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

by Sable Hunter

  * * *

  “Well, here we are,” Kota announced as the approached the box canyon at the base of Enchanted Rock. “What time is it?”

  Lou, their official timekeeper, checked her watch. “It’s two o’clock. Twelve minutes to go.”

  Journey hung onto Cinnamon’s mane, her fingers clutching the coarse fringe. “I wonder what he’s doing?”

  Kota looked up into the still blue sky. “He’s on the trail between King’s Ransom and Enchanted Rock. Knowing Reno, he left before dawn, he should be arriving in a couple of hours.”

  “Here, drink some water. You look pale.” Lou handed Journey her canteen. “Remember, you’ll most likely arrive before he does, Jo. So, don’t panic if you find yourself alone.”

  “What if he doesn’t come?” Journey began to imagine a thousand things going wrong.

  “He will,” Lou assured her. “There’s nothing in the world that would keep him away. He vowed to come to you, and he’d moved heaven and earth to fulfill that promise.”

  “Oh, Lou. I feel like I’m going to be sick.”

  “Is it the baby?”

  “No, it’s just my nerves. Will you do something for me?”

  “Of course. Anything?”

  “Tell Apple and Skye we had to leave and send an apology note to Tennessee for Reno. I’ll trust you to know what to say. Harley knows the truth; she might help you pen the letters.”

  “You’ve got it. Now, relax. Everything is going to be fine. Be positive. You don’t want to mess up the magnetic vibes.”

  “Is that a thing?” Journey asked, ready to worry anew.

  “No, it’s not.” Kota announced with a hint of impatience in his voice. “But she’s right, you need to settle down. This is what you want and we’re almost ready to make it happen.”

  “You’re right.” She urged Cinnamon to move closer to the canyon entrance. “I’m ready.”

  “Good. You remember our routine?” Kota reached into his pocket. “Here’s your medicine bag. It’s a duplicate of Reno’s. This should be your ticket to ride.”

  “Thank you, Kota.” Journey pressed it to her lips before she slipped it deep into the front pocket of her jeans.

  “For our next step, I’ll provide a little music to set the mood.” He untied his rawhide drum. “When it’s time, Lou will tell me, and I’ll give you the signal. Now, remember – you’re riding directly toward a solid rock wall. You’ll have to control your mount. She will want to veer away, but you must keep her going. Of course, if the portal doesn’t appear, abort your mission before you break both your necks.”

  Journey couldn’t keep a giggle from slipping from her lips. “Before I go, Kota. I never told you how much I appreciate your sense of humor. But I do.”

  This made the old man laugh. “Good. Usually the only person I amuse is myself.” Closing his eyes, he held up his hand over the drum. “Let us begin.”

  In that moment, with the sound of the drum and the haunting timbre of Kota’s chant – Journey felt as if she were already transported back in time. She listened as the old shaman entreated the ancestors for protection and aid, his voice rising and falling in a mystical melody. While she waited the few fleeting moments, Journey whispered a prayer of protection for both herself and Reno. “Just let me make it to him, please. And let him be waiting for me. Keep him safe until we’re together once more.”

  After that, she patted Cinnamon’s neck to keep the horse calm. “Almost time, girl.” Closing her eyes, she cleared her mind and readied her spirit for an out-of-this-world experience.

  “It’s time, Kota.”

  Journey heard Lou’s faint whisper and her heart jumped in her chest. This was it!

  The drumming ceased and Journey opened her eyes to look at her two friends standing side by side. “Remember what I told you. Set your course and keep it,” Kota spoke with great authority as he sent Journey on her way. “Ready. Set. Go, Journey! Ride like the wind!”

  Journey flicked the reins and gave Cinnamon a good squeeze with her knees. “Time to go, girl. Fast!”

