attack, this shooting became the first of many. It was like an idea was introduced into the country’s mentality and nuts started playing copycat. I think I read where there’s been, on average, about one school shooting per month for the last twenty years.”
“Hell. I read a few articles on your kindle about gun control. It’s quite a controversial subject these days.”
“Especially for a Texan. Guns are a part of our heritage. Yet, there are times when their accessibility contributes to senseless death.”
“Times haven’t changed,” Reno said solemnly. “Look at what Kinsella is doing. Violence is rampant. Yet, a gun kept me alive. In war time and in peace time. We’d have starved to death without our guns.”
“I know, it’s a topic that can be debated endlessly.”
When she pulled into the parking lot at the library, Reno opened his door. “I’ll hurry in and get the book so you can rest in the shade. Where do I go?”
“Hold up. You’ll need me, Reno. It’s not like you have a library card. Or a driver’s license. Or a social security card.”
Reno laughed. “What are you saying?”
She rolled her eyes at him. “I’m saying you’re undocumented in the weirdest way and they won’t let you check out a book without proper identification.”
“When I come back from the past, I’ll have to see if I can remedy that problem.”
A few minutes later, they returned with a copy of the book they’d requested, plus several more the librarian recommended. Immediately, Reno started thumbing through one before Journey could pull into the street. “Okay, I’m going to take 35 north to Dallas. There, we’ll catch Interstate 30 east.”
“Whatever you think, love. I’ll be riding shotgun and reading. Just let me know if we pass something interesting.”
“All right.” Journey wasn’t sure what he might consider interesting, but she’d give it a shot. “I just hope reading doesn’t make you carsick,” she muttered to herself.
As they left downtown, Journey would glance at him periodically. Her heart warmed to see his lips moving as he read. God, she loved him. He was so sweet. Between Round Rock and Georgetown, she tapped the glass of her window. “Over there is Inner-space Caverns. They were discovered in 1963 when the interstate was being built. Deep inside, they found a lot of fossils, including the skeletons of a baby mammoth, a giant sloth, and a sabre-tooth tiger. The paleontologists think some of the animals fell through a well-like opening or got stuck in a muddy sinkhole. Relics from the past are everywhere if one will just open their eyes.”
Reno found a double meaning in her words. As his eyes scanned the cars and trucks, traveling like ants on the maze of highway in front of him, he wondered if anyone else in one of those vehicles walked in his boots. “It’s something to think about. Once, when I was a child, I found something odd in the mud near the river.” He held out his palm. “It was a tooth as big as my hand. I saved it and Clay’s uncle told me he thought it was a shark’s tooth. I didn’t see how it could be. The shark sporting that tooth would’ve been monstrous. Later, I learned it was true. They called it something…I can’t remember.”
“Megalodon. I’ve always been fascinated by them.”
“Right. Clay’s uncle, his name was Carson Thomas, taught me many things. He loaned me all the books I could read.”
“How kind. Did you go to school or did Sojourner teach you at home?”
“No. Mother was wise, but she wasn’t educated. For the most part, Cole taught me to read. You see, we attended a small school, one where all the grades met together. When I was in my second year our regular teacher left, and a new teacher arrived. He took one look at me and sent me home.”
“Why?”
He rubbed his finger across the back of his hand, then tugged at a lock of his hair. “I didn’t fit in.”
“Damn. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. I turned out fine.” He winked at her.
“You sure as hell did.” Anger washed over her at the way he’d been treated.
“Thank you, love.” He tapped the book. “Talk about fascinating, I just found an account of a Dallas Herald newspaper article dated July 25, 1858. It says that Edward Burleson, Jr., a Texas Ranger, leaked the name of a prominent individual who was known to have used arrows to kill livestock so Indians might be blamed.”