by Sable Hunter
His concern warmed her heart. “I wish you could stay too.” Panic gripped her. Now that he was here – however impossible that seemed – how could she let him go?
He pointed to the telephone. “You spoke to the lawman on that…”
“Telephone. Yes. They’re sending someone to search for the men. They’ll let me know as soon as they find them.”
He nodded, removing his hat. They were both standing, stealing glances at one another. “Can I ask you a question?” he muttered, then cleared his throat.
“Yes, of course. I’m sure you have some. As I do.” She motioned to the dining table. “Sit with me, please.”
“All right.” He moved ahead of her quickly, holding out a chair for her to take a seat.
“Oh, thank you. Such a gentleman.” She giggled softly. “I knew you would be.”
“Why?” He waved his hand, dismissing his own question. “This is all so very strange.” Coming around to sit across from her, he pulled his chair nearer the table, leaning toward her intently. “Did you say your name is Stanton?” Before she could answer, he chuckled. “I haven’t even introduced myself.”
“You don’t have to.” She spoke just above a whisper. “I know who you are.”
Reno stared at her intently. “How could you know? We’ve never met.”
“No. We haven’t.” She wanted to blurt out what she knew, but she didn’t. The impossibility of the situation baffled her. Journey was afraid she’d say the wrong thing and he’d disappear in a poof of smoke. “I know of you. You’re Reno Black.”
“I am.”
He smiled at her and Journey felt her heartrate go crazy.
“And yes, my name is Journey Stanton.”
“I heard you tell the lawman your name. The children I befriended. The ones I was protecting tonight. Their last name is Stanton.”
“Saul, Huck, Emory, and Tess. Right?”
“Yes! Are you related?” Just hearing their names said aloud sent a wave of fresh worry upon Reno.
“Yes, you could say that.”
Before she could say more, he went on. “No one knew they had relatives so close. Since they lost their parents; they’ve been alone except for me and my friends. I’ve been trying to convince them to move to King’s Ransom. So far, Saul’s been hardheaded. After what happened tonight, those raiders attacking and setting fire to the cabin, there’s no way they can remain alone.”
Realization began to dawn for Journey. “Tonight, you were with them. In order to save the children from the Indian attack, you led the war party away. The children escaped, but you… Oh, God.” She bowed her head and covered her eyes. “I’m going crazy. I’m as nutty as a fruitcake.”
“It wasn’t Indians,” Reno blurted, then stood up to pace the floor. “I’m sure the children are safe with Clay, but I’ll feel better once I see for himself.” Stopping, he wheeled to face her. “Wait. How did you know any of that? And if you’re related to the children, why haven’t you been to see them?”
Journey could barely talk. She held up her hands, asking for a moment. “This is the night. In your time, this is the night you disappeared.”
“What are you talking about?” Reno asked. “Tell me. Now.” He demanded an answer.
“I know this seems strange to you.” She stood and walked toward him slowly. “When I think of the many times that I dreamed of this very thing happening.” She laughed. “How often I wished…”
“Wished for what?”
“Wished for you!” Her eyes roved over his face. “You look exactly the same. I’ve memorized each of your features.” She hiccupped a sob. “Oh, God.” She bent over. “I think I’m going to faint.”
Reno was stunned. He reached out to help her. “Sit down.” Fetching the glass that he’d used before; he went to refill it. When he returned, he squatted at her feet. “Drink this, then explain to me what you’re saying.”
Journey sipped the water. “Thank you.” She rubbed the condensation off the glass, searching for the right words to say. “This is all so unbelievable.”
“I admit, I’m pretty confused myself.” He looked around him, taking note of the fine furnishings. “The Stanton children should be here with you.”
Trembling, Journey hugged herself. “That’s not possible.” She laughed at her lack of assuredness about anything. “At least, I don’t think it is. Of course, I can’t explain why you’re here. Was there a time warp or something? I should talk to Lou. She knows all about the theory of relativity and all that stuff.” She put her fingers to her temple. “I’m so confused my head hurts.”
