June and July had flown by. August was Cora's last month before she took off to college. She knew their days were numbered and so did Ronnie.
They made every second count. Did all their work together, spent every night in each other's arms and made love every chance they got. It would never be enough. They couldn't get enough of each other.
Ronnie would stay when Cora left. He would split his time between the farm and community college. Pop started coming out of the house more often to do work. He had taken the time off to work on financial things. He focused on buying and selling, and balancing what was coming in with what was going out. Now that Cora was on the way out he started getting accustomed to work again. He mostly did deliveries, so Cora and Ronnie had plenty of time to goof off.
One day while Pop was gone Ronnie took Cora for a ride in his truck. He drove up to the top of the mountain that they went to the first night he took her out. "What are we gonna do here?" Cora asked as Ronnie opened her door and helped her out of the big cab.
" Escape the heat." He answered. He took her hand and led her over to the spring with the waterfall they saw that first night. They stood on a huge flat stone at the edge of the water. Ronnie took his t-shirt off first. Cora followed and started kicking off her boots and socks. Ronnie was in his briefs before she had even removed her top and dove in the clear water. Minnows and polliwogs scattered away from him as he treaded water.
Cora giggled as he shook his head like a shaggy dog. She stripped down to her panties and joined him. The water was such a relief. It was clean and cool. She floated on her back with her eyes closed. The waterfall made a beautiful noise. With her ears submerged she listened to the swish that the small stream made. She was so calm she didn't even care that she was skipping work and she didn't hear Ron swim up under her. He pinched her side and shocked her right out of the serene state she was enjoying.
She swam upright and looked all around for him. He was submerged! She looked under water and he was swimming toward the waterfall. She went up and drew breath then followed him. He stopped where he came up for air and waited for her to catch up. When she came up she splashed him. He looked horrified and dove underwater again. He swam through the waterfall this time. She followed him inside the cavern. The light reflected through the water and onto the dark stone on the inside. It was beautiful to her. She forgot she was in a water war and admired the beauty.
She looked all around but her eyes came to rest on Ronnie. He was sitting on a rock that rose out of the water. His bare feet dangled over the side. She swam to him and got out onto the rock.
" I forgot I wanted to come here. It's so beautiful on the inside." Cora said still looking up to the cave ceiling.
"Like you." Ronnie said. Cora moved closer to him so he could touch her.
" God, I love you. I can't believe how romantic you are. It makes me happy that I'll have these memories with you, but I'm also so so sad that it will all be over before it began. I almost don't want to go to university but we can't live on love forever." She said.
" Cant we? I mean, you could go to school and I can stay here, and I can still love you. Could you stay in love with me Cora?"
"Of course I could. Is that realistic though? I mean what do you think? You think we're gonna grow up and marry each other?"