“O.k.,” said Josh as he started to run out of the woods.
Ashley yelled, “Hey, wait up” and she ran to follow him. They stopped at her garage and took down her bicycle from the hook on the garage wall.
“The tires don’t look too bad, Ashes,” said Josh. “They just need a little air.” He got the bicycle pump and pumped some air into the front and rear tires. “There,” he said triumphantly. “You should be good to go!”
Ashley got on her bike and rode down the driveway. “It feels fine,” she said looking back over her shoulder. “I’ll meet you at your house.” She started up the street and met Josh in his driveway.
He was out of breath from running up the block. Josh opened his garage door and Ashley gasped at all the clutter. Josh laughed when he heard Ashley’s gasp. “Don’t worry, Ashes,” he said. “It may seem like a mess, but…”
“I know, “Ashley interrupted. “Your father knows where every single thing is!”
“That’s right,” said Josh as he rolled his bicycle out of the garage. “Gee, my wheels look pretty good.” He kicked the tires on his bike.
“Now,” said Ashley. “What exactly does kicking the tires do?”
“I have no idea,” Josh giggled and shrugged. “But, it looks impressive, doesn’t it?”
“I guess so,” said Ashley. She rolled her eyes and said,”Come on, let’s ride to Bud’s Gas Pump so I can make sure my tires are o.k.”
“O.k.,“ said Josh. “But, of course, we’ll have to go to Ella’s for a bite to eat. Do you have any money?”
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake,” said Ashley. “You know I always have some money in my backpack.”
“I know,” said Josh. “That’s what I count on! Some day I’ll pay you back, Ashes. I promise.”
“I know,” said Ashley. “You always promise that. Maybe some day, “some day” will come!”
“It will,” said Josh as he started riding down his driveway. “Some day will come, I promise!”
“Promises, promises,” said Ashley. She laughed and rode down the driveway and followed Josh.
They rode into town and stopped at Bud’s Gas Pump to make sure there was enough air in their bicycle tires.
Bud Watts came out of the garage and wiped his hands on a rag. “Hey, kids,” he said. “Do you need any help?”
“No, thank you, Mr. Watts,” said Ashley. “We’ve just put more air in our bike tires.”
“Getting them ready for the nice weather?” asked Bud.
“You bet,” said Josh.
“Well,” said Bud. “Bring them inside the garage and I’ll give them the ‘once-over’ to make sure they’re in good shape.”
“I don’t know if we can afford to have a mechanic work on our bikes,” said Ashley hesitantly.
Bud laughed and said, “There’s no charge on such a beautiful spring day! It will be my pleasure to look them over.” He made sure that the tires were properly inflated and put some oil on the gears to help them switch smoothly. “There you go, kids. You’re all ready for lots of riding during the nice weather. Just be sure to be careful in traffic.”
“We always are,” said Ashley. “Thank you! Have a great day!” She and Josh started riding to Ella’s Sweet Shop.
Ashley Enright and the Message in the Tree (4 of 12)
Advertisement
