smile that twitched at his lips. Josh looked so childlike in that moment that Charlie wanted to reach out and brush his hair from those hazel eyes. He cleared his throat. “Okay, why don’t we go now? I’ve got about half an hour before we have to start getting them saddled up. I’ve got the perfect horse for you if you’re nervous.” Lifting his hand toward Josh, Charlie left it hanging in midair and swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. “Um… is it okay if I touch you?” Charlie rolled his eyes at Josh’s obvious war within himself not to answer Charlie with a million and one caustic rejoinders at his question and was quite impressed at the evenness of Josh’s tone when he replied. He wasn’t so certain he could have been as calm if the situation had been reversed.
“Sure… there are three steps off the porch, right?”
“Yeah,” Charlie acknowledged quietly, taking Josh’s elbow in a firm grip and guiding him down the steps and up the trail to the stables. “The horses here have been handpicked, Josh. So you really have nothing to worry about. I mean, I have a lot of kids come through here. I needed to make sure that they would feel perfectly safe. In fact,” he said with a grin as he guided Josh into the barn. “Dottie, here”—he took Josh’s fingers in his and placed them on the soft velvety nose that was hanging over the door—“wouldn’t break into a gallop if she was being chased by a horde of rattlers. That would take far too much effort.”
Josh’s fingers trembled slightly against the softness of the horse’s nose and after a few moments, his lips lifted in a slow smile, filled with wonder. Charlie watched Josh move his hand experimentally up and down, acquainting himself with the shape and texture of Dottie’s skin beneath his palm. “Ooops,” Josh started, and his grin widened as she lifted her head and nibbled gently at his long fingers. “I’m guessing she’s after a snack.”
Charlie chuckled at the childish glee on the other man’s face. “Dottie’s always after a snack,” he replied, grabbing an apple from the bag on the floor between the stalls. “Here.” Taking Josh’s hand, he turned it palm upward and placed the apple in the center. “Hold your hand steady, and she’ll find it. But I warn you, she’s a drooler.”
“Oh my God,” Josh breathed when Dottie curled her lips and took the apple from his hand. “That is the grossest and most amazing thing I’ve felt in a long time. The way she took it from my palm, so carefully and so gently. Apart from the drool, I barely felt a thing.”
“Told you she was a softie. Would you like her for the trek? Don’t forget that you’ll have Mario and Greg with you, plus me and Jason will be at the front and the rear of the group. You’ll be perfectly safe.” Charlie couldn’t help but be caught up in Josh’s stunned amazement, feeling the sudden urge to giggle like an idiot rumbling in the pit of his belly.
“Thanks, Charlie.” Josh lowered his voice, then he looked at Charlie, his expression sheepish. “Thank you for doing this for me. I… um… wanted to apologize for last night. I get the feeling I made you uncomfortable at the barbecue, and that’s the last thing I intended.” He shrugged. “Just wanted to let you know that I’m not a complete asshole.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Charlie tried to keep his tone light as he brushed off Josh’s apology. “My parents tend to get a little carried away whenever there’s a man vaguely close enough to dating age around.”
“Yeah, I know the feeling. Except of course my parents are called Mario and Greg.” Josh raised his hands, palms up, and grinned. “But don’t tell them I said that… ’cause he may be lacking a little in the height department, but Mario can still kick my ass into next week.”
“Don’t worry; your secret is safe with me,” Charlie countered. “Shall we head back? I need to give everyone the lowdown on the trek
“Sure… there are three steps off the porch, right?”
“Yeah,” Charlie acknowledged quietly, taking Josh’s elbow in a firm grip and guiding him down the steps and up the trail to the stables. “The horses here have been handpicked, Josh. So you really have nothing to worry about. I mean, I have a lot of kids come through here. I needed to make sure that they would feel perfectly safe. In fact,” he said with a grin as he guided Josh into the barn. “Dottie, here”—he took Josh’s fingers in his and placed them on the soft velvety nose that was hanging over the door—“wouldn’t break into a gallop if she was being chased by a horde of rattlers. That would take far too much effort.”
Josh’s fingers trembled slightly against the softness of the horse’s nose and after a few moments, his lips lifted in a slow smile, filled with wonder. Charlie watched Josh move his hand experimentally up and down, acquainting himself with the shape and texture of Dottie’s skin beneath his palm. “Ooops,” Josh started, and his grin widened as she lifted her head and nibbled gently at his long fingers. “I’m guessing she’s after a snack.”
Charlie chuckled at the childish glee on the other man’s face. “Dottie’s always after a snack,” he replied, grabbing an apple from the bag on the floor between the stalls. “Here.” Taking Josh’s hand, he turned it palm upward and placed the apple in the center. “Hold your hand steady, and she’ll find it. But I warn you, she’s a drooler.”
“Oh my God,” Josh breathed when Dottie curled her lips and took the apple from his hand. “That is the grossest and most amazing thing I’ve felt in a long time. The way she took it from my palm, so carefully and so gently. Apart from the drool, I barely felt a thing.”
“Told you she was a softie. Would you like her for the trek? Don’t forget that you’ll have Mario and Greg with you, plus me and Jason will be at the front and the rear of the group. You’ll be perfectly safe.” Charlie couldn’t help but be caught up in Josh’s stunned amazement, feeling the sudden urge to giggle like an idiot rumbling in the pit of his belly.
“Thanks, Charlie.” Josh lowered his voice, then he looked at Charlie, his expression sheepish. “Thank you for doing this for me. I… um… wanted to apologize for last night. I get the feeling I made you uncomfortable at the barbecue, and that’s the last thing I intended.” He shrugged. “Just wanted to let you know that I’m not a complete asshole.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Charlie tried to keep his tone light as he brushed off Josh’s apology. “My parents tend to get a little carried away whenever there’s a man vaguely close enough to dating age around.”
“Yeah, I know the feeling. Except of course my parents are called Mario and Greg.” Josh raised his hands, palms up, and grinned. “But don’t tell them I said that… ’cause he may be lacking a little in the height department, but Mario can still kick my ass into next week.”
“Don’t worry; your secret is safe with me,” Charlie countered. “Shall we head back? I need to give everyone the lowdown on the trek
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