In a battle fought August 4, 1873, Captain J. R. Moss, Stephen B. Moss, William B. Moss, Eli Lloyd, Arch Martin, Pink Ayers, E. D. Harrington and Robert Brown routed a band of Indians thrice their number. The last Indian battle in this region.
Reno read the inscription three times. Finding something permanent like this and seeing how aged it appeared gave him chill bumps.
“Did you know any of those people?”
Journey’s soft question was almost his undoing. “You have such faith that my outlandish story is true.”
“That you’re from the past?”
“Yes.” A thought occurred to him. Reno didn’t know why he hadn’t thought to ask it before. “Does this happen often?”
The breeze picked up and she pushed her hair from her face so she could see him clearly. “Does what happen often?”
“A person showing up from another time.”
“Only in the movies.” When he appeared confused, she felt contrite. “Time travel is something people like to imagine, but as far as I know it’s just a myth…” Journey realized what she’d just said. “Until you. I mean, you’re here. As far as it ever happening to anyone before – I have no idea.”
He looked back at the marker, his shoulders bowing slightly. “Yet, you accepted my presence so easily.”
“I fainted.”
He chuckled at the remembrance. “Yes, you did. Yet, you did accept the fact a helluva lot easier than I would have. If the tables were turned and you sashayed into my life one day and told me you were from the future...” He cut his eyes to glance at her. “I wouldn’t have believed you.”
“Even in these clothes?” She nudged his arm with her shoulder.
Reno found himself chuckling. Stealing a peek at her mile-long shapely legs, he cleared his throat and coughed. “Well, I might have thought you were a scarlet lady from a saloon, but they usually wear frillier outfits. And show a lot less skin.”
She whacked him playfully on the shoulder and Reno found himself leaning into her. He enjoyed the familiar way she treated him.
“These are not short-shorts, I have you know. Compared to some, I’m dressed modestly!”
“Oh, yea. I believe you.” Reno laughed out loud. “How about the way I’m dressed? Did that tip you off?”
Feeling comfortable with him, she hooked her arm through his, ignoring his sharp intake of breath. If he pulled away from her, she’d just die – but he didn’t. “You forget something, Reno.”
“What’s that?”
“I knew you from the first moment I laid eyes on you.” She probably shouldn’t tell him this, but she found she couldn’t stop speaking. “I’ve slept with your picture under my pillow since I was thirteen years old. Like I told you last night, I’ve been imagining scenarios where I miraculously waltz into your life…or you walk into mine for over ten years. So, when you did… it just felt right.”
Reno couldn’t look away from her beautiful face. Her gaze melted into his. He leaned closer; his lips hungry for hers.
Honk! Honk!
“Hot damn!” he growled, backing away, the moment gone. When he looked at Journey once more, her cheeks were pink – but she was smiling.
Her radiant serenity put him at ease. “Ready to go?”
“Almost.” His attention returned to the monument. “You asked me if I knew any of those people? I did. I knew the Moss family. We weren’t exactly friends, but we were acquainted. They couldn’t see past the color of my skin.”
Journey mumbled a curse beneath her breath. “Unfortunately, there are still people around like that.”
“I want to know more about this battle. Do you think you can find some information?”
“We’ll certainly look into it,” she promised. They returned to the car and this time Reno was able to fasten his own seat belt.
Journey started the car and pulled onto the highway. “I’m going to drive down the entrance road to the Blackhawk Ranch. You can tell me if you think we’re in the same spot where King’s Ransom is located.” All of a sudden, Journey felt badly about what she was doing. Even though she was thrilled this unbelievable miracle had brought him to her, she knew he was faced with the possibility that everyone he knew and loved were long dead. The world he knew was gone. Changed irrevocably.
“All right.” He folded his hands in his lap, his fingers digging into his own flesh. “How come its cooler in here than outside?”
“Air conditioning.”
She tapped the hard surface in front of them and he noticed all manner of numbers and letters in various colors. The lights were dimmer than the ones he’d seen on that box in his bedroom, but he could see them well enough. “What is all that?”
Journey giggled. “Oh, my. I feel very inadequate as your teacher. Let me think, air conditioning in a car takes the air available and removes the heat and moisture out of it, using something called a condenser…” She shook her head in consternation. “I think. I’m sorry. I don’t know that I’ve ever spent much time thinking about how anything works. I just take it for granted that it will.”
“It’s fine.” He ran his finger over the fancy display. “There sure has been a great deal of headway made since my time.”
Journey put on the blinker to turn. “There definitely has been many amazing inventions. If you stay…” Those words shook Journey to the core. If you stay. If you stay. “If you stay, we’ll have a good time discovering them together.”
Reno felt so torn. He was drawn to this woman. What he was learning excited him. Yet, he felt pulled back to his time. There were people there who needed him. Cole. Ela. Saul and the little ones. He swallowed, making no reply, trying to tamp down the emotions rushing through him.
