Reno's Journey: Cowboy Craze (The Wild West)

by Sable Hunter

  He bent close to help her look. “You smell good. What’s that perfume you’re wearing?”

  His breath tickled her ear. “Thanks. It’s just some shampoo and body wash. Irish Mist or something.” She returned to the first article he’d located. “Okay. 2004. Hmmm. I bet this book didn’t see the light of day beyond a few college classes.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because it’s a controversial position for the author to take. Texans. Americans. White people. We still don’t want to admit how we won control of this land of the free and home of the brave.”

  “How are we going to find the book?”

  “I’m sure it’ll be in the UT library system.”

  “Should you call Lou and ask her to help?”

  “Lou has her hands full,” she mumbled. “No, I’ll make some calls and we’ll go ourselves. If they don’t have it in Austin, they may have it in Houston. Either way, we’ll locate it. What are you hoping to learn from the book?”

  Reno shrugged. “I’m hoping I’ll find out something about Kinsella and his raiders that I can use when I go back. Men like him usually have someone bigger pulling their strings. If I could find out who, I could enlist Kingston and Gentry to petition the governor to intervene before the Army is sent to…stop the non-existent Indian uprising.”

  Journey rubbed her arms. “I have goosebumps. This is huge and so important.” She gave him a tentative smile. “I forget to look at the bigger picture sometimes. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I agree all of this is paramount.” He tugged her back against him. “But there’s something, someone, more important to me – and that is you.”

  “You’re my highest priority too. Nothing is more important to me than the love we share.” She reached up to touch his cheek. “Everything’s going to be okay, isn’t it?”

  Reno wished he could make her such a promise. “You can be assured I will do everything in my power to keep us together and keep you safe.” If he couldn’t do the first, he’d make damn sure he did the second.

  For long moments they relaxed together, their breathing in sync. Finally, he spoke to break the contented silence. “Is everything okay with Lou?”

  “Yea, she had some things to take care of at work and there wasn’t really anything for her to do here. Not until closer to…time.”

  “Is that all?” Reno felt Journey’s small body grow tense in his arms.

  “We’re not mad at one another, if that’s what you’re asking. She’s just worried about me and I feel that worry is misplaced.”

  “It’s not misplaced, honey. Lou understands things that we don’t. We have to rely on her knowledge and judgment.”

  Journey bit her tongue. She didn’t want to rehash the argument at this late hour. “I know you want to find a copy of that book. Other than that, do you have any idea what you might want to do with the time we have left?”

  “I want to make love to you as many times as possible.” She giggled in his arms and he adored the way it felt. “What’s so funny? I’m serious.”

  “I’m not arguing with your plan. I like it. What else?”

  “I want to stay in touch with Kota and Lou. Plus, I never got a chance to finish looking through the box of historical papers from Benjen’s wife. There might be something in there about Kinsella. I doubt it, but I need to be sure. Other than those few items, I can’t think of anything. I probably won’t go back to the canyon everyday like I’ve been doing. I don’t see much use in keeping that up.”

  “What you’re talking about won’t take up much time. I know you turned down the idea of a trip before. How do you feel about it now?”

  “Where do you think I should go?”

  She sighed. “Paris. London. Rome. Hawaii. I don’t know.”

  “Do you want to go to those places?”

  Journey shrugged, then smiled at how good it felt to rub against his hard body. So, she repeated the action. “Not really.”

  “Me either. I didn’t have much desire to see them in my time and I still don’t. I’m a homebody, I guess.” Just as soon as he said the word ‘homebody’, he changed his mind. “I take that back, Journey. There is some place I’d like to go.”

  “Okay. Where?”

  “Tennessee. I’d like to see my mother’s grave. I’m sure the marker is long gone, but maybe I can find the spot.”

  She wiggled around in his lap until she could hug him. “Oh, Reno. I’d love to go with you. When do you want to leave?”

  “Tomorrow’s soon enough. We have something else to do today. Preferably before your aunt comes home.”

