chapter 1

**This is Part 1 of a 5 Part series involving these characters**
**Part 1 - Rising Waters [COMPLETE]**
**Part 2 - Cherie Blossoms [WIP]**
**Part 3 - Golden Dome [COMPLETE**
**Part 4 - TBD [NOT POSTED, WIP]**
**Part 5 - TBD [NOT POSTED, WIP]**
---

The shallow sound of Dani’s feet slapping the wet sand took over as she removed her earbuds.


Slowing to a walk, she high-fived Josh, who removed his own earbuds. “Crushed it,” he said, “nothing like finishing the week strong.”


“Definitely felt stronger than yesterday,” Dani replied, “you really picked it up once we passed the Inn. Wanted to make my short little legs work today, did you?”


“Nah, just showing off. I know how a good gait really drives you runners crazy.” Josh puffed his chest and walked with a sarcastic confidence, mocking the jocks who shared his wiry physique.


Dani looked up towards his face and chuckled when she saw his exaggerated tough guy scowl.


Her breathing steadied as they walked on. The evening’s summer breeze grazed across the cool water which crawled up the shore, climbed to their ankles, and receded again. Dani noticed the peach fuzz on Josh’s arms and abs standing on end and leaned in to embrace, her head resting gently at his chest.


“Yuck! Sweaty girl alert. You trying to slime me?”


“Shut up, you big baby. You like it.”


“Oh yeah, big time sweat guy over here, for sure. Let me bottle that stuff up while we’re at it.” Josh wrapped his arm around her and rubbed her arm for warmth.


As the walkway approached, Dani took another look out into the water. The orange glow of the sunset danced about the dark surface as the Atlantic took deep rhythmic breaths.

----

Josh walked into the bedroom where he saw Dani laying on top of her suitcase, trying to zipper it shut.


“You know it’s only going to be a week, right, hon?” he mocked.


“You gross boys have it so easy. I need like three outfits per day. Plus I don’t want to be doing tons of laundry with our running clothes while we’re there”


“I mean, you don’t have to wear that many outfits in one day. You just want to.”


“Just stop trying to make me feel bad and help me zip this dang thing up!”


Josh knelt down on her bag to help compress as she worked the zipper around the edge. “We don’t have much food in the house right now, do you want to have some salads delivered?”


“Actually that would be great, haven’t had any greens today, feeling a little cruddy,” she noted as she finished zipping around the bag.


“Well, you certainly don’t look cruddy!” Josh joked, lovingly patting her on the butt. “So, what time should we try to get out of here in the morning?”


“Flight is at 10, so we should try to leave here around 7:30 at the latest.”


“Thank goodness, I was hoping we could wait around at the airport for two hours before our six hour flight.” Josh joked.


“You make fun of me all you want, mister, but I’ve never missed a flight in my life!”


“Yes, you are the queen of sitting around at the airport.”


“And you are the jester, my dear.”


“So when we land in San Diego, what time will it be?”


“I don’t have the capacity to figure that out right now, why don’t you just set your watch back 3 hours now?”


“Why don’t you mehmehmeh,” he mocked, adjusting his watch.


“Listen, Dopey, Geoff is still good to pick us up when we land, right?”


“That’s why I wanted to know what time we’ll be landing!” he shouted.

“I’ll just text Bree. Don’t worry your pretty little head.” she joked, poking him in the chest.


“Yeah I’ll just go ahead and make myself useful and get those salads ordered.” Josh laughed.