by Sable Hunter
Journey placed a consoling hand on top of his, then she searched in her book until she found a very similar account. “I’m so sorry, Reno. This is just one of the great injustices in the world.”
He shut the book. “And the world still doesn’t know the truth.”
She tried to think of something to say. “Maybe you could set the record straight.”
“I need to know if Ela survived.” It ate at his soul to think of that worthless reptile, Kinsella, taking her life.
“I’ll call Apple Blackhawk.”
He snapped his fingers. “We could also ask Mr. Kota.”
“Good idea. We will,” Journey nodded as she stepped out of the archive room to make the call. There was no answer, so she left Apple a message. When she returned, Miss Stanberry and Miss Winkler were standing on either side of Reno. Miss Stanberry held a large book covered in dark blue leather. Whatever they’d said to Reno had upset him. “Are you sure?” he asked in a desperate tone. “Perfectly sure?”
“Yes. This record from the War Office was published in 1880.” The woman placed the book carefully on the table in front of him. She moved her finger along a line of type. “On July 4th 1869, Tennessee native, Cole Black, a Sergeant in the Union Army was executed for treason at Fort Macon, North Carolina for his role in the death of Union Brigadier General Frederick Winthrop at the Battle of Five Forks, Virginia.”
CHAPTER TEN
She hated to see anything suffer. Her great aunt Myra always said Journey was part empath, born with the softest of hearts. She’d always doubted this until today. After watching Reno trying to cope with the pain he’d been dealt, Journey knew she’d trade places with him in a heartbeat if she could. “Reno, you’ve got to rest.”
He’d been pacing the floor for hours. Once they arrived home from Fredericksburg, he’d saddled up his horse and headed straight to the box canyon. She’d waited about an hour, then saddled up to follow him. Journey found him pushing Traveler to run at the solid wall. While she watched, he repeated the exercise three more times. It was clear by now that the horse had figured things out. The stallion knew what was expected and would make a hairpin turn at just the right moment to avoid a collision. “Poor horse,” she whispered too low for them to hear. The animal loved its master unconditionally and if Reno wanted to charge madly at a stone wall over and over again, that’s what Traveler would do.
She didn’t linger. Journey just made sure he was all right, then she returned home to have something ready for him to eat when he got tired of repeated failures. Now, he was back at the house, but he couldn’t seem to be still. “Do you have any idea how helpless I feel, Journey?”
“Yes, and I hurt for you. So much. I’d take your pain away if I could.” She could just imagine the torment he was feeling. “You’re going to make yourself sick and that won’t help anyone.”
At first, she didn’t think he heard her. But after four or five minutes, he went to the dining table and took a seat. Taking advantage of the situation, Journey jumped to fix him a plate of food. She’d found one of Myra’s homemade lasagnas in the freezer. “You’ll like this, it’s one of my aunt’s specialties.”
Reno ate, but it was just to feed his hunger. Journey doubted that he tasted a thing.
Once he was finished, he rose and grabbed his hat. “I’m going back to try again. Don’t wait up.”
“Reno, please. Stop.” He did as she asked, but he kept his back to her. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”
“What am I supposed to do, Journey?” He turned sideways, giving her his profile. It was like he couldn’t bring himself to fully interact with her. He acted as if setting himself apart would increase the chance he could return to his own time. “My brother is dead because I failed him.”
“He’s not dead yet.”
“What do you mean?” His voice was harsh with sorrow and frustration. “He died in 1869. He died because I wasn’t there to stop it!”
Journey kept her tone even. “Think. The timelines appear to be running parallel. What was the month and the date that you came through the box canyon?”
“April 19th.”
“Yes, and you rescued me the night of April 19th. So, it stands to reason. Time isn’t moving any faster there than it is here. Today is April 21st in this time and it’s April 21st in the past. Cole will be alive until July 4th. That means you have 73 days to stop this from happening.”
“You mean go back in time.”
“Yes. Go back in time.”
