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

by Sable Hunter

  “I wish she’d come on.”

  Kicking at a small stone, he felt desolate. “What’s she doing over there?” He wanted to leave too. He needed time to think.

  “Probably picking his brain. They may be arguing about the meaning of life. Who knows?”

  When they finally saw her bid the old man adieu, Reno quickly climbed into the car and started the engine. Journey waited with her door ajar. “What was that all about, Lou?”

  “I just had some more questions. If there’s anything we should be doing on our end to get ready, I needed to know.”

  They’d both settled into their seats before Journey asked, “What did Kota suggest we do to get ready?”

  “He told me to find out the exact moment when the moon will be the fullest. He also gave me a list of gemstones to buy at Nature’s Treasures shop on I-35 in Austin.”

  Reno reached up to adjust his rearview mirror. “There’s some things I need to take back with me, Lou.” He proceeded to let her in on the information they’d received from the lawyer. “It’s imperative I have copies of those files to give to Cole’s attorney.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem, Reno. The calling card from the lawyer, it came through in your saddlebag just fine,” Journey reminded him.

  “Maybe we should sew them into your clothes to make sure,” Lou suggested as they pulled into the drive. “Look, your aunt’s home and she’s got a visitor.”

  They could see Myra sitting on the patio with her dogs and a man standing next to her. “Who is that?” Reno asked.

  As they drew near enough to make out details, Journey gasped. “What is he doing here?”

  Lou couldn’t help but giggle. “The plot thickens, Jo.”

  “I don’t know what’s he thinking – coming here, like this – but I’m damn sure going to find out.” This is all she needed. A very unexpected and unwelcome guest.

  “Who is he?” Since no one had answered him, Reno repeated his question with a little more volume.

  “That’s Journey’s boyfriend.”

  “Lou!” She turned to Reno. “He’s not my boyfriend. We just dated a few times. He stood me up the weekend before I came to housesit for Myra. You have nothing to be jealous about.” She’d seen Reno knock Sam on his backside over an innocent hug. She couldn’t imagine what he might do to Casey.

  “I’m not jealous. You said he’s not your boyfriend. I believe you.”

  “Sensible. See Journey, Reno can be reasonable.”

  “Well, surprise, surprise.” Journey remained in her seat as logical Lou and sensible Reno exited the car. At the moment, she felt anything but reasonable.

  Why wasn’t Reno jealous?

  When he’d gone all caveman on Samuel she’d been horrified, of course. Now, in hindsight, she had to admit seeing him go all nuts because some other guy touched her had been hot. Mulling the matter over, she wrapped her arms around her middle and narrowed her eyes as she watched Reno saunter up to Casey to introduce himself.

  Aunt Myra was all smiles, offering everyone lemonade. She waved at Journey. “Aren’t you coming in? Why are you still sitting out there?”

  Reluctantly, Journey made her way over to the gathering. Pasting a saccharine smile on her face, she addressed her former boyfriend. “Casey, what are you doing here?”

  “He was out driving around; thought he’d stop by and say hi.” Oddly enough, this observation came from Reno.

  “Oh, really?” She didn’t know which man to glare at first. “Casey, could I have a word, please? In private?”

  “Oh, let him drink his lemonade first, Sojourner. Where are your manners?”

  “I lost them, Aunt Myra.” She took Casey by the hand, tugging until they were on the other side of the house. “Why did you come?”

  The big man shrugged, his pale green eyes twinkling. “I missed you?”

  “Was that a question? You don’t know if you missed me?”

  “All right.” He held up his palms in surrender. “I didn’t like the way we left things. It was stupid for me to break our date to check on my ex. I know now that she was just using me to make her current guy jealous.”

  “Well, you made a mistake. You chose her over me.” She glanced back toward Reno, who just happened to be looking their way. “Anyway, I’m with somebody else now.”

  “The cowboy?” Casey asked with a chuckle. “He told me you’d be glad to see me.”

  Journey couldn’t believe her ears. “He did, did he?”

