Pushing the starter button on the floor, once again the red truck hastened to the call and began to roll on down the hot gravel road toward Lake Willow.  Jo shifted the floor shift into high and settled back in the torn brown seat for the seven mile ride.  "I haven't hardly been out the house this week Jo."   She watched him as his head bounced with each rut in the road.  "Lake Willow always makes me just naturally feel better Agnes."   "Lets forget our troubles today Agnes and just let the good time roll."  She smiled her best smile and flipped her hand at him.  "You are still a devil Jo Hooper, you said the same thing to me thirty years ago and you know what happened".  Jo put his chin in his hand and gripped the wheel with the other.  "Yea, I know Agnes, our daughter Millie was born."  They moved on in silence for a few minutes savoring the cool breeze from the side window vents that cooled  them. She watched the pine trees zip by at thirty five miles an hour.  "No, that's not what I meant Jo."   "You went and married Janice Anderson."  She paused.

                          "I didn't get married all my life Jo Hooper just waiting on you to do something".
                            "I'm sorry Agnes,  Janice is gone now and all that was then and this is now."

    Agnes herd the brakes on the truck lock and felt it begin to slide sideways in the gravel road and come to a stop.   Watching the cloud of red dust billowing from under the tires and moving down the road in front of them, she gasp.  She turned back to complain about his rowdy driving.  His gentle hands touched her face,  the warmth of his lips touching hers quickly rekindled the fire. The hot searing flame of romance felt good to her, so good, it felt frightening.   "Jo Hooper, you take me to the lake".  Pulling and straightening her dress, she sat erect in her seat, put her arm out of the window, and hugged the door.  "I guess I had better hold on, no telling what you will do next".  Jo laughed out loud,  "I better get this thing going before somebody comes along".  She pointed forward, "that-a-way."   The wheels spun and the gravel flew behind them when he shifted into second gear.  "Now don't you go getting rowdy, Jo".  "I'll run her to death for you Agnes."  "Stop Jo."  He smiled at her with the same smile she had grown so familiar with over the years as he settled into a warm thirty five miles an hour.

                                          "You are still beautiful Agnes,  you little spit fire."
 
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