The man sitting next to Amos at the counter was obviously agitated. “If I hear that fuck’n song  once more I’m gonna throw the god damn jukebox out the window.”
    Amos glanced up from his newspaper. “Don’t like the music?”
    “No, and damn sure not four times. Some joker’s played that same damn tune four times.”  The  man was tall and slender with horn-rim glasses. His piercing gray eyes seemed to cut through everything in  sight. “Hey, sorry ‘bout disturb’n ya. It’s been a lousy day. My name’s Calvin, Calvin Short. My friends call  me Shorty.”  Amos shook hands with the stranger. “Howdy Shorty, my  name’s Amos Morgan. You from around  here?”     “Naw, I was work’n on a project down in Pittsburg and now I’m try’n get up to Sandpoint,  Idaho.  There’s a job going on in Ione if my god damn truck’ll make it.”
    “Well I’ll be damned!” Amos was incredulous. “You a millwright?”
    Shorty grinned. “Yup. You to?” The two men sat talking, sharing information about jobs they’d been on. Shorty had spent the  past few years following work in the oil fields. Now he was looking for a change and migrated west in a  dilapadated truck.  Amos accepted the offer to ride with Shorty. Sharing a ride was preferable to a long bus  ride. He stowed his seabag in the back of Shorty’s truck and they were on their way.
    As the miles unwound  behind them, Amos and Shorty became fast friends. Shorty had worked with an old friend of Amos’s,  Oklahoma Earl. Amos and Earl had worked together on refinery projects in Texas. “Where the hell is Earl  now,” Amos inquired.
    “I ain’t sure. Far as I know he’s on a job somewhere in Arizona. You can bet your ass he’ll show up  on a job we’re on one of these days.” Shorty chuckled. “I can’t say I’ve ever known anyone wackier than  him, but he’s one of the finest pipeliner’s I’ve ever had the pleasure’ve work’n with.” This was the life of roadhands. Modern-day drifters travelling the country with a seabag and a box  of tools. They were like an extended family, sharing long days toiling in the sun, the rain and the cold.  They worked together, played together and then moved on, only to meet again in another farflung town.
    It was the following afternoon when the two men arrived in Sandpoint. Tired and hungry from the  long journey, they stopped for a quick meal and then some much-needed sleep. The next morning they  drove out to Ione. Amos recognized most of the crew members. “Hey John! Hi ya Chuck!”  
    “I’ll be god damned. Hi ya Capt’n. We was wonder’n if you were gonna make it. Figured you might  just decide to stay with that gal you was with and go farm’n for a living.” John grinned good-naturedly.  Amos chatted briefly with the men , catching up on scuttlebutt and introducing his new friend,  Shorty.
    “I gotta go check in with the super. My tools make it in okay?”
    “Hell yes! They’re on the truck. Glad ya made it Capt’n!” John slapped Amos on the back.
    As the first week of work wore on, Amos found his mind drifting back to the sweet, dark-haired  woman he’d left behind in northern California. Thoughts of her tugged at his heart. It had been a long time  since he’d felt that kind of pull, but Amos knew it would never work. He’d tried settling down once before  and it ended in a failed marriage. At this point in his life he had no wish to repeat the mistakes of his past. Saturday night finally arrived and the crew convened at the local diner for dinner. Davey and  Shorty had plans to drive to Spokane. John was busy lusting after a local woman and the rest of the crew  planned to spend the night at one of the local bars. Amos decided to join them at the Club Rio. The locals  recommended it as a good place to meet available women.
    Amos surveyed the bar as he entered. It appeared the locals had been right. He smiled to himself  and joined the crew at a table. As he sipped on his second drink, he saw a woman sitting alone at a nearby  table. She wasn’t terribly attractive, but she had a certain charisma that piqued Amos’s curiousity. He  caught himself staring at her. She glanced up and returned his gaze. Her expression was neither friendly  nor unfriendly. Amos ordered her a drink and as it arrived at her table she mouthed him a thank-you.
    A few  minutes later he was sitting at her table introducing himself. Her name was Vicki and she usually spent her weekends at the bar. She and Amos sat talking together. Vicki worked for a local logging company. Amos  wasn’t surprised. She was as tall as Amos, with broad shoulders and long legs, certainly not someone to  be trifled with. Vicki leaned over and whispered in Amos’s ear. “Wanna go to my place and fuck?”
    There was a long pause and Amos nearly choked on his drink. Her blunt proposal caught him by  surprise. She stared at him, waiting for an answer. Amos liked aggressive women, but this felt different,  almost cold and mechanical. Curiousity and hormones trumped his instincts.  “Uh, yea. I’d like that.”
