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

Even knowing Mt. Hood was nearby in the darkness didn’t make me feel any less frustrated at the traffic in downtown Portland. Hollis was using his phone to direct us to the motel he’d booked, but there’d been an accident and my bladder was full to almost bursting.


“I have an empty bottle in the back seat. You can use that,” he offered, and I glared at him.


“You know it’s not easy to pee sitting down, right?”


He raised his hands. “I was just trying to help.”


Eventually, traffic eased and Hollis pointed out a gas station where I could take care of business. Relieved, I sat in the passenger seat and he drove us to the motel, then got us checked in.


“We need to get you fed before you turn into a bear. You’re certainly grumbling like one right now,” was his only comment as we locked up our room and headed out to find a restaurant.


“Sorry. I promise to be better behaved.”


Chapter 8