In the Name of Love Read Online Free PDF Page B

Felipe continued. ‘I can teach you, and I guarantee you will love it.’
    Charlie shook her head. She could already sense the onset of a panic attack. Her chest felt tight, she couldn’t breathe properly, couldn’t get enough oxygen into her lungs. She picked up her glass of water, but her hand was shaking so much she had to put it back down.
    Felipe was looking at her in concern. ‘Charlie, what is it?’
    Zoe and Luis had stopped talking and thankfully Zoe spoke up now. ‘Charlie was a brilliant rider but she had a bad fall last year. She doesn’t ride any more.’
    ‘Ah, but you should have got straight back on again!’ Felipe declared. ‘I ride myself and have lost count of the number of times I have fallen off. But I always get back on, I never let it defeat me.’
    He had no idea … Charlie couldn’t even reply. Nightmare images were flooding her mind; her beloved Ace screaming in agony as she tried to reach him. Suddenly it was too much for her. She stood up and pushed her chair violently from the table, knocking it over in her haste to get away. Before anyone could stop her, she sprinted out of the restaurant.
    Felipe made to follow her, appalled that he had upset this beautiful girl, but Zoe stopped him. ‘It’s best if you leave her. I’m not sure that she’ll want to see you.’
    ‘I had no idea that mentioning riding would cause such pain to her. Please could you tell me what happened?’
    Zoe sighed, reluctant to re-tell the story of how she had nearly lost her best friend.
    ‘
Please
,’ Felipe urged her.
    ‘Just over a year ago Charlie was out riding. She was on a country lane when a car went by too fast and spooked her horse. He bolted and careered straight into an oncoming 4x4. It was a miracle that Charlie survived. The people in the car were okay but her horse died. It wasn’t her fault, but she’s never forgiven herself and has never ridden since. She can’t even talk about riding or horses. She still has panic attacks and flashbacks about what happened.’
    Felipe ran his hands through his hair. How could he have been so insensitive! He had been so caught up with wanting to impress Charlie that he’d said the one thing guaranteed to push her away. He was an idiot. He looked back at Zoe. ‘When you see her, please tell her how very sorry I am. I never intended to upset her.’
    ‘Sure. In fact, I’m going to see how she is right now. I don’t like to leave her on her own.’
    Felipe quickly scribbled down his mobile number on a piece of paper and held it out to Zoe. ‘Would you text me to let me know how she is?’
    ‘Of course, and I’m sorry about dinner,’ she replied. She smiled ruefully. ‘I guess it’s not quite the night you had in mind.’
    ‘It’s no problem,’ Luis said quickly. ‘In fact, why don’t we arrange to have the meal sent to your room?’
    Zoe wasn’t at all sure that Charlie would have any appetite, but it was a kind offer so she accepted, then hurried back to check on her friend.
    Luis looked at Felipe. ‘Of all the women here, you choose one with a phobia about riding. How ironic is that, my friend?’ He’d intended to raise a smile from Felipe, but his friend seemed to be lost in thought.
    ‘I wonder if she can possibly forgive me, and if she will ever want to see me again,’ Felipe replied. He couldn’t believe that he felt like this after such a brief time. All he knew was that he had to see Charlie.

Chapter 3
    CHARLIE WAS CURLED up on her bed. Even though it was a humid night she was shivering uncontrollably and in the grip of a major panic attack as she relived the terrible events of the accident in her head. Ace bolting, her own desperate struggle to control him, the terrifying impact with the 4x4 …
    She wrapped her arms around herself now as sobs wracked her body. To see her beloved Ace dying in agony had been indescribably painful, the single worst experience of her life. There was an urgent knock at the door. ‘Charlie,