She crawled into bed and pulled up the covers, scooting back and leaning against the headboard. She drew her knees up to her chest and gnawed on her lower lip as she considered the rest of that story.
Alex rolled over and watched her. He was waiting for the answer she didn't want to give him. There was no point in putting it off. She might as well admit it and get it off her chest. She gazed down at him.
"I thought maybe Gerald could help me out of that fix and you'd never know I went up there alone."
He came up on one elbow, his expression wavering between annoyed and hurt.
"Why? Did you think I'd spank you?"
It was a fair question. It was a childish thing for her to do. It wasn't fear of disappointing him that had made her act in such a cowardly manner. She was trying to avoid his wrath. It was something she might have expected of Jonathan - someone immature. She sighed.
"Maybe I deserved a spanking for acting like a child."
Alex groaned. "Carmen," he shook his head. "Why do you do these things? I can't protect you if you disregard my advice like a ch…."
"Like a child? I'm not a child, Alex." She interrupted forcefully. "I'm your wife. I had a right to ride up there - alone if I chose to. I wish I hadn't taken Ed. He was your horse, but if I'd been riding any other horse, that snake would have scared them. It wouldn't have mattered if there were seventeen capable people with me - or just you. I still would have fallen down that hill and over the edge. Having a gun wouldn't have made a difference, either."
He frowned. "What snake?"
Talk about avoiding an issue. "The Copperhead that bit Ed," she hissed.
"You never said anything about a snake before."
Actually she had. She told Gerald, but he didn't need to know that either. She slid down under the covers, muttering under her breath.
"We weren't talking, remember? I disobeyed you and killed your horse."
She shut off her lamp and turned on her side with her back to him. What difference did it make whether there was a snake or Ed got nervous and threw her? She shouldn't have been up there on him. It was a poor decision. That was the end of it.
Alex was quiet for a few minutes and then shut his light off. He lay still with his back to her. Maybe he was angry, or hurt. Either way, her intended conversation about Jonathan certainly got derailed. It was probably just as well. Apparently Alex didn't have any more time for Jonathan than he had for her. What was going on with him and when would he be at liberty to discuss his secret with her? Wasn't that a little childish? Grown men didn't promise not to tell, did they?