John Dornbrook is forty-nine years old. He's been doing the same job for fifteen years and hates it. But when he’s laid-off, it hits him hard and his world turns upside down. When he meets Hollis Lombard, his neighbor’s grandson, the unexpected happens.<br><br>Hollis Lombard is determined to get John out of his funk, so he offers to take him on a summer road trip. They head out west in search of adventure, but John is touchy and lashes out easily. Hollis, aware of the attraction between them, doesn’t want to take any chances which could hurt their budding friendship.<br><br>It's all a frightful muddle, and it remains to be seen if they can overcome their issues in time to reach their final destination. Will the journey be worth it?

Unexpected Journey

“That you’re an enigma. You just met me, and now we’re heading west. How did that happen?”


He chuckled. “The universe works in mysterious ways. You have nothing to do, and I have the whole summer to fill. It was inevitable.”


I shook my head. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”


Hollis laughed. “Then it’s time you did! Hey, we have less than seven hours before we reach Denver. Tell me about your old job. What did you do?”


I didn’t want to bring it up, but perhaps talking about it and getting things out in the open would lessen the sting. “I was an architect. I’ve always enjoyed designing things, coming up with ideas, putting them on paper and seeing them built. It used to be a passion of mine, but that started to fade years ago, if I’m being honest. It became a chore, long hours, ridiculous deadlines, and little sleep. Churning out projects according to the firm’s vision rather than my own. It hurt being laid off, but admittedly I wasn’t happy, either.”


Chapter 4