“No. I don’t have a cow. You aren’t telling me that Iama cow, right?”
“That’s exactly right. You are not a cow and besides I don’t want to buy any livestock.”
Before she could respond, the grandfather clock in the hallway started chiming the tenth hour.
“Listen, why don’t we forget about elderly women trying to get into our business? Because it isn’t their business.
“Instead, we’ll spend the day together visiting wherever you want in town. I can even see if the mayor will let us inside the courthouse to look at the picture of Bonnie and Clyde at the speakeasy for your article.”
“Okay. That sounds perfect, and if Ineverhear the words ‘free milk’ or ‘cow’ again in the same sentence, I’ll be deliriously happy.”
He raised his left hand. “I solemnly swear you won’t hear them from me.”
“Good.” Juliana also looked at the departing truck. “Are we going to walk around town?”
“We can, but I have another vehicle, sort of, if you want to take a look.” He grinned at her. “It’s fun, too.”
A smile shaped her lips. “What is it?”
Diesel led her to the garage, which was attached to the back of the house by a short screened-in walkway. He opened the door and led her inside a large three-car space. He pushed a button on the wall and the far door started to lift. The bright morning sun revealed a large red four-wheeler in the third stall.
“Is that even street legal?” she asked with a laugh.
“Are you kidding? In Arkansas? Does a bear,” he paused only slightly and finished with, “poopin the woods?”
She laughed. “My answer to that is yes, and also I’d love to ride your obviously street legal Arkansas four-wheeler all through town.”
“Then let’s ride.” He grabbed a set of keys off a hook by the door and they passed two empty stalls to reach his “fun” vehicle.
Snuggled up behind Diesel on a loud four-wheeler racing through Alienn was exactly how she enjoyed the rest of her day. The few townspeople they saw seemed surprised, but Diesel didn’t slow down or talk to anyone but her. He even gave them safety helmets wired with speakers and mics so they could talk and still hear over the throttle, going full blast, during the entire fun ride.
After crisscrossing several the streets in downtown Alienn where he pointed out various interesting town facts, Diesel then took her to the former bank with the basement speakeasy. They parked and he took her on a tour. There was not much left to see but a big empty building sporting a few broken pieces of glass and a dusty, dank space filled with cobwebs and dust. Still, Juliana reveled in spending the day with Diesel.
Diesel somehow convinced the mayor to open the courthouse for a special private visit. They toured the mini museum housed within the courthouse where the Bonnie and Clyde picture was on display behind glass, reading the bit of documentation available as to theories on what had happened back in the day.
Juliana also saw an old picture of Alienne Greenly, the founder of Alienn, Arkansas, a diorama of the Bauxite mine as it was back in 1963, and a picture of an empty mining town in the northwest, along with the legend and speculation of what happened to some former lost colony that all disappeared without a trace over 150 years ago.
Diesel pointed out other interesting things in the museum before they left and she even got a souvenir, replica copy of Bonnie and Clyde’s picture in the old speakeasy.
They talked about everything—their pasts, their present and what they wanted for their futures. He mentioned the “tradition” of dating locally, but that it wasn’t carved in stone. He didn’t dwell on it or make it seem like he was worried about it. He also didn’t mention the issue of someone throwing apples at her doorstep at all, for which she was grateful. She’d just as soon forget all about any threat.
Juliana wanted to only spend her time with this incredible man from now on. The article she needed to write practically wrote itself in her mind from the notes she’d taken at the speakeasy and the courthouse. Before the day ended, she could honestly say she was falling in love with Diesel. He was perfect. He made her heart swell with joy each moment they spent together.
Diesel was the one. Her one. She knew it. He’d even volunteered to go with her in search of her past because he didn’t want to miss a day with her. No one in her life had ever made her feel as special as Diesel did in a single weekend together.
Once back at his house, he gave her another nickel tour, but insisted on making her dinner before showing her the master bedroom, which she found very romantic.
He further romanced her, cooking a dinner that included ham steaks, baked potatoes, green beans and cornbread with honey butter that was so rich and tasty it could have served as dessert. And all of it was accompanied by strong sweet tea, a southern staple of many evening meals.
After supper they took their iced tea to the screened-in back porch, taking in the view as they sat together holding hands until dark, talking about everything and nothing.
Once they retired inside, and put their glasses in the sink, Diesel grabbed her close and kissed her like he never wanted their lip lock to end. She certainly didn’t intend to stop.
He danced her through the kitchen and down the hallway to his master bedroom, the one he didn’t show her until now. Opening the door, he broke the kiss long enough to usher her inside and close the door behind him.
Diesel’s master bedroom was beautiful. Simple, and yet the wood furniture and massive bed were all very inviting in a comfortable style. This was exactly where she wanted to spend the night.
