Grand Slam

Part 5

Ashlyn's POV

I woke up at about 11:00 that morning. After a few minutes, I finally remembered that Dansby and Ender had brought me home, and my truck was still at the airport. I didn't have another vehicle, so I grabbed my phone to text Dansby.

Hey, can you call me when you wake up? I have a question.

Not knowing what else to do till Dansby called me, I got the mower and started mowing the yard. Right when I was finishing, I felt my phone ring in my pocket.

"Hello?" said a sleepy-sounding Dansby. "Hey. So I have a question." I responded. "Yea, what's up." "Since y'all drove me home last night, I don't have another vehicle or anyone to get my truck. Would you mind taking me to the airport so I can get it?" "No, of course not. I've got to come to my mama's house today anyways." "What does that have to do with anything?" I asked. "Oh yeah, you were asleep this morning so I didn't tell you. You moved into the house across from my parents. I used to work for the older owner every summer." "Wait, really? This used to be my grandpa's land, and he left it to me when he passed." "No way that was your grandpa?" "Yeah, it was." "Well, I'll be there in about 30 minutes to get you." "Okay, sounds good," I replied, hanging up the phone.

I tried to remember every summer I was here for a boy with brown hair that worked for my grandpa too. When I couldn't think of anyone, I thought about his funeral 7 years ago when I was 15.

*7 years ago*

"Excuse me, ma'am. I just wanted to say sorry for your loss." A boy that couldn't be much older than me said as he walked up to where my mama and I were sitting. "Thank you. You're Nancy's son right?" Mama asked him. "Yes, ma'am I am. James," he said, extending his hand. "Hi, James. You weren't at the dinner your mama made for us, were you?" "No, ma'am I wasn't. I had a baseball game and couldn't make it, unfortunately." "Oh, you play baseball. So does my daughter, Ashlyn." I remembered being angry at my mom. Today was the worst day of my life, and she was talking about my baseball career. I couldn't speak because I knew if I did, I would either start bawling or yelling at my mom for acting like this.

*Present Day*

When Dansby pulled up, I saw a black and white dog in the backseat. "Hey, this is Bentley by the way," Dansby said as he got out of his truck and came over to the passenger side to open my door. "Hey, thanks. I can't believe you used to work for my grandpa and I live next to your mom." I said, laughing as I got in. "Yeah, it's a small world, right?" Dansby replied, laughing and rubbing the back of his neck.

We were quiet for most of the ride. While we were stopped at a stoplight, I looked over at Dansby to see him watching me. "What?" I asked as the light turned green and we started driving again. "Oh nothing, it just seems like something's bothering you," Dansby said, looking over at me again. I was in shock. Everyone I had dated had never noticed when I was off or if it seemed like something was bothering me, even if they knew me for years. "Oh, it's nothing." "So there is something, but it's nothing?" Dansby asked as we pulled into the airport. "Yeah exactly," I replied laughing. "Well thank you for driving me here," I said as I got out of the truck. "Yeah, anytime," Dansby replied, sounding like he had a question. "What?" I asked, looking at him. "What do you mean?" He asked, not hiding his confusion well. "You sound like you have a question for me, but you aren't saying anything," I replied, watching him as he laughed and looked up. "Nothing gets by you, huh?" He said, still laughing. "No, not really," I replied, laughing with him. "As a matter of fact, I do have a question."

Dansby's POV
On the way to get Ashlyn earlier today, I called Austin for his opinion.

Hey man, I need some advice

Yeah man, what's up?

So I'm about to take Ashlyn to get her truck, and I kind of want to take her out to lunch or something. But I don't know if I should or how to ask. I just thought you might have some advice for me.

Well, I think you should go for it. She's single, and I think y'all would be a good couple. If you are going to ask her, I would keep it simple. I don't know Ashlyn that well, but she seems like the kind of girl that really doesn't like extravagent things. She seems to like simple things better.

Okay. Hey man, thank you so much.

Yeah, of course. Let me know how it goes.

The rest of the drive, I tried to build my courage to ask Ashlyn out. When she came out to my truck, I got out to open her door for her, like my mama had taught me. While we were on the way to the airport, I noticed Ashlyn kept putting her necklace in her mouth, something I'd noticed she did when we were losing against the Marlins. When I asked her what was bothering her, she'd said it was nothing, but I had a feeling there was actually something bothering her.

Ashlyn's POV
After Dansby said he actually had a question, he blurted out really fast, "Wouldyoumaybewannagetlunchwithme?" "Sorry, what?" I replied, not being able to understand what he'd said. "Sorry. Would you maybe wanna get lunch with me?" He asked again, slowing down this time.

"Uhmm.." "I'm sorry I asked. I'll just see you later." Dansby said, taking his truck out of park. "Will you stop? You didn't give me time to answer idiot." I said, making Dansby turn and look at me. "Well will you?" "Yeah I will. Where do you want to go?" I asked, watching Dansby turn and smile like a kid on Christmas. "How about we go get Chick-fil-A and play putt-putt or something?" "Yeah that sounds fun! What about both our trucks and Bentley?" "Well we can go drop Bentley off at my mom's house and take whoever's truck. I'm taking her there because my little niece is spending the night and wants to see her." "Alright that's fine. We can take my truck if you don't mind." I said. My truck was like my baby, so if we took it, Dansby couldn't drive. "No I don't mind. Well I'll take Bentley to my mom and then I'll leave my truck at your house till we get home." Dansby said. "Sounds like a plan." I replied, shutting his truck door and getting into the cab of mine.

I'm not going to lie, I think I smiled the entire way back to my house.