “There are two. Did you know you have freckles on your nose?”
    “Shit,” Eli swore, his hands all over Creed, holding him up, pushing him toward the back of the stables. “Creed, walk. Time to cooperate just a little. Walk. Okay, now you can sit.”
    Creed sat on cold concrete over a grate-covered drain, which was good because his knees weren’t going to stay in the standing position too much longer. He didn’t know what the hell the drain was for. Was it a drain? He was about to lie on the cold floor to investigate when something cold and wet hit him square in the chest. Cold felt so damned good. He looked up to see both Elis holding a water hose over his head. He wanted to smile and say something about how sexy Eli was when he was pissed. He always thought so. But then the urge to vomit shook that thought loose.
    “Creed?” There was panic in the other man’s voice when Creed rolled onto his knees and leaned over the drain to empty the contents of his belly. And still the water ran over him, running down his back and over his head. His jeans were soaked and plastered to his body—cold, wet material that felt so damned good. His arms shook when the dry heaves came.
    “Eli, what’s going on?” It was the other rancher’s voice. Creed couldn’t remember his fucking name. “You left the horse all … fuck.”
    “Heatstroke. Go to the house and get some sports drinks. Some towels. Ice. You know the drill, Sawyer. Just hurry up.” There really was panic in Eli’s voice. Creed tried to lift his head to find out what was so wrong that the heartless son of a bitch sounded so damned afraid, but another wave of nausea left him lying on the floor shaking. “Here, take the hose,” Creed heard him say before strong hands pulled him into a sitting position. Arms around him from behind, Creed leaned back against a broad chest, his head on a shoulder. Stubble from a warm jaw grazed his neck. “Drink.”
    Creed felt a bottle rim touch his lips. He opened and gagged at the taste. “Fucking Gatorade. Hate that shit.”
    “Yeah, well, you’re going to drink it until I say when to stop.” Eli’s voice was soft; his fingers held Creed’s head steady while he forced him to drink. “You’re still a funny shade of red. But I think you might live yet.”
    Creed