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

Once our meal was finished, I turned off the TV and we locked up and left the motel. “Ready for a day of books?” Hollis asked, practically bouncing on his toes as we headed to the SUV.


“I know youare. You’re even more excited than when we were at that culinary thing in Utah.” I sat in the passenger seat and Hollis drove.


“Hey, I love books. You’ve seen how many Gran has in her apartment. My place is just as crowded. It’s a love we both share and something we could always count on to keep us together. I have many fond memories of going to book festivals and reading under the blanket when I should have been asleep.”


“I bet you were a cute kid, all limbs and hair and devil-may-care attitude.”


“Wouldn’t you like to know?” was his arch response. Was Hollis flirtingwith me? Nah, couldn’t be. We parked a couple of blocks away, and then walked to Powell’s. Oh my gosh, he hadn’t been kidding. It was indeed a “City of Books!”


Chapter 9