Journey could feel Cinnamon begin to resist. “No, no. Keep going.” She gave her another delicate kick. “Go! Don’t stop now!” Holding her breath, Journey kept her eye on the wall – still solid. She clutched the reins so tight the leather bit into her skin.
And then it happened.
The appearance of the wall wavered. She could see what looked like ripples in the air between her position and the wall. Slowly, the surface of the massive rock seemed to fade, becoming lighter…until it was gone from her sight and Journey could see through to clear daylight ahead. “We’re almost there. Almost.”
Seeing a way out of the canyon, the horse increased her speed, racing toward the bright sunlight. When they passed through to the other side, Journey expected to feel something – but all she experienced was an immense sense of relief. “I made it. I’m here.”
Taking a look around, Journey had to admit everything looked much the same. She lifted her head to gaze up into heavens, searching for any sign of a plane, but there was none to be seen. She bent her head to listen, but there was no noise of distant traffic, no shouts from hikers. “So far, so good.” Pulling on the reins, she turned her horse to face the canyon wall and was a little taken aback to find the surface completely solid once more. A little part of her wanted to reach out and touch it, but she was afraid her hand might sink right through.
“Okay, Cinnamon, time to find Reno.” Journey knew she needed to ride around the foothills to return to the entrance of the canyon. She couldn’t wait to see Reno’s face when he spotted her and realized she’d come to be with him. With a smile on her face, Journey set out on the first leg of her journey to a new life with the man of her dreams.
* * *
“We’re getting close and that damn war party is still on our tail,” Clay muttered in a low voice.
Gentry stole a quick glance over his shoulder to confirm Clay’s observation. Sure enough, the four warriors were still following in the distance. “Bloody hell. What do they want?”
“It’s just for intimidation,” Reno muttered, hoping to God he was right. “Delshay knew I’d be here today. I angered him when I asked for his help. He didn’t approve of the bond I shared with his mother.”
“Well, if worse comes to worse, we’ll hold them off until you can make your ride through the canyon,” Clay assured his friend.
Reno couldn’t help but worry, he couldn’t miss this chance. If he did, he’d have to wait an entire month before he could try again. “We’re not posing a threat. Maybe they’ll leave us alone. I just hate to leave you all behind to deal with them on your own.”
“You don’t worry about us, Reno,” Cole told him. “The important thing here is to send you on your way.”
“He’s right,” Clay agreed. “From inside the canyon, we can hold them off indefinitely.”
“It won’t come to that,” Reno said the words with confidence, willing them to be true. With a rising sense of anticipation, he kept his eye on Enchanted Rock. Knowing Journey waited for him on the other side, he could almost feel her presence. Just the thought of holding her close gave Reno all the strength and courage he needed to face the unknown.
As they drew near to the canyon, it became clear the Indians would pose a problem. The war party was slowly and steadily closing the gap between themselves and the cowboys. “Looks like we’ll be dealing with them after all.” Gentry’s hand moved down to cover his gun. “Good thing I brought some extra ammunition.”
“Hell…” Reno cursed under his breath. “I don’t want this. I turned my life upside down to stop the fighting.”
“And to save me,” Cole reminded him. “I consider your sacrifice to be very worthwhile.”
“Just believe,” Clay reminded them. “Reno’s quest is part of a bigger plan. Let’s have faith his efforts will come to fruition.”
Reno knew belief was all well and good, but there came a time when faith became action, or it was worthless. Lifting his head, he surveyed the sky. And when he did, his gaze landed on the faint image of a pale, full moon. His heart beat faster at the sight. “Look! I can see the moon. It’s faint, but it’s there.”
“Of course, the surface of the moon reflects the sun’s light, no matter what time of day it is. The moon will be visible if you’re in the right spot to see it, and if it’s reflecting enough light to be brighter than the surrounding sky.” Leave it to Gentry to have an answer.
“That’s all I needed to know.” By now, their mounts were standing at the mouth of the canyon. Reno let his hand drift down to touch the medicine bag in his pocket. “I’m going to try to go through now.”
“Now?” Cole echoed. “Are you sure?”
Reno could hear the regret in his brother’s voice. “If I don’t, I might lose my chance.” He took a moment to meet the gaze
