“Night, Tony. Call me with good news and bring them when you meet your niece, so she knows she has three uncles,” she said with more confidence than I had. “Mwah!”
She hung up and I stared at my phone, wondering if I should call them before I went back. What if it was too late? What if— Nope, I was going to bed and tomorrow I was going back to Sterling Ridge. I was ready to stop running and I was ready to finally live my life.
33
sam
“Holy shit, I swear it's colder here than in Denver,” Gomez said, as we walked towards the Boozy Bandit, since that is where we all decided to spend New Year’s Eve.
“Your job is on the ice,” Beau, Valencia’s friend said as he walked with us.
He came down with them, not having any plans and Valencia didn’t want him to be alone. They arrived yesterday afternoon and would unfortunately have to drive back tomorrow afternoon to be back for a game the following day. I was lucky enough to be able to schedule a last-minute practice with a few guys from the team telling them it would be worth the practice. Most of the kids went home for the holidays but the few who were local were on my first and second lines.
“Yeah, but it's not twenty degrees on the ice with wind blowing and?—”
“Come on, big guy, we will keep you warm.” Valencia and Riggs surrounded Gomez as they walked.
“He’s such a big baby,” Jude chuckled, as he held onto my arm.
“The biggest,” I agreed.
“I don’t know how that big man is a hockey player,” Beau chuckled.
“I heard that, you fuckers!” Gomez yelled.
“We meant for you to!” Beau yelled, rubbing his hands together.
Jude pulled Beau closer to us, and I threw an arm around him to give him some warmth.
“No matter how long I’m in Colorado, I never get used to the cold,” he said, getting as close as he could.
“Sometimes it feels like it gets colder than previous years and then some years it feels like it gets hotter,” Jude said, as we finally reached the door to the bar.
“Oh my god, there is a mechanical bull!” Valencia's faint squeal made me smile as we walked in.
“Oh, god,” Riggs yelled.
Jude walked to the front of the group leading us to the table that Iris had saved for us.
The place was more packed than I had expected, but I was happy to see it so lively. We sat down, Iris immediately got our first drink order with an order of shots. We shucked off our big jackets, putting them on the backs of our chairs. A popular pop song was playing as I took in the crowd when I spotted a tall man with a black Stetson, when he turned around, my body sagged in disappointment when it wasn’t Forest.
“I thought it was him too,” Jude yelled in my ear, leaning on my shoulder.
“I want it to be him and then I don’t,” I said, getting angrier as time went on.
He fucking left us without saying bye. Left a box with our things and a fucking note that said he would never forget us.
Jude and I were reduced to a box with a fucking note.
“I hate missing him.” He kissed my shoulder when Iris came back with our drinks.
She passed out our drinks, taking a shot with us, her eyes lingering on Beau before she went back to work. Jude hated that she had to work, but she wanted to make some money and with how packed it was, she would make some damn good tips.
“Alright, who's going on the bull first?” Valencia yelled.
“Jude!” I shouted.
“Hell no!” he retorted.