  The horse took off as Journey tightened her grip on the reins. The scrub trees and boulders filling the canyon were a blur as they flew by. The farther they went, the faster her heart raced. Her entire body tingled as goosebumps rose on her skin. Journey could feel her hair lifting on her head like she was passing too near something alive with electricity. “Oh, God, it’s happening,” she whispered.” Peering ahead, she could see the rear of the box canyon. As of this moment, it appeared to be one solid piece of granite. Every instinct she possessed told her to pull up on the reins – but even as her mind screamed for her to avoid the inevitable crash, Journey’s heart begged her to keep going. “Faith. Have faith. Have faith,” she chanted.

  Journey could feel Cinnamon begin to resist. “No, no. Keep going.” She gave her another delicate kick. “Go! Don’t stop now!” Holding her breath, Journey kept her eye on the wall – still solid. She clutched the reins so tight the leather bit into her skin.

  And then it happened.

  The appearance of the wall wavered. She could see what looked like ripples in the air between her position and the wall. Slowly, the surface of the massive rock seemed to fade, becoming lighter…until it was gone from her sight and Journey could see through to clear daylight ahead. “We’re almost there. Almost.”

  Seeing a way out of the canyon, the horse increased her speed, racing toward the bright sunlight. When they passed through to the other side, Journey expected to feel something – but all she experienced was an immense sense of relief. “I made it. I’m here.”

  Taking a look around, Journey had to admit everything looked much the same. She lifted her head to gaze up into heavens, searching for any sign of a plane, but there was none to be seen. She bent her head to listen, but there was no noise of distant traffic, no shouts from hikers. “So far, so good.” Pulling on the reins, she turned her horse to face the canyon wall and was a little taken aback to find the surface completely solid once more. A little part of her wanted to reach out and touch it, but she was afraid her hand might sink right through.

  “Okay, Cinnamon, time to find Reno.” Journey knew she needed to ride around the foothills to return to the entrance of the canyon. She couldn’t wait to see Reno’s face when he spotted her and realized she’d come to be with him. With a smile on her face, Journey set out on the first leg of her journey to a new life with the man of her dreams.

  * * *

  “We’re getting close and that damn war party is still on our tail,” Clay muttered in a low voice.

  Gentry stole a quick glance over his shoulder to confirm Clay’s observation. Sure enough, the four warriors were still following in the distance. “Bloody hell. What do they want?”

  “It’s just for intimidation,” Reno muttered, hoping to God he was right. “Delshay knew I’d be here today. I angered him when I asked for his help. He didn’t approve of the bond I shared with his mother.”

  “Well, if worse comes to worse, we’ll hold them off until you can make your ride through the canyon,” Clay assured his friend.

  Reno couldn’t help but worry, he couldn’t miss this chance. If he did, he’d have to wait an entire month before he could try again. “We’re not posing a threat. Maybe they’ll leave us alone. I just hate to leave you all behind to deal with them on your own.”

  “You don’t worry about us, Reno,” Cole told him. “The important thing here is to send you on your way.”

  “He’s right,” Clay agreed. “From inside the canyon, we can hold them off indefinitely.”

  “It won’t come to that,” Reno said the words with confidence, willing them to be true. With a rising sense of anticipation, he kept his eye on Enchanted Rock. Knowing Journey waited for him on the other side, he could almost feel her presence. Just the thought of holding her close gave Reno all the strength and courage he needed to face the unknown.

  As they drew near to the canyon, it became clear the Indians wo
uld pose a problem. The war party was slowly and steadily closing the gap between themselves and the cowboys. “Looks like we’ll be dealing with them after all.” Gentry’s hand moved down to cover his gun. “Good thing I brought some extra ammunition.”

  “Hell…” Reno cursed under his breath. “I don’t want this. I turned my life upside down to stop the fighting.”

  “And to save me,” Cole reminded him. “I consider your sacrifice to be very worthwhile.”

  “Just believe,” Clay reminded them. “Reno’s quest is part of a bigger plan. Let’s have faith his efforts will come to fruition.”

  Reno knew belief was all well and good, but there came a time when faith became action, or it was worthless. Lifting his head, he surveyed the sky. And when he did, his gaze landed on the faint image of a pale, full moon. His heart beat faster at the sight. “Look! I can see the moon. It’s faint, but it’s there.”

