Forever Ashley Read Free

prided herself on being more together, except when it came to
men. A frown marred her features as she thought about Joel. She had come so
close this time—so darn close. Moving to the Washington Room, Ashley continued
to point out various items of interest, deliberately pushing Joel from her
mind. It was over, and that was that.
    The tourists moved about, murmuring oohs and ahhs as they
snapped pictures of heirlooms once belonging to George and Martha Washington.
    Ashley found her ears tuned to the storm as it grew closer.
Did she dare cut short the tour and roll up the windows on her car?
    Hold off twenty minutes, she implored silently as another
crack of thunder shook the museum. Twenty minutes, and she would be spared the
agony of sitting on a wet front seat again.
    But hope grew dimmer as a searing bolt of electricity sliced
across the sky, followed by another thunderous boom.
    Shoving her heavy wig, adorned with flowers, lace, feathers,
pomatum, and powder, farther back on her head, Ashley sighed. Wet seat, here I
come.
    She waited at a set of double doors until the small group
had once again collected before her.
    “Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to enter the ‘bedroom’
of the museum, where you’ll find authentic costumes of the Revolutionary period
on open display. Please remain behind the roped areas, and, for the comfort of
others, please refrain from smoking, eating, or drinking. Thank you.”
    After swinging open the heavy wooden doors, Ashley leveled
herself against the wall, stifling a groan as she felt both her feet being
trampled by the zealous group surging through the doorway.
    Tears stung her eyes as she molded herself against the door
frame in an attempt to escape the onslaught. Good grief. Now she was maimed for
life!
    Snapping open her fan, she closed her eyes and fanned
herself rapidly, praying she wouldn’t keel over in a dead faint.
    “Are you all right?”
    Ashley opened her eyes to see a fellow tour guide, Sue Martingale,
peering anxiously at her.
    “No, I’m crippled for life,” she predicted.
    Overhead, rain began falling on the window skylight, lightly
at first, then more heavily, until it sounded torrential.
    “Darn it!” Ashley snapped the fan shut.
    "Your car windows rolled down again?” Sue guessed.
    “Yes. Sue, I hate to ask, but can you take over for me? I’d
hoped to get to the health club right after work, and I don’t want to sit in a
puddle of water!”
    Sue straightened her mobcap. She was a little eccentric but
was known around the museum as a real trooper. Her fellow workers knew that Sue
could be counted on in a crisis. “Say no more. Martingale to the rescue!”
    Ashley wilted with relief. “Thanks, I’ll give you my
firstborn.” Last time it rained, it seemed as if she’d walked around with a
damp backside for days.
    Sue started forward, then suddenly turned, lowering her
voice. "The weirdo isn’t in the group, is he?”
    “No, no sign of the pincher,” Ashley whispered, grateful
she’d at least been spared that.
    Sue’s face grew solemn as she studied Ashley for a moment.
“You sure you’re okay?”
    “I’m fine, except I think I’m getting another cold.” Ashley
avoided Sue’s probing gaze and turned back to look at the milling group.
    “Did you see Joel?”
    Ashley appeared not to hear the question.
    “Ash?”
    “Yes?”
    “Did you see Joel?”
    “Yes.”
    “And?”
    Ashley’s cheeks colored. “I took the coward’s way out.”
    “Oh, great.”
    “I know, but he was busy with an emergency appendectomy.”
Ashley knew she sounded more defensive than was necessary. After all, whose
life was it?
    “And you couldn’t have waited until he was through to let
him know that you were ditching him?”
    Ashley’s chin firmed. “I didn’t ’ditch’ him. I just bowed
out--quietly.” At Sue’s look of disbelief, she hastened to add, “It just wasn’t
right, Sue. I was always waiting around for Joel.”
    That was the problem. She’d