(Marshall in the picture)
Duane Lee's POV
We got a call from Marshall saying he has to do some stuff for Jonathan's case so we decided we were gonna get Josh. i looked around and didn't see Ashleigh. i looked at dad. "She's not here." "I'm sure she's fine." me and Leland looked at each other. we both knew she didn't come either because she was sick or because something happened. we were in the cars. dad, Youngblood and Lyssa in one car while me Beth and Leland were in another. we were listening to the radio when i heard something very disturbing. "Yesterday around 6 pm our very own bounty hunter Ashleigh Morgan got hit by a car and is now in the hospital. she was just walking down the street with her dog Sarge looking for a fugitive when the fugitive she was looking for had hit her in his brothers car. this man's name is Josh Montgomery and he is still wanted right now and is now wanted for more accounts then 15. Ashleigh had gotten out of the hospital this mourning but no one knows how bad the injury is or where her dog is." i felt sick, Leland had his head in his hands and Beth was crying. "big daddy did your hear the radio." it was silent for a minute. "Yeah." he sounded like he was crying and you could hear baby Lyssa crying in the back. "We gotta get this scum bag. for Ashleigh." Beth drove faster. i tried calling her but it went straight to voicemail. we all tried and it went straight to voicemail. i sighed. we were driving around when i spotted him. "Beth pull over that's him." she stopped and Leland and I ran to him and tackled him. "Thinking running over a girl like her is gonna stop us from getting you. She was Family you ass!" Dad yelled at him and we went to book him until Dad came over and said that the cops are gonna take him so we can see Ashleigh. i sighed in relief and we got in the car and headed to Marshall bail bonds.
We got in there and sat down. "How bad is she?" he sighed. he looked a mess. "To be honest i don't know. she won't answer her phone." Sarge was here because Marshall took him after he ran to him and pulled him to what happened. Sarge came over and put something in my lap. it looked like a book. i looked at it closer to see that it was a memory book. i smiled and patted his head before we all heard a door shut. i hid it behind me. "Welp Mrs. prone to injury is here." i looked up to see Ashleigh crutch in here with sunglasses on and her hood up. i looked at her sweatshirt to see it was one of mine she stole. i looked at her and she was a mess. but she still looked cute. Marshall pulled up a chair and she sat in it. "What happened?" she just shook her head. "No. I just came for my dog so please." Sarge was already by her side. Taylor just put his leash on and they almost walked out but not before she said one last thing. "Oh and i quite." she crutched out and Taylor looked at us all. "Don't worry she's been like this since she woke up." she looked at me. "She won't talk to anyone. i think a certain 6'3 man who's 10 years older then her and who she won't shut up about. talk to her." with that she left with Sarge and i sighed. i just stood up and went to an empty room and looked at the memory book. i flipped through it and smiled at all the memories in it. "When we first met when she was 10 and i was 20 because she was in a car accident with her mother and she lost her. when she was 14 and i was 20 and we were on the couch watching a movie with Leland on the floor. then when i had Dylan and she was holding him. she was only 14. she's 20 now i'm 30. damn i'm old. but then there was a photo of me, Leland and her while we were in the pool and she was on my back. then there was one when i took her snowboarding and she kissed my cheek. i smiled. that was when i realized i loved her. then i realized something. she loved me this whole time and i didn't realize it. i cried. "You ok Duane Lee?" I saw Beth and shook my head no. "I wasted all my time with other girls, getting married twice, getting divorced twice when i didn't realize the love of my life right in front of me." she hugged me. "You're talking about Ashleigh aren't you?" i nodded. she smiled. "You finally realized she loved you." i nodded. "I don't know why. i'm 10 years older then her and she could have any hot guy her age. She's hot!" Beth laughed. "Trust me Duane Lee. i know. i see it in the way you look at her. but why should age matter. i mean Leland is dating a girl younger then Ashleigh and those two are only 4 years apart and me and your father are 15 years apart. now if you two were 30 years apart maybe there would be a problem but there isn't one you want to know why? because we see how much you two love each other. i've known since she was little. she told me when she first started liking boys that you were cute. Duane Lee. go. go to her." i nodded and ran out of there in a flash. "TAKE CARE OF HER SON!" i laughed at dad as he heard our conversation.