  “Of course, the surface of the moon reflects the sun’s light, no matter what time of day it is. The moon will be visible if you’re in the right spot to see it, and if it’s reflecting enough light to be brighter than the surrounding sky.” Leave it to Gentry to have an answer.

  “That’s all I needed to know.” By now, their mounts were standing at the mouth of the canyon. Reno let his hand drift down to touch the medicine bag in his pocket. “I’m going to try to go through now.”

  “Now?” Cole echoed. “Are you sure?”

  Reno could hear the regret in his brother’s voice. “If I don’t, I might lose my chance.” He took a moment to meet the gaze of each of the men who rode with him. “Give everyone at the ranch a final goodbye for me. And tell them how much I care.”

  “You got it.” Clay eased his gun from his holster. “You do what you need to do, and we’ll cover you.”

  “Thank you. Thank you all.” Ignoring the approaching braves, Reno guided Traveler a few yards from the entrance. He needed the extra distance to gain the speed he’d need.

  As he got into position, the others moved into position around him to form a barrier. “Be careful, Reno,” Cole called. “You’ll always be my brother.”

  “We’re all brothers,” Gentry raised a hand in farewell. “Godspeed my friend.”

  Reno tipped his hat to these men who meant the world to him, then he let out a war whoop of his own, urging Traveler to lunge forward into a run.

  …Some distance away, Journey heard that war whoop and recognized it for what it was. “Reno!” Flicking her reins, she gave Cinnamon her head. “Faster than ever, girl. There’s no time to waste.” With her heart in her throat, Journey bent low over the saddle, knowing she might not make it in time.

  With every second seeming like an hour, she rounded the upper rim of the canyon, her horse’s hooves sending rocks skittering down the hill as she fought time and space to reach her beloved in time. “Reno!” Journey screamed. She didn’t understand why this was happening, but she was determined to stop him if she could.

  As she came in view of the canyon’s mouth, Journey was shocked to see three men facing off four Indians in what appeared to be a stand-off. For just a split second, she marveled at the sight. Truly, she was back in time. “Reno! I have to stop Reno!”

  As for the cowboys and Indians, any offensive measures were stalled at the sight of the young woman and her horse barreling toward them, her dark hair flying behind her in the wind.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Clay breathed.

  “Is that…?” Cole was so stunned; he couldn’t finish his sentence.

  “Journey. Yes, indeed. I do believe that would be Mrs. Reno Black.” As she passed between Reno’s friends and his enemies, Gentry tipped his hat in greeting.

  After witnessing this spectacle, the braves retreated, leaving the men to watch the remainder of this unbelievable drama play out before their eyes.

  …Racing through the canyon, Reno was oblivious to anything other than what lay ahead of him. He was drawing near to the canyon wall. As before, he could feel the unrest in the air. He could see the portal was beginning to open…but what his eyes could make out didn’t look right. Instead of seeing the countryside he’d come to know so well, Reno saw a cloudy sea of nothing.

  At that moment of horrified realization, his ears detected an unbelievable sound.

  His Journey’s voice.

  “Reno! Reno! I’m here. Don’t go. Stop!”

  With everything in him, Reno pulled back on the reins. “Whoa! Whoa, boy! That’s not where we need to be.” Regrettably, compelling the stallion to stop and the stallion coming to a stop was two different things. Traveler’s forward momentum was so powerful, it threatened to carry them through the portal whether Reno wanted to go or not. “God, help me,” he prayed as he put his full weight into forcing the thousand-pound horse to bend to his will. All appeared lost, until the very last second when Traveler reared up on his hind legs. Reno watched in disbelief as the horse’s pawing hooves seemed to disappear into nothingness. “Oh, hell no.” He jerked the reins to the left and Traveler lurched to one side. The narrow miss forced all the air from Reno’s lungs.

  “Reno! Reno!”

  Without hesitation, he flung himself from the saddle. His feet had no more than touched the ground before Journey ran to him, launching herself into his arms. “I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Reno.”

  “Yes, you do, love. Yes, you do.”

