the river.”
“Do you think it’s still there?”
“Look for Ramsay Plantation.”
She tapped in the name. “Eureka! Okay, now taking that locale into consideration would put us near Mead’s Quarry and Ijam’s Nature Preserve. Nice. It looks like the area is undeveloped, which means you should be able to still find the place where your home once stood.”
“And my mother’s grave.” His face looked peaceful. “That’s a relief. Thank you.”
Glancing at the sacked-out kittens, she nodded over her shoulder. “If you want to put them in the back seat, be my guest.”
“That’s a good idea. Maybe I can get a little more reading done. What’s our route?”
“Through Nashville. Home of the Grand Ole Opry.”
“Do I want to know?” Nothing surprised Reno anymore.
“Nashville is music city, the proclaimed home of country music. Musicians come there to get their big break. Record labels turn some singers into superstars and others have to go home with their heart broken.”
“Sounds exhausting. Is there a way to skip it?”
“There’s probably a loop around the city, sure. We don’t have to stay on the main road, we can take the scenic route if you’d like.”
“Please. The closer I get, the more I want things to be…less modern.”
Journey thought she understood. “You got it. You made me happy last night – now, it’s your turn, big boy.”
He threw his head back to laugh out loud. “God, woman, you are good for my soul.” With that proclamation, he opened a book to continue his search as she pointed the nose of the Subaru toward the rising sun.
…As requested, Journey decided to take a southern approach to Knoxville, going through Chattanooga. She’d never been this way and looked forward to the beautiful scenery. The kittens were napping peacefully, and Reno was deep into his research. She could tell he’d found something when he leaned forward to stare a bit more intently. “Any luck?”
“Just substantiating what we already knew. This is concerning what I shared with you previously about the man called Neigh who moved the Indians from the reservation in Texas to one in Oklahoma. Okay, here it is: In total, over 1500 Indians were escorted north by Neigh and two companies of Cavalry soldiers in order to protect them from Taylor’s raiders.”
“Taylor’s raiders. That’s incredible. It just comes right out and says that?”
“It does.” He held the book over so she could glance to see.
“I wish we had a list of their names.”
“I may not find one here, but there may be someone familiar with the term Taylor’s Raiders back home. Kingston has political and social connections I don’t have. So do Gentry and Dom.”
“Good work, baby.”
He beamed at her praise. “I will look some more in a bit.”
“Don’t forget your coffee. That insulated mug keeps it warm for you.”
He picked up the tall, heavy bottle with an odd lid. “How does this work?”
She reached over to pull back the tiny lip. “You can open and close this to drink. Makes it easier to prevent spills and keeps the temperature of the coffee constant.”
He shook his head. “I am going to miss many of the amazing things you’ve introduced me to in this time.”
“We could stuff the saddlebags with a bunch of stuff, but then we’d have to explain them.”
“Yea, better not.” Still, he took a big sip, then groaned. “Strong, sweet, and hot. Perfect, just the way I like it.”
“Me too.” She winked at him. “Just like I like my men.”
“Men? Plural? Do you want another spanking?”
“If it’s like the last one, hell yeah.”
They drove along in silence for a while. She couldn’t help but notice how his eyes ate up the distant horizon. She knew Reno wasn’t seeing the present, he was looking for the past.
Meow. Meow.
“Uh, oh. Somebody’s awake.” He looked over his shoulder to see two pair of green eyes blinking up at him. “Come here, guys.”
“Are they boys?”
“Yep. I checked.”
“I’ve always had a hard time figuring out the sex of cats.”
As he brought them forward, he held one of the little guys up. “Unlike me, they’re equipment is a little shy.”
“No, you definitely don’t have a problem in that department.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” He turned Blackie around, so his tail was facing Journey. “FYI, as you say, to tell the sex of a kitten, you lift their tail. If the little genital opening is round, it’s a male. If it’s a vertical slit, it’s a female.”
“Good to know.”
“I’m glad I could teach you something. You’re always showing me up.”
“Oh, yea, right. Don’t you realize how fast