“Your words baffle me.” Reno returned to his seat. “It’s like we’re speaking two different languages.” He lifted his dark eyes to hers. “I don’t know what’s going on.”
“Neither do I.” She gave him a tremulous smile. “But it’s wondrous.”
He didn’t comment on the wonder of it all. Instead, he struggled with the prospect. “Can you tell me more?”
Licking her bottom lip, she tried to decide what to say. What would make sense. “You are very important to our family. My nickname is Journey, but my real first name is Sojourner. I was named for your mother.”
His eyes widened as he stared at her. “How did you know my mother?”
“My own mother read about your Sojourner in Saul’s journal. She loved the name and everything you told Saul about her.”
“Saul’s journal?”
“Yes. He recorded everything he knew about you, everything you ever told him. Reno, my family has told and retold stories about you for generations.”
“How is that possible?”
“Do you want to see the journal?” she offered.
As if the thought of confirming this madness was too much to contemplate, he dry-scrubbed his face. “No. I don’t have time. I need to…” Suddenly, he jumped up and threw his hands up in disbelief. “How can you have his journal? I just left him a few hours ago and he had the damn thing packed to take to King’s Ransom.”
Seeing his obvious distress, Journey wanted to offer him comfort. Taking him by the hand, she tugged him down to sit next to her on the sofa. Her mouth was dry, and she felt weak in the knees. Just looking at him was a miracle. “I don’t understand any of this either. It’s like a dream.” She raised a hand as if to touch him, then drew back. “The portrait didn’t do you justice, you know.”
“What portrait?” He felt as if he were asking a million questions and none of the answers made sense.
“I’ll show you.” Rising, she hurried from the room and returned with the tintype, holding it out to him.
With a shaking hand, Reno took the picture. It looked the same…but different. Older. “I gave this to Saul today. How did you get it?”
Journey didn’t answer right away. Instead, she sat down and reached for his hand. “You feel real.” She moved her thumb over his palm, letting her fingers interlace with his.
Reno barked a laugh. “Hell, of course I’m real. As real as they come.”
“I know, that’s the amazing part.” Before he could protest again, she began to speak. “In Saul’s journal, he recorded that the night you led the raiders away from the cabin – you disappeared. You never came home.”
Once more he jumped up, moving in a circle, as if he didn’t know which way to turn. “I have to make sure Clay and the kids are okay – then I’ve got to get to Waco. I need to help Cole.”
“Cole. Your brother.”
Every word she said seemed to send a fresh set of shockwaves straight at him. “Yes. How did you know?” He shook his head. “Don’t answer that. I’ve got to go.” After taking two steps he stopped, seemingly reluctant to leave. “Do you feel well?”
She was shocked. Stunned. Elated. Confused. “Yea, I’m okay.”
“And you’re safe?”
“The police said they’d let me know about the men who were threatening me.” A pain pierced her heart. He was asking these questions because he was about to walk out
of her life. She couldn’t explain the urgency she felt to stop him. Reaching out, she took him by the arm. “Don’t go. Please.”
Reno didn’t pull away, he just looked deep into her eyes. “Saying no to you seems to be very difficult for me.”
“Then…don’t.” Journey wanted to tell him how she felt. How she’d longed for him. Dreamed about him. A nervous giggle escaped from her lips. If she was that honest, he’d head for the hills for sure. “Stay.”
Reno exhaled wearily. “As much as I’d like to,” he muttered gently, “I can’t. I have…responsibilities. I need to go to the cabin. I need to make sure the raiders didn’t find Clay and the kids.”
“They didn’t, but I understand.” Journey knew he needed more reassurance than she could give him. “You need to go, and I need to go with you. I’ll saddle up one of the horses and come along.” There was no way she was letting him just ride out of her life.
