People begged for the stuff. The Hill Country was notorious for cedar fever, mold, and oak allergies and this recipe seemed to do the trick.
The next time she lifted her head, the sun had gone down. A sharp ache made her double over when she realized anew that he was gone. “Oh, Reno. I pray you’re safe. Wherever you are.”
…After hours of failure, Reno finally gave up. He’d been sitting here staring at a solid wall of rock for hours on end. He’d charged the damn thing three times. His horse thought he’d lost his mind. “Might as well face it. That rock is not going to open. Not even ‘open sesame’ has an effect.” He’d remembered the story of Alibaba and the Forty Thieves from one of the times Fancy read to them all as they crowded around the fire to eat one of her decadent chocolate cakes. She loved to read, and whatever she loved Kingston Ramsay made sure she had it in quantities. The Thousand and One Arabian Nights was his favorite book.
Regardless, Reno found himself still in 2019. He knew he could still hear an occasional car engine from the road next to the park entrance. Surprising how well the sound traveled on the night air. Rising, he dusted off his pants. “At least we have somewhere to go.” Journey’s words still sounded in his ear.
If something happens and you can’t find your way to leave, come back to me. I’ll be here. Waiting. You’ll always have a place with me.
Reno couldn’t help it. He felt a thrill at the memory. He might not be able to go home, but he did have some place to go. Someone to welcome him. Despite his determination to find a way back to help Cole – and he wasn’t giving up, he would try again – Reno couldn’t hold back the joy that flooded his soul at the prospect of spending more time with Journey.
As he mounted Traveler and rode away from the box canyon, he debated the best course of action. Perhaps there was someone who could help. With all the new inventions and advancements, surely someone could offer him assistance or hope of an answer. Journey would help him; he knew she would. And in the meantime, he could explore and learn things. He knew Journey would go out of her way to make sure he experienced all this world had to offer. He grinned to himself, imagining her smiling face. Would she be happy to see him?
As he pictured her surprise and happiness, a little voice deep in his mind whispered how unfair he was being to her. She’d made it more than clear how much she cared about him. He’d seen the pain in her eyes when he said goodbye. Would she have to go through that same thing every time he made an attempt to leave? Was that fair to her? Reno cursed under his breath. “Dammit. You know what you have to do.”
... “You’ve had enough to eat, Dudley. You two are getting as fat as potbellied pigs.” Even with her reprimand, the dapple dachshunds kept begging and she finally gave in with a sigh. “All right. Aunt Myra can put you both on a diet when she gets home.”
Her aunt had called a few minutes ago, checking up on her and the dogs. Journey told her everything was fine. Yes, she neglected to tell her about the two men who chased her from Fredericksburg. She also neglected to tell her about being rescued by Reno. When she returned home would be soon enough to confess that their hero from the past had spent a day in the present. “Oh, damn.” She let out a ragged breath, a fresh wave of sorrow nearly bringing Journey to her knees. “How am I supposed to let you go?”
“Journey?”
Knock. Knock.
Journey almost fainted at the sound. “Reno!”
With a gasp of delight, she flung open the door. “You came back.”
“Yea.” He stepped inside. “I returned Traveler to his stall.”
“That’s fine.” Better than fine. “What happened?”
Reno moved into the house, his eyes darting around. “Nothing. I tried everything I could think of. I don’t know what else to do.” He took off his hat and raked his hand through his hair, pulling at it in frustration. “Cole needs me, and I don’t know how to get to him.”
“Come on in. We’ll think of something. I’ll help you. Are you hungry?”