James Rockton is ready to die. In fact, he plans on it. Having lost his life partner to AIDS, he books the South Pacific cruise Richard didn't live to share. James will spread Richard's ashes at sea, and then slip overboard to join him forever. He’s too old and too heartbroken to continue on alone.<br><br>But James doesn’t count on meeting a young man whose parents constantly put him down. Then there’s the obviously gay young art dealer who ogles a crazy young photographer traveling with an older gay man about James’s own age.<br><br>James and Herb begin spending time together, trying not to laugh too hard or get too involved with these young men, who circle each other in rapidly shrinking orbits. After all, James and Herb are old, with gray hair and less stamina. With time, talk, and martinis, will love manage to find them, too?

Fade to Gray

I was glad that I knew how the ship was laid out, and that I could get to that stairwell via the gym and down from there. I was pretty sure I needed to get there as quickly as I could.


Drystan was an old family friend and had helped me before. Interesting that he’d show up to help Savin, too, but maybe that was the old pirate’s gay grandson’s idea. What strange guardian angels we sometimes have.


Chapter 37