  “Oh? What would that be?” she asked in a teasing tone, picking up on the heat in his voice.

  “Someone named Sojourner has an appointment on the hot seat.”

  “Yay!” She squealed with delight when he picked her up and headed to the bedroom.

  * * *

  “Making love in the middle of the day. We should do that often.” Reno kissed Journey on the top of the head. “While you visit with your Aunt Myra, I’m heading out to the barn to talk to Kota.”

  “Okay.” She tugged on the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m going to tell her today that I’m going with you if possible.

  “To Tennessee? Good.” He slipped on his boots. “I’m sure she’ll understand the reason for our trip.”

  “Yes, I’ll tell her about Tennessee, but that’s not what I’m talking about.”

  Reno froze. “Do you think that’s a good idea? Especially since we haven’t decided ourselves?”

  “I’m staying positive. Plus, I have to tell her sometime. Don’t I?”

  “Yea, I suppose you’re right.” He chewed on the inside of his lip. Doubt was eating a hole in his soul.

  Journey could sense his unease. For the moment, she chose to ignore it. “I emailed the UT library. They have a copy of the book. We can stop in to check it out on our way to Tennessee.”

  “Sounds perfect. I’ll dig through it while you drive.”

  “Okay.” As they made their way from her bedroom to the kitchen, they heard a car door slam. “Just in time. She’s home.”

  “Great. Looks like she’s got her arms full. I’ll go help.”

  Journey watched from the window as Reno bounded out to help her aunt carry in a load of vegetables. Each time she went to visit her hairdresser, the woman loaded her up with produce from her garden. The dogs beat Myra to the door and Journey rushed to let them in. “Did you two have a good time?”

  “Oh, they did. They did. Bertha’s dogs just love to play with these two.” Myra followed along behind Reno, talking all the way. “She sent a big mess of tomatoes. I think I’ll can the extra. What do you think?”

  “Sounds great.” Journey helped Reno with his armful of fresh corn. “Just set the tomatoes down next to the fridge.”

  “The bottom of the bucket is sandy,” he warned her.

  “It’s okay.” Myra waved off his concern. “I need to sweep the floor anyway.” She beamed at him. “Thanks for the help. You’re handy to have around, cowboy.”

  “Proud to help.” He pointed to the door. “I’ll be at the barn for the next little while.”

  As he made his escape, Journey tried to think of the best way to tell Myra her plans. “Your hair looks nice.” Always best to start off with a compliment if possible.

  “Thank you. She does my hair just the way I like it. When she retired, I almost died. Thank goodness she lets me visit her at home. I pay her in cash, that way it won’t bother her social security.”

  “Good idea.” Journey put away the vegetables. “You sure made a haul. Tomatoes. Corn. Cucumbers. Okra.”

  “Okay, you’re being too helpful. What’s wrong? Are you pregnant?”

  “No!” Journey put her hand on her hip. “Why do you always assume something’s wrong?”

  Myra just gave her the look. The one that said she knew best and always would know best.

  “Okay. Okay. But nothing’s wrong. It’s very right.
” She held onto the edge of the countertop for dear life. “I’m just afraid you won’t see it that way.”

  “Just spill it. I’m old. If it kills me, I’ve lived a good life.”

  “Oh, good gracious.” Journey wanted to laugh and cry – she just didn’t know what to do first. “Okay. My news is that I’m leaving with Reno when he goes.”

  Myra dropped the broom she was carrying, letting it keel over like a felled tree. “Is that even possible?”

  “Yes. We think so.” We hope so.

  “Think? You think so?” The older woman grabbed her chest dramatically, then began to feel behind her for a chair.

  “Here. Let me help.” She pulled a chair near enough that Myra could find the seat. “I know it’s a shock, but I have to go. I love him more than anything in the world and I need to be with him.”

  “How will this work?” Myra asked as she held her head in her hands. “I truly thought he’d settle here. Why tempt fate?”