“No.” He shook his head emphatically. “You’re safe here.”
“I’m safer with you.” She insisted with no doubt in her mind. “Besides, you might get lost.” Reno rolled his eyes, which made Journey laugh out loud.
“Me? Lost?” He walked to the window where he could see the pink granite dome in the distance. The moonlight gave the mountain a luminous quality. “As long as I can see Enchanted Rock, I know where I am.”
“Let me change shoes.” She took off to find her boots, calling over her shoulder. “It won’t take but a second.”
“Journey!” He slammed his hat on his head. “You’re making me dizzy.”
“I am?” Journey came back into the kitchen, then plopped down on the barstool to change shoes. “Is that a good thing?”
“Lord, if I know.” With a gentle hand, he reached up to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. “What am I going to do with you?” A tender feeling made his heart ache. If only he’d met her at another time.
Journey said nothing. She could make a few suggestions. “I don’t know.”
“Are you sure about this? I’m riding to Saul’s cabin, then on to the home of my friend, Ela Blue. I don’t have time to escort you back here.”
Ela Blue. Journey thought for a second. That name seemed familiar, but she couldn’t remember why. “Wait a minute. When you were bringing me home, I thought you said we were riding in the same direction as Saul’s cabin.”
“I did say that.” He looked even more confused.
She took him by the arm. “Don’t you see? That makes perfect sense. My great-aunt always said this house was built in the exact place where Saul’s cabin used to sit long ago.”
“What you’re saying is impossible.” Reno walked to the window, as if the familiar sight of Enchanted Rock would anchor him. “I rode away from the cabin just hours ago.”
“I know it sounds strange, but something amazing has happened.” She stood just behind him. Near enough to feel his heat. This man she’d only dreamed about was here. Flesh and blood. “Reno, do you know what year it is?”
“Yes.” He turned to answer with confidence. “The year is 1869.”
Journey turned in a circle, seeking some way to convince him. Going to the wall, she flipped the light switch. “Electricity. I don’t think it’s invented for another ten years in your time.” Going to pick up the phone, she held it to her ear. “Telephone, the first one was invented in 1876.”
“What are you saying?”
“There have been two world wars. One began in 1914 and the other in 1939. We can fly now, in airplanes. We sent a rocket to the moon. Men walked on its surface. Now, we have computers that can access all the information in the world. We’ve even created artificial intelligence.”
“You’re speaking gibberish,” he protested.
Journey could only imagine how all of this sounded to him. “Reno, the year isn’t 1869. This is 2019.”
Reno blinked, holding her gaze. “2019?” He threw back his head and laughed. “No, it’s not.”
“Yes, it is.” She held the gaze of the man she’d idolized for years, her heart beating ninety miles a minute. “Somehow, Reno, you’ve traveled through time. A hundred and fifty years into the future.”
CHAPTER SIX
“Two thousand nineteen?” Reno repeated the number. A very large number. “Two thousand nineteen.” The very sound of the words was alien to his ears. “I don’t understand.” He’d sure repeated those words more than one time tonight.
“Neither do I,” Journey answered him. “That’s why we need to figure this out together.” She unlocked the back door and held it open for him. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“I don’t like this,” Reno muttered – but he followed her anyway.
Once they saddled up, Journey took the lead. “We’ll go through the gate again and into the park. You can decide which way after that.”
“Why do you call this land a park?” he asked as he took care of the latch on the gate as he’d done before.
“The land is protected so it can’t be developed.” Knowing he wouldn’t know what that meant, she elaborated. “The states and the federal government have reserved beautiful tracts of wilderness to keep them from being bought up and filled with residential communities and strip malls.”
“Strip mauls?” he chuckled, repeating the words as he heard them. “I’m sure that doesn’t mean what the words imply.”
