Lou picked up the packed saddlebag. “I remember the day I returned your luggage, the day you were coming out to housesit. I gave you a hard time about that photo.”
“Oh, I remember. You told me I was living in the past.”
Lou laughed. “Am I a prophet or what?”
“Or what. Definitely.” She let her gaze memorize every feature of her friend’s dear face. “I hope you have a wonderful life, Louisiana. I want you to get married, settle down, and have a baby of your own.”
“Oh, I will. Someday.” She picked up a small video camera. “Right after we make history.”
“Great. Let’s go. I’m ready.” Journey made her way through the house, giving each dog and cat a special goodbye. When it came time to say a final farewell to her aunt, Journey almost lost it. “Are you sure you don’t want to ride out to the canyon with us?”
“No. I don’t think so. I’ll do better here.” She wiped the tears from her eyes. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, the sheriff’s office called. Those men who attacked you have been sentenced to prison for five years each.”
This pleased Journey. “I think they got off easy.” She hesitated, wishing she could take everyone with her – but she couldn’t. “Well, I guess this is goodbye.”
“Goodbye, dear heart.” Myra gave her one final kiss. “I’ll be looking for that baby picture. Don’t forget.”
Before she lost it, Journey left the house. Outside, Kota waited with the other horses. “Well, here we go again, Kota. Are you ready?”
“I’m purified, prayed up, and prepared.” He gave her a confident smile. “Your bag is ready, and my chanting voice is in fine form.”
“I guess I can’t ask for more than that.” She mounted Cinnamon and they were off for Enchanted Rock. “Get ready, Reno. Here I come.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
“Today is the day.” Reno felt a thrill run through him. “Today, I’ll see Journey again.” When a tiny doubt tried to worm its way into his mind, Reno pushed it away. “Nothing will go wrong. Nothing.”
After making his bed, he began to pack his saddlebags. Money. Mementos from the children. A photograph of his brother. All these things would be important to him. “Ready to go?” Cole asked from the bunkhouse door. “We’ve got a long ride to get you where you’re going.”
“Yea, I’ve said my goodbyes. I just want to slip away before the children wake up. They cried a river last night and I want them to have a good day today.”
“I think that’s asking a bit much, don’t you?” Cole waited for Reno to join him. “I’ve saddled your horse.”
“Thanks. Poor Traveler, he’s really living up to his name, isn’t he?”
Cole thought this was funny. “Yea, he is. Oh, Clay and Gentry are coming with us.”
“Good. I’m glad.” Reno thought he could use the support. When he joined his friends in front of the barn, Gentry handed him a small leather bag. “I don’t know if we got everything just right, but Clay and I did our best.”
“Gentry, Clay…I don’t know what to say.” He weighed the bag in his hands. “Shall I look at it?”
“No, you’ll release the power before it’s time.” Gentry spoke in his best mystical English voice. “There’s an amethyst, a lodestone, a small piece of amber, and sprig of sage, and a prayer that Clay wrote for you.”
Reno was so touched. “Thank you. This means the world.” That they would care so much meant the world to him.
“We want you to get where you’re going in one piece,” Clay told him.
“I wouldn’t mind that myself,” Reno agreed as he climbed up on Traveler. “All right.” He gave King’s Ransom one last fond look. “I guess this is it.”
“Yep, let’s ride.” Clay flicked his reins and led the way west.
…The farther Reno rode, the more his mind raced. He kept finding things to say to his friends, things he didn’t want to forget, or he didn’t want them to forget. “Today’s the full moon.”
“Yea, that’s why we’re on the way to the canyon.” Cole stated the obvious.
“No, today is the day the massacre will take place,” Reno explained. “I wonder if we stopped it?”
“We’ll know before the day’s over, I guess,” Clay murmured. “I guess you can check the history books.”
“I will do that, for sure.” He checked the time on his pocket watch. “We’ll get there before dark.”
“If we don’t stop, we’ll get there by late afternoon,” Gentry clarified the point.
“What time of night did you go through before?” Cole asked, his focus on his brother.
Reno looked to Clay. “Heck, it was late, wasn’t it?”
“Very. Sometime after midnight, I’m sure.”
Gentry edged his mount nearer so he could hear better. “Does the time matter?”
“It can’t,” Reno stated, thinking about his experience. “I went late the first time and just after dark the second time.”
“Let’s just try to get there in one piece.” Clay pointed toward a nearest high hill where a line of Indian warriors watched their progress.
“They’re just keeping an eye out. All the talk of war has made them nervous.” Reno hoped he was right, all he needed was to miss his window of opportunity to go through the portal because he was involved in a skirmish with a few antsy Indians.
“Just keep going. And don’t look at them.”
Cole’s advice made Reno chuckle. “That reminds me when we were little. I got on your nerves so bad.”
“Ha!” Gentry barked a laugh. “I bet you were a pest, Reno. Was he a pest, Cole?”
“In many ways he was a toot.”
Reno laughed. “That’s what Journey called me once.”
“Ha! A woman of intelligence, I wish I could meet her.”
“I wish you could too.” Reno
