Justin is up bright and early, heads over to his church. When he arrives, he sees the youth pastor there about to take off for the day to do volunteer work at the homeless shelter. Somehow, Justin recalls all the jobs the youth pastor does and decides to pitch in to see if it'll help relieve his guilt in the eyes of God.

"Morning, young man, everything okay? Need help with something Justin?" The youth pastor asks, standing by his car.

"Everything will be fine Dusty, just wanted to come along and give you a hand. I'm freed up for the next week. You know I lost my job because of the dealership fire, and my friends are going out of town, so maybe it's time I do some good and make a better path for my life," Justin explains with his head in shame.

Dusty is a man in his early 30's with a balding head and a potbelly; he tugs his sweater vest before he goes over to comfort Justin.

"Nothing is too bad for God to forgive. Always remember that young man. Now going to do good works is a positive start to a new path. I've noticed you talking with Kevin frequently after Sunday service. If you want to get involved in the church, you will always be welcome to help me with the community outreach programs and volunteer. I could use some help most days, so bless you for helping me out."

Justin lifts his head and tries to put on a brave face. The kind words are the first lines of things he feels he needs to find a counterbalance to the chaos that controlled his life so far.

"Thanks, Dusty, I needed that, and it's my pleasure to help you out."

"Then let's get moving. The homeless shelter needs some repairs and people to serve lunch and dinner. It's an all-day job, but with an extra pair of hands, it'll go by a little faster."

Dusty and Justin shake hands, then drive downtown. They arrive, and Dusty hands over an extra tool belt to Justin. He begins to teach Justin about construction and all the types of odd end jobs that require attention. Around one o'clock, they stop repairs for helping to serve lunch and assist in washing dishes. After they finish up, they return to the chapel, where Justin touches up some rough spots on the wall giving Dusty a chance to paint over them.

The work that day removes the first chip of uncertainty plaguing Justin. A new sense of pride crashes over the darkness. Dusty gives him a pep talk throughout the day with encouraging remarks of how well he's picked up the lessons in repair work and how it feels to give back. He brings up how fortunate Justin is to have a solid foundation in life compared to the poor souls living on the streets.

"I never thought of it like that, Dusty. Now that you mention it, I do have it pretty good. Loving parents, a great church that I love, I'm almost through school, and, well, I want to help protect people, so I'm considering being a cop."

"Protecting the weak and enforcing the law is never a bad choice. Now, if you're interested, there's a bible college over in Burlington, Ohio. I could get you some pamphlets since you're not going to a regular college. You never know. You might be a natural pastor and community leader," Dusty says, giving Justin some better options for life after high school.

"Well shoot, yeah, buddy, I'll give it a look over! I don't know what exactly got me to come out to the church to catch you this morning, but I am glad I showed up. You have no idea how badly I needed something like this. It's been rough, not as rough as these people have it, but I've been lost and angry, and, yeah, I have been through hell. Thank you for being there." Justin says, slightly sobbing with the guilt crumbling more on the inside.

On the other side of town, James is busy doing his own thing. He started his day out detailing his Grand National inside and out. James checks over all the fluids and ensures everything is in order before he picks up his date. To say the bubble gut sensation, or butterfly sensation, like he's about to puke, would be an understatement.

James gets cleaned up about an hour and a half before he's to pick up Scarlett. Before he heads over there, he has a brief bump in with Justin at the gas station.

"Hey, bro! Looking sharp and holy cow, you styled your hair! If this is the new look you're rockin', it already has my vote." Justin says with new energy to his voice.

"Well, you seem to be feeling a whole heck of a lot better."

Justin dips his head before he explains.

"Yeah, I am actually; I spent the day out at the homeless shelter. I helped paint, repair walls and steps, served food; I busted my butt today, and I felt such a weight lifted from my shoulders. I feel like a new man. The youth pastor at my church will try to get me into the bible college over in Ohio. So, yeah, I feel a thousand times better, but enough about me. It would be best if you got moving. Never make a woman wait!" Justin blurts out when he realizes he's holding James up.

