OLWG# 364- Goodnight Winnett, Montana; Wherever You Are

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I left the Winnett Bar and Grill with Ella. She linked her arm with mine and we strolled to the curb without needing to speak. Just enjoying the company and the moment. Moment by moment. I pressed the button on the key fob to unlock the truck and opened the door for her. Holding her hand, I steadied her as she hoisted herself up and into the passenger seat, then waited as she slid across the long bench before tossing her the key. She caught it and fired up the 8.0 L, V10, which rumbled smoothly beneath the bonnet.

“Truck is sounding pretty good,” I said above the engine noise.

“You should think about getting one of these for yourself.” She answered and swept her hair behind her ear.

“No thanks,” I said, “My dad always told me that I should never buy a Chrysler product; besides, I like my ride.”

Ella stuck out her tongue and flipped me off. I smiled and blew a kiss as she roared off on East Main St. and disappeared with a left turn on Moulton Avenue. I could hear the big engine for a long time, probably to HWY 244. That girl was gonna get another speeding ticket for sure.

As I always did when I let Ella drive away, I wondered why I let her go. She would stay if I only asked.

My ’57 Volkswagen Beetle was parked right behind where Ella’s truck had been. I didn’t have far to walk. When I cranked it over the air-cooled, 1.2 L flat-four, purred like a kitten. I slipped it into first, pulled away from the curb, spun the wheel, and did an about-turn. I could make it to Lewistown in about an hour unless there was still a problem at the bridge east of Grass Range; there’s usually a problem at that bridge.

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This week’s prompts were: