Page 61 of See You at the Sunset

Henry grabbed both of Jia’s wrists and squeezed a tiny bit. His thumbs rubbed over her pulse points. God that was more erotic than expected. “There was never a time I couldn’t stand you,” he said. Very stern. Very sexy.

“Oh.” It was all she could think to say.

“But yes, he’s a snake. And an asshole. He tried to scam Dennis. And I don’t like him.”

“You’re hot when you get all growly like that,” Jia said.

“Thanks,” Henry said back. “Now, tell me why we’re talking about that guy when I’ve got you straddled on top of my dick right now.”

“Well, I’ve noticed more of the residents have been talking about moving out of Sunset Hills. It started confusing me. But it was always because their families were pressuring them. And guess who has been doing the pressuring?”

“Matthew?” Henry guessed correctly. Smarty-pants.

Jia nodded. “We have to stop him. We have to cease-and-desist him or something. We have to tell the families that they’re wrong and that they should leave their loved ones here.”

“Jia, I love that you care so much and that this matters so deeply to you. But it’s not our business. It’s not right for us to get involved in other people’s family matters,” Henry said matter-of-factly.

Jia couldn’t believe how unaffected he seemed. This was terrible. What Matthew was doing was terrible. “But we have to help!”

“You’re the one always telling me that we have to let the residents live their lives. Not infantilize them. Not make decisions for them. That’s what you’re trying to do.” He was using his lawyer voice on her, and she didn’t like it one bit.

“I’m trying to help.Weshould help. At least look over the contracts or whatever and see what their rights are. And then they can make their own informed decisions. Right now, I feel like they’re getting pressured without knowing what they’reallowed and not allowed to do.” Jia’s voice was getting more desperate. But she couldn’t let Matthew just do this to the residents. She wouldn’t.

“Jia, I’m not getting involved. Plus, I can’t practice law in California. And I really don’t think you ought to get involved either. Neither of us are experts in this area. I’m certain there are reasons we don’t know about. The families know better. Just let it play out. Maybe, for some of the residents, this is the right move. Maybe it is time for them.”

Jia’s frustration and anger bubbled inside her. Henry was wrong. And he was unwilling to help. She really thought she’d seen some progress in him. But maybe not.

“I have to go,” she said, scrambling to get off Henry’s lap.

He held her at her waist as she stood up, making sure she wouldn’t lose her balance. He stood up with her. “Jia...”

“It’s fine. I can do it on my own,” she said. She didn’t care if she sounded petulant. She would do it on her own if she had to.

He let out a deep breath. “Don’t be mad.”

Jia dropped her shoulders. “I’m not mad. I’m just... worried. About Harold and Isabel and Dottie and whoever else might be next.”

Henry wrapped his arms around her shoulders and brought her head to his chest. She listened to his heartbeat, steady, strong. “I know. But you can’t carry the burden for everyone at The Sunset on your shoulders.”

And as she continued to be lolled by the beat of Henry’s heart, Jia thought to herself,Just watch me.

24

Henry sent Jia off on her way promising her that tonight, he was going to give her the date of her dreams: a home-cooked meal and lots of sex on a bed. She was thrilled. She was not the high-maintenance type.

He hadn’t gotten much done today, but for once, Henry decided not to stress about it. Work was slow, it was why he’d been able to get away. And he was going to take the advice he’d given Jia and not carry the weight of everyone else’s burdens on his shoulders.

So when the phone rang, he had a brief thought of letting it go to voice mail. But Henry wasn’t going to change that easily. So he grabbed it before even looking to see who was calling.

“Goddamn it, Shin. What the fuck is going on over there?”

And that was why he was surprised by the voice of his boss on the line screaming at him before he’d even managed to say hello.

“Sir? What’s going on over here? In the desert?” Henry wastrying to put two and two together in his head and was not sure what he was missing. His boss was in Saint Lucia this week. Henry was still within the two-week vacation period he’d requested to come to Palm Springs. And nothing, from what he’d heard from his team at their last check-in this morning, was happening in New York.

He’d just checked his email an hour ago...

“Don’t you check your email? I forwarded you the message from Harrison, Mars, and Leighton. We’re being sued.”