Page 24 of See You at the Sunset

“’Cause we’re old and tired,” Gertie said from the sink where she washed and peeled the potatoes. “Thank goodness for Jia.”

“You guys are the ones doing all the work. You really know how to roll out the welcome wagon,” Jia noted.

“Yeah, we used to never let a new resident move in without a get-to-know-you celebration. We loved making sure people felt good about their new home here,” Mimi said. “Change can be so scary, unsettling. It’s important to take some of that awayfrom new residents. I guess we forgot that for little while. Glad you’re here to remind us, Jia girl.”

“You sound a little like a cult leader, Grandma,” Jia teased.

“Well, you know what we say around here at The Sunset. Once you arrive, you never leave—”

“Unless you’re dead,” Louise called out from the other side of the kitchen.

“Yeah, that’s morbid,” Jia replied as the two older ladies laughed at their joke.

“Yoo-hoo, anybody home?” a new voice called out from the open doorway.

“Come in, come in! What did you bring?” Grandma asked the new arrival.

Jia turned around and saw Sally Mae Jackson enter, the smell of her promised mac ’n’ cheese filling the space. She’d met her during one of the morning walks, and it was all anyone would talk about. “Ms. Sally Mae, let me grab that from you,” Jia said as she took the foil serving tray from the rolling desk chair she’d apparently used to bring the food from her house to theirs.

“Careful with that, hon. It’s hot. And I also brought some deviled eggs. Those are never as popular among the oldies here at The Sunset as they were back at my home neighborhood, but I’m gonna win people over eventually,” she said. Sally Mae had originally lived in a senior community in the south, the east south, not the west south like they were in now. She liked to talk about it ashomeso she could pretend this place in Palm Springs was hervacation villa. Jia appreciated the approach.

“You really pulled out all the stops to welcome the new guy,” her grandmother commented.

“Well, if he’s a looker, I gotta get a jump start on winning his heart,” Sally Mae replied.

Jia smiled. She was gathering priceless life advice during her time here.

“Hello? May we come in?”

“Dennis, you’re here! Everyone, the guest of honor is here!” No one would ever accuse Jia’s grandmother of lacking enthusiasm. “And as your designated New Neighbor Buddy, let me officially sayWelcome home!” Everyone clapped.

Jia looked to see the guest of honor in the doorway. He was a slightly hunched older gentleman, his face lined with a map of many generously given smiles. Handsome in the way old men were when they’d obviously lived a life of warmhearted kindness. Jia wanted to hug him. So she did.

He let out a hearty chuckle as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and patted her back.

“Welcome, Dennis,” Jia said, delighted.

“Well, thank you, sweetheart. Mimi has already told me so much about you, as have the others. I’ve already got my sights set on the new aqua aerobics class you’re starting and—” he leaned in to whisper “—the Spicy Book Club.” He laughed heartily, and Jia smiled. She wanted to keep him forever.

“That’s amazing. Those are two great choices,” Jia said, feeling proud.

Dennis stepped to the side and coming up the walkway behind him, dragging a walker, was the man from the office the other day. “Just leave that there, son,” Dennis told him.

He left the walker off to the side of the porch and stepped up to the front door, looking uncertain if he should come in.

Jia still couldn’t believe her one-night stand from New York was here in Palm Springs. She’d felt guilty about the way she’d treated him the other day. She’d just been so caught off guard when he mentioned the HOA bylaws and restrictions for underage guests. Honestly, it scared her a little that someone might notice she wasn’t supposed to be here and tell her to leave. She wasn’t ready to get kicked out just yet.

But she shouldn’t have taken it out on him.

“Hi, welcome,” she greeted him warmly. She leaned in to give him a hug, and his back stiffened immediately. Oh shit. Was a hug not appropriate in this situation? They technically didn’t even know each other, even though they didknoweach other, biblically.

This was all very weird. And by the grimace on his face, he thought so too.

“This here is my grandson, Hank,” Dennis said.

Hank. His name was Hank. Huh. He didn’t strike her as a Hank. Hank was more of a dog’s name.

Jia brought herself back from her thoughts to see all eyes on her. Oh shit... Did she say that out loud? “It’s just that here at Sunset Hills alone, there’s Mitzi’s shih tzu, Gerald’s yellow Lab, and, of course, Mr. Burgess’s bulldog with incontinence—all named Hank,” Jia said.