The snow crunched beneath his feet as he made his way through the trees, heart pounding harder with every step. When he saw Tom’s Jeep parked out front, something inside him twisted. That Jeep had once felt like safety. Now it felt like betrayal.
Jamie stood at the door for a long moment, then raised his hand and knocked.
Tom answered almost immediately, like he’d been waiting. “Come in, Jamie.”
Jamie stepped inside, but he didn’t sit. He couldn’t. The living room looked warm. He stood there trembling; the words rising before he could stop them.
“You’re a fucking bastard,” he said, voice shaking. “You weren’t man enough to break up with me. You left me with nothing. I was crumpled on the side of the road. Because of you.”
Tom’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Jamie. You’re right. I didn’t know how to end us.”
“That’s just another fucking lie! You planned it all out without telling me that you sent our applications to the Find a Daddy Christmas mixer in November. This was not going to be a party to meet your friends.”
He stepped closer, and Jamie instinctively backed away.
“Why didn’t you pick me up at the boutique? You left me all alone.”
“I thought it would be a cleaner break.”
“You didn’t give a fuck if I were alive or dead, did you?”
“I knew you were okay,” Tom said. “I got word. I knew you were with that cowboy—Spencer. I know all about what you were doing.”
Jamie’s stomach turned. So, he’d been watching. From a distance. Enough to know, but not enough to care.
“Why didn’t you bring me my things?” Jamie snapped. “You let Billy bring them. What if he threw my shit away?”
“He wouldn’t dare,” Tom said.
Jamie clenched his fists. “I still have my house key, but it’s in my backpack.”
“No, I removed it.”
“We’re going to stop by and pack my stuff up.”
“No need,” Tom replied. “Everything’s packed. Just waiting for an address to ship them to. Email me when you have a new place.”
Jamie nodded, numb. It was too clean. Too easy. Like he was just another box to check off.
Tom looked at him, softer now. “Want me to drive you back to your cabin?”
Jamie turned, voice sharp. “Fuck no.”
He walked out, boots crunching hard against the snow. He could feel Tom’s eyes on him, burning into his back. And then—he heard footsteps.
Before he could react, Tom caught up and grabbed him, arms wrapping around him in a sudden hug.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Jamie froze. The touch was familiar, but it didn’t feel safe anymore. It felt like manipulation. Like guilt dressed up as affection.
He broke free, pulling away with everything he had, and kept walking. He didn’t look back.
Chapter Twenty-One
Spencer
Spencer sat across from Nathan in the corner booth of the diner. The scent of coffee and bacon drifting through the air brought back memories. The place had changed little—same cracked vinyl seats, same faded photos of local rodeos on the walls. It felt like old times when the band spent Christmas in Big Bear together, and that was exactly what Nathan had wanted.