  “He has to go back. There are innocent people who’ll die if he doesn’t go. He’s the only one who can save them.” Journey pulled a chair near to her aunt. “As for how it will work, Kota will help us. If he’s right, the portal will open again at the next full moon.”

  Myra hung her head, eyes closed while Journey sat next to her. Eventually, she reached over to take her niece’s hand. “Even though your news comes as a shock, I understand. After a little reflection, I’m not even surprised. Without really knowing, you’ve been preparing for this for most of your life.”

  “Thank you, Aunt Myra.” She enclosed the woman in her arms. “Your words and understanding mean the world to me.”

  Myra sniffed. “I’ll miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you too.”

  “Good thing I have friends like Kota and Bertha. I suppose I may have to take Kota up on his marriage proposal.”

  “What?” Journey exclaimed, flabbergasted.

  Myra laughed. “Don’t look so surprised. We’ve been courting in our own weird way for years.”

  “I’m glad you won’t be alone. But why didn’t I ever suspect anything?”

  “Because I didn’t want you to suspect anything.” Myra pushed a lock of hair behind Journey’s ear. “I just want you to be happy. Okay?”

  “Oh, I will be,” Journey assured her without a doubt. “Reno is my happiness and it doesn’t matter where we are – or when we are. As long as we’re together I’ll be content.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Reno found Kota sitting on an overturned bucket just inside the barn. He appeared to be braiding a rope using the long, thin blades of a plant. Outside, his grandson was on a tractor mowing down weeds in the adjacent pasture. When the old man didn’t look up as he approached, Reno cleared his throat, then asked, “May I join you?”

  “It’s a free country.” He moved his head sideways to indicate another available bucket.

  Reno took him up on his offer and flipped the bucket to take a seat. “That looks like a lot of work. In this day and age, why don’t you just buy a rope?”

  Kota grunted and flashed a smile. “Sometimes, I like the old ways. Keeps me connected to what’s important. What’s on your mind, Cherokee?”

  “Nothing in particular. Everything.” Reno picked up a stray strand of the plant. “What is this?”

  “Desert Spoon Agave. Making a rope from it, is actually pretty sacrilegious. Some say it’s good for everything from diabetes to digestive issues.”

  “I’ll have to tell Journey about the plant. She’s very good with herbs and oils.”

  He nodded. “She’s a healer.” Holding up a blade of desert spoon, he examined it closely. “To me, it’s best use is to make a spirit liquor. Sotol. Good stuff. Very similar to tequila. In Chihuahua, the natives add a rattlesnake to the jar to insure the healing properties. I’m not sure if it works or not, all I noticed was a couple of hours of foul-smelling burps.”

  Reno winced. “That doesn’t sound like something I’d like to try.” He let a few more seconds pass. “What are your thoughts on my return? Have you had any revelations?” He hated to ask but talking to the elder made Reno feel as if he were doing something toward achieving his strange goal.

  “You think that’s all I have to do? Think about your problems?”

  “No, I just…”

  Kota chuckled again. “I’m teasing you. To answer your question, yes I’ve been giving our plans some intense thought.”

  “And?”

  “And I don’t know any other way to approach it than with faith.”

  “Faith. I’ve never been a very religious man, Mr. Blue.”

  Kota scoffed. “If I’d walked your path, I would get down on my knees and thank the Great Spirit for bringing me through the valley of the shadow – for that’s exactly where you’ve come from and to where you must return. This mystery is as old as time itself. Have you ever heard of the Anasazi?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “Of course, you haven’t. We didn’t know they’d even existed until their cliffside homes were discovered by a rancher searching for lost cows in 1882. He stumbled upon a city built into the side of a cliff in a place we call Mesa Verde now. There’s another village in a placed called Chaco Canyon, but I digress. The rancher had to clamber down a steep, sheer cliff just to reach the dwellings with little but grit and a toehold. What he found was intriguing and mysterious. Even after having been abandoned for hundreds of years, the rooms were left as if the occupants had just stepped out to visit a neighbor. Vases and dishes sat neatly on the floor, tools the women would’ve used were still in order. Children’s toys lay about, and there were still ashes in the hearths. No evidence of violence could be found. Wetherill, the discoverer, said that if he closed his eyes, he could still see the people around him, hear the dogs barking, and see the women grinding corn.”