They give the usual handshake then part ways. Justin heads for home while James drives across Little Seven Mile toward the Midland Village housing community to pick up Scarlett.

To show his manners, he walks up to the front door and knocks, waiting for anyone to open the door. He waits just a minute longer before Scarlett walks out.

"Hi, ready to go?" She says, standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, got my ride all shined up; so darlin' your chariot awaits!"

She snickers at his comment, but she also finds it charming at the same time. James reaches out to take her hand as they head off to the movies first, followed by dinner.

After everything is said and done, James takes his date to Reiter Park. Mimicking a technique Josh uses when he wants to impress a girl or work his way to getting some. He parks up near the rose garden. Once, they walk around and take a seat on the concrete bench. James wiggles his fingers across the bench, wrapping them with Scarlett's.

"This is lovely; thank you for showing it to me." She says with a soft glow in her eyes.

"You're welcome, but I should be honest and say this is a spot one of my boys' told me about from his experience. He uh, he uses it to impress girls, or when he wants to make a romantic move on 'em, but that's not the intensions I promise!"

Scarlett gets a good little chuckle from his honesty and plays along in a flirtatious way.

"Well, I was considering it, but you know, not on a first date, maybe the sixth one or so, but no, I understand. It's still a sweet thing to do, so thank you." She sweeps in, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"This has been a great date, and don't think you're not doing this again because I'll kick your ass." She continues.

James gets a smile on his face that makes him feel something different. Unlike with Lisa, Trish, Lindsey, Natasha, or even when he went behind Josh's back and slept with Whitney, James begins to feel something real for Scarlett.

Without thinking, James reacts by landing the first kiss with the sun setting in the background. Scarlett responds immediately. A lengthy kiss brings their bodies close together. Once they break from the kiss, all James can see are fireworks igniting in his mind.

"Wow..." Scarlett murmurs.

With her head resting comfortably against James' shoulder, Scarlett rests her hand over his until the sun disappears.

"C'mon, I'll get you home before it gets too late," James says, helping Scarlett to her feet.

Scarlett tests the waters a bit on the ride home by turning it to her favorite radio station, forcing James to listen to boy band music. She can see him attempting to hide the anguish on his face, but he doesn't go for the radio while she's in his car.

Upon arriving at her house, she sees her parents are home early.

"Oh, no! My parents are home early, and I didn't exactly mention I was going out tonight. Just drop me off here, and I'll see you soon, I hope." Scarlett mentions with a worried look on her face.

"I don't mind going in and meeting your folks. Maybe they won't mind that I took you out on a date if they hear what we did." James offers to try to smooth things over.

Scarlett finally admits to him that her parents are strict and have her life planned out already.

"Here's the thing, my parents want me to be careful and follow them into the medical field. Both my parents are doctors, and they've got everything mapped out for me. College, the medical school I must attend, and connections to get me into a hospital away from here. So, no, they'll hate you if anything, but I had a blast today. Thank you, handsome." She plants a final kiss on him then quickly scrambles out of his car, running inside.

James sits and waits to safely make sure she's in the house before he drops it back in gear to head home.

When he pulls into the driveway, he notices a light on in the living room.

"Weird, I don't remember leaving that light on."

James makes his way inside to see his mother in her recliner with a classic movie on TV.

"Enjoy your day?" She begins with that concerned look on her face.

"Actually, I did; in fact, I just had a date with a great girl!" James explains with a new excitement to the bass of his voice.

"That's good, son, but an even better question. Where the hell is Josh? No one has seen or heard from him. Is he hiding out at Nikki's again?"

"Nope, he's on vacation with her and her parents at the beach for the week."

The wide eye expression says it all. Momma C's jaw drops, and the shocking revelation that Josh just up and left stuns her to no end.

