Free I Can See for Miles by Lisa Worrall Page A

stall.
    “Charlie,” Jason said, his voice filled with concern. “Why don’t you let me stay and help the guys and you can go up to the house?”
    “I’ll lend a hand,” Mario said quietly from the stable doorway, his blue eyes gazing into Charlie’s. “Greg and Chad can help you with the others.” Jason looked at Charlie and, at his hesitant nod, turned and left the stable. “I’ll get the others in and unsaddled,” Mario said with an inclination of his head.
    Charlie nodded. “Okay, thanks. If we get them all unsaddled, Russ and Pete will rub them down. But I like to take care of Aramis myself.” Charlie gently murmured to Aramis as he rubbed him down. Easing the brush over Aramis in long rhythmic sweeps, Charlie smiled at the gentle puffs of air the horse blew out in appreciation of his ministrations.
    “He’s beautiful,” Mario said softly, smiling apologetically when Charlie started at the sound of his voice. “Sorry, didn’t mean to creep up on you. All the others are in their stalls.”
    “Thanks for that, Mario.” Charlie replied, acknowledging the older man with a nod of his head. “I haven’t really had a chance to talk with you much since you got here. It’s always busy when we’ve got a full house.”
    “Well, it would be pretty hard to get past Davey where you’re concerned,” Mario chuckled. “He’s like your very own four-foot bodyguard.”
    “Yeah, he’s quite a kid.” Charlie glanced at Mario leaning casually against the stall door, his gaze narrow as he studied Charlie from beneath lowered lashes. Charlie had to give the other man his due. Mario definitely wasn’t hiding the fact that he was summing him up. When the silence became so heavy Charlie thought it was going to crush him, he sighed. “Are you going to give me the best friend speech?”
    “I’m sorry, I don’t follow….”
    “I assume you’re looking at me like you want to pound my face because Josh told you what happened earlier. I thought you came in here to give me the ‘if you hurt him, you’ll have me to deal with’ speech,” Charlie said, wishing his voice had sounded more sarcastic and cocksure than tired and defeated.
    “Do I need to?” Mario raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
    “No… you don’t. He’s a nice guy, and in another lifetime I’d be kicking myself for this, but I’m really not interested.” Charlie resumed his brushing, the softness of Aramis’s hair tickling his palm.
    “Ah… so you don’t mind making money from the sightless, but getting saddled with one day in and day out’s a horse of a different color, huh?” Mario drawled sarcastically.
    “What?” Charlie spun on his heels and stared at Mario, utterly incredulous. “You’re kidding me, right? You think I care that he’s blind?”
    “If the shoe fits….” Mario trailed off.
    “I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous in my entire life. How dare you judge me? How dare you put me in a box and tell me how I do and do not feel? You don’t know anything about me,” Charlie said, anger in every syllable.
    “Very true,” Mario said, holding up the palm of his hand to stem Charlie’s flow of words. “And you don’t know anything about Josh. Don’t you think you should find out if he’s tarred with the same brush as whoever it is you’re running away from before you judge him ?”
    “Mario—” Charlie sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. “—he’s your friend. I get it, and I know I’m probably being unfair to both of us. But look at me.” He held his hands out to the side. “In a few days, I’ll find out whether or not I’m going to be completely blind myself. What can I offer him if that happens?”
    “Jeez, Charlie. You’re getting a little ahead of yourself, don’t you think?” Mario said softly. “I mean, you’ve known each other for almost two days. I was thinking more along the lines of having a beer and getting to know each other a little more, not moving in together.