provide some shelter from the wind if a storm should blow up during the night.”
She shivered again. She had never been out on the surface when one of the infamous Martian sandstorms erupted, but even in the city she had felt the impact of the swirling sand hitting the dome and heard the furious roar of the desert.
“Are you expecting a storm?” she asked, masking her trepidation.
He shook his head. “No, this isn’t really the season for them. I also have some built-in warnings, but it never hurts to be prepared.”
“Did you learn that in the military?”
“I learned that the day my mother dropped me off at the orphanage,” he said quietly.
“Your mother gave you up?” Outrage mingled with her sympathy for him. All she had ever wanted was a child, and here was a woman who had squandered that precious gift. “How could anyone give up their own child?”
She felt him shrug again, but she could hear an ancient pain in his voice. “I assumed she preferred a childless life. And that was only the first in a long line of sudden changes in my life. I learned to get used to it—and to be prepared.”
She put her hands over his where they crossed her stomach and squeezed. It wasn’t exactly a hug, she told herself.
The rest of the trip to the ledge was completed in silence.
The sun was low on the horizon by the time they arrived, sending slanting shadows across the orange sand of the desert and picking up the reds and golds in the rock surface. John guided Winston along the ridge until he located a deep cleft in the side.
“This will do,” he said, guiding Winston into the opening.
Although the area was open to the sky, it felt almost cave-like as the surrounding rock immediately blocked the wind.
“Why don’t you stay on Winston’s back while I get everything set up? He puts out a good bit of warmth, and that will help keep you comfortable until I get the heater going.”
Her instinct for independence urged her to insist on helping but she suddenly realized how tired she was. The combination of the events of the morning and then the long afternoon’s journey was wearing on her, and she was content to sit on Winston and watch sleepily as John set up camp. He quickly and efficiently assembled the pop-up habitat and turned on the heater and the oxygen generator. He discreetly set up the portable toilet as well before helping her down from the horse. Her legs felt surprisingly weak, and he caught her as she swayed.
“Riding is hard on the muscles when you’re not used to it. Are you all right?”
“Yes, just a little shaky. Can you, umm, help me towards the facilities?”
To her enormous relief, he didn’t laugh but simply guided her over. When she emerged, he was waiting for her, but she felt a little steadier and refused his arm. I can’t be dependent on him.
“Why don’t you go on into the habitat while I take care of Winston?” he suggested.
“I didn’t think about not having a shelter for him. Will he be all right out here?”
“He’ll be just fine. I’ll give him some protein pellets and put him into rest mode.”
Despite John’s reassurances, she felt guilty about leaving Winston outside and stopped to pet him. He seemed to lean his head against her while she told him what a good boy he was. She looked up to find John watching her, and dammit, she was blushing again.
“What?” she asked icily.
“I was just wondering what it would take to have you tell me I’m a good boy.” He grinned when her mouth dropped open. “Go on inside, Serena. I’ll be there shortly.”
Her usual snappy comebacks had deserted her. She obeyed without another word.
The habitat had looked small from the outside but once Serena had passed through the miniscule airlock, it felt even smaller inside. It was only about six feet across. Will John even be able to lie down? she wondered. It would have felt claustrophobic, but the ceiling panel was composed of a clear material and she could look up and see the last rays of the sun hitting the rock spires towering over them.
A deep pad covered most of the floor, intended for both protection against the frigid sands beneath them and for sleeping. A raised platform held the small heater and a tiny device to reclaim water. John had also brought in their food supplies, and she was sorting