“Go ahead. Ask.” Journey had no idea what he was about to say.
“Well, you said you hadn’t gone all the way with a guy, does that mean you’ve gone part of the way?”
Now it was Journey’s turn to be embarrassed. “Well, I’m not one to kiss and tell. But…sort of. I mean, compared to most women I’m a prude. Guys have broken things off with me because I wouldn’t do certain things. I guess you could say I’ve engaged in some heavy petting.” He gave her a look of bafflement that made her burst out in a giggle. “Kissing. Touching above the waist. I’m sure everybody has their own definition.”
Reno nodded. He got the picture. “Well, all the women I have been with were lightskirts. For the most part.”
“Lightskirts?” Journey thought for a moment, then it dawned on her. “You mean ladies of the evening. Prostitutes. Hookers!”
Wincing, Reno shook his head in the affirmative. “Yes. Before the war, I lived in a very isolated small community. Girls were chaperoned. Heavily chaperoned. There was little opportunity to partake of a girl’s affection unless you asked for her hand in marriage – and then there was still little opportunity until the wedding ceremony itself.” He paused in his explanation. “There was one woman. A widow in the community who took a shine to me. We used to…”
“Stop. I get the picture.” Somehow, the thought of him with this woman bothered her more than the idea of him being with the professionals. “She educated you.”
He didn’t acknowledge her interpretation. “And like most soldiers during the war, I visited brothels.” With a fast shake of his head, he blurted out the rest, “Only once or twice. The conditions were not good.”
“I can imagine.” She didn’t want to ask, but she had to. “You didn’t catch an STD, did you?”
“A what?” He looked and sounded confused.
“A sexually transmitted disease. Like…”
He held up his hand. “I get what you mean. And no, I didn’t contract any disease. In fact, it’s been a long time since I’ve been with a woman. Years. If there were going to be symptoms, I would’ve noticed them by now. I am quite familiar with the ravages of syphilis and other problems. I knew men who suffered from those things.”
She was probably zeroing in on the wrong point here, but the question came anyway. “So, you haven’t had sex in a while?”
Reno gave her a teasing glance. “A hundred and fifty-six years to be exact.”
She blushed; she didn’t really know why. “To me, you’ve always been the epitome of what a man should be. I will admit, the thought of you with another woman never entered my mind – but, you’ve haven’t lived in a glass cage. If you haven’t been with anyone in a long time, you must be…” Her voice faded; she couldn’t go on. Her body tingled from their honest discussion.
Reno finished her thought. “Yes, you’re right. I find myself to be in great need.”
“Oh, wow.” She pressed her legs together. “You didn’t mince words there.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I find it to be…very exciting.” She pressed one hand into the cushion of the couch, leaning on it for support. “We’ve said a lot, but I’m not really clear on where we stand. You said you wanted to have a serious conversation. I took that literally.”
“I meant it literally.”
He came to her slowly, lowering himself onto one knee.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Oh, my God,” Journey whispered as he knelt at her feet. “What are you doing?”
Reno sought to reassure her. “Be calm. I’m not proposing.”
Journey would’ve been very disappointed had she not heard what sounded like a silent ‘yet’ at the end of his sentence. “Okay. I’m calm.”
Suddenly, his eyes lit up with mischief. “What I am proposing is a courtship.” When he saw a myriad of questions in her eyes, he took her hand. “I want us to get to know one another. Talk. Have fun. Do some…heavy petting?”
Journey fought back laughter and tears. “You want us to date.”
Reno tilted his head to one side. “A more intense version of dating, since we live together.”
“Like a crash course?”
He smiled. “I’m not sure. Maybe. What I know is that I want to court you. Court you with the intention of marrying you, if…”
“If?” Journey almost shouted, pressing her hand to her chest to keep her heart in place.
“If you still feel the same way.”
“And if you still feel the same way,” she added.
He gave her a tender look. “I really feel my decision in this matter is easier than yours. You’re perfect.” When she shook her head, he persisted. “No. Really. I used to dream about you.”
“What? Me?” She was rendered speechless. Almost. “You didn’t know me. You didn’t have a journal to read or stories passed down from generation to generation.”
“No, I didn’t. What I did have was a mother with the sight. And she told me about you. She told me I would find happiness. She told me about a journey.”
“That’s my name.” Journey was just about to bawl her eyes out.
He nodded. “Yes, I don’t think it’s a coincidence either. She also told me I would find you waiting at the end of the rainbow.” Seeing her confused expression, he gave her a kiss of reassurance, then continued, “When you took me to see the airplanes and we were running through the wildflowers – do you remember?”
“Certainly.”
“That little spring storm came up out of nowhere and a rainbow appeared. You said something to me, and I looked up at you – and there it was. Right over your shoulder. The girl at the end of the rainbow. I knew then that we
