“Is she okay?” Nick questioned when he saw Ashley turn his phone off and she walked over to him and handed it back.
“I’m sure Scott is just driving her crazy,” Ashley replied as he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her near. “I need to find him a girlfriend. I feel so bad for him because he is still so much in love with her.”
“Where are you going to find him a girlfriend?” Nick asked amused. “All the ones we know are officially taken,” Nick questioned, as he looked over at Peyton who was acting her normal perky self again and walking around the playground with a grin on her face.
“Who says he has to have a girlfriend that hangs out with us?” Ashley asked while raising her eyebrow at him. “There’s gotta be lots of beautiful caregivers around this place who are good enough for my Scott.” Nick chuckled.
“Your Scott?” he asked amused.
“Mhm. He’s mine. In a little sister kind of way.”
“Something tells me you had a crush on him as a child,” Nick replied still looking at her amused.
“Scott? No…he belonged to Kori. She would have killed me.”
“Oh come on, it’s quite natural for the little sister to have a small crush on their older sister’s boyfriend,” Nick replied while rolling his eyes playfully. “I’ve seen it happen loads of times with Angel, BJ, and Leslie.”
“Okay, maybe a little bit,” Ashley admitted sheepishly. “But he was more of a big brother to me then anything else.” Nick chuckled and pulled her closer and he planted a kiss on her forehead. “But that is why any girl he dates has to fit my standards. Which is mostly Kori…but since she’s taken I have to look for someone else.”
“Should we open up a dating service right here in the Orphanage for him, Ash?” AJ teased suddenly, as he walked up behind her and ruffled her hair playfully. Ashley’s eyes lit up then as she looked at him.
“Can we??” She asked eagerly and Nick laughed. AJ just shook his head grinning.
“Man am I glad I already have a girlfriend who I love. I could just see her trying to set me up now if I didn't.”
“Hey I am very good at match making I’ll have you know.”
“Yes you are baby,” Nick agreed, and he rubbed his nose lightly over hers as their foreheads were touching. AJ rolled his eyes playfully.
“Someone has you trained, doesn’t she?” Nick reached out and kicked AJ in the butt and he yelped before running off.
“Where is Bells at?” she asked softly, as she nestled her head against his shoulder comfortably.
“I left her with Denise. I think that woman has become just as attached to that baby as her daughter is.”
“It’s contagious I tell you,” Ashley insisted while drawing lines on Nick’s chest with her finger idly. “Soon enough you all are going to catch it and that baby is going to be the center of your world, you just wait and see.”
“I can name one person who already is the center of my world,” Nick replied, pulling her closer to him.
“Who?” Ashley asked, looking up at him with mock curiosity. “Jennifer Lopez? Britney Spears? You name that girl and I’ll go pull her hair out” She told him innocently and Nick chuckled.
“You’ll pull their hair out huh?”
“Yes. And that is only the beginning.” Nick smirked and leaned forward so their lips were only just inches apart.
“You are the center of my world baby girl…the only woman I see,” he promised. “I become blind when anyone else is around.” Ashley felt her stomach do an entire flip-flop at his words like she were on a roller coaster and she silently wondered how he still manages to do that to her after all this time. She rested her head against his chest then and snuggled into him as the low breeze was making her shiver and she looked over at the Play Structure where they had their first kiss as a couple. A small smile formed on her lips then and she gently pushed him back toward the play structure, her wrapped around him as he walks backward and he chuckled.
“I hope you know where I’m going cause I don’t.” When they arrived at the play structure he looked back and suddenly caught onto what her plan was and he slid up onto the flat surface of it. He pulled her up with him before sitting her next to him and lying back and she lay with him resting her head against his shoulder and her cast across his chest comfortably.
“Good thing this isn’t a popular hang out place for the kids at the moment, or I’m pretty sure we would be road kill lying here,” he informed, looking around and seeing that most of the kids are elsewhere today. Playing basketball, drawing on the sidewalk with chalk, playing in the sand, or swinging on the swings.
“Probably,” Ashley giggled, and he smiled a little before kissing her forehead softly before looking down at her fall out boy signed cast and he lightly rubbed a finger over it causing her to look down at it as well with mixed feelings. She can’t stand the thing, but at the same time she plans to frame it as soon as it’s taken off of her. Or at least put it on display.
“When are you getting this taken off? I thought you went to go see the J man when we got back…”
“He told me to give it one more day,” Ashley answered, pouting somewhat as she snuggled into him more.
“I’m sorry sweetheart, but you know he knows best.”
“I know,” Ashley sighed. “But Id still like to give him a swift kick in the butt.” Nick chuckled.
“That would be a sight to see.”
“Mhm. I think it would be pretty therapeutic too.” Nick shook his head smiling, and he slid his arms around her and hugged her close to him affectionately.
~*~*~*~*~
“Nick and Ashley feeling sentimental about their first kiss much?” Howie asked, looking over at the two lovebirds lying on the flat surface of the play structure.
“I’m guessing Ashley mostly. I swear the girl’s emotions are crazy lately,” AJ replied, as he sat in the grass under the tree with Laila lying in his lap gazing up at the sky and watching cloud shapes go by.
“I don’t blame her,” Howie replied, as he lay there in the grass watching Ryan write. “She was just recently shot in the arm, almost molested again, and just wants to be freed from that cast.”