"That punk! He knows he can't just take off without informing anyone. I'm going to kill him when he gets home!" She shouts, trying to push through the shock.

James gets a good laugh, knowing Josh's ass is grass when he gets back from vacation. James takes a seat to spend time talking with his mother.

"You're home early this time, mom. Something breakdown on the rig?"

That's when she drops the biggest bombshell of all time to her son.

"Nope, I quit. I missed Audrey's senior year of high school, and I'll be damned if I miss yours too. Cooper called and offered me a job working as a tow truck driver when he heard I was looking to get off the road. Now I can be here and help keep you boys out of trouble. Besides that, after hearing about the dealership fire, leaving you boys here mostly unsupervised just wasn't going to work anymore. Timmy's getting too busy with his bar and opening a second location, and Gerald will be going back out of town more often. They can't keep a tab on you all as they had been."

Listening to that statement, James is a bit confused.

"I ain't seen them around here, mom. How have they been keeping tabs on us?"

"My dearest son, just because you ain't seen them don't mean they haven't been here. You forgot about the road in the alley. They'd park and walk around the house. You boys don't think we'd leave you here completely alone. Oh, that's priceless!" Momma C says, slapping her knee in amazement.

After the conversation dies off, James escapes to his bedroom, leaving Momma C to enjoy her movie in peace. She arrived by bus from Boise and, after the countrywide ride on an extremely uncomfortable Greyhound Bus, she passes out in her recliner.

A couple of states away, Josh is enjoying his time with Nikki at the beach. Morning time they're both up bright and early and out the door to enjoy strolls along the edge of the water. The sand beneath their feet is soft, and the sounds of the morning waves bring a relaxation Josh has never known.

"God, I needed this trip," he tells her one morning under the gray cloudy sky.

"It's terrific here; I want to move down this way after college. I mean, home is home, but I want somewhere like here to call home," Nikki informs Josh, knowing he wants away from the place where he is miserable.

The rest of the day gets spent inside due to the rain trapping everyone inside the house. Nikki spends time with her dad playing blackjack while Josh and Mrs. Katua talk while making lunch.

"Having fun so far?" She wonders out loud.

"Yes, ma'am, and thank you again for letting me come along."

"We all need a break from reality, and after hearing my daughter tell me what all has happened to you, it's the least we could do. You make her smile, something that isn't easy. Somehow you manage to do it with ease, and that also accounts for something. You seem rough, but deep down, you have a good heart."

Josh begins to blush, pausing momentarily from gathering the plates from the cabinet.

"Thank you, Nikki is special to me. I know I've heard it before that we're too young to know what love is and all that, but she's amazing, and I love how she makes me feel about myself."

Mrs. Katua smiles over at Josh, without saying a word, when she hears that someone can talk about her daughter with such kindness.

"She's always been self-conscious about herself because she's always been so skinny, and she hates wearing her glasses. However, you seem to be attracted to her when she wears them. She hates it when I mention this, but last year she tried contacts, and they gave her an eye infection. You make her feel like the most beautiful young lady in the world, and that smile- none of us can place a price on it. Your mother may not love you, but you can bet my daughter loves you. Now, that being said, you ever hurt her, I'll hunt you down like a dog."

Josh gulps when he hears her say that but reassures her that he has no plans to leave Nikki.

"No worries, ma'am, I ain't going anywhere anytime soon."

They finish up lunch, and the rest of the day, Josh and Nikki go out shopping since the beach is a bust due to the weather. The couple jumps from shop to shop, getting everyone a gift and hatching a plan to sneak into each other's room.

"I still don't have any clue how you're going to sneak down to my room or vice versa. We're at the beach, and, damn it, I want to do it on the beach!" Nikki expresses, pushing her hand along Josh's inner thigh, causing him to tense up.

