Page 75 of See You at the Sunset

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Henry had always hated the Palm Springs airport. It was small and dated, there were limited flights, and for some reason he’d always felt out of place once he’d arrived. But when had Henry ever felt like he belonged somewhere?

A memory of cheers encouraging him as he swayed his hips and moved his feet. Arms reaching out to grab hold of his drenched body, pulling him from the pool. Laughter around Malibu and pineapple drinks. Slaps on the back.Well dones andAttaboys freely offered to him. Genuine thanks and gratitude as he built a number of his dog-waste grabbers. Soft skin under his fingertips, lips wrapped around his body, and the sexiest sounds coming from Jia’s mouth as she came.

There. As crazy as it sounded, Henry belonged there. In Palm Springs. At Sunset Hills. Among people more than twice his age and one woman who drove him nuts in every way possible and took his breath away.

It was family. Like he’d never had before. Community. Likehe’d shunned and avoided throughout his life. And he needed to get back as fast as possible. He needed to see with his own eyes that Dennis was okay and make sure he was getting the best care.

And he needed to make sure, most of all, that his parents weren’t causing havoc in Dennis’s home among his friends. Henry could imagine walking in on everyone high on shrooms, sitting around in a sweat lodge, his mom leading chanting incantations for his grandfather’s quick recovery while his dad went around cleaning out everyone’s wallets and bank accounts.

And as luck would have it, the timing worked where he could catch the one direct flight from New York. No rental car or two-hour drive in traffic to contend with.

He was antsy the entire flight. The only thing keeping him from worrying himself to death was the audiobook he listened to. Henry put his earphones in and turned on the book. The narrator’s voice, which worked well for all the different characters in the book, soothed him. He might have blushed and squirmed a little in his seat as he listened to the very spicy sex scenes, but he didn’t think the person next to him noticed. He’d finished the entire book on the flight. As long as he was going to be in Palm Springs anyways, he might as well stop by the Sunset Hills Spicy Book Club meeting tomorrow night and take part in the conversation about the reading material.

Henry shook his head and laughed to himself. He knew when the book club met and now was planning on attending. He really had changed.

The hot air hit Henry the moment he deplaned. “Rookie move, Shin,” he said to himself as he thought about the wool blend slacks he had on. He’d come straight from the office and in his New York uniform, a style that he’d carefully selectedto convey he was a serious lawyer to be respected. But here in Palm Springs, the clothes he wore were not only impractical, they made him realize that he’d always been playing a part. And only now was he discovering who the real Henry was.

He looked down at the overnight bag in his hand. He had the urge to just chuck it in the trash and wear whatever was in Dennis’s closet. Just like Jia had done at her Mimi’s.

Jia.

Was she here already? She had to have heard about Dennis’s accident. Would she be there when Henry walked in? Would she be talking to his parents?

Henry picked up the pace of his long strides to the taxi line.

He heard the voices as soon as he was dropped off in front of Dennis’s house. Screaming?

Henry quickly unlatched the gate and ran to the front door. He’d forgotten his house key back in New York in the rush to get to the airport. But when he tried to open the door, it was unlocked and opened right up. He would have to warn Dennis about this... again.

When Henry stepped into the house, he froze.

The house was full of people. More than he’d ever seen in here before. He recognized most of them from the neighborhood. Some he couldn’t recall meeting. Who were all of these people and why were they here?

There was a spirited card game happening at the kitchen table. And multiple pots heating on the stove with apron-clad people chatting it up. Along the hallway there was what looked to be line dancing? And a couch full of people screaming at a dog competition playing on the TV. And in the center of it all, surrounded by doting women giving him spoonfuls and forkfulsand cupfuls of food and drink, while others sat and signed the new cast around his wrist, was Henry’s grandfather Dennis.

“Hank! You made it,” Dennis greeted him from in his lounge chair once he noticed his presence.

“Granddad,” Henry said, carefully. He wasn’t sure if he was doped up on pain meds and perhaps not completely of clear mind.

Speaking of being doped up—Henry took a look around the house as much as possible for any signs of his parents. No ratty old Birkenstocks. No poorly crocheted shawls. No sand or dirt or dirty luggage anywhere to be seen. As much as he’d psyched himself up for what he’d run into, he tried not to think about how he’d feel if his parents didn’t even show up at all... again.

“Come over here, son, and let me get a look at ya. I’ve missed you,” his grandfather said. He pushed the leg rest down and sat upright. “Thanks, ladies, but could you give me a minute with my grandson?” All the attention quickly fizzled out to a few pats on the back for Dennis while his fan club dispersed.

Henry raised an eyebrow at his granddad.

Dennis winked back. “Amazing the attention one gets when they’re gravely injured,” he said, raising his wrist to show Henry his new cast.

“Gravely injured,” Henry repeated.

Dennis leaned in and whispered, “Guess I got a thing for nurses, and there have been a lot of ladies more than willing to play dress-up.” Dennis waggled his eyebrows.

Henry let out an exasperated laugh.

“Are you in any pain? Did anywhere else get injured?” he asked, giving his granddad the once-over.

“Welp, I hurt all over, not gonna lie. Falling and gettingback up made me use muscles I haven’t in years. Hank, you gotta get me on one of your exercise plans so I can stop being such a squeaky, unused truck. If I learned one thing while lying face down on the ground trying to figure out how to get my body up, it’s this: I gotta live my life like it’s still got life to give. Not like I’m counting down the days till I’m done.” Dennis squeezed Henry’s hand with his good one. It was strong and certain.