    Vicki had little patience for preliminaries. She wasted no time stripping off not only her clothing,  but Amos’s as well. It was disconcerting. She pulled Amos on top of her, anxious to feel his shaft inside  her. Her primal hunger raged as she gripped his cock with her hand, guiding it into her . There were no  pretenses, no foreplay, just sheer animal need.
    Amos thrust himself into her slowly, not wanting to hurry. Hurried sex was something Amos abhored. Vicki would have none of it. “Faster!” She commanded. “Pour  it on, I need it hard and fast, baby. Give it to me hard.”
    Her long legs wrapped tightly around his torso,  nearly squeezing the breath out of him. Her fingers were wrapped in his hair and she pulled his head down  to her chest. “Oh! God yes! That’s it! Give to me hard! Oh! God! That’s it!”
    Vicki’s powerful thrusts met his every  stroke. Her breath was punctuated with growls and squeals as she slipped closer to climax. “Oh! Jesus! I’m  gonna come!” Her body arched upward in a frantic effort to capture every shred of sensation. “Oh! God !”
    Amos tried to catch his breath, hesitating for a moment, but Vicki was unrelenting. “Don’t stop! Oh  damn! Don’t stop!”  Amos anwered her plea with wild abandon as they thrashed and struggled. He could  feel release creeping closer, his crotch slamming into hers.  
    “Oh! Awww . . . .Oh!” A stream of hot liquid filled her pussy as Amos’s pleasure peaked and  exploded. He fell onto Vicki’s sweaty body, unable to continue. “Jesus baby. Oh, please, don’t stop.”          Vicki was frantic with arousal. Her hand retrieved a large dong from the nightstand drawer and she pressed  it into Amos’s hand.  “Work me over, baby. Oh damn! Don’t stop.”     
    Without hesitating, Amos pushed the head of the dong into her, burying the full length of the toy  in her dripping cunt. Vicki gasped for air, begging him to stroke harder and faster. Amos lay across her,  pinning her legs to the bed as he pounded her pussy with the latex toy. Vicki’s torso thrashed violently as  Amos continued at a frenzied pace. He could feel her body convulse once more with a powerful burst of  orgasm.
    Amos continued to pump the dong into her, not letting up for even a moment. Vicki’s screams  grew louder as she neared another orgasm. Amos continued, anxious now to see just how much she  could take. He’d never encountered anyone quite likeVicki. Her appetite for sex seemed insatiable. Once  more her body arched upward with a powerful shudder. “Oh god!” She screamed. “Oh! Oh! I can’t take  any more.”
    Vicki collapsed on the bed, her chest heaving, as she moaned quietly and struggled to catch  her breath. Amos lay next to her, his propped on one elbow. “Get enough?”
    Vicki smiled weakly. “Yes! Oh god yes. I needed that.” She closed her eyes and drifted off to  sleep.  Amos slowly slid off the bed, dressed and left.
    It was early afternoon before Amos awoke. He lay in bed, smoking a cigarette and recalling the wild  time the evening before. The encounter had been almost anticlimactic. Amos was famished. He strolled into the diner and sat down next to John. “Well, ya old whore,  how’d your night go?”
    “Now wait a god damn minute, Capt’n, who’s the whore? I seen ya slipp’n out the door with that big  redhead.” John grinned. “I see ya lived through it.”
     “Barely, my friend, just barely.”  Amos shook his head. “She’s different, but that’s not a bad thing.” The two men sat sharing idle conversation as the afternoon slipped into evening. Amos glanced  at the clock and realized the day was nearly over. There was paperwork from the day before that  demanded his attention and laundry to do.  
    Amos entered the laundromat and threw his seabag on the floor in front of an empty washing  machine. As he loaded his clothes into it he heard a familar voice behind him. “Run out of stuff to wear?” It  was Vicki.
    “Hi ya! Ya know, we gotta stop meeting like this.” Amos joked.  
    “What happened to you this morning. I woke up and you were gone.” There was a hint of sadness  
in Vicki’s eyes.
    “Ah, I had some stuff to do and I figured if I didn’t get going when I woke up I might not get it  done.” Amos felt uncomfortable making excuses. He finished loading his laundry and walked outside to  smoke a cigarette. Vicki was inside finishing her laundry. Amos stared through the window watching her.  She intrigued him. Lost in thought, Amos didn’t hear Shorty approach. “You sure pick a hell’ve a  boring place to hang out.”  
    Amos grinned. “Ain’t that the truth.” They stood talking together as Vicki appeared carrying a large  laundry basket filled with fresh laundry. She gave Amos a smile. “Wanna come over to my place for awhile?  Bring your friend along if ya like.”
