MARCH 2018• COUNTRY LIFE IN BC
49 Clay lives up to all of Ashley’s expectations When we left off last time,
Kenneth was scouring the Internet for any information on the Massey 285 he bought sight unseen as he waited anxiously for its arrival. Ashley, on the other hand, was anxiously getting ready for her first date with Clay. Rural Redemption, part 96, continues ...
Chronicles by BOB COLLINS
Ashley appeared in the office doorway and interrupted the conversation Kenneth and Clay were having about the Massey Ferguson 285. “Hi, Clay.” Clay turned and smiled at
her. “Hi, Ashley. Are you ready
to go?” Ashley nodded. Clay turned back toward Kenneth. “We should probably be going then, I guess.” “Not too late,” said Kenneth.
It sounded like a threat. Deborah followed them to the back door. “You two have a good
time.” “Thank you, ma’am. I’m
sure we will.”
Deborah watched as Clay held the truck door and Ashley climbed in. She tried in vain to recall the last time Kenneth had done the same for her. Clay climbed into the truck and held the door ajar for several seconds while he looked across at Ashley. “Wow!” he said as he closed the door and the dome light blinked off.
A frisson ran through
Ashley. “Wow, yourself,” she said. They drove to the stone
oven pizza place in town. “We might not be able to
get in,” said Ashley. “This place is always packed on the weekend.” “Fear not, Miss Henderson,
we have a reservation.” They sat in a corner right in the back and talked about horses for nearly an hour while they ate what Ashley described as the best pizza she’d ever tasted. As they were leaving, Ashley made eye contact with one of her classmates at a booth near the front of the restaurant. Ashley saw her lips move and the faces of two more classmates turned in unison to look at her. The first girl spoke as they neared the booth. “Hi, Ashley. I’m surprised to
see you out on a Friday night.” “Hello, Carrie. I think this is the first time I’ve seen you out, too.”
Clay whispered that he’d be right back and maneuvered past Ashley to pay the bill and get her coat. All three of the girls in the booth craned their necks to watch him go. “Is that your brother?”
Woodshed
asked Carrie. “No, that’s Clay. He’s my date.” The word
date whiplashed all three heads around. They stared at Ashley briefly, then stared back at
Clay. As Carrie’s gaze returned to
Ashley, she gave a derisive little snort. “Yeah, right. You wish!” The other two smirked in
agreement. “You all have a nice
evening then,” said Ashley as she left to join Clay at the coat rack. “What’s all the giggling back there?” “They don’t believe I’m on a
date.”
“No? Maybe we should set them straight then,” said Clay, as Ashley’s coat settled over her shoulders. As the three friends looked on, he pulled Ashley gently toward him and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss lasted just long enough to remove any doubt that Ashley Henderson was indeed on a date. Ashley hid her surprise, then smiled at the three dumb-struck friends and gave them a little finger wiggle- wave. “Friends of yours?” asked
Clay as they walked to the truck. “No. Those are the C-sisters.
They’re way too cool for me.” “C-sisters?” “Yeah: Carrie, Callie and
Cassie. They’re kind of in their own little world. They’ve got their own table in the
lunchroom where they sit by themselves and talk trash about everyone else. They call it the cool table but I started calling it the C-section and I think they hate me for it. For sure, that kiss made them all choke.” C-section. You have to like a sense of humour like that, thought Clay. At the movie, Clay bought a medium-sized box of popcorn they could share, explaining that back in Maple Creek, a movie without popcorn was unthinkable. By the time the show was half over, they had nibbled their way to the bottom of the box. Clay slipped the box under his seat and touched the back of Ashley’s hand. She turned it over, their buttery palms met, and their slippery fingers entwined. She laid her head on his shoulder and tightened her grip. The movie was out at 11:15 and at 11:40, they pulled up the Henderson’s driveway. “Why did you kiss me in
the restaurant?” “Maybe I didn’t want you to beat me to the punch again,” said Clay. “If you recall, you kissed me last time. Why did you kiss me in the truck? “That wasn’t a real date and I didn’t give you a real kiss.” “This is a real date, but I
didn’t give you a real kiss either.” “It seemed pretty real to
me,” said Ashley. “To be honest, that kiss was mostly for your friend Carrie’s benefit.” “Why?”
“Because of how she was
acting. She reminds me of Desiree, the girl I dated in high school – all drama and gossip with a big streak of nasty. I figured that kiss might take some of the wind out of her sails, that’s all” “That’s all? So, you didn’t
really want to kiss me?” “I didn’t say that. Every girl should have a kiss on her first date if she wants one.” “How did you know if I wanted a kiss?” “Don’t you?” asked Clay. “Not one that was meant
for somebody else.” “How about one especially
for you?” It was a toss up as to who
started kissing who first. And it was anybody’s guess how long it might have lasted if Kenneth Henderson hadn’t started flipping the porch light on and off. Clay walked her to the
porch. “I had a really nice time,
Clay. Thank you.” “Me, too. You better go in
before we give your Dad a heart attack.” Ashley stood in the
doorway and watched him go, then went to her father’s office.
“Really, Daddy? Flipping the lights? What century was that from?”
Christopher was working
his way through a six-layer stack of pancakes when Ashley came downstairs in the morning. “How was your date?” he
asked. “It was fine.” “So, I suppose you’re not sweet 16 and never been
• BEEF • VEAL • BISON • LAMB • GOAT • DEER
kissed anymore, huh?” “Christopher, leave your sister alone,” said Deborah. “I thought you were working for Mr. Pullman this morning? Aren’t you going to be late?” Christopher pulled on his coat and grabbed another pancake from the platter. “Yeah, I’m off. I’ll be home
around lunch time.” Deborah turned to Ashley as soon as the door closed. “Did you have a good
time?” “I had a really good time,”
said Ashley. “What about Clay? Did he
have a good time, too?” “I think so.”
“Is he going to ask you out again?”
“I hope so. What’s with the all the questions?” “Sorry, honey. It’s a mother
thing. I just hope everything was the way you wanted it to be,” said Deborah. “Yes, Mom. Clay was a
perfect gentleman and it was all I hoped for,” said Ashley. “And then some,” she added, with sly little grin. As Ashley’s last remark set
the neurons in Deborah’s mind firing furiously in all directions, Kenneth started hollering from his lookout at the living-room window. “IT’S HERE! Deborah, come and look! The tractor’s here!” ... To be continued
MEADOW VALLEY MEATS PROVINCIALLY INSPECTED ABATTOIR BC#34
CUSTOM SLAUGHTER SERVICES PROVIDED Serving the Community Together
WANTED: ALL SIZES MARKET GOATS & LAMBS 18315 FORD ROAD PITT MEADOWS, BC V3Y 1Z1
ashiq@meadowvalleymeats.com 604/465-4752 (ext 105) fax 604/465-4744
MAKE A DIFFERENCE SALE
March 15th, 2018
brandsma.rob@
gmail.com facebook.com/canadianfoodgrainsbankabbotsfordauction
McClary’s Stockyard 604-864-2381
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 10:15 am
Auction to start (General Auction items)
12:00 noon 12:30 pm 2:30 pm
Lunch (Provided by RBC) Cattle auction to begin Remaining General Auction Items
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