Chapter 34

“Sun sickness,” Ben said, still towing her horse along. “Real danger out here in the desert.”

“Please…”

“I can’t give you more water right now, it’ll just make you sick.”

Eliza gagged a third time, and again, it amounted to nothing. She couldn’t seem to stop the reflex, her body heaving each time she thought she had herself under control. Her horse danced around, upsetting her balance even more.

“Maybe you should…” Eliza whispered, unaware that she even planned to speak.

“Should what?”

“Maybe you should…tie me to the horse…”

Ben stopped, then took a length of rope from his saddle bags. He pulled her horse up alongside his, leaning over to secure her hands to the saddle horn. She watched him with detached interest, as though it was knotting the rope around another woman’s hands. Once he finished, she weakly tested the ropes, but they were tight.

“That should hold you,” he announced.