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“It is fine, Elena.”

She grabbed his blanket from the back of the cart and threw it at him. Picked up his bag of clothes and lifted it high as if to throw it too. She wanted to see if he would catch it with his broken arm or let it fall.

“Now who is being unreasonable?” Tomas stepped forward.

“You said we were to have no lies between us, but you lie about your pain.”

He put his hands up. “I wasn’t lying to you; I was just not telling you.”

She growled low in her throat. “It is the same thing!” She threw the bag back in the cart and stepped towards him. The hot flow of anger tore through her, bringing tears to her eyes. Tears she was determined not to let slip.

“Look, I promise to tell you if my pain becomes unmanageable,” he said taking a step towards her so that he was only another step away from her.

She placed her palms on his chest as if to stop him. “Tomas, by then it might be too late.”

“I assure you I am fine.” He placed his hands over hers.

His hands were warm and engulfed her own. His body was so close to her now. Part of her wanted to push him away, the other part wanted to pull him towards her until they were chest to breast.

“Why do I not believe you?” she asked, looking up to his face. “You could be choking on a piece of bread, and you would smile and say it was nothing.”

“You do have a way with words, Elena Diaz. Even though I hardly see how I could smile if I were choking. Or talk for that matter.”

Pulling her hands away she marched over to the cart, rumbled around in her father’s medical bag and found a small velvet sack, emptied its contents, and filled the sack with some rice. She tied the end tightly and gave it to Thomas. “Squeeze it for five seconds then rest for five and do it about ten times. Every time we stop to rest I want you to do this. It will build up strength in your arm.”

“Thank you.” Tomas squeezed the sack a few times and grinned at her.

Why did he do that when she was mad with him? Most likely it was to placate her, but it would take more than a smile to cool her ire. Why could he not have simply told her that his arm was giving him pain? All because he did not want the splint back on. Was it vanity, his male pride? It made no sense to her. She should never have believed him when he said it no longer hurt and convinced her to take off the splint.

“I would not smile so, for if the bones are not knit properly, you may never have proper use of it. Is that what you want?”

The smile fell off his face. “You said as much three weeks ago when I lifted the barrel, and I did as you bid. It does not hurt me the way you think. It is simply weak from being splinted so long. Believe me, I want full use of my arm.” He looked down at the sack of rice in his hand. “This should help, so I thank you.”

Leaving her to finish packing the last items in the cart, Tomas took up the donkey’s rein and slapped on his straw hat. This was not how she had hoped this journey would go. She thought foolishly it would bring them closer, that he would leave her as a friend. That she would wave him off knowing she had done good things for him and had got him on the boat home. She had hoped he would think of her fondly, but her temper and her harsh words always pushed him away. Her need to control everything around her just added to the tension of an already tense situation. The men at the tavern had made it clear that Dushard and his men were still in the area. They were both still in danger, but she wanted to make all the decisions as if he were still lying lifeless on a table in the fort. He was not. Tomas was alive and had a mind of his own. She needed to start letting go of him, instead of trying to tie him to her side.

The cart had moved off, leaving her behind. Up ahead, something moved quickly at the side of the road. “Watch out!” she yelled. “Snake!”

Tomas leaped back just as the donkey reared in front of the cart, sending their supplies sliding back onto the dirt road. She ran up just as Tomas picked up a rock and threw it at the snake. “I think I killed it,” he yelled back at her as she ran. When she got up to him, she skidded short.

She was frantically searching his body. “Did it bite you?”

He pulled her into his arms. “No. I am unharmed.”

She sagged in relief.

“I think the donkey has been bitten, though. Either that or he is just really spooked. Can you see if you can settle him and I’ll check the snake.”

“Please, be careful,” she urged as she took the reins off him and tried to calm the donkey with soft words.

“It’s dead,” Tomas reported as he returned to her. He looked over the donkey and noticed one of its back legs was already beginning to swell. “Here, his back leg. What should we do?”

“Let me see what kind of snake it was.” He lifted the rock. She shook her head. “A viper, the deadly kind.”

Tomas stroked the donkey’s forehead. “Can’t you do something?”

Elena shook her head. “I do not have enough supplies. We should end it quickly.”

“I wish I had my pistol.”