  “What happened to the Anasazi?”

  “No one knows. The Pueblo have traditions that speak of the ancient ones. They say there were wise seers among the Anasazi who possessed great knowledge linking them to their ancestors, the Toltecs and the Mayans. They gained this knowledge by partaking of an energy-giving grass that gave them the ability to reach a place where they could access the past and the future. This rite was performed in a carved stone room called a kiva. In those kivas, the seers studied and learned how to see beyond their present existence. They became so skilled, they learned to visit other worlds. When the time was right, entire populations moved into other realms never to return.”

  “How did they do that?”

  Kota blew out a long breath. “Remember how I told you how much of your body is made of energy? Well, that energy is in constant motion. Vibrating. I had a very interesting conversation with a Pueblo shaman once and he said he believed the Anasazi seers learned how to take advantage of the natural frequencies of vibration in man and in nature.”

  “I told you that I remember a vibration in the air. Can you, like them, learn how to take advantage of those frequencies?”

  “Who the hell knows? The Anasazi seers studied this phenomenon for centuries. You gave me three weeks.”

  Reno hated to say it, but he couldn’t help himself. “You said you were watching for the journeyman. Didn’t you consider being prepared when the time came?”

  Kota gave him a very pointed stare. “You are an impudent half-breed.” Then, his face broke out into a smile. “Sure, I did. I’m prepared. Generations of my ancestors, from me all the way back to Ela have been preparing just in case they were the lucky one to deal with you.” He spun one finger in the air. “Lucky me.”

  Reno ignored his sarcasm. “How did you prepare?”

  “I’ll reveal more as time grows closer. Right now, just know that a wiser person than you will be taking care of the details.”

  Relief washed over Reno like water from a cool spring. “If you’re prepared, why did you send Lou off to buy those items?”

  He went back to braiding the rope. “She needed somet
hing to do. Needed to feel important. I am considering taking her under my wing. She’s smart. For a white girl.”

  “You do enjoy playing with people’s emotions, don’t you?”

  His dry chuckle rattled in his throat. “Hey, I’m old. I have to get my jollies where I can.”

  * * *

  The rest of the day was spent getting ready for their trip. Reno spent a couple of hours on the computer searching for places he wanted to visit. Before ending up in Knoxville, Tennessee, their route would take them through Dallas, Little Rock, Memphis, and Nashville. While he had fun planning their itinerary, Journey did their packing.

  As she folded his shirts and jeans, the miracle of their relationship dawned anew. She sank to the bed, holding one of his shirts to her chest as she cried.

  “What’s wrong?” Myra stood at the door, alarmed to see her great niece sobbing uncontrollably. “Are you hurt?”

  “No.” She choked back another sob. “I’m just overwhelmed. My life used to be pretty humdrum. Now, look at it. I’m about to leave on a mini vacation with my romantic obsession from another century. And soon, if I’m lucky, I’ll be joining him on his return trip to 1869.” She wiped tears from her cheek. “Nothing to get emotional about.”

  “Oh, honey,” Myra came to sit next to her on the bed. “This is what you wanted. There’s nothing else in this universe that could’ve made you this happy. You may be crying, but you can’t tell me they aren’t tears of joy.”

  “You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”

  “The only thing I don’t like is that you’re about to go gallivanting off and leave me here all by myself.”

  Journey knew Myra understood Reno’s need to visit the place of his birth and Sojourner’s resting place, but she still lamented the time they would be apart. “We won’t be gone long. Two or three days at the most.”

  “I ought to just go with you,” she threatened, then waved off the idea. “No, I’ll stay here and cook. And clean. This house is a disaster.” Myra looked around the room critically.