Reno started his pacing again. “That’s the problem, I don’t know how. I’ve been trying and trying. I don’t think it’s possible.”
“You traveled through time to the future. There has to be a way for you to travel back. We just have to figure out what that way is.”
“And how do we do that?”
“Well, I haven’t figured that part out yet.” She didn’t say that the greatest minds in the world had long struggled with this concept and never came up with an answer. No use stating the obvious. “Just because the answer hasn’t been published in some textbook or some scientific journal, doesn’t mean that someone out there somewhere doesn’t have the answer.”
“What are you saying?” Reno came to her and knelt at her feet. “Are you saying this has happened before? That someone else has journeyed through time?”
“Maybe.” Journey was racking her brain for an answer – or even a clue. “We’re just going to have to explore every avenue. Think outside the box.” She stood and walked to the window, staring out toward Enchanted Rock. “You came through for a reason and we need to figure out what that reason could be.” As she stood there, desperately trying to help the man she loved come up with a plan that could take him away from her forever – she felt his strong hands close gently on her shoulders.
“Know this. I’m not yelling at you, Journey. I’m not mad at you.”
“I know you’re not.” She reached up to touch his hand, needing the connection as much as he did.
“I couldn’t endure this without you.”
She felt his lips brush her neck softly. Needing to hold him, Journey turned in place, raising her lips to his. She didn’t know if he would accept or reject her – all she knew was that she had to offer him the comfort of her arms. The healing gift of her kiss.
Reno hesitated only a moment before he crushed her to him with all his strength, as if she were the one thing that could save him in this whole, crazy mixed up world. Sealing his mouth to hers, he kissed her harder, deeper, desperate with a need he’d never known before.
Journey swooned with pleasure, the touch of his hands and the wonder of his kiss sent wild tremors singing through her body, drawing out sensations she’d never thought to feel. He stole her breath, then gave it back to her, showing her what a perfect kiss could be.
She pushed his hat aside, threading her fingers into his hair, demanding that he come closer – and closer still. Her blood sang through her veins and her heart throbbed with joy as his tongue delved gently between her lips and she melted, her body begging to become one with his. She’d never expected to feel such ecstasy from a simple kiss. “More. More,” she begged as she took a breath. “Touch me. Please.”
And then his hands were everywhere, and she didn’t care. She ached to know him, memorize his taste, learn how his skin felt against hers. She caressed the stubble on his cheek, then ran her lips and tongue over the roughness, loving how it felt. Journey loved everything about him and there was no way she could contain it. No way she could hide it.
“I love you, Reno. I love you so much.”
Reno stilled, his hands holding her gently. Slowly, he ended the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. “I…I gotta go.” He pointed to the door. “I gotta go try again.”
“All right.” She knew the drill. She’d begun to recognize the pattern. He wanted her. Journey thought he might even care for her a bit. But he was scared. If he were to go, Reno was afraid of leaving part of himself
behind. “That’s okay,” she whispered as he took his leave. “For now, I can love enough for both us.”
…Reno went through the motions without thinking. He saddled Traveler, heading him through the gate and down a trail familiar to them both. The horse required no direction, by now he knew what was expected of him.
For the next few hours, Reno tried to force time to bend to his will. To no avail.
At some point after midnight, he admitted defeat and set the stallion on the path toward home. With every moment that passed, his head churned with chaos. He felt as if he were sitting in a lifeboat next to a sinking ship. If he could just get the attention of those on board, he could help them. But the louder he cried, the more he begged, the quicker the vessel sank beneath the waves. No matter that he held the necessary life preservers in his hand, he couldn’t reach them to save their lives.
“Today is April 22nd in 2019 and in 1869.” In a little over a month from now many innocent people would be needlessly slaughtered unless he could be there to convince his friends and neighbors that someone else was responsible for those raids. And in a little over two months, his only brother would stand before a firing squad and be executed for a crime he didn’t commit, unless Reno could find a way home in time to prove him innocent.
