The Problem with Finding Ashlynn: The Hastings Siblings, #3

By Alicia J. Chumney

"That's the trouble with finding yourself; it isn't always when you want it, but when you have to."

 

Just how much trouble can rumors and gossip cause? 

 

Ask Ashlynn Hastings – reformed class flirt.  All she wants to do is get through her Senior year of high school, decide on her career plan, and figure out what is going on between her and Max Stuart. 

 

Max has had a crush on Ashlynn since middle school, but never thought she noticed him.  While a rocky start nearly derails them, he figures out that Ashlynn needs to figure some things out before they can become more than friends.

 

Only the star quarterback has other plans.  Will Charlie's words ruin the rest of Ashlynn's high school experience, or will she overcome the gossip and get her happy ending?

 

The Problem with Finding Ashlynn picks up where Ashlynn's story in The Trouble with Chasing Aileen ends.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alicia J. Chumney
• Release date: Jul 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201487515

Book preview

The Problem with Finding Ashlynn

The Hastings Siblings

Book Three

Alicia J. Chumney

Copyright © 2017, 2022 by Alicia J. Chumney

All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design: Jennifer Prieto-Ayres

Editor: DL Modrzyk

1. Young adult 2. Contemporary Romance

Fourth Edition

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Table of Contents

Prologue

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Also Available by this Author:

About the Author

Prologue

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Max let the fact that Ashlynn had skipped out in the middle of their date fester in the back of his mind. 

Take a shower. 

Grumble about Ashlynn.

Drive a sister to school.

Complain about Ashlynn.

Sit down in class.

Count the minutes until lunch.

Go through the lunch line.

Glare at Ashlynn.

Leave school.

Glare at Ashlynn while she was waiting for her sister in the parking lot. 

Finally, after two weeks of glaring and grumbling, he decided to wait for her at her sister’s car. 

Giving Aileen and her new boyfriend a nod of acknowledgment, he continued to wait without saying a word.  However, he could hear Aileen and Noah talking. 

Where’s Ashlynn? Noah whispered, nodding towards Max.

HOSA meeting.  She should be here soon.  Pausing, Aileen asked, Where’s Macon?

Parent-Teacher Conference.  His English teacher, and maybe one or two others have some concerns they want to discuss with Mom.

Stopping in the middle of scanning the crowds for any sight of Ashlynn, Aileen turned to face Noah.  Max could barely hear her ask, Concerns?

All the things we’ve been noticing about him, like his inability to remember verbal statements, social anxiety, and inappropriate social interactions in general. Noah trailed off.  Several of his teachers noticed he does fine if he writes things down, like class notes or worksheets, but he’ll forget anything talked about in classroom discussions. 

Max, unable to keep quiet much longer asked, Does Macon have meltdowns when he’s frustrated?  Or when things change?

Sometimes, Noah slowly answered him, wondering how much he should say.

A short attention span?

Yes, Aileen added.  Ashlynn pointed it out to me one day, she told Noah.

Does he get angry?

Noah scanned his memory. No... he trailed off, but he is impulsive.

Nodding his head, Max thought about something that he’d studied in one of his classes.  One of the classes he once had with Ashlynn.  I’m surprised Ashlynn hadn’t figured it out unless she thought you already knew.

Knew what? Aileen asked Max carefully.

Macon might be autistic.

Closing her eyes, Aileen nodded her head.  She wouldn’t mention it, thinking you already knew, she told Noah.  Tilting her head to the side, You did know, right?

Shaking his head slowly, Noah weakly shrugged his shoulders.  We’ve moved around a lot.  Sometimes the on-base teachers weren’t that great and a few times Mom... he trailed off.  A few times Mom had us homeschooled through one of those programs where you do your work at home and submit it online...  Shaking his head again, Macon did really well when we were homeschooled. 

You never told me that, Aileen whispered.

Things blur together when you move around as much as we have.

Things fall through the cracks, Max mumbled.  Suddenly confronting Ashlynn wasn’t as important as it had been five minutes ago. 

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She was ten feet away when she realized that it was Max leaning against Aileen’s car.  Ashlynn never knew how close she had come to missing him as he turned around and started towards his truck. 

Not knowing why, Max, slipped through Ashlynn’s lips. 

Ashlynn, he mumbled back, nodding his head at her. 

Taking a deep breath, she nervously reached for the ends of her ponytail.  She was surprisingly more even-tempered than her sister, despite the bright red hair compared to her sister’s strawberry-blonde.  While Ashlynn flared up and cooled down quickly, Aileen’s temper simmered beneath the surface for a while.   

However, that temper was nowhere to be found that afternoon.  Despite the tales of a redhead’s temper, regret filled her instead.  You wanted to talk to me? she whispered.  She desperately wanted some of her spark to help her get through this. 

How could you tell? Max grumbled. 

How could she tell him that she saw him glaring at her in the hallways and during lunch?  You’re at my sister’s car.

Right, he mumbled, looking around the parking lot as he scratched the back of his neck.  For a moment, he glanced over at where Aileen and Noah were whispering back and forth with each other.  It can wait.