  …Across the way, Reno felt like his guts were tying themselves in knots. He hated to see that bastard making eyes at Journey. He also couldn’t stand the sight of her smiling up at him with those big blue eyes shining like stars.

  “What are you doing, Reno?” Lou jabbed him with a sharp elbow. “Go over there and break up that reunion.”

  Now wasn’t the time, but Reno wanted to tell Lou that it was for the best, how Journey would be far better off with someone who wasn’t planning on leaving the current century. He also wanted to break the grinning idiot’s jawbone. “Journey doesn’t like it when I’m uncivilized,” he spoke in a teasing manner, then went back to gritting his teeth.

  “I agree.” Myra looked pleased with the situation. “Manners are so important.”

  Needing to get the hell away, Reno thought up an excuse. “While you all visit, I think I’ll go check on Traveler.”

  …Journey saw Reno as he started for the barn. She needed to talk to him. Now. “Look, Casey, I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing, but…” Truth time. “I’ve been in love with Reno Black for years. I think it’s time for you to go.”

  She didn’t linger to hear what retort he might make. Reno was acting strange and she intended to get to the bottom of the matter. Now. Yes, the thought crossed her mind to pretend Casey meant something to her, but she didn’t want their relationship to be poisoned by deceit. With quick steps she made it across the yard, to the open door of the barn. His name was on her lips when she heard him speaking to someone. Journey put a hand to her mouth and just listened.

  “This is all messed up, Traveler. The guy’s probably rich. She deserves the best. She deserves to be safe. But I love her. What am I going to do?”

  “Reno.” Journey came toward him slowly. Her heart melting. He did care.

  Weighing his words, Reno muttered slowly, “I thought you had company. Shouldn’t you get back to him?”

  “I told him to hit the road. His coming here was a mistake.”

  “Are you sure? He seemed like a nice fellow.”

  Journey couldn’t read Reno’s body language. He seemed tense but defeated. She didn’t think jealousy was the problem. She’d never left any room for doubt in his mind where her love for him was concerned. So…what was wrong? “Oh, he’s okay. Still in love with his ex-wife. He stood me up on our last date to be with her.”

  “Bastard.”

  His snarled word brought a smile to Journey’s lips. “Yea, that’s what I called him.” She moved a little closer. Suddenly, it dawned on her what the problem could be. “You’re scared, aren’t you?”

  If possible, his back stiffened even more. “Me? Scared?” He whirled on her; his eyes black with…tears? “I’ve faced death more times than I can count. I’ve wrestled a cougar barehanded. I’ve marched into battle knowing we were outnumbered, outgunned, and the chances of my survival was slim to none. I am not afraid of dying. I am not a coward.”

  Journey didn’t back down in the face of his anger. She raised her chin and looked him in the eye. “I know you’re not a coward. You’re not afraid for yourself, Reno. I didn’t say that. I know you’re scared for me.”

  As soon as she spoke, she saw his shoulders drop, his head bow. “God, yes. I love you so much. I can’t stand the thought of something happening to you. I’d rather live without you than know I brought you harm.”

  Journey threw her arms around his neck and crushed her body to his. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. Don’t you know that? Did
n’t you hear what Kota Blue said – I am your anchor. Your lodestone. Everything will be fine; I know it will. We’re meant to be.”

  Reno couldn’t resist her. Her love for him was magical. “You’re my angel.” He cupped her head with one hand and held her tight, closing his eyes to memorize every breath she took, every beat of her heart.

  “We’re so close to working this out. Lou will come up with something to keep us safe. And with Kota’s help, we’ll be fine. I just know we will.”

  Reno wished he could be as certain.

  “Journey! Reno!” Myra called from a distance. “Dinner’s ready!”

  Journey clung to him. “I’m not ready to let you go.” Not now. Not ever.

  Kissing the side of her face, he let out a ragged sigh. “Let’s go in. We have the night to look forward to. I’ll hold you until morning dawns.”

  * * *

  “I am stuffed. You can cook for me anytime, Aunt Myra.” Reno patted his full stomach. “What did you call that dish?”