Once he’d tended to his horse, Reno returned to the ranch house. The door was unlocked and there was a light on in the kitchen, but Journey was nowhere in sight. He figured she’d given up on him and gone to bed. Feeling parched, he filled a glass with water from the sink and stood staring out the window. To his amazement, Enchanted Rock glowed with an unearthly light. He knew many believed there to be some scientific explanation for what he witnessed, but he also remembered Ela Blue telling him about the mysterious power and the spirits who dwelled there. For her, the mountain was a refuge. He sincerely hoped she remained safe in her sanctuary. “I’m sorry I’m not there to check on you,” he whispered to someone who could not hear him. Or maybe she could, the woman was a spiritual force in her own right.
Placing the empty glass in the sink, he went to bed. Tonight, he didn’t read. All he wanted to do was sleep and forget about his troubles for a few blessed hours.
…When he did awaken, Reno was upset to learn he’d overslept. At some point, he figured out the red digits showing on the box next to the bed reflected the time of day. This morning, they read 8:30. He rose from the bed to prepare himself for whatever lay ahead.
To his surprise, the kitchen was empty save for the two dogs who lay satisfied by their empty bowls. They seemed to have accepted him, no longer growling and barking at him at every opportunity. He looked around for Journey, but she wasn’t in the house. There was no breakfast waiting for him either. This didn’t upset him; he was used to fending for himself. He rummaged through the lower cabinets until he found a skillet, then he fried up some eggs and bacon. Once he’d eaten, he cleaned up his mess, remembering to put the dishes into what Journey had called ‘the dishwasher’.
Fully expecting to find his friend outside taking a walk or tending to her aunt’s garden, Reno was a bit concerned when he realized her car was missing. Where could she have gone and why didn’t she wake him up to go with her? He reentered the house to search for a note explaining her absence, but there was none that he could see. With nothing else to do, he saddled up his horse and returned to Enchanted Rock like a homing pigeon returning to its roost. “Maybe the damn mountain will just get so tired of me, it’ll throw me back where I came from.”
… “Thanks so much for meeting me. I do appreciate all the trouble you’ve gone to.”
Apple Blackhawk patted the large pasteboard box sitting on the table between them. “I honestly don’t know what all is in here. Benjen’s mother was a packrat and she loved researching her past. I do know there are genealogical records included and some letters and writings from Kingston and Fancy’s day. Anyway, I hope this is what Reno’s looking for.” She picked up a glass of water and took a sip. “I have to say, he looks exactly like his namesake.”
Journey jerked in shock, her arm flailing and knocking over her own glass of iced water. “Oh, crap. I’m so sorry.” She jumped up to find some help and paper towels. When she returned with a waitress in tow, the woman quickly mopped up the mess she’d made. “I am so clumsy.”
Apple still held the box she’d managed to keep dry. “No harm done.”
“Good. I’m glad.” Journey took a deep breath, then realized she hadn’t responded to Apple’s comment. She couldn’t ignore it and she couldn’t refute it. “Yes, he does. There’s a strong resemblance, isn’t there?”
Apple dug into the box and pulled out a tintype that Journey had never seen before. “Look, there he is. Reno Black the first, standing with his friends. Don’t they all look staid and serious?”
Journey stopped breathing as she studied the photograph. “They do. Wow. Do you know who everyone is?”
“I do. Benjen is as interested in this stuff as his mother.” She laughed, pushing a strand of hair behind one ear. “Daniel says he’s just like her. Anyway, this is Kingston and his wife Fancy.”
“I have often wondered what they all looked like.” She grinned at Apple. “The men are all so handsome. Fancy is pretty too, isn’t she? And this other girl, who is she?”
“That’s Amelia, the one who spent some time as an Indian captive, and the young man next to her is her brother Ace. And this guy standing next to Reno is Clay Bennett. He was a preacher.”
“Right. I remember. He was Reno’s best friend. And this is Jericho Wright, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Apple answered. “He was Kingston’s half-brother. His mother was the Ramsay’s nanny. And this fellow here is Boone Roberts” She pointed to the only one in the whole picture who was smiling. “He was a jack-of-all trades from New Orleans.”
