“I’m giving you fair warning, Lou, so put on your thinking cap. If Reno can’t come back to me, you and Kota are going to help me go to him.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
For almost three hours, Cole rode beside his brother as they traversed the land that lay in the shadow of Packsaddle Mountain. Reno told him amazing things about how he’d ridden Traveler through an open portal that somehow existed in a solid stone wall. He revealed to Cole the wonders the future held in store. With obvious love in his voice, he did his best to explain the mystery of Journey. “No one could ever convince me we weren’t meant to be together. I know its hard to believe, but it was like she was expecting me. She knew me almost as well as I knew myself.”
“How could she know you? How is that possible?”
“Saul wrote a journal, recounting everything he could think of about our time together and things I’d told him. That journal was passed down through his family and ended up with Journey. She also had a tintype portrait of me that she kept under her pillow at night.”
“Dang. That’s romantic as hell.”
“The way we met was so random, yet so perfect. As I was leading these raiders away from the children, they chased me into this box canyon. When I rode through the solid wall of that canyon, I found her on the other side, being chased by what turned out to be almost a mirror image of those same men. Hell, one of the thugs chasing her was a descendant of one of the bastards chasing me.”
Cole marveled at what his brother told him. “You were right. My mind is boggled.”
“It’s okay if you don’t believe me…” Reno began before Cole interrupted him.
“Oh, I believe you. I remember the strange things mother used to say about you and your future. Is this the girl at the end of the rainbow?”
Reno told him about the times he’d seen the rainbow with Journey. He also told his brother of finding their mother’s grave after all those years. “I was so afraid her resting place would be lost, but there it was. Little Tess grew up to ensure Sojourner’s memory was preserved.”
“And who was the one who gathered the information to clear me? Was it Journey?”
“No. It was Saul. He becomes a lawyer and he worked tirelessly to clear your name. A little late, but he did it anyway.”
“And because he did this, you were able to bring knowledge of evidence that would clear my name from the future.” Cole understood. “That’s why this all happened, Reno. You were sent forward in time to learn how to stop the massacre and how to save me.”
“Yes, and to meet Journey. With my whole heart, I believe that to be true.”
Cole grew quiet as he stared out across the land that meant so much to his brother. “You plan to leave, don’t you? You intend to return to the future to be with her.”
Reno noticed there was no emotion in Cole’s voice. “I hope to, yes.” He let out a harsh breath. “No, that’s not true. Hope is far too weak a word. If there’s any way in the world to make this happen, I must go, Cole. I love her more than life.” With a heavy heart, he told his brother about Ela and how she’d help him. “You can imagine how I felt when I returned and found out she’d been dead almost a month.”
“What will you do?”
“Ela has a son. I plan on asking him to help me.”
Cole nodded. “I won’t let you go by yourself. When do we leave?”
* * *
Even the best laid plans tend to go astray. A series of unfortunate events delayed Reno’s trip to the Indian village. First, a storm blew in bringing a ton of rain and a lightning storm the likes they’d never seen. One bolt struck the windmill and set it afire. The resulting blaze and multiple other lightning strikes set off a cattle stampede that sent the herd trampling over Fancy’s garden and right through the middle of the corn crop. On top of all that, the cattle were scattered over all creation. If they didn’t want to lose the entire herd, the men needed to round them up quickly and drive the cattle home.
To accomplish what needed to be done in a timely manner, every hand was needed. Cole did his part, his introduction to ranch work turned out to be a trial by fire. Two days of solid work by the entire crew was required to set everything aright.
By the time night rolled around on the second day, Reno and Cole felt like they’d been beaten with a wet rope. All they wanted to do was take a dip in the creek and go to bed. “You want to race?” Cole asked as they hobbled down the path to the spring-fed pond.
“Not hardly.” Reno could barely creep. “I’m sore all over. I just want to curl up somewhere and sleep for a week.”
“I’m with you, brother.” Cole threw their drying rags on the ground and crept into the pond behind his sibling. “Damn, it’s cold. I thought the water would be warmer.”
“It bubbles up from the ground. The temperature stays about the same all year round.” Reno pushed away from the bank to float on the surface. “Feels good to me.”
“Yea, it’s getting better.” Cole sighed, staring up into the night sky. “Tell me something about the future.”
Reno pushed his hands through the water, paddling softly. “There are things known as robots, I guess you could say they’re like mechanical people. They have brains, of a sort. These machines can be taught how to do anything. Many folks
