…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? Didn’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.
