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

“Thanks for the encouragement, whatever happens. And you’re right. It’s nice to feel like I’m heading into something new…something positive. This trip has helped, and I owe it all to you.”


Hollis hunched his shoulders a bit. “It was a selfish gesture, really. I wanted a companion on my journey, and you were a guy who needed to get away for a while.” He twirled spaghetti around his fork. “I never expected to fa—uh, find a good friend in the process.” Wait, what had he meant to say? And, now that I thought about it, Hollis had been acting a little weird today.


“I’m happy you asked me along. Now are you gonna tell me where we’re really going?”


“You’ll find out in due course.” Man, he was evil. “In the meantime, let’s finish our meal and go back to Powell’s. Or do you want to do something else? We can take a break if you want, because we’re going to the Waterfront Blues Festival tonight and tomorrow. I figured it would be a good way to celebrate July Fourth.”


Chapter 10