“No. I’m sure it doesn’t. A strip mall is a shopping center. Stores. Where people go to buy things.” When he didn’t say more, she let it go. Suddenly, she spotted something in the distance. Flashing red and blue lights. “Look. Police lights. They found those two idiots who were chasing me.” As they watched, the lights began to move. “There’s no way they drove a pick-up into the area, they must be on ATV’s.” When her observation was met by silence, Journey realized she was still speaking Greek to Reno. “Uh, basically pick-ups and ATV’s are horseless carriages of different sizes. They run on gasoline powered engines.”
“Like I said. I need an interpreter with you.”
“I’ll try to do better.”
“That’s okay. There won’t be time for that.” Reno kept his eyes focused on the lay of the land before him.
“We’ll see.” There was no use arguing. Whatever would happen, would happen. As she observed the flashing lights fade into the distance, Journey didn’t really know what else to say. If she wasn’t in the real honest-to-God company of her dream guy, she could easily define this scenario as twilight zone material. Stealing a glance at Reno on his horse, she reveled in the fact that he was here with her. Not merely a fantasy or a daydream. He was here, dressed in all black, a red bandana, and that sexy mane of dark hair which made him look like a Greek god.
“I don’t mean to be rude, Journey.” He turned to glance at her, the bright, full moon giving them enough light to see by. “I’ve never heard that word used as a name. I like it.”
“Thanks. My mom said it fit me. She said I was always ready to walk a new path. Sojourner means someone who resides in a place temporarily, you know.” She held onto the saddle horn, thankful all her horse needed to do was follow Reno’s. Riding at night wasn’t something she’d done before.
“My mother always said we were bound for a better place.” He laughed at the irony. “And look at me now. I wonder if this is what she meant.”
“Maybe.” When he pulled up on the reins and paused to look in all directions, she asked, “Is something wrong?”
“I’m just trying to figure this out.” He patted Traveler’s neck, peering into the distance. “I know this land. This mountain. I’ve ridden these hills and canyons for four years. But tonight, I can see differences, things that weren’t there before.”
“Erosion. Trees growing. Trees dying. Landscapes change over time.”
“Yet from my perspective, I came through here just hours ago.” He pressed his knee into Traveler’s flank to get him going. “But you were right, according to the position of the mountain and the stars, I should’ve come up
on Saul’s cabin.” Reno looked behind him. “It’s gone.”
Journey said nothing. She just let him continue to think aloud.
“There. Up ahead. That’s the canyon where I led Kinsella and his gang away from the children. Come on.”
Heading into rougher terrain, they rode down a trail with high rock walls. “Who was Kinsella?”
“He was one of the raiders.” Reno ignored the possibility of the passage of time. “In the past several months, several homesteads have been attacked. Homes have been burned. Livestock stolen. People have been killed. Everyone assumed it was the Apache, Comanche, or some other tribe. What we didn’t realize was that the raiders were white men disguised as Indians.” He peered ahead of him in the darkness, trying to see the opening he’d ridden through earlier. “In addition to the loss of life and property, the deceit has done untold damage to the relations between the settlers and the tribes they live among.”
“How awful.” About that time her stomach rumbled, reminding Journey that she still hadn’t eaten. “What are we looking for?”
“I’m retracing my path through the canyon, trying to figure out…” Holding out his hand, he halted their progress. “Stop. How in the hell?”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, trying to determine what he was seeing. “I don’t see anything. I can barely see you.”
“I wasn’t imagining things earlier. There is no opening. This is solid rock. A box canyon.” Just like Kinsella had said. “Earlier, there was a passageway. I rode through it. Now…it’s gone.”
“Are you sure this is the same place?”
“Positive.”
Journey remained quiet as he inspected the area. He kept staring at the rock wall, even going so far as to climb down from the horse and run his hand over the rough, solid surface. She couldn’t offer any answers. Something strange had definitely happened. After all, somehow – someway, he’d essentially slipped through time.
After a few more moments, he mounted quickly, heading out of the canyon at a trot. “On to Ela Blue’s.”