    Amos introduced Vicki to Shorty and he responded. “Thanks for the invite, but I’ve gotta get  some dinner and some sleep. Did too much party’n last night and I’m pretty much used up.”
    Vicki gave him a  teasing grin. “Well if you aren’t you would be. Maybe another time?” Shorty looked uncomfortable as he gave Amos an apprehensive glance and excused himself as  he walked to his truck.
    Amos assured Vicki he’d stop by as soon as his laundry was finished and watched  her drive away. An hour later he was knocking on her door. Vicki opened the door dressed in nothing but her panties. She grabbed his arm and pulled him  inside, backing him against the wall as she kissed him passionately. Something seemed different about  her. She stumbled slightly and Amos wondered if she’d had a few drinks, except there wasn’t a hint of  liquor on her breath.
    Vicki took his hand and led him toward the bedroom. There were a plate of brownies  on the coffee table. She hesitated for a moment. “You want a brownie?” She asked. “I baked them fresh  today. They’re real special.”  
    “A little homegrown smoke in the mix?” Amos inquired, with a slight smile.Vicki’s wacky grin told  him he’d guessed right. “Naw, I’ll take a pass. Gotta stay straight. Tomorrow comes early for me.”
    “Oh you’ll be straight, alright. I’m gonna give you a blow job you’ll never forget!” Vicki pulled him  toward the bedroom.
    Vicki stripped off her panties and lay on the bed pleasuring herself as Amos quickly undressed.  “Damn, girl. You don’t waste any time!”   “I wanna be ready for you this time. You worked me over pretty good last night. Now it’s my turn.”  
    She pulled Amos onto the bed and rolled on top of him. Whatever Vicki was, she was definitely not  bashful. Vicki straddled Amos’s face with her thighs, pressing her moist pussy lips to his face, anxious to  feel his tongue probing her slit. She lowered her head and took his erect cock in her mouth, licking and  sucking the length of him. Her promise was quickly becoming a reality. Waves of arousal shot through him  and he reciprocated, licking and slurping as his tongue and lips explored Vicki’s cunt. Moans and gasps  filled the air as they orally pleasured each other with wild abandon. Vicki tortured him with an intensity he’d  rarely encountered.
    There was no holding back as he felt himself hurtling toward a magnificent  climax. Amos groaned loudly as his hot love liquid exploded into Vicki’s hungry mouth. She released his  now  limp shaft and sat upright, grinding her crotch on his face, breathing heavily and moaning with  pleasure. Amos’s tongue found her hot button and he felt her body quiver wildly as she erupted with  pleasure. He could feel her warm love juice on his face as she pumped her hips wildly and clawed at his  chest.  
    Vicki rolled onto her side, holding Amos by his hair as her legs held his head captive. She slowly  stroked his semi-erect cock with both hands, anxious to make him come again. His hot breath on her  pussy renewed her arousal and she released her thighs, pulling him tighter into her.
    They thrashed wildly,  pleasuring each other orally, muffled gasps and groans mingled with the faraway sounds of traffic on the  highway. Vicki’s thighs scissored violently as she climaxed once again. She released Amos’s pulsing shaft  and screamed with pleasure. “Oh Jesus! Oh! God, that feels good!”        
    As her orgasm subsided she turned her attention back to Amos’s throbbing cock. Her tongue  worked at a frenzied pace. It felt as though she were everywhere at once. Amos fought for breath as he  felt his charge release in a massive wave of intense sensation.
    Vicki struggled to a kneeling position next  to him. “Satisfied?” She asked with an exhausted smile.
    Amos awoke with a start. “Aw shit! God damn! I’m gonna be late for work.” Vicki gave him a sleepy smile. “God! I’m sorry. I was gonna set the alarm.”
    Amos hurriedly dressed and left. As he arrived at the job site, the crew was milling around,  preparing for another day of work. Shorty grinned as Amos approached. “Man you look like you been dragged through a knothole ass backwards.”
    “Busy night!” He responded with a hint of a grin. “Let’s hit it. We got a heavy day ahead of us.” As the week passed, Amos realized he’d seen very little of Shorty after work.
    With luck the job would be done in two  days and they’d be on their way to their next destination. He missed Judy more than he wanted to admit  and distance helped him cope with the sadness in the back of his mind. Amos shuffled sleepily into the diner for his morning coffee. Shorty and John were seated at the  counter and he joined them. “Mornin’ gentlemen. Ready for another fun-filled day?” Amos glanced at his  friend. “Jeez Shorty! You look like you was sent for and shot instead.”
