“Thank you.” There was nothing more he could say.
All of a sudden, Clay stood to peer at what lay in front of Reno. “What is that thing?”
At first, Reno didn’t know what he was referring to. Then, it dawned on him that Clay was asking about the plastic bag. After living with Journey for a month, he’d become used to seeing them. They’d packed sandwiches in plastic bags to take on picnics. She used them to hold open bottles of essential oils. Produce from the grocery stores was packed into the bags for transport. “This?” A smile came to his face. He’d been so upset he hadn’t considered there was something in his possession to prove he’d visited the future. “Oh, this is a plastic bag. A very common item in the future. People use them for all sorts of things. They put food in them to keep it fresh. Sometimes the bags are just used for storage, like Journey used it to protect these papers. She was probably afraid I might ride through a rainstorm and the bags are waterproof.” With a tiny smirk on his mouth, he passed the bag to Clay.
Clay accepted the oddity, rubbing it between his fingers. Mystified, he held it up to peer through the clear plastic. With wide eyes, he moved the zipper across the top, sealing and unsealing the bag.
“Give me that.” Gentry took it from Clay and repeated the thorough examination. “What is this made of? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I don’t know what it’s made from. That was one of the few questions I never got around to asking Journey.” Reno felt a bit vindicated as King took his turn examining the item in question.
While they were busy with the bag, Reno couldn’t help but unfold Journey’s note. He was so hungry for any contact with her that the few sweet words made him so homesick he could’ve cried. With a gentle thumb, he traced the closing salutation she’d written. Your loving wife.
“Wait, what else do you have there, Reno?
When he glanced up, he could see Clay was pointing at Journey’s note.
“This is a note from Journey. She slipped it in the bag with the other papers.” Unashamed, he passed the paper to Clay.
His friend didn’t seem concerned with reading the note. He was much more fascinated by the photograph on the opposite side advertising the helicopter ride he and Journey had taken over the city of Austin. “As I live and breathe…”
Reno wished he could kiss Journey about now. He had no idea if any of this was done on purpose or not. Either way, he was glad she’d included the bag and the note. “That flying machine is called a helicopter. We rode inside of it over the city of Austin. As you can see, in the future our capital is a big city with tall skyscrapers. If you look closely, you can also make out all the heavy traffic on the freeway.”
His three friends passed the photograph from hand to hand. All were equally amazed. Finally, Clay looked at his friend. “I think I owe you an apology, Reno. I don’t know how to explain it, but I believe you now. Somehow, someway, you’ve been to the future and back.”
* * *
After answering a dozen more questions, Reno finally made his escape. He was desperate for a few minutes alone. Picking up his things that he’d left just inside Fancy’s kitchen door, he carried them to the bunkhouse. On the way, he stopped by the paddock to check on Traveler. Ace, or someone, had taken good care of the stallion. Reno was grateful for this. He’d been so anxious to see his friends; he’d left the animal tied to the hitching post.
As he walked across the property, he surveyed the entire area. He couldn’t help but compare what he saw now to the home the Blackhawk family would build on the same spot. An eerie sensation crept over him. He thought of those Roman soldiers who seemingly marched from ancient times to the present. Watching the ground ahead of him, he wondered at the people from the past who’d covered this same ground and those from the future who would walk in their footprints. The idea made him feel adrift, like he needed to catch onto something to hold himself in place.
Inside the bunkhouse, he noticed his space was now occupied. “What in tarnation? Let a fellow die and they can’t wait to push you aside and claim your spot.” With a disgusted snort, he moved further, throwing his saddlebags on the next unoccupied bed in line. Sitting down, he took Journey’s note from his pocket to read over and over again. For long moments, his mind and heart traveled a century and a half away.
What was she doing? Did she miss him? He thought of his promise to place a letter in Saul’s journal for Journey to find. With a sinking heart, Reno realized he didn’t know what to write to her. He could say he arrived safely, but without Ela, he couldn’t promise to return in a month or two months – not until he figured out a solution. Should he even tell her about Ela’s death? He knew the news would devastate her. What if the extra worry made her or the baby ill? There wouldn’t be a damn thing he could do about it. Why, he wouldn’t even know about it. Reno doubled over with the realization that he might be able to send her a message, but she’d never be able to send him one in return.
Unable to sit still any longer, he placed the precious note beneath his pillow. With a heavy heart, he left the bunkhouse. He didn’t know if he’d ever be able to return to Journey again, but whatever time
