Resting her chin in her hand, she pushed the button beneath the blinking light.
Message 1: Hello. Journey? This is Skye McCoy. I’m just calling to check on Reno. The firm date is the 17th. We’re still counting on him helping out at the fundraiser. Could you get back with me please?
“Arg. Yes.” They needed to do that. The date was cutting it awfully close. She wondered if he’d still want to participate.
Message 2: Hello. This message is for Miss Sojourner Stanton. My name is Donna with the Fredericksburg’s Sheriff Office. I’m calling in relation to the proceedings against Donny Vernon and Russ Kinsella. Please contact us ASAP concerning your…
“Dammit!” Journey pressed the button to stop the message. She’d never checked her email to see if the information on the form she’d sent was sufficient. “I’ll probably end up in jail myself”
And then something clicked. “What did that say? Kinsella?” Journey couldn’t believe her ears.
The sound of the back door opening, drew Journey’s attention. “Reno, come here. You’ve got to hear this.”
He moved closer and placed his hand on the small of her back. “What am I listening to?”
“A phone message.” She started the second one over again. As it played, she watched his eyes. When the names were stated, the expression on his face told her all she wanted to know. He’d had the same reaction she did. “Hell, that’s creepy. No wonder the man was nuts. It’s in his blood.”
“What does this mean?”
He rubbed her back. “I don’t know. Nothing? Everything?”
“I guess the family stayed in the area. Meanness can be hereditary.”
“The nut doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“Not in this case.” She pressed the button for the third message.
Message 3: Hello. Sorry. This is the sheriff’s office again. We need to speak with your guest, Mr. Reno Black, if he’s still in town. If not, we’ll need his address and telephone numbers. I also need to inform the witness, Miss Sojourner Stanton, that one of the perpetrators, Kinsella, voiced a specific threat of physical harm toward her. He is in custody. However, we are required by law to inform you of that incident. Thank you.
Reno’s hackles rose. “Damn him. I’ll tear the idiot limb from limb if he has the stupidity to come after you.”
His vehemence made Journey feel safe. “He’d be stupid all right.” She wrapped her arms around him. “I wouldn’t want to tackle you.”
“Aw, shucks. I was planning on you tackling me tonight.”
“Perhaps I can be persuaded.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I guess we’ll be going to the sheriff’s office together, won’t we?”
“Looks like it. Now, when’s your doctor’s appointment?”
Journey didn’t know what to say. “I don’t need to go.”
Her answer appeared to confuse Reno. “Oh, you’re all better? Well, then – let’s eat.” He went to lift the lid on the crock pot, but Journey jumped to stop him.
“Wait!”
Reno stood with his hand on the lid of the pot, her hand resting on top of his. “What’s wrong? Not hungry?”
“Dang you, Reno Black. You’re a rascal.”
“A rascal who’s about to be a father?”
“How did you know?” Her voice was small and soft.
“Honey, I wasn’t born yesterday,” he muttered dryly.
“No. You weren’t.” She sighed and hung her head. “I don’t know what happened. Maybe the first test was wrong. Or the condom broke. Or…this test could be wrong.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Yea, me neither.” She took one step closer to him. “Are you angry?”
“Angry? Are you kidding?” He fell to his knees at her feet to rest his head on her belly. “How could I be anything but overjoyed? The woman I love is carrying my child. This is the greatest blessing in the world.”
She melted as she felt him kiss her still flat abdomen. Grasping his head, she held him to her. “This won’t change anything, will it?”
Her question gave him pause. Reno knew what she meant, but he had no answer for her – not yet. “We’ll know what to do with the time comes.”
Journey did not like his vague answer at all. “I want to talk about this. I don’t want to wait until the last minute and be surprised.”
Standing to his feet, he framed her face and kissed her soundly. “Let me worry about this, love. Okay?”
“No. Not okay.” She wanted to argue about it now. Unfortunately, it appeared she’d have to have the argument on her own.
“Why don’t you call the sheriff, then the doctor, and try to make the appointments match up? We’ll get all of this done in one fell swoop.”
“I’ll give you one fell swoop,” Journey mumbled under her breath. When she glanced at Reno, it was to find him smiling. “What?”
“You’re going to look beautiful pregnant.”
“I hope so.” But would he be there to see it? That was her worry.
Ultimately, she did as he asked and placed the phone calls. “Okay, two o’clock.” She glanced at her phone. “We’ll have to leave soon. I also need to go to the mailbox.” As she put her purse by the packages to mail, Journey happened to glance at the answering machine again. “Oh, Reno. Skye McCoy called to verify you were still participating in the fundraiser.”
He met her gaze. “When is it?”
“The night before the full moon.”
Shaking his head, he said, “I just don’t know. Let me talk to Kota and Lou. I don’t want to jeopardize my leaving.”
Journey’s look of disappointment wasn’t really related to the fundraiser, it was the ‘my leaving’ that worried her.