Blurting out what had been on her mind for two weeks, I’m sorry! Ashlynn forced herself to make eye contact with him. 

Turning around to look at her, Max shook his head. What?

I’m sorry.  I don’t know why I ditched you at the movies.  I really shouldn’t have slipped out of the restroom while you were in line at the concession stand.  It was immature of me and it’s been bothering me ever since.

Why did you do it? Max whispered, stepping closer to her. 

A horn honking startled them back to the reality of where they were.  One of the Seniors, impatient to leave the parking lot, showed his annoyance when Max crossed in front of his car. 

Backing up, Max raised his forearms and apologized.  It gave Ashlynn just long enough to gather her thoughts. 

I... she started to say after the car had left the parking space.  Taking a step forward, she met Max in the middle of the now-empty space.  You make me nervous, she finally admitted.  Like you can see right through me. 

Taking another step forward, Max whispered softly enough that only she could hear him.  Maybe I can, he replied.  I just figured out why you’re nice to Macon.

How?

Motioning his head over to where Noah and Aileen were watching them, Something Noah said.  You think Macon is autistic? 

Yeah, she barely breathed.  I mean, I suspected.

Even though the parking lot was busy with people leaving and chatting, the background noise didn’t register their private conversation. 

Nodding slightly, Max added, Then maybe I do know you.

I wish I could say the same thing about myself, Ashlynn admitted before backing away from him.  I have to go.  I’ll see you later.

Right, he agreed.  Later.

One

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Closing her eyes, Ashlynn continued to tap her fingers against the table.  It was time for Aiden’s annual ‘beach’ party at the lake, and for the first year, he was letting Ashlynn and Aileen invite some of their friends to join them. 

Turning to look at her sister, she asked, Do you think Aiden has something major planned concerning his girlfriend?

At the lake?

Yeah, she drawled out.  He’s never invited us before, let alone let us invite people.

Aileen paused with the refrigerator door open in front of her, milk carton in hand.  Why would he propose to her in front of a bunch of people he doesn’t know?

Carefully, she asked, Do we like Bethany?

She was a bit snotty at Thanksgiving, Aileen slowly admitted.

Laughing, Who doesn’t tell their host family that they are a vegetarian during a holiday known for turkey? Ashlynn added. 

Maybe they broke up and Aiden just wants more people around as a distraction. Aileen shrugged. 

Slipping into the kitchen and overhearing her sisters, Ainsley added, Or maybe he’s going to introduce us all to his new girlfriend.

Ainsley! the other girls shouted, hurrying over to their older sister.  We weren’t expecting you home!

My Friday class was canceled, so I came home early, she shrugged.  And I needed to do some laundry.  The laundry room in our apartment was closed for repairs.

How is Brendan?

Raising her eyebrow, Ainsley hesitated a moment before admitting, Classes and wedding planning are a bit consuming.  He’s...  She smiled for a moment, actually more into the planning than I am.  I’m surprised.

Brendan enjoys wedding planning? Aileen asked, shocked. 

Well, Ainsley hedged, he’s more into the reception and the food.  He keeps telling me we need a potato chip bar.

The sisters laughed for a few moments.  Turning to Aileen, Ainsley asked, Is Noah coming tomorrow?

Nodding her head, I think so, Aileen answered her.  I think he’s bringing Macon as well if he doesn’t have to work.

Tilting her head in confusion, Ainsley asked, Macon is working?

I got him a job at Millers, Ashlynn interjected.  He’s busing tables.  I told Miller about Aiden’s plans and she agreed that Macon needs to get out among people socially.  She switched his weekend with another busser.

That’s awesome!

Noah said that Macon’s doing much better with the job and the plans for homeschooling.  He was given a tutor that could help him finish out last year by teaching him better studying techniques. 

So, who are you inviting? Ainsley turned to look at Ashlynn after Aileen had told them more than they expected. 

Ummm, Ainsley mumbled, staring at her phone.  Sadie, of course, but...

She’s been texting with a boy all summer, Aileen interrupted.  The guy she bailed out on in the middle of a date. 

Really? Ainsley grinned.  You’ve been texting with Max?

Shrugging, Ashlynn tried to figure out how to downplay their reactions.  He’s nice.

Nice, Aileen repeated. 

Yeah, she replied, not making eye contact with either sister.  He’s nice.  I can be myself around him.

And you can’t be yourself around anybody else.

Ashlynn sat down in front of her phone and started spinning it around on the table.  I’m different around different people, she finally admitted.  I’m the baby sister with you two and Aiden.  I’m... actually, I don’t know who I am in relation to Sadie.

And with Max?

He’s being patient as I try to figure that out.

You know, Ainsley grinned, most people do that figuring out thing during college.

Well, Ashlynn laughed, That’s the trouble with finding yourself; it isn’t always when you want to do it but when you have to.

Who knew my baby sister was so wise? Ainsley leaned over and hugged Ashlynn from behind.  Text him and invite him.  The worst thing he could say is no.

True, Ashlynn agreed, continuing to play with her phone.  She’d invite him later when her sisters weren’t around to tease her.

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Staring at the screen, she waited impatiently for