Page 55 of Snowed In With the PUCK

I nod, even though he can’t see me. “It was nice to have a sort ofnormalholiday, you know?”

There’s a pause on the other end of the line, and I can hear Jake’s tone soften when he speaks again. “Yeah, man. I get that. Holidays can be tough when you’re not with your own family. But it sounds like you had a solid stand-in with the Stantons.”

“More than solid,” I admit. “It was good to be around people who care.”

“Glad to hear it,” Jake says. Then his tone shifts, like he’s gearing up for something. “So, listen. Allie and I were talking, and we had this idea… super last minute, but damn will it be fun! What are you and Jessica doing for New Year’s?”

I sit up a little straighter, curious. “Uh, no plans yet. Just enjoying the time off, I guess. Why?”

“Well,” Jake begins, dragging the word out, “how about you two come out to Vegas? We’re going to be there, and it’d be fun to ring in the New Year together.”

Vegas. Of all places. My heart skips a beat at the suggestion, and not because of the glitz and glamor. Vegas means one thing to me: my mom. The woman I haven’t seen since I was a toddler. The woman who walked out on me all those years ago.

“Vegas, huh?” I say, trying to keep my voice casual.

“Yeah,” Jake says. “Come on, man, it’ll be a blast. We’re staying at a great hotel, and we’ll hit up a few shows, maybe gamble a bit. What do you say? New Year’s in Sin City?”

I glance toward the kitchen, where I can hear Jessica moving around, the sound of pots clinking softly. Something about Jake’s offer gnaws at me. Is this just a coincidence, or is this some kind of… setup?

“I don’t know, Jake,” I say slowly. “Vegas, though?”

“Why not Vegas?” he asks, and I can almost hear the grin in his voice. “You guys need a break, and it’s not like there’s anything to do in Denver. You’ve got a few days off, right? Come on, man. It’ll be fun.”

I feel my stomach twist. Vegas. So close to Linda. I don’t know if I want to do this.

“I’ll think about it,” I mutter, rubbing the back of my neck. “I gotta talk to Jessica.”

“You do that,” Jake says, not missing a beat. “But seriously, we’d love to have you both there. I think it could be good for all of us to totally unplug from work.”

“Yeah,” I say, though I’m not sure if I mean it. “We’ll see.”

We wrap up the call after a few more minutes of catching up, and I toss my phone on the couch beside me. I stare at it for a moment, letting Jake’s words sink in. He means well, I know that. But Vegas means being close to my mom. I’ve never been able to shake off the deep wells of anger toward her abandonment of me, the resentment I bite back when I think of her. Part of me doesn’t even want to try to find her. She left. She walked away, and she never looked back.

I stand up, stretching out the tension in my shoulders, and wander into the kitchen. Jessica’s at the stove, stirring something in a big pot, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. The smell of pot roast fills the room, rich and savory, making my mouth water.

She glances up as I enter, offering me a small smile. “Hey, dinner’s almost ready.”

I lean against the counter, watching her for a moment. She looks so calm, so at ease, and I almost hate myself for what I’m about to say. But the thought’s been nagging at me since Jake’s call, and I can’t shake it.

“So,” I say, trying to keep my tone light. “I just got off the phone with Jake.”

Jessica raises an eyebrow, curious. “Oh yeah? How’s he doing?”

“Good,” I say, crossing my arms. “He and Allie are heading to Vegas for New Year’s.”

Jessica pauses, glancing at me over her shoulder. “Vegas, huh?”

“Yeah,” I say slowly, watching her reaction. “And they want us to come with them. Spend New Year’s together. What do you think?”

She shrugs, turning back to the stove. “Sounds fun. We don’t have any plans, right?”

I hesitate, then push forward. “Yeah, but… Vegas? Really? You didn’t set this up, did you? I know you and Allie text, right?”

She stops, her hand frozen on the spoon, and looks at me like I’ve just slapped her across the face. “What?”

I immediately regret saying it. I was half-joking, trying to lighten the mood while digging for the truth, but the hurt in her eyes hits me like a punch to the gut.

“You think I set this up?” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “Eric, are you serious?”

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