Josh. That was unprofessional of me. It won’t happen again.”
“What if I want it to?” Josh took a determined step forward.
Charlie tried not to let his gaze dwell on Josh’s kiss-swollen lips, still wet with the trace of their kisses. “It can’t. Look… Josh… it’s better this way.” Shaking his head, if only to himself, he took Josh’s elbow and turned him firmly, guiding him out of the barn.
“Better for who?” Josh asked as they headed back down the trail, his usually booming voice small and quiet, so Charlie had to strain to hear him. Charlie wanted to take the hurt out of Josh’s gaze, but he couldn’t, and he simply replied, “For me.”
Chapter Six
J OSH could almost smell Mario’s anger when he and Greg stomped through the open cabin door. “How did you get to the cabin by yourself?” Mario asked gruffly. “You went outside to talk to Charlie, and then he came back alone. What the hell happened?”
“I walked to the cabin. I lost my sight, not the use of my legs,” Josh said sarcastically, as he began to exchange his sneakers for the cowboy boots he’d brought with him
“Okay,” Greg said slowly. “And the rest of it?”
Josh threw his hands in the air in frustration. “Jesus, do I have to share every single thought I have with you two?” He knew they were worried, but he barely knew what was going on himself, so how the hell was he supposed to explain it to them? “Back off, give me some fucking space—stop smothering me.”
“Well, if you won’t tell us,” Mario said, the threat to interfere clear in his tone, “maybe I’ll ask Charlie. Because I’m curious as to why you had a smile on your face when you woke up this morning and now you look like you want to break something.”
“Stay out of it, Tavella.” Josh’s tone held a similar note of warning. “Or it’ll be your face.”
“Okay….” Greg drew out the word, and Josh recognized the calming note in his voice. He’d heard it many, many times. “Although all the testosterone in the room is making my nuts tighten, Josh, you need to calm down. Mario, you need to breathe before your head explodes. Josh’s right. He doesn’t have to share if he doesn’t want to. We’ve got to get down to the stables for the trek. So let’s just go cool off, enjoy the morning, and we can talk about this later. If Josh wants to, that is.”
“Something happened between those two. Josh has a face like thunder, and Charlie looked like someone had shot his dog,” Mario said angrily. “You can’t tell me you’re happy to just let this go?”
Josh picked up on the soothing kiss Greg bestowed on Mario and also caught the mumbling Greg was obviously doing in Mario’s ear. Did they think he was stupid? “Of course, I’m not,” Greg said softly. “But we can’t force him. This week was supposed to be about him opening up. I don’t want him to close off completely again.”
“ Jesus !” Josh hissed, shoving his foot into the second boot, then getting to his feet. “I’m not fucking deaf either. Super-spidey hearing, remember? Don’t discuss me like I’m not here. I fucking hate that!”
“Josh, it’s okay—you don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.” Josh grew even more frustrated at the soothing note in Greg’s voice, as though he were talking to a five-year-old. “Come on let’s go, or we’re going to be late.”
Josh grabbed a handful of hair either side of his temple and emitted a frustrated groan between his lips. “Fuck you and your reverse psychology, Watts!” he shouted. “I hate it when you do this.” He dropped his hands to his sides in defeat, imagining the smug smiles on both men’s faces. “He kissed me. Are you happy now?”
“He kissed you?” Mario’s voice was filled with disbelief.
“Yes… and I kissed him back.” Josh sank back onto the couch behind him and buried his face in his hands, waiting for the third degree.
“And we’re not happy about
“What if I want it to?” Josh took a determined step forward.
Charlie tried not to let his gaze dwell on Josh’s kiss-swollen lips, still wet with the trace of their kisses. “It can’t. Look… Josh… it’s better this way.” Shaking his head, if only to himself, he took Josh’s elbow and turned him firmly, guiding him out of the barn.
“Better for who?” Josh asked as they headed back down the trail, his usually booming voice small and quiet, so Charlie had to strain to hear him. Charlie wanted to take the hurt out of Josh’s gaze, but he couldn’t, and he simply replied, “For me.”
Chapter Six
J OSH could almost smell Mario’s anger when he and Greg stomped through the open cabin door. “How did you get to the cabin by yourself?” Mario asked gruffly. “You went outside to talk to Charlie, and then he came back alone. What the hell happened?”
“I walked to the cabin. I lost my sight, not the use of my legs,” Josh said sarcastically, as he began to exchange his sneakers for the cowboy boots he’d brought with him
“Okay,” Greg said slowly. “And the rest of it?”
Josh threw his hands in the air in frustration. “Jesus, do I have to share every single thought I have with you two?” He knew they were worried, but he barely knew what was going on himself, so how the hell was he supposed to explain it to them? “Back off, give me some fucking space—stop smothering me.”
“Well, if you won’t tell us,” Mario said, the threat to interfere clear in his tone, “maybe I’ll ask Charlie. Because I’m curious as to why you had a smile on your face when you woke up this morning and now you look like you want to break something.”
“Stay out of it, Tavella.” Josh’s tone held a similar note of warning. “Or it’ll be your face.”
“Okay….” Greg drew out the word, and Josh recognized the calming note in his voice. He’d heard it many, many times. “Although all the testosterone in the room is making my nuts tighten, Josh, you need to calm down. Mario, you need to breathe before your head explodes. Josh’s right. He doesn’t have to share if he doesn’t want to. We’ve got to get down to the stables for the trek. So let’s just go cool off, enjoy the morning, and we can talk about this later. If Josh wants to, that is.”
“Something happened between those two. Josh has a face like thunder, and Charlie looked like someone had shot his dog,” Mario said angrily. “You can’t tell me you’re happy to just let this go?”
Josh picked up on the soothing kiss Greg bestowed on Mario and also caught the mumbling Greg was obviously doing in Mario’s ear. Did they think he was stupid? “Of course, I’m not,” Greg said softly. “But we can’t force him. This week was supposed to be about him opening up. I don’t want him to close off completely again.”
“ Jesus !” Josh hissed, shoving his foot into the second boot, then getting to his feet. “I’m not fucking deaf either. Super-spidey hearing, remember? Don’t discuss me like I’m not here. I fucking hate that!”
“Josh, it’s okay—you don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.” Josh grew even more frustrated at the soothing note in Greg’s voice, as though he were talking to a five-year-old. “Come on let’s go, or we’re going to be late.”
Josh grabbed a handful of hair either side of his temple and emitted a frustrated groan between his lips. “Fuck you and your reverse psychology, Watts!” he shouted. “I hate it when you do this.” He dropped his hands to his sides in defeat, imagining the smug smiles on both men’s faces. “He kissed me. Are you happy now?”
“He kissed you?” Mario’s voice was filled with disbelief.
“Yes… and I kissed him back.” Josh sank back onto the couch behind him and buried his face in his hands, waiting for the third degree.
“And we’re not happy about
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