Reno’s eyes glazed over a bit. “That sounds impossible.”
“Yes.” She nodded, the smile on her lips not reaching her eyes. “I imagine it does. But after everything we’ve experienced, who’s to say what is possible? Do you want some more?” she offered, pointing at the glass pitcher on the bar.
He shook his head no.
“Well, there are things to be done.” She quickly rinsed the dishes and put them in the washer. When she saw him staring at the appliance, Journey took the time to explain it to him. “This is called a dishwasher. You put the dishes in, add a detergent pod.” She held one out. “Put it right here. Press the cycle button and shut the door. In a half hour or so, the dishes are clean and sanitized.”
Reno watched carefully, coming nearer to examine the buttons. “They aren’t even raised.”
“Touch-screen is what it’s called.” He was standing so near, she trembled. Backing quickly away, she put some distance between them. “Why don’t I introduce you to the remote control and you can watch a movie while I change the bed linens and locate the journal. When you retire, place your clothes outside the door and I’ll wash them for you.”
Reno could sense a difference between them. Her tone was very kind, but a little distant. He didn’t particularly care for this development, but he had no one to blame but himself. “Thank you.” He followed her to the living room, then was mesmerized by what she called a ‘remote’. After she left him alone, he couldn’t settle on one particular program. Instead, he kept pressing the button over and over again, changing what she called a ‘channel’ again and again.
From two rooms down, Journey searched through Myra’s desk for Saul’s journal. She usually kept it in the bottom righthand drawer. “Ah, there it is.” As she placed it on top of the desk and stood up, she couldn’t keep from glancing across the way to check on Reno. “Look at that. He can’t settle on anything to watch. He’s a normal guy, after all.” Taking the journal with her, she placed it on the bar while she went to make his bed.
After she changed the sheets, she tidied the bathroom, and laid out fresh towels. She tried to ignore the heartache that made her chest sore. As she moved by the bed, she couldn’t help but envision the two of them tangled in the sheets. A shiver went through her and she felt a tingle between her legs. “Stop it,” she admonished herself. “Quit longing for something you can’t have.” Trailing her fingers over the fresh pillowcase, a little devil whispered from her shoulder. You could try to seduce him.
The very thought brought heat to her cheeks.
Shaking her head, she dispelled the notion. Every woman wants to think she’s irresistible. Obviously, she wasn’t. Reno seemed to have no trouble resisting her charms. In all the historical bodice rippers she’d read, there was no way the hero would sit in front of the television and channel surf while the heroine was alone in the boudoir. She lifted her hair from her neck, trailing a finger down her neck near to the swell of her breast. No, he would find his way to her, slipping up behind her to wrap strong arms…
“What are you doing?”
Journey squealed and jumped. “Nothing. I was just finishing. Let me find the kindle and get the journal and I’ll be right back.” She hastily left the room, brushing by him as she passed. “You couldn’t find anything to interest you on the television?”
“Too much. I couldn’t seem to make up my mind.” He shifted on his feet uneasily. Seeing her with that dreamy look on her face – touching her body. Reno couldn’t help but reach down to adjust himself. The woman made him ache. “God give me the strength to keep my hands to myself.”
“What did you say?” Journey returned with her arms full.
“Oh, nothing. I was just saying that I…” His voice trailed to nothingness when Journey handed him Saul’s journal. “Oh, my.” As he took the book, he felt a shock go through his fingers. “Look at that.”
“Yes, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading it.” She also passed a thin black rectangle to him. “You press the ‘on’ button.” She did and the front of it lit up much like the television. “You can read through this list of books.” She passed her finger down the page and he marveled as words scrolled by. “Choose one.” She tapped a title. “And voila.”
Reno stared. “And how many books did you say was in this tiny thing?”
“I have almost a thousand stored on the cloud. Wait.” She took it back, pressed the screen a few more times. “I’m going to Amazon, which is an online store. I’ll search for Tom Sawyer.” She hummed a little as she waited. “Ah, there it is. And there, with one click I bought the book and here it is.”
Reno reclaimed the kindle, his eyes moving to the first few words.
“TOM!”
No answer.
“TOM!”
No answer.
“What’s gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!”
Reno glanced up with wonder. “And where is that cloud you speak of? The one that holds a thousand books?”
His question made Journey giggle. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know. We’ll have to ask someone smarter than me.”
“I don’t know anyone smarter than you.”
This also made Journey laugh, lightening the mood for them both. “Oh, there’s plenty of people smarter than I am.”
“Somehow I doubt that.”
She held his eyes for a moment, then
