"Cool beans," Butch answered.
Josh laughed as we headed to his truck that had more dents than smooth surfaces. "I like your parents."
"No, you don't," I said, letting him off the hook. "No one likes my parents. Well, that's not true. When we go to street fairs and farmer's markets they're always really popular. I guess you could say people our age don't like them. They're too weird for our generation."
"Maybe our generation is the weird one," he said.
"Well, look who I'm talking to," I teased. "I think you forgot you're supposed to be out causing trouble, not worrying about nesting turtles."
He shrugged. "Hey, everybody has their own thing. I guess I just had to grow up in a hurry."
I really meant no disrespect. It was obvious by things he'd said that Josh's home life wasn't exactly a weekly sitcom.
We drove along in a comfortable silence, admiring the surrounding area that was a lot more peaceful at night. After a few miles, Josh pulled off the road along a stretch of beach with no hotels or condominiums. Even the houses were farther apart and more sporadic. I had yet to venture this far down the coast, but it was far more private than where I lived. Making our way cautiously down the steep decline to the sand below, I couldn't help feeling like we were all alone in the world. Not that I was worried. Josh had a way of making me feel safe.
We were almost near level ground when the sand shifted below my feet and I lost my balance. Josh reached out to steady me, but my downward momentum pulled us until we landed in a heap in the soft sand below. It took me a moment to catch my breath, but when I did, Josh burst out laughing. I couldn't help but join him, even though I was covered in sand. Eventually, our laughter died off as we lay side by side, staring up at the stars shining brightly in the night sky. With no one else around, we could hear the sound of the waves rolling in and out to sea. It was an enchanted moment that would have been perfect if Josh would have leaned over to kiss me, but that was me being ridiculous.
After a few minutes, he stood and dusted himself off before reaching down to help me up. My heart pounded when his fingers wrapped tightly around mine.
I stared at our locked hands before looking into his eyes. "I'm trouble," I lightly teased.
"Believe me, I know," he joked, tugging me behind him. "Come on. Let's go check out the nest. It should be hatching any day, and that's a sight you don't want to miss," he added, keeping my hand in his. It was hard not to notice how simply holding hands with Josh could affect me more than the heated make-out session I had shared with Evan.
For his part, Josh seemed oblivious to what his touch was doing to me. We stopped in front of a familiar orange netted area and he dropped my hand as he sank down on his knees to the sand.
"How do you know this one will hatch soon?" I asked, kneeling next to him.
"They hatch about two months after the eggs are laid. This one is close, so I come out every night to check."
"Why?" I asked, intrigued.
"To help make sure the turtles get to the water safely and aren't picked off by predators. Their journey to the ocean will be the most harrowing one of their life. Everything is an obstacle for them—footprints, trash, whatever. They have many enemies and without our help, only one out of a thousand will reach adulthood. By protecting the beaches, we are doing our part to help that number rise," he said passionately. "Sorry, I'm a bit of a turtle buff," he added self-consciously.
"Don't apologize. I think it's cool," I said honestly, peering into the hole that was protected by the netting. I was dying to catch a glimpse of one of the baby turtles. "Tell me more."
My words provided all the prompting Josh needed as he continued to tell me everything he knew about sea turtles. His passion was contagious, and I found myself listening intently as he explained how the turtles found their way to shore just by their natural senses. We sat for nearly two hours talking, waiting to see if tonight would be the night the baby turtles would appear. We gave up when I started yawning.
Josh helped me to my feet, claiming my hand again. The mixed signals he was giving me were confusing. Feeling like I needed to put a little distance between us, I tugged on my hand. Just a few days ago we weren't even on speaking terms and now he felt comfortable enough to hold hands and I was fantasizing about kissing him.
"Josh, I'm not sure this is the best idea."
"Visiting turtle nests?" he mocked.
I socked his arm with my free hand. "Don't be dense. This," I said, holding up our linked hands. "Just yesterday you thought I was pond scum, and I thought you were a rat. We hated each other."
He stopped abruptly, making me almost lose my balance. "I never hated you," he said quietly.
I laughed. "Oh yes you did. We hardly spoke for, like, two weeks."
"I never hated you," he repeated. "I wanted to. I told myself you were just as shallow as all the other girls around here. I was wrong though," he said, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. "You have so many layers that each new one is better than the last. I know I misjudged you, and I know you have every reason not to trust me after what I did, but I hope you'll give this a chance."
"We hardly know each other. I need a little time," I murmured as he tugged me closer. Even though it turned out to be a bust, rushing things with Evan had landed me in a heap of trouble. I couldn't risk that happening again.
Josh's free hand circled my waist, pulling me against him. "We'll get to know each other and I can give you time. You can call all the shots." He dipped his head down so his lips were inches away from mine. My heart stopped beating for a moment before racing with anticipation as I waited for him to close the gap. I had given a great deal of thought about what his lips would feel like pressed against mine, worried that they would fall short like Evan's had. My conflicting emotions had my head spinning, but I still wanted Josh to kiss me, then and there.
My eyes reluctantly moved to his, practically pleading with him to close the tortuous gap between our lips to finish what he had started. "Ask me," he said quietly, like he could read my thoughts.
Part of me wanted to remain defiant, to be the one in control, but my voice didn't seem to care. I found myself uttering the words. "Kiss me, Josh."