    Shorty shook his head. “Don’t ask. Ya wouldn’t believe me if I did tell ya.”
    “Aw, Shorty’s just a little hung over this mornin’,” John volunteered. “Tried to drink the bar dry last  night.”
    “Little early for a drag-up party ain’t it?” Amos asked.
    Shorty just shook his head. “Well, I wasn’t party’n so much as just drink’n to forget.”
    “Okay, I’ll bite, forget what?” “Alright, you might as well know. That big redhead you been bang’n . I’ve been with her to. I  mean, what the hell? You were leave’n her alone and she did invite me over, so I went. She’s kind’ve a  strange woman, but I figure you already knew that, or you’d still be bang’n her.” Shorty drew a deep  breath. “Thing is, I figured I’d surprise her and show up at her place again last night. I knocked on the door  a couple’ve times, but she didn’t hear ‘cause the music was up loud. I figured, what the hell, I’ll just go on  in. I go wanderin’ to the bedroom and there she is, down on the bed gettin’ fucked by that Great Dane of  hers.”
     Amos looked like he’d been hit with a brick. “Wait a god damn minute. Run that by me again!”         “Just what I said. She was bang’n her dog.” Shorty was emphatic.
    John cackled with laughter. “You poor bastards! Take’n seconds to a dog? Holy shit! That’s one  for the god damn record book.”
    Shorty and Amos gave him a threatening stare and Amos spoke. “You breathe on word of this to  anyone and I’ll drop your ass down the exhaust stack of that fuck’n machine we’re rebuilding.”
    John’s face lit up with a mischievious grin. “A dog? A Great Dane, no less!”
    Amos and Shorty didn’t say a word as they grabbed John, one on each arm.

    Amos gripped the steering wheel and forced himself to keep his feet on the floorboard and off the brake pedal. A  vicious, winter storm had arrived, coating the roads with a blanket of snow and ice. The headlights shining through the windshield were bliindingly bright. Holy shit! This’s gonna be close. Gradually the truck tracked to the right, coming close to the steep embankment on the edge of the road. Amos guided his truck past the oncoming vehicle and heaved a sigh of relief as he realized he’d narrowly averted a collision.  As he rounded a curve he saw lights flashing ahead. It was a vehicle parked on the shoulder and the driver shivering in the darkness. Amos slowed to a stop and walked back to offer assistance.
    He saw an elderly looking woman standing near her car, visibly distraught. “Howdy ma’am. Anything I can do to help?” The woman’s face filled with trepadation. “Ma’am, are you okay?”
    “I think I’ve run out of fuel. My car won’t run and I don’t know what to do.”  Tears began to run down her cheeks.
    “It’s gonna be okay. Let me see what I can do to help.” Amos slid behind the wheel, turned the key and peered at the fuel gauge. “It does seem you’re out of fuel. There’s gotta be a fuel stop somewhere up the road. Let’s go get you some fuel so you can get on your way.”
    The woman was apprehensive. “I really should wait with my car.”
    Amos smiled and nodded. “Okay, I’ll  find some fuel. Just stay in your car and I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
    Twenty miles of desolate highway separated the stranded woman from town. Amos rummaged through the tools and equipment in the back of his truck and found a battered can. He filled it with fuel and turned onto the highway, returning the way he’d come and parked behind the stranded automobile. The elderly woman emerged, shivering as she approached. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all your help.”
    Amos smiled at her as he poured the last of the fuel from the can. “It’s no problem. Glad to help. Give it a try now.” The engine sputtered briefly and began to run. “Looks like your set. Be careful driving into town.”
    The woman gave him a hug, her head barely reaching his chest. “Thank you again.”She smiled up at him. “I don’t even know your name.”
    “Amos, ma’am.”
    “Amos, you’re a wonderful man. My name is Mabel. Are you sure I can’t pay you for your trouble?”
    “No need for that. I was glad to help.”  Amos smiled as she drove away.
    Daylight was an hour away when Amos arrived at the job site. This was going to be an especially challenging project. Ice and snow covered everything and the brisk wind cut through him like a knife. The first of several trucks loaded with tools and equipment arrived just as he was unlocking the job trailer door.
Davey approached and gave him a cheery smile. “Mornin’ Captain!”
    “What’s good about it?”
    Davey smiled. “You gotta be kidd’n. You see how many women there are in this town?”
    “You aren’t gonna have a hell of a lot of time to be chasing around. This job’s gonna beat us to death. I can feel it in my bones.”
    As the week got underway, Amos was pleasantly surprised. The weather cleared and the days were cold, but sunny. The crew was well on their way to successfully completing another project. If all went well they’d be finished and home for the holidays. Amos hoped so. No time on the road was more lonely than spending the holidays far from home, stuck in a motel.