  Myra shook her head. “I can’t believe I’m about to lecture a true Texas cowboy on the nature of chicken fried steak.”

  Reno looked amused. “Remember, I may be a cowboy now, but I started out as a half-breed from Tennessee.”

  Journey reached under the table to squeeze his knee. She couldn’t stand when he denigrated himself in anyway. “A perfect mix as far as I’m concerned.”

  Paying no attention to their byplay, Myra took great pride in sharing her recipe. “There’s a lot of differing opinions on the origin of chicken-fried steak, but my favorite is how Jimmy Don Perkins, a short-order cook from Lamesa, created the dish by accident in 1911. As the tale is told, he misunderstood an order for chicken and another for steak as being one order and a Texas delicacy was born, a perfect marriage of meat, batter and grease. It’s easy as pie to make, you take a cheap cut of steak, like round, and you beat the hell out of it with a mallet.”

  Reno got so tickled watching her pretend to be hammering on a piece of meat. “Beat the hell out of it, you say?”

  “That’s right.” She kept hammering the air with her fist. “Next, you season it up with salt and black pepper. Then, you dip it in a mixture of egg and milk before dredging it in flour. Heat your shortening in a cast-iron skillet and fry it up golden brown. You can use the leftover grease and drippings to make the cream gravy.”

  Reno tapped the side of his empty plate. “Well, I can guarantee I’ll be cooking this dish in the King’s Ransom kitchen before too long.”

  Aunt Myra’s eyes grew wide. “If you do, Jimmy Don won’t be the one who invented it.” Lifting her palms to her cheeks, her mouth formed a perfect O. “Reno, don’t tell them it’s chicken-fried steak, call it Myra-Weiss steak. I’ll be famous before I’m born!”

  Journey laughed. “There’s no telling how many oddball things will turn weird if he starts changing history, Aunt Myra.”

  Lou, who’d been pretty quiet so far, tapped the tines of her fork nervously on her water glass. “Isn’t changing history what this is all about? Reno goes back in time to stop the massacre of the Native Americans and to save his brother. That’s changing a lot of history. I wonder what all repercussions there’ll be?”

  “Innocent people won’t die, that’s the best repercussion there can be.” Reno acted shocked that she’d even voiced the thought.

  Lou wasn’t through. “I realize what you’re saying, but the consequences could be far-reaching. Generations of people will be born that wouldn’t have been born otherwise. Their actions will have an impact on society and on history. Some actions will be for great good and others will undoubtedly be for great evil.”

  “Are you trying to talk me out of this?” Reno asked. “Because it’s not going to work. I can’t worry about those far-reaching effects. All I want to do is save the people I care about – what happens after that is in the hands of fate.”

  Lou said no more. She just studied her plate, seeming to choose not to argue. Aunt Myra looked thoughtful, but she didn’t voice an opinion either. Journey just chose to let it be. As far as she was concerned, Reno was right. This was too important for him to worry about a future he couldn’t control.

  “Well, how about dessert?” Myra stood and began to gather the dishes. “Get some bowls, Journey.”

  “What are we having?” Folding his napkin and placing it by his plate, Reno pushed his worries aside for another time.

  “Homemade peach cobbler using fresh Stonewall peaches.” Myra named a small community just east of Fredericksburg famous for its peach orchards. “And! Homemade vanilla ice cream!”

  In no time at all, they were all chowing down on a bowl of sweet goodness. Reno ate two helpings, then groaned because he was so full. Once they were finished, Journey rose to her feet. “I’ll clean the kitchen, Aunt Myra. You go sit down.”

  “No. I’ll do it. Everyone out of the kitchen, it’s my turn.” Lou shooed them away.

  “Okay.” Journey agreed, noticing Lou looked a bit guilty. “Thanks.”

  “I appreciate the break. My feet are killing me.” Myra doled out hugs to all three of them. “I’m going to reward my pups for their good behavior with a bite or two of ice cream, then we’re going to hit the hay. Someone please make sure everything is locked up tight.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Journey promised as she wiped the crumbs from the table. “I’m going to be up a while.”

