Free Benjamin by Emma Lang Page B

of the road they traveled, she might die. The stolen moments with Ben would become a precious memory.
    “Yes.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “I don’t know that I can do this, though. Whatever it is.”
    A thought raced through Grace’s head and she almost blurted it aloud. “You—I don’t think we should make rules. We do what we want and nothing more.” She didn’t know if he’d been with a woman before and it didn’t matter. Life was too short to get wrapped up in what she should do. She wanted to focus on what she wanted to do and what she must do.
    Perhaps they were the same thing.

Chapter Six
    ‡
    T hey reached the Sabine River the next morning. She’d been across it on the ferry but had never crossed it by swimming. Since they were too far from the ferry, their only choice was to swim across since the river was deep.
    She wasn’t a person who shied away from challenges, but swimming across a river hadn’t been something she’d intended to try in her lifetime. There was no choice now.
    The rode up to the bank of the river in the middle of the afternoon. The current seemed gentle but she knew that could be deceiving. The summer had been abnormally dry so the water level was down a few feet.
    “This is the narrowest place to cross.” Ben gestured to the bank on the other side. “There aren’t any cypress there to block the horses from climbing up.”
    She peered into the depths of the water and tried to see how far down the bottom was. Grace wasn’t one to back away from a challenge, but she wasn’t the strongest swimmer.
    She sure as hell hoped Swift was.
    “Do we ride the horses or lead them?” she asked.
    “Paladin will swim with me on his back. He’s crossed it before.” He looked at the other gelding. “Your horse is at least one hand shorter but he’s got strong lines. Do you know if he can swim well?”
    “Don’t know.” She patted the horse’s neck. “He’s got heart, so I think he’ll do his damnedest.”
    “We don’t have a choice. Unless we ride a week out of the way to the ferry crossing.” Ben frowned at the river as it moved past them. “Tie everything down tight and put your saddlebags across your lap so they are sandwiched between you and the saddle horn. Rifle and pistols should be kept dry so keep them over your head.”
    They spent the next couple of minutes securing everything on their saddles. Grace’s stomach danced with fear as they headed into the water. She held the rifle with one hand against her shoulder. The other held the reins and the saddlebags.
    The first few feet were no problem from either horse. When Swift’s belly hit the water, he shied a little but she tightened her knees to keep him on course.
    “Easy, boy.” Her mouth was cotton dry and her pulse pounded hard enough to make her ears hurt.
    They were halfway across when the water was up to her hips. Swift’s gait changed and she realized he was swimming. Instead of the solid ground beneath them, the water had its own strength and the eddy could carry them away.
    Grace wasn’t used to feeling out of control or frightened. The water hit her waist and she nearly lost her grip on the rifle.
    “Are you all right?” Ben called from ahead of her.
    “No, but I will be.” She hung onto the saddle horn with a wet hand and gritted her teeth.
    There had been many challenges in her life, some rife with danger. This experience was nothing like she’d done before. Swift twisted his body and Grace found herself in the water, sputtering as the river entered her mouth. She lost her grip on the rifle and then things became very, very real.
    She knew the river was strong but so was she. Grace focused on the riverbank in front of her. Each foot she swam forward was a struggle but she didn’t give up. Her arms burned and she swallowed more water than she wanted to.
    Then Swift appeared from her right and slammed into her as he found his footing under the water. She went under and she couldn’t