    “Let’s call it a day, gentlemen!”  Amos hollered to the crew. “Get the tools stowed away. I hear someone call’n my name down at that bar in town.”
    Amos glanced at his fuel gauge and cursed. Son of a bitch. I’ve barely got enough fuel to get into town. His mind drifted back to the elderly lady he’d encountered on the highway outside of town. He turned into the fuel station and noticed a familar looking vehicle.  It was Mabel, standing in the cold pumping fuel. “Hi Mabel! How ya doing tonight?”
    “Well hello Amos. It’s nice to see you again.”
    “It’s awfully cold out here. Why don’t you go on inside and warm up a little and I’ll finish filling your tank.”
    Mabel gave him a smile. “Oh, that’s alright. My daughter says it’s high time I begin doing more for myself. But thank you for offering.” She finished filling her tank and went inside to pay her bill. When she returned she hesitated and turned to Amos. “Are you staying in town for awhile?”
    “Yea, sure am. Well, another week that is. We’re working at the power plant on the old highway.”
    “You must be getting tired of restaurant food then. Why not come by my place for Sunday supper?”
    “Thanks for the invite.  A home-cooked meal does sound mighty good.”  Amos scrawled directions to her home on a notepad.
    The next afternoon Amos arrived at Mabel’s house, a quaint cottage on a quiet street. It was much as Amos imagined it would be. The furniture was old and comfortable. There was a well-worn rug covering the hardwood floor and pictures everywhere. An oil stove perched on a tile pedastal in the corner of the room and the aroma of roast beef filled the air. A woman appeared in the hall doorway. She smiled at Amos and extended her hand. “Hi. You must be Amos. Mom’s told me a lot about you. I’m Judy.”
    “Well, I sure hope you don’t believe everything you hear.” Amos smiled and took her hand. “I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Doesn’t happen that way for me often.”
    “I’m sure glad you were there to give mom a hand. It’s been tough for her since dad passed away. They were married fifty-three years and she’s lost without him.” There was a trace of sadness in Judy’s eyes. “Sit down and tell me about yourself. Mom’s gonna be in the kitchen for awhile. She’s happy to have company.”
    Judy was an attractive woman with an athletic build, brown eyes and long dark hair that hung
down to her waist. She worked at the local feed store and lived south of town in a ramshackle ranchhouse. In her free time she played music with her friends at some of the local bars.  Amos’s was curious. “What type of music do you play?”    
    “Blues. I’m lead singer and play harp.”
    Amos grinned. “Damn. I’d like to drop in and hear you play sometime. I blow a little harp myself.”
    “Get out!” Judy exclaimed. “Well, you’ve gotta come down to the Red Line Bar tonight and sit in with us.”
    The conversation continued as Amos enjoyed a sumptious meal with his new friends. Mabel enjoyed the company and shared stories of her life with Matthew, her late husband. He had been a logger all his life, a  mountain of a man from what Amos could tell from the pictures Mabel showed him. The pictures of Judy’s mother and father made it easy to see where she’d gotten her striking features. Her ethnic mix of Irish and Portugese  evoked a powerful sensuality not at all lost on Amos.
    The band was just beginning their first set when Amos arrived at the Red Line Bar. Judging from the architecture it was a renovated warehouse. Cable spools were fashioned into tables and the stools were made from old nail kegs. Amos sat down, ordered a drink and settled back, listening to the music. Judy’s abilities as a musician were impressive. Her voice was strong and resonant and her harmonica solos were outstanding. Amos was on his third drink when the band finished their first set. Judy joined him at the table. “Well? What d’ya think?”
    “Damn, girl! You’re good! Real good.”
    “C’mon up and join us for the next set. We’d love to have you sit in.” Judy smiled excitedly.
    “I haven’t sat in with anyone for awhile so don’t expect anything fancy.”
    Before Amos realized it, closing time came and Judy walked him to the door, smiling and laughing. “I really enjoyed having you with us tonight.”
    “I had fun. Thanks for letting me sit in with ya. You wanna have dinner with me tomorrow night?”
    Judy smiled. “I’d like that. What time’s good?”
    “I’m not sure how late we’re gonna work tomorrow. I’ll give you a call when I finish up.”  Amos handed her his notepad and she jotted her phone number. “Oh. I forgot to write my name with the number.”
    Amos grinned. “Yea, like I’m not gonna remember you. Don’t you worry, I’ll call.” He gave her a kiss and left.