  He held her so tightly, she could barely draw breath. Journey didn’t care, she’d breathe later. Right now, she wanted to revel in the fact that they were together.

  As Reno’s mind tried to make sense of what happened, he cupped her head, kissing her face repeatedly. “I can’t believe you’re here.” The momentous fact of her arrival was just beginning to sink in. “Are you all right? Is the baby all right?”

  “I couldn’t be better,” she assured him.

  Reno was unbelievably happy, but after what he’d just witnessed, he couldn’t help but be frightened out of his mind for her. “Do you know what a risk you took? Do you know what could’ve happened? What almost happened to me?”

  “Hush, beloved. It’s over. We’re together and we’ll never be apart again.”

  The absolute adoration he felt for his wife didn’t stop a small growl from rising in his throat. “I can’t believe you did this. I’m weak just thinking of all the ways this could’ve gone completely wrong.”

  “But it didn’t.” She framed his face. “Everything is perfect.” Journey took his hand and placed it on her heart. “Feel it beating? I’m real and I’m with you. Forever.”

  Reno hauled her close once more. “Yes, you are. But I still can’t get over…”

  “Fine. You can spank me tonight. Would that make you feel better?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Ahem.” A cough behind them drew the couple’s attention.

  “Oh, hello.” Journey moved forward to greet them. “I’m Journey.”

  Reno made the introductions. “Gentry Nelson, Clay Bennett, my brother, Cole Black – meet my wife, Journey.”

  All three stepped near to take her hand in turn. “We assumed as much when she came flying by.” Gentry had a big grin on his face. “We appreciated her timing; she scared the Indians plum off.”

  “I appreciated her timing too. If she hadn’t brought me out of my daze, I don’t know where I would’ve ended up. I got a glimpse of the place and I don’t think it’s anywhere I wanted to be.”

  Journey shivered at the thought. “Lou calculated the exact time of the full moon. I thought I could get here before you would try to go through the portal.”

  “Your plan would’ve worked if we hadn’t had to deal with our company.” Reno put his arm around her shoulder. “I think we’ve concluded our business in this canyon. I know we’ll be riding part of the night, but who wants to head back to the ranch?”

  No one disagreed with his suggestion.

  “Everybody’s going to be surprised to see you two,” Clay observed dryly.

 
Journey rode close to Reno with her hand held in his. “I’m looking forward to meeting everyone. Especially the children.”

  “I told them about you. I’m not sure they understood everything, but they do know how important you are to me.” Reno turned to Gentry. “I know your sister will be disappointed, but I think they’ll want to stay with me and Journey.”

  “She’ll understand,” Gentry assured them. “No one could deny their place is with you.”

  As they headed east toward King’s Ransom, Journey and Reno let the others ride ahead, giving them a small measure of privacy.

  “I talked to the moon every night,” she whispered. “Did you?”

  “I didn’t miss a time. It was the only way I could feel close to you. Did you get the letter I put in the journal?”

  “I did. It was wonderful and terrible all at the same time.” She told him about finding Emory’s book and reading the story about Ela. “I wasn’t sure it was true about Ela being dead until I got your letter. When I read it, I knew I had to come. I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to get back without her help.”

  Reno cleared his throat. “You were right. Were you close enough to see what I could see?”

  “No. I was just focused on you.”

  He shook his head in wonder. “I’m not sure where I was about to go. I do believe if we’d gone one step further, I would’ve never seen you again.”

  Journey trembled. “Oh, let’s not talk about it. It’s in the past.”

  “As you are,” Reno teased her. “Do you think you’ll be happy here? I know we discussed all you’d be leaving behind, but this is a whole different world from what you’re used to.”

  Journey edged Cinnamon close enough that she could lean over for a kiss. “It doesn’t matter to me if we’re in the past, the present, or the future. As long as I’m with you, my love…I’m home.”

  …Later that night, they made love with all the passion their hearts could hold. As he’d done the night of their wedding, Reno worshiped her body with his own. Filling her. Claiming her. Rejoicing in the fact that he was joined with his wife in the most perfect way.