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couldn’t help but blush again.
    Could this man be any more perfect?
    Diverting her eyes, she concentrated on looking at his shoulder. “It’s getting infected, Quincy, and since I can’t locate the bullet, I don’t think I can get it out. We’ll need to bandage it and hope for the best.”
    “We’ll go straight to my brother’s townhouse, then. There is an excellent surgeon in the city.”
    Victoria sighed. “How long will it take us to get to D.C.?”
    “About two days?”
    “Shut up!” she exclaimed as she sat back on her ankles.
    “Excuse me?”
    “Where will we sleep?”
    “On the ground,” he said as he carefully pulled his jacket back on.
    “We’ll freeze during the night without blankets.” Victoria shivered at the thought. “And what about snakes? I don’t do snakes.”
    “Victoria, I will build a fire,” he said evenly. “And there are no snakes.”
    Crossing her arms, she challenged, “How do you know that?”
    “It’s too cold.”
    “Gus!” She almost hit him. “What about during the day, when it’s hot, Einstein?”
    “Who’s Einstein?”
    “He was a genius.” She waved her hands dismissively. “Not the point. Focus! Snakes.”
    “It’ll be daylight, Rebel. We’ll see them coming,” he joked. “Or, slithering, as the case may be.”
    She glared at him. “Oh, you’re a comedian now? Can’t we ride straight through?”
    “We could ride for longer periods, but we have to be mindful of the horses. They will need to rest, especially in the heat.”
    “Quincy, I don’t camp,” she whispered. “Carringtons don’t camp.”
    He started to laugh but stopped quickly with a groan. Victoria assumed the action pulled at his shoulder and grinned. “Serves you right for laughing at me.”
    “We’re in enemy territory, Victoria,” he rasped. “We don’t have the option of finding an inn or hotel. It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
    “Well, can we please ride today until we can’t go any farther and then stop for the night?”
    “Yes, little rebel. We can.”
    Gathering their things, they remounted once Victoria made sure Quincy could ride and then they took off, one step closer to civilization.
     

CHAPTER FOUR
     
    They shared one of Victoria’s three remaining power bars during a brief stop later in the day. Quincy wrinkled his nose as he bit into the dry, bland bar, forcing the last of it down before wiping his hands on his threadbare pants. “People eat these things on purpose?”
    Victoria took a dainty bite of her bar before replying, “Yep.”
    “Well, I must admit, it’s better than hardtack. Thank you.”
    She smiled sympathetically. “You’re welcome.”
    Mounting again, the two continued on their way. At one point, they slowed the horses to a walk and Victoria offered him yet more of her strange viands and two more painkillers.
    “What do you call these?” He held the small twist in the air.
    “Pretzels.”
    He saw her smile at him, distracting him enough to forget his confusion. They pushed the horses on once again and didn’t stop until well after dark. “Victoria, we need to stop now. The horses are exhausted.”
    Not to mention, my wounds are throbbing.
    She slowed her horse. “Okay. Where?”
    “Just over that ridge, I think.”
    They guided the horses to a protected area and dismounted. Quincy went to find wood for a fire while Victoria rubbed the horses down and let them graze in an open field. They had no oats to feed them, so they were going to have to rely on the old-fashioned way.
    “Victoria?” Quincy whispered—loudly.
    “Over here,” she yelled.
    “Shh. Get over here. Now!” he ordered and heard her mumble as she led the horses back to the covering.
    “Could we be any bossier?”
    “Someone could have seen you. We’re still not entirely safe.”
    “It’s dark, Gus. They would need infrared,” she argued.
    “I have a fire started, come and get warm.”
    “Won’t the fire be able to be seen?”
    “I hope not. I’ve