    It felt like he’d been asleep no more than an hour when the alarm jangled Amos awake. Son of a bitch’n alarm. The considered throwing the alarm against the wall, but thought better of it. Dressed and barely awake, he left for the diner. Members of the crew were drifting in, a motley collection of men, none of whom appeared to be fully awake. Amos decided on a light breakfast; several cups of coffee and a few cigarettes.  An hour later they  were at the job site, ready for another day. Amos was unusually quiet as he set about the day’s tasks. It was cold and a wet snow fell, making the day  less than pleasant. The morning seemed to go on forever. Lunch time finally arrived and the crew reassembled at the crowded diner. “Hey,
Captain. You sure been quiet this morning. You plott’n something?”
    Amos smiled. His thoughts returned to the night before. Judy was someone he could easily become very fond of. Amos finished his lunch and drove back to work. The afternoon passed more quickly  than the morning and the snow storm passed. It was well past dusk when the crew finished for the day and headed into town.
    Amos dialed the phone, still dripping wet from his shower. Judy answered and they agreed to meet for dinner. Amos was in the bar when Judy arrived. He nearly dropped his drink when he saw her. She was wearing a wine-red dress, low-cut with slits on both sides. Her black stilletto heels completed the ensemble. Judy slipped into the booth next to Amos and smiled. “Sorry I’m late.”
    He returned her smile. “Don’t worry, I just got here myself.”
    The evening passed quickly. After a leisurely meal they returned to the bar and spent hours talking. Amos shared stories of his travels  and Judy told him about living in San Francisco. She had married a musician she met while working in southern California. Judy endured three years of his infidelity and eventually filed for divorce. She stayed in San Francisco and didn’t return home until her father died.
    It was nearing closing time. Judy glanced at her watch. “Oh! It’s late and you’ve got to be at work in a few hours. I’ll bet you’re dead on your feet.”
    Amos gave her a weary smile. “It is  late but I hate leave you. I’ve only got a few more days until we finish work. Let’s get together when the job’s done and celebrate.”
    “I’d like that. You’ll call me?”
    “You can bet the ranch on it!” Amos walked her to her truck and watched as she drove away. Amos was surprised by his feelings. It was going to be difficult to leave her when it was time to move on. The scent of her perfume lingered as he drifted off to sleep.
    “Jesus! Your eyeballs look like pissholes in the snow.”  Davey joked as Amos seated himself at the counter.  “You get any sleep?”
    Amos frowned. “You write’n a book?”
    Fatigue was setting in as the day progressed. Amos forced himself back to work after a short lunch break. He knew he was pushing hard, but he wanted this job done. His mind was made up. When this project was done he was going to take some time for himself. It had been more than a year since he’d passed up a project. A  layover would be a welcome break and long overdue.
    Amos showered, ate a quick dinner and fell into bed. He awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. It was Judy, calling to wish him a good day. Amos was grinning like a kid with a jar full of cookies when he arrived at the diner.
    As the day drew to a close, Amos considered inviting Judy to spend the evening with him, but thought better of it. The project was in it’s critical phase and the potential for error was high. Amos knew fatigue could lead to miscalculation and it was a risk he couldn’t take. He showered, ate and returned to the motel. He lay on the bed, smoked his last cigarette of the day and fell asleep.    
    Amos thought he was dreaming, but there it was again. A  light knock on the door. He tugged on his trousers, certain it was one of the crew,  too drunk to remember which room was his. He pulled the door open with a scowl. “Yea , what! Oh!”.”
    It was Judy. “I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to surprise you. I can go if this’s a bad time.”
    “Not on your life!”  Amos pulled her close and gave her a  kiss.
    Judy playfully pushed him onto the bed. “If you’ll lie down and be still  I’ll give you a surprise. Amos complied as Judy unbuttoned her levis, let them fall to the floor and slowly pulled her shirt over her head.
Judy straddled his hips with her legs and began slowly massaging his back. Her soft hands glided over his skin and Amos could feel the tension draining from his body. The mixture of relaxation and arousal was intoxicating. Judy leaned forward, buried her hands in his hair and kissed the back of his neck.
    Amos moaned quietly. “Mmmmm, you’re gonna drive me crazy if you keep doing  that.”
    With a giggle, Judy playfully bit Amos’s shoulder. “Maybe you better roll over then.”
    Lying on his back, Amos gazed at Judy sitting atop his torso.The sight of her firm breasts and erect nipples was more than he could resist. He gently massaged the mounds of flesh and teased her nipples with his fingers. Judy’s nails dug into his flesh, gently clawing his belly. She repositioned herself between his legs and unbuttoned his trousers. Taking his erect cock in her hands, she slowly stroked his shaft, smiling as she saw the firey passion in his eyes. Judy slid off his body, deftly removed his trousers, slipped out of her thong and returned to her position between his thighs. Amos wrapped his  legs around her waist and drew her crotch into him. His shaft slowly penetrated her eager pussy and Judy moaned loudly, as her breath came in raspy bursts.
