Christmas Eve dawned icy and gray, but the snow had stopped falling around the time that Derrick had chucked Lee out on his ass into the hall, and, at least from a second floor window of the Mankato Lamplight Inn, the roads seemed passable. It would take ages, Derrick knew, but if he got up and on the road, he’d at least get to St. Paul. His enthusiasm for Christmas in Minnesota had been lukewarm at its zenith, and Christmas Eve by himself in Mankato was out of the question. He’d make it to his mom’s in time for eggnog or wreck a rented PT Cruiser trying.
Sorry as he felt for himself as he lay in bed burping up pepperoni while sleep mocked him from across the room, when he did eventually conk out, it was for nine solid hours, and he woke with a pragmatic attitude. He gave himself credit f