“That’s right, Reno was telling me a little bit about him. He worked on a riverboat for a while and later he made moonshine and worked for a funeral director.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that. What an interesting life he must’ve led.” Apple’s eyes lit up. “We’re going to have to get together. I know Benjen would love to pick Reno’s brain. Wouldn’t it be neat if we could contact the descendants of these folks and put together a reunion? Can you imagine everyone sharing the tidbits of information they know about this bunch? It’d be like making a memory quilt.”
Journey nodded. “It would be great.” She felt funny lying to Apple about Reno. But what choice did she have? Looking down at the photo, she tapped the tip of her finger on the face of a very distinguished gentleman. “Oh, I bet this guy is Gentry, isn’t it? He looks English.”
“Yes, that’s Gentry Nelson, Duke of Montagu.” Apple made a humming noise, then spoke softly, “You know, there’s some mystery about him. Knowing he was royalty; it seems like we’d have more knowledge of his life than anyone – but we don’t. Maybe his descendants do. We should look into that.”
“Have you ever just googled him?”
“Yea, I have. I didn’t find much and I’m not really sure what that means. There was a reference in Wikipedia that the dukedom was extinct, whatever that means.”
“According to my ancestor’s journal, Gentry’s sister took in Saul and his siblings.”
“That’s interesting? You said you have his journal?”
“Yes. I’m hoping to get some more information soon. My great-aunt is visiting her brother in Wichita Falls right now.” She shook her head. “Actually, she’s there to be with him while he dies.”
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.”
Journey nodded, sadly. “Thank you. He’s been ill for a long time. Anyway, she told me that Uncle Myles has a big collection of historical records and she’s planning on bringing some of them home with her when she returns.”
“Well, let me know what you find.” They both leaned over the photo once more. Just looking at it made Journey feel funny, knowing one of the men was alive and well, waiting for her to come home. “This man
must be the doctor. His name was Domino, right?”
“Yes, but I can’t remember his last name at the moment. Can you?”
Journey didn’t get a chance to answer before the hostess interrupted them when she brought two more guests to the table.
“Journey, I hope you don’t mind. I invited these girls to join us. Pardon the saying, but I’m killing two birds with one stone.” She stood and hugged the two women. Both were dark headed and very attractive. “Journey Stanton, this is my sister-in-law, Jewel Blackhawk.”
“Hello, good to meet you, Journey.”
“Same here.” Journey’s mind was abuzz trying to place Jewel’s accent.
“And this is our dear friend, seems like a sister, Skye Blue McCoy.”
“What a beautiful name.” She took Skye’s hand in hers. Although her skin wasn’t much darker than Jewel’s, there was no doubt in Journey’s mind that Skye was Native American. “It’s so wonderful to meet you both. Apple didn’t tell me this was going to be a party.”
“Not a party. Exactly.” Jewel eased down into the booth. “We’re here on a mission.”
“Oh?” Journey couldn’t really read their mood. She didn’t know if this was a serious matter or not. “Should I leave?”
“Oh, lands, no.” Jewel batted her hand in the air. “We could use another woman’s viewpoint.”
Journey smiled and pointed to Jewel. “You’re from Louisiana, aren’t you?”
Jewel threw her head back and laughed. “Guilty as charged. My father was a Creole and my mother is a Cajun. And I’m Gumbo yaya. A good mix of both.”
“She’s also a palm reader.” Apple leaned close to Journey and whispered in her ear, “And she’s a witch.”
Journey’s eyes bugged out of her head. “I want a reading.”
“You got it,” Jewel promised. “After I’ve had some of Casa Chapala’s famous enchiladas and a margarita or two.”
“Well, I’m starving,” Skye spoke up. “I left Kerrville before the sun came up and I didn’t have a chance to eat. Baby Blue kept me and Noah up half the night.” She rubbed her tummy as she spoke to Journey, “Apple said you’re from Austin, but you’re staying out near Enchanted Rock.”