After the dishes were finished, Ashley headed up to her room and gathered her things. She was glad Ryan was pleased with the gift. Her instincts were crashing down on her head though, telling her over and over not to let Ryan out of her sight when they went to the fence line, not to let Ryan carry the weapon. Those instincts kept the three of them safe numerous times in the past, and she feared making a mistake.<br/><br/>But she pushed it to the back of her mind, grabbed a light backpack of supplies, tossed some water, medical supplies, and some tools she always kept handy whenever she left the farm's nearby boundaries. Turning on her heels Ashley remembered her spare knife inside the nightstand on her side.<br/><br/>"I'll leave it," she mumbled to herself as she attempted to embrace the fact that Ryan now carried a sidearm and would be some help if they ran into trouble. She latched the beige backpack shut and grabbed it by the handle at the top and hauled downstairs and out front where Ryan was standing near his motorbike, relishing in his gift.<br/><br/>Ashley thought again about Ryan considering if any girls were out there. Difficult enough to imagine, Ashley thought of the last time she was with a man. It felt like ages to her, but there were some lovely moments. But there were not enough, however. Too many dark moments ruined her taste for men. It then occurred to her that Ryan may not have ever been on a date, nor kissed a girl, or know what to say when a girl came along.<br/><br/>In her head, she resolved to discuss the matter with Sarah later. Perhaps they could help him a little, she wasn't sure how though.