I nodded even though I didn't see how everything would be okay. My life felt like it had been turned upside down.
After a few minutes I scrubbed my hands over my cheeks, wincing in pain when my swollen eye reminded me to go easy when touching it. My cheeks felt flushed and hot from the tears that had burned their way down them.
"Thank you," I said when I felt more in control.
Josh wiped a remaining tear from my good eye with his finger. Leaning in like he wanted a kiss, he surprised me by pulling me in for a tight hug. "I think your parents are waiting for you," he said.
I glanced over his shoulder and saw Butch standing on the front porch. He had removed the plywood from the windows, and they were all open, so I was guessing the power hadn't been restored to our neighborhood yet. "You want to come in for a while?" I asked, climbing out of his truck.
"Yeah, I'll come in for a little while before I head to my house. Mitch told me to take the rest of the day off to recoup."
"You look beat," Buttercup greeted us as we wiped our feet on the doormat.
"I am," I answered, followed by a big yawn that caused my cheek to object in pain. I placed my finger over it, hoping to dispel the throbbing.
"At least you can open your eye a little more today."
"True, but I'm not digging the color."
"You wear it well," Butch said, giving my shoulder a pat.
"How you doing, Josh?" Buttercup asked as we pulled up chairs to the kitchen table. Butch filled two glasses with ice from a cooler and filled them with lemonade Buttercup had prepared.
"Not my best day," he answered, reaching for my hand. "I kinda feel like it's all part of a nightmare. Larry was a great guy and I enjoyed working with him."
"I'm sure," Buttercup answered, patting his free hand.
Butch asked him a few questions about Larry's kids, but changed the subject when Josh appeared to be choking up. The whole thing felt surreal since I'd never known anyone who had died. Except for my grandparents, but I had never met them. This was so much different. Just yesterday afternoon I had been joking with Larry. It was insane how life could change in the blink of an eye.
"Hey, are you guys hungry?" Buttercup asked, rising from her chair.
Josh and I both agreed that we could eat, so Buttercup buzzed around the kitchen, preparing a late-afternoon cold lunch. Our conversation shifted to lighter and more superficial topics. The last forty-eight hours had brought a roller coaster ride of emotions, and I think we needed a break.
After eating, we helped Buttercup clean up, and I walked Josh out to his truck on the way to my room. I was so tired my bed was practically calling my name.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Josh said. "I thought maybe we could just hang out tomorrow night."
"I'd like that," I answered, looking up at him. I wanted to kiss him, but in light of the situation I wasn't sure if that would seem insensitive. Somehow I sensed that it would make me feel better, less disjointed, but I couldn't speak for Josh.
He must have read my thoughts because he stepped in close, pulling me into his arms. "Is this okay?" he asked.
I nodded with my heart in my throat. His handsome face moved closer as my eyelids drifted slowly closed. I sighed with pleasure, feeling his lips gently caress mine. A kiss didn't hold magical powers. Unless, of course, you believed in fairy tales, but somehow Josh's kiss held the power to heal me. The pinching of my heart loosened enough so that each grieving beat felt less painful. My mind released the agonizing thoughts that had threatened to drown my soul and I began to feel whole again.
To say what Josh had given me was only a kiss would be stating a half-truth. In reality, it was so much more than that. It was a new beginning. It felt like hope.
Chapter 15
Josh came by to pick us up the next morning and we arrived to find the station back in working order. It was as if the last few days had never happened with the exception of the black drape Vanessa had attached to the door, along with an announcement regarding Larry's funeral service. It was glaring evidence that some healing needed to be done.
I knew as soon as we walked through the front doors and everyone suddenly stared at me that they had news. Reaching for the handle on the door, I fought the urge to back out the same way we had come in. Buttercup reached for my hand, sensing that I would need her.
Pasting on a brave face, I stood up straight and stated the inevitable. "They found him."
"This morning," Mitch said, nodding as he rubbed a hand over his unshaven face. He looked rough. I couldn't help wondering when he had last slept.
A lump the size of my fist moved to my throat, but I swallowed it back. There was no way I would break down again. Not now, and especially not here. There was already enough sorrow in the room over Larry.
"Are Josh and I working the beach?" I croaked, thankful to have gotten the words out.