She hated to see anything suffer. Her great aunt Myra always said Journey was part empath, born with the softest of hearts. She’d always doubted this until today. After watching Reno trying to cope with the pain he’d been dealt, Journey knew she’d trade places with him in a heartbeat if she could. “Reno, you’ve got to rest.”
He’d been pacing the floor for hours. Once they arrived home from Fredericksburg, he’d saddled up his horse and headed straight to the box canyon. She’d waited about an hour, then saddled up to follow him. Journey found him pushing Traveler to run at the solid wall. While she watched, he repeated the exercise three more times. It was clear by now that the horse had figured things out. The stallion knew what was expected and would make a hairpin turn at just the right moment to avoid a collision. “Poor horse,” she whispered too low for them to hear. The animal loved its master unconditionally and if Reno wanted to charge madly at a stone wall over and over again, that’s what Traveler would do.
She didn’t linger. Journey just made sure he was all right, then she returned home to have something ready for him to eat when he got tired of repeated failures. Now, he was back at the house, but he couldn’t seem to be still. “Do you have any idea how helpless I feel, Journey?”
“Yes, and I hurt for you. So much. I’d take your pain away if I could.” She could just imagine the torment he was feeling. “You’re going to make yourself sick and that won’t help anyone.”
At first, she didn’t think he heard her. But after four or five minutes, he went to the dining table and took a seat. Taking advantage of the situation, Journey jumped to fix him a plate of food. She’d found one of Myra’s homemade lasagnas in the freezer. “You’ll like this, it’s one of my aunt’s specialties.”
Reno ate, but it was just to feed his hunger. Journey doubted that he tasted a thing.
Once he was finished, he rose and grabbed his hat. “I’m going back to try again. Don’t wait up.”
“Reno, please. Stop.” He did as she asked, but he kept his back to her. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”
“What am I supposed to do, Journey?” He turned sideways, giving her his profile. It was like he couldn’t bring himself to fully interact with her. He acted as if setting himself apart would increase the chance he could return to his own time. “My brother is dead because I failed him.”
“He’s not dead yet.”
“What do you mean?” His voice was harsh with sorrow and frustration. “He died in 1869. He died because I wasn’t there to stop it!”
Journey kept her tone even. “Think. The timelines appear to be running parallel. What was the month and the date that you came through the box canyon?”
“April 19th.”
“Yes, and you rescued me the night of April 19th. So, it stands to reason. Time isn’t moving any faster there than it is here. Today is April 21st in this time and it’s April 21st in the past. Cole will be alive until July 4th. That means you have 73 days to stop this from happening.”
“You mean go back in time.”
“Yes. Go back in time.”
Reno started his pacing again. “That’s the problem, I don’t know how. I’ve been trying and trying. I don’t think it’s possible.”
“You traveled through time to the future. There has to be a way for you to travel back. We just have to figure out what that way is.”
“And how do we do that?”
“Well, I haven’t figured that part out yet.” She didn’t say that the greatest minds in the world had long struggled with this concept and never came up with an answer. No use stating the obvious. “Just because the answer hasn’t been published in some textbook or some scientific journal, doesn’t mean that someone out there somewhere doesn’t have the answer.”
“What are you saying?” Reno came to her and knelt at her feet. “Are you saying this has happened before? That someone else has journeyed through time?”
“Maybe.” Journey was racking her brain for an answer – or even a clue. “We’re just going to have to explore every avenue. Think outside the box.” She stood and walked to the window, staring out toward Enchanted Rock. “You came through for a reason and we need to figure out what that reason could be.” As she stood there, desperately trying to help the man she loved come up with a plan that could take him away from her forever – she felt his strong hands close gently on her shoulders.
“Know this. I’m not yelling at you, Journey. I’m not mad at you.”
“I know you’re not.” She reached up to touch his hand, needing the connection as much as he did.
“I couldn’t endure this without you.”
She felt his lips brush her neck softly. Needing to hold him, Journey turned in place, raising her lips to his. She didn’t know if he would accept or reject her – all she knew was that she had to offer him the comfort of her arms. The healing gift of her kiss.
Reno hesitated only a moment before he crushed her to him with all his strength, as if she were the one thing that could save him in this whole, crazy mixed up world. Sealing his mouth to hers, he kissed her harder, deeper, desperate with a need he’d never known before.
Journey swooned with pleasure, the touch of his hands and the wonder of his kiss sent wild tremors singing through her body, drawing out sensations she’d never thought to feel. He stole her breath, then gave it back to her, showing her what a perfect kiss could be.
She pushed his hat aside,