  “You are?” Reno asked as he lingered nearby. “I thought you’d be coming to bed.”

  At first, she didn’t answer him. Instead, she turned to Lou. “Thanks for everything. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

  “Oh, hush.” Lou threw a dishtowel at her. “Go be with your cowboy.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” She left the kitchen to meet Reno in the dining area. “I was just stalling. I’m worried about having sex so near to Aunt Myra. She’ll hear us.”

  “Okay. Let’s sleep in my room.”

  “Won’t help. She’ll notice when I don’t come to my room.”

  “Problem solved. You go to your room and I’ll sneak out and climb in your window. We can have a contest as to who has the quietest orgasm.”

  “Oh, Reno.” A grin came to her face. “That’s silly.”

  “The window or the orgasm?”

  “Climbing through the window is silly.” She took hold of his arm to face him toward the hall. “She’ll just have to deal with it, the idea of those orgasms sounds too good to miss.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  After the loving, Reno lay facing Journey in the bed. Moonlight from the window over the head of the bed illuminated her beautiful face. “Do you think she’s asleep?”

  “Probably not. She likes to read once she’s in bed.”

  “Did you read in bed before I started keeping you company?”

  “Sometimes. My favorite books were romance novels set in the old west.” She gave him a cheeky little grin. “Guess who was always the hero?”

  “Little Joe Cartwright?”

  She reached out to playfully touch his nose. “When are you watching so much television?”

  “You have a kindle HD, remember? I watch it when I’m visiting Sir. John.”

  She giggled. “When did the John get knighted?”

  Now, it was his turn to tap her on the nose. “I bet you didn’t know this…the first flushing toilet was invented by Sir John Harrington, a poet and Queen Elizabeth’s godson. Gentry says he was her favorite. She was blessed with a hundred and one other godchildren, but only John made it possible for her stercus to go away.”

  “Her what?”

  “Stercus is another name for…” He whispered the unsavory word in her ear.

  “Wow, who would’ve thought? I’ll always think of the toilet as Sir John from now on.”

  “Now, look who’s teaching who stuff.” Reno was so proud of himself.

  “Will I have to use the outhouse at King’s Ransom, or do you have an indoor Sir John?”

 
“Fancy has the best facilities Kingston could get his hands on.” He paused a moment. “I always intended to have one put in the cabin.”

  “I hope you do. I don’t relish the thought of braving freezing weather to do my business.”

  Reno felt the now familiar rush of anxiety at the thought of Journey traveling through the portal. He quickly sought to change the focus of their conversation. “Guess what? I’ve also been listening to Elvis. You were right. The King is cool.”

  “Cool? Listen to you. With that lingo and this long hair, people are going to mistake you for just a regular Austin hippie.”

  “That’s all right. Let them think what they will.” He let his eyes rove over her features. “I just want to look at you.”

  Journey basked in his attention. “I love being with you like this.”

  “When I used to lay in bed and wish for you, I’d imagine how wonderful it would be to make love to you. I had no idea how much I’d just love to hold you and whisper together.”

  “I love it too. But am I as pretty as you hoped?”

  “Prettier. And sweeter. And so much smarter.” He chuckled, pushing a lock of hair from her face. “You’re everything a man could want.” Leaning forward, he rubbed his nose against hers. “Now that we’ve been together a while, I have to ask you a question. Am I the man you thought I’d be?”

  “You’re better.”

  This made him laugh. “I doubt that. I’m a toot. Remember?”

  She shook her head. “We’ve had this conversation before. Are we both so insecure?”

  “Maybe. A little.” He tangled his legs with hers. “Like you, I’m afraid all of this will just disappear.”

  “No, don’t think like that. Please.”

  Reno swallowed before he spoke, seeming to hesitate.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “I’ve been thinking, and I want you to stay here when I leave.”

  “Reno. No!” She struggled in his arms, but he held her tight. “I won’t.”