"Well, the rain isn't supposed to keep up all night. It's simple, your room is right off the stairs, so stay to the far-right corners, stepping lightly, and they won't creak when you walk downstairs. I'll slip out the window, since it's not that far from the upper deck, and meet you around back. It's doable; I've been scouting and testing things all week." Josh describes his plan, hoping Nikki will bite the bait.

"That could work, but if we get caught, we're dead babycakes. But it sounds exciting, making love on the beach! I'll have the towel with me, so we don't get sand in, you know, certain places," Nikki tells him with an unbreakable smile plastered on her face.

The excitement between them continues to climb with every kiss. Josh purposely keeps each one filled with more passion. Nikki continues to get worked up to keep from backing out. Her body internally is screaming to be touched intimately. From time to time, when no one is around, she reaches out, playfully grabbing Josh's dick to let him know she's expecting his best later that night.

Weather-wise the rain moves away from the beach. A mist from the surf crashes against the sand, at times, allows the moon to poke through the fog. It's the perfect setting for a particular couple planning to sneak out of the house to enjoy some sensual fun. The time finally arrives for Nikki to sneak down the steps following Josh's advice.

After midnight, Nikki is confident that she's in the clear, but then she hears her parent's bedroom door open. Panicked, Nikki darts into the kitchen, ducking behind the island until the footsteps travel back up the steps. With a sigh of relief, she treads quietly to the backdoor, meeting Josh at the bottom of the deck steps.

"Ready, my love?" She whispers into his ear, gripping the beach towels firmly in her arms.

"Let's do this, beautiful!"

Under a very light drizzle, they lay out the beach towels side by side. Nikki strips down to her bikini, teasing Josh by signaling him with a take me gesture. He's all too willing to oblige her request, dropping to his knees after shedding his shorts, where Nikki reaches out, yanking off his muscle shirt.

The moonlight helps ignite the mood when they embrace in a kiss. Josh begins to run his hands up and down Nikki's body, sending chills up her spine. Josh's body heats up with passion. Taking his hand underneath her bikini top and lifting it from her body.

"Not this time..." she whispers, rolling Josh onto his back. "You're mine tonight!"

"Just get the condom from my shorts pocket, baby," He whispers, pointing to his pocket.

Not arguing against his wish, Nikki follows his instructions and gets it out, slipping it onto his penis, and then Josh lets her take over. Nikki then stands up, dropping her bottoms before she staggers over Josh, lowering herself down slowly working up his anticipation.

She leans in, kissing the love of her life again. His arms wrap around her body, the passion between them swells, but Josh doesn't want to rush through this once in a lifetime chance to do something people dream about romantically.

"You're the happily ever after I've been searching for, baby." He whispers sweetly into her ear, tightening his grip to some extent.

"You helped me find my smile. I love you, Nikole Katua."

Those words melt Nikki's heart more than double in passion. She shutters her breath at first unable to respond. Her body begins to tremble.

"Are you alright?" Josh mutters as they're still locked in each other's eyes.

"I don't know what to do or say, other than I love you, too, Joshua Bradshaw. You're the heart missing from my soul. Without you, I can't breathe," She finally says, resting her hands under his head to reconnect in a kiss.

Nikki grinds her hips, adjusting just enough to push down, shoving completely down on Josh's shaft. Removing her hands from the back of his head, she positions her hands onto his chest. Her hips begin to sway back and forth slowly at first but quickly picks up the pace.

There, in the pale moonlit spot on the beach, for a brief flash of pure paradise, the two of them connect as a single soul. Seconds before Nikki's body gives way to the intimate pleasures that have overwhelmed her senses and cry out.

"Ah yes, Josh, I love you! God, this is amazing!" After her body, mind, and heart reconnect, Nikki opens her eyes to see Josh merely staring at her.

"Everything okay?"

In a calm voice, Josh tells her.

"Nothing could be any more perfect. You're too perfect..."

She stops him from talking too much with another kiss that lasts for some time before they sneak back into the house when they finish making sweet, tender love under the stars.