    “Oh, baby! Oh . . .that feels so good.” Judy licked her lips, gasps of pleasure coming in short, ragged bursts. Amos drove his hips upward, meeting each ofher powerful thrusts, as he mauled her breasts with his hands.
    Judy pumped her hips with a wild rhythm, clawing his waist and hips as she slid closer and closer to the edge of ecstacy. A guttural scream filled the air as she arched her back and quivered violently, orgasm sweeping through her body like a windswept forest fire. She gasped for breath as she fell forward burying her face in Amos’s chest. He continued to drive his cock into her, holding her by the hair as he pumped violently. “Oh! Oh! Oh, Jesus!” Amos’s body arched up, reaching for the ceiling as he exploded in a furious release of hot liquid.
    Their lips met and they kissed, the sound of rapid breathing slowly subsiding. Judy pressed her body close Amos, her warm breath splashing onto his chest as they drifted off to sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.
    The annoying racket of the alarm jolted Amos awake. He sat up and lit a cigarette, careful not to awken his sleeping lover. Without a sound, he dressed in the darkness, stubbed out his cigarette and left.
A contented smile was spread across his face as he entered the diner. Davie glanced up as he sat down.
“Damn! There ain’t no point in asking how your night went.”
    Amos grinned at his friend. “You just make sure you eat a big breakfast. We’re gonna kick some ass today.” By late morning the sun had burned through the clouds and it was as if the gods were smiling down on the crew. Amos was in an especially good mood. The crew knew the reason and knew it was best not to comment. As darkness descended over the job site, the weary men stowed their tools and trudged toward the parking lot. Davey walked beside his friend. “We should be ready for a start-up tomorrow, don’t ya think?”
    Amos gave him a tired smile. “Damn sure should. You guys have done one hell of a job. I’ll see ya’ll at the diner. I gotta grab a shower first.” There was a note pinned to Amos’s motel room door. It was from Judy. He smiled as he sat on the bed reading.
    After a relaxing shower he joined his friends for dinner. They sat around  the table, bickering good-naturedly as they ate. Amos felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Judy standing behind him. “Hi ya babe! Glad you could make it.” She pulled up a chair up and joined them as Amos introduced her to the crew.
    Dinner finished, the men drifted out of the diner, leaving Amos and Judy alone. Amos told Judy they’d likely finish their job the next day and a hint of sadness showed in her eyes. “Does that mean you’ll be leaving town soon?”
    “Well, I was thinking about staying around for awhile. I’ve got some off-time coming and I figured I just might use it.”
    Judy threw her arms around his neck. “I was hoping you’d say that!”
    Amos smiled. “That’s the good news. Bad news is, I need to go back to the motel and get some sleep.  These twelve hour days aren’t easy to. I’m not as young as I used to be.”
    “You’re young enough for me, mister.” Judy grinned. “Why don’t I meet you at the Red Line tomorrow night? From what you’ve told me you and your crew’ll have some partying to do, right?”
    “Yup! We do. It’s part of the job description. Gotta party hard when the job’s done. I’ll see you at the bar.” Amos watched as Judy walked away and whistled loudly. “Damn! Wish I had that swing in my back yard.”
    Judy turned and gave him a teasing smile. “You will have, baby. You will have.”
    The roar of machinery filled the air and Amos watching the gauges and dials on the control panel. Amos was anxious to be on his way. He had plans and he didn’t want to be delayed. “C’mon you guys, lets get loaded up and out’a here.”
    There was an envelope attached to the door as Amos entered his room. Inside was a note and a thin strip of cloth. It was a thong. Judy’s thong. Amos shuffled through his paperwork, filling out the necessary job completion reports and payroll records. It was imposible to concentrate. He had other things on his agenda at the moment.
    After a quick dinner, Amos arrived at the Red Line Bar. Most of the crew was already there. Davey was chatting with an attractive blond and John was seducing a tall brunette cowgirl at the jukebox. Judy was seated at a table with several of the crew. Her eyes lit up as she saw Amos coming through the crowd. “About time you got here!” She yelled, over the raucous noise of the bar. “I’ve been waiting for you since noon.”
    Amos grinned and gave her a hug and a kiss. “Was I worth the wait?”
    Judy smiled. “I hope so.”
