Reno looked so sad that Journey thought she might cry. “I believe it was about a year after the war was over when Clay finally retrieved it from his father. The old ass didn’t intend to let me have it.”
“What did it say?” She squeezed his hand to show him how much she cared.
“He told me about his regrets. He told me how much he loved my mother and me – and if he could do it all over again that he wouldn’t leave us. All the family money was gone, you see. He’d lost everything when he got mixed up with an abolitionist named John Brown. After Brown failed at Harper’s Ferry, those who had supported him were ruined. At least he wasn’t arrested, unlike some of the others. The ordeal probably did bring his heart attack on sooner than it would’ve come - maybe.” Reno twisted his mouth, remorse coming off him in waves. “To make up for abandoning me, he slipped something in the envelope he thought might be valuable someday.”
“Really? What was it?”
“A short letter written by President Lincoln.”
“Are you kidding? How did he get that?” Journey was beyond intrigued. This was huge.
“Father knew the woman who’d received the letter. Her name was Laura Bixby. Lincoln was told she’d lost four sons in the war. The President wrote her a note of sympathy.”
“How did your father end up with the letter?”
“Apparently, Mrs. Bixby was a Confederate sympathizer and didn’t hold Lincoln in very high esteem. She sold it to my father for a few dollars.”
“Well, what did you do with it?” Journey’s mind was racing at the weird story.
“I included the letter with my will to be passed down, just in case it was ever worth anything.”
Journey made a face. “Lincoln is one of the most popular presidents of all time. If it can be authenticated, I’m sure it would be worth a ton of money.”
Reno shrugged. “Knowing I was heading out to find evidence to clear Cole, I updated my will a few weeks ago. I left it to Saul and told him to pass it down to his oldest son.”
“Well, this is the first I’ve heard about the letter. I guess it was lost in time somewhere.” Journey put it out of her mind, the importance of Lincoln’s letter to Mrs. Bixby paled in comparison to Cole’s predicament. Journey understood that Reno would be haunted for the rest of his life if he didn’t do everything in his power to save his brother. “I understand why you need to return to your own time, and I think you should go.”
Reno raised her hands to his lips and kissed it.
A few minutes later – they were home.
* * *
Journey let the dogs out to stretch their legs while Reno saddled his horse. She was determined to hold herself together until he rode out of sight. She didn’t want him to see her cry. She wanted his memories of the time they spent together to be happy ones.
As he came riding out of the barn, she stood still, her hands folded at her waist. Journey wasn’t nearly as composed as she appeared. Her fingernails were digging into her own flesh.
When he drew alongside of her, he dismounted. Her throat felt raw from unshed tears. “Be careful. Please.”
He came close until their bodies were touching. Reno wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “There’s so much I want to say to you, but there’s no time.” Running his hand up her arm, he cupped the side of her neck. “Kiss me, Journey. Give me something to remember you by.”
With a tiny cry, she threw her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe. Joining her mouth to his, Journey kissed him with all the pent-up longing of a lifetime.
He cradled her to his body, returning the kiss with aching tenderness. After endless moments, he framed her face, moving the fraction necessary to break the sweet contact. He didn’t move farther right away, their breaths mingled as he kissed the one stray tear that managed to slip down her cheek unbidden. “Thank you, honey. For everything.”
Journey gripped his arms. “Take care of yourself. Not just today, but forever. And be happy. Find love.”
“Hush.” He couldn’t find the words to return her generosity. “Hush.”
“And…if something happens and you can’t find your way to leave, come back to me. I’ll be here. Waiting. You’ll always have a place with me.”
Reno stole one final hard kiss, then stepped away. Without another word, he mounted Traveler and flicked the reins. This time he didn’t ride through the gate, the big black stallion jumped the fence easily. She ran to the fence, her heart breaking. Through a veil of tears, she watched him until he disappeared. When all she could see was an empty horizon, Journey picked up the two dogs and went inside. She shut the door without locking it and left the porch light on – just in case.
…The sun was still high enough in the sky to give good light. Reno was glad, he wanted to see where he was going. He wanted to look for clues to explain how he’d managed to make his way from one century to another. Around him the cactus and mesquite grew rampant and the great dome of granite lay straight ahead looking the same as always. If he hadn’t experienced this phenomenon for himself, Reno would think he was back in his own time. But now he knew what to look for – what to listen for. Staring into the vast sky, he searched for any movement until he saw the sun glint off something silver flying miles high. A jet airplane. Next, he cocked his head to listen and a few moments later