“Mhm,” AJ replied, and he looked over at Ryan whose nose was scrunched up in distaste all of the sudden.
“What are you writing over there buddy?” he asked curiously.
“A poem...or I’m trying to.” AJ smiled a little at this.
“Can I read?” Ryan eyed AJ skeptically for a few moments. The man he is slowly learning to trust.
“You’ll laugh.”
“No I won’t, I promise. I take poetry very seriously Ryan, I’ve written quite a few myself.”
“Really?” Ryan asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked at the tattooed man who has his sister.
“Well, I mostly write songs…but that is another form of poetry.” Ryan continued to stare at him for a few moments, and then handed his notebook out for him.
“It’s not finished.”
“That’s okay,” AJ replied as he took the notebook from him and he turned it around and began to read.
You were always there when needed
You never let me down
But now that you are not around
I'm lost and don't know how to be found
But these days I think
That someone has helped me find my way
He's helping me to see,
That things really are gonna be okay
“Awww…that’s really good so far buddy,” he told him, looking at Howie and smiling slightly, only making Howie even more curious as to what the poem says as Ryan wasn’t letting him actually read it.
“Are you sure?” Ryan asked skeptically.
“I’m positive. You write such beautiful poetry for someone who is just nine years old. I’m very impressed. Id love to read the rest when you get it written.”
“Can I read it Ry?” Howie questioned as he watched AJ hand the notebook back to him.
“Not yet,” Ryan insisted as he grabbed his notebook and curled up into a ball with it away from Howie’s view. Howie gaped and AJ laughed amusedly.
“Well how about that other poem you are keeping from me?” Howie pleaded.
“You wrote another one?” AJ asked amazed.
“That one you will really laugh at. No one is allowed to read it.”
“Aw, come on Ry, I won’t laugh” Howie begged. “You have to let me read something I’m feeling left out here.” Ryan regarded him for a few moments, and then sighed heavily, turned the page and handed his notebook over to Howie and Howie looked down at it and began to read.
Pretty as a flower can be
That's how she looks to me
Smile's as beautiful as rainbow
At times she can be shy though
She understands me like no other
Except for maybe my own mother
She's gentle as a dove
Giving people who've earned it her love
Ashley is her name
Life without her wouldn't be the same
She can make me smile when no one else can
She's always there to lend a helping hand
In my heart she has a place
No one else can have her space
Howie stifled his chuckle, having had promised that he wouldn’t and he looked at the child he is currently fostering and smiled at him warmly.
“Very lovely. I bet if you showed that to her she would get all teary-eyed…in a good way.”
“She would probably laugh at me and think I’m a silly boy with a crush,” Ryan insisted, as he watched an amused smile form on AJ’s face as he can just guess what they’re talking about.
“Ashley isn’t like that and you know it,” AJ reassured. Ryan didn’t reply, he only took his notebook back from Howie, curled up into his position again and continued to write. Howie shook his head smiling.
“Well I guess all that reading you do pays off. You write really well.” Ryan was silent for a few moments, and then suddenly he remembered something.
“Howie, can we go to my dad’s library? You promised me that we could when we got back here.”
“That’s right, I did” Howie replied, remembering also. He looked at AJ then. “Want to come with the cute cloud gazer over there or what?”
“Sure, I think the cute little cloud gazer and I wouldn’t mind taking a trip to the library.”
“Sweet,” Howie replied, and he stood up. Ryan copied him before closing his notebook and tucking it safely under his arm. AJ stood too then, before playfully placing the two-year-old so she is hanging over his shoulder.
“Come on my cute little cloud gazer, let’s go fetch your diaper bag.” Laila giggled as AJ led the way to the door.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile, Brian and Riley were standing in the lobby just chillin’ as Josh and Chris sat near by on the floor playing with a remote control car when suddenly Brian came up with an idea. He slid his arms around Riley and pulled her near and he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her nose, causing her to smile up at him some.
“How about we get a baby-sitter for the boys and you and I make a secret trip to Cold Stone?” Riley giggled a little.
“How very devious of you,” she told him and he chuckled.
“Devious I may be, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want to do it.”
“No it doesn’t,” Riley agreed.
“So are we gonna do it?”
“Absolutely.” Brian smirked and brushed his lips lightly over hers, before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cell phone. He pushed the number two button, placed it to his ear and waited a couple of moments until Nick finally answered.
“What’s up Frick?”
“Ri and I want to go out for awhile. Do you think maybe you could keep an eye on trouble maker number one and trouble maker number two for us?”
“We’re out on the playground. Kota, Sarah, and Ellie are out here just send them out to play.”
“Okay,” Brian replied and he hung up his phone, before looking at the boys.
“Hey Josh.”
“Yeah?”
“Ri and I are gonna go out for a bit. Why don’t you go see Kota, Sarah, and Ellie out on the playground? Nick is going to watch you.”
“Okay,” Josh replied, and he and Chris picked up their remote control car and headed for the playground. Brian and Riley stood there watching and when they saw the boys go directly outside, Brian slid his hand into Riley’s and the two of them walked out of the building, got into Brian’s car and drove off. When they arrived at Cold Stone they went inside and Riley ordered a small cup of cookies and cream, and Brian got vanilla ice cream with sprinkles. The two of them went over and sat down in a booth and sat there enjoying each other’s company, the two of them completely unaware of the stranger sitting out in his car watching them through the window.