    It was near closing time when Amos leaned close to Judy and whispered in her ear. “Lets slip on out’ve here and go back to my room.”
    “I’ve got a better idea,” Judy countered. “Let’s stop by your room, pack up your stuff and go out to my place.”
    Amos made the rounds of the bar, assuring his crew members he’d catch up with them down the road. No one in his line of work ever said good-by. The lights on Judy’s truck were disappearing into the distance as Amos did his best to keep up with her.  Damn, woman! You’re gonna have to slow down a little or I’m gonna be off the road and in the ditch. The road was narrow and winding, made worse by the pitch blackness of a moonless night. He caught up as she slowed and turned into a long driveway. Amos climbed out of his truck shaking his head. “Damn! You ever think about stock car racing for a career?”    
    “I sure do hope you don’t have that much trouble keeping up with everything you do! “Judy teased. Amos felt a sense of comfort settle around him as she led him into the house. The furniture was old but functional. The scent of wood smoke eminated from the wood stove burning in the corner of the large living room. Judy led him down the hallway to the bedroom. The floor was covered with an intricately braided rug and a huge sleigh bed rested against one wall. There was a well-worn seaman’s trunk at the foot of the bed, something passed down from Judy’s father to her, Amos suspected. He set his seabag on the floor and walked to the window. “It sure is peaceful.” Amos peered into the darkness, his eyes surveying the sillouette of the treeline. “I can see why you like living here.”
    “I love it here.” Judy smiled up at him. “You gonna spend the night staring out the window?”
She pulled him close and gave him a passionate kiss. Amos wrapped his arms around her and gently kissed her neck. Judy fumbled with the snaps on his shirt, anxious to unwrap his willing body. Moments later they lay together on the bed, Amos nibbling gently at her firm mounds of flesh. His mouth closed over her erect nipple and his tongue swirled slowly, teasing and tantalizing  as he moved slowly from one breast to the other. Judy moaned as her body surged under him. She tugged at his hair, guiding his eager mouth to every sensual destination her body had to offer.
    Amos descended slowly down her body, exploring her hips and inner thighs with his hands and then with his lips and tongue. Judy’s moist pussy quivered as he pressed his face to her, his tongue lightly licking the lips of her slit. Her legs encircled his head and she pulled his hair harder, gasping with pleasure as he continued sucking and licking relentlessly. “Oh, baby, oh that feels sooo good!”  Judy pumped her hips as the waves of pleasure grew higher. Pulling himself free, Amos lowered himself onto her writhing body, the head of his cock slowly penetrating her. Judy pulled at his hair as she thrust herself upward, anxious to meet his every stroke. The walls of her cunt closed tightly around his shaft and he moaned, feeling the warm sensation of arousal careen up his spine. Their legs intertwined as they thrashed together in a primal dance of passion, Judy’s screams of pleasure growing louder and louder. “Fuck me, baby! Oh! God that feels good!”
    Amos could feel himself nearing ejaculation and struggled to hold back, not wanting to preclude Judy’s impending burst of pleasure. She released his hair and dug her fingers into his flesh as she exploded in a flurry of thrusts. “Oh! Oh! Ohhhhh!” He could feel the warmth of her love liquid as her body shuddered with finality. The sensation of her orgasm made Amos even hotter as he pounded her crotch with his. “Ohhh!  I’m gonna come!” Judy could feel his love juice fill her pussy as she ground her hips, anxious to milk ever drop of him.
    Amos awoke to the smell of fresh coffee and bacon. The sun shone through the window and Judy was nowhere to be seen. Amos tugged on his levis and stumbled down the hall to the kitchen. Judy was busy at the stove and music was playing on the stereo. He approached her from behind and slid his arms around her. “Mornin’ sunshine.”
    “Hey! You’re awake.” Judy pouted. “Well, you’ve ruined my surprise. I was gonna bring you breakfast in bed.”
    “I’ve got a better idea. How  ‘bout desert in bed after breakfast?”
    Judy wrinkled up her nose and giggled. “Just like a man. Sex and food.”
    A week passed, as Judy and Amos spent time together. During the days while she was at work, Amos explored the valley on horseback. During the evenings they lay together, making love and sharing their wildest dreams and deepest fears. Part of Amos wanted him to stay. It was what Judy was hoping for.
    Early one morning Amos lay  next to his lover, listening to her breathing as she slept. In the distance he could hear the faint call of a lonesome train whistle. It was time to leave. With misty eyes, he quickly scrawled a farewell message on a notepad and left it on the pillow.
    Judy stood in the window, tears running down her cheeks as she watched the lights of his truck slowly disappear from sight. She told herself he’d be back again. Sometimes wishes do come true.