“Your dad and I are trying hard to make something of this trip with you, but you’ve shut us out. You’re being rude.” Grace dropped back into her seat, turned off each phone. She thrust them into the glove compartment, fished keys from her bag and locked it. “Now, we’ll spend the rest of the drive to Las Vegas enjoying the views.”

“This sucks!” Riley said.

Minutes later, they passed Baker without stopping or speaking.

Riley folded her arms across her chest, pondered her new moon and stars bracelet, then said, “You’ve lost your freaking mind, Mom. Give me my phone!”

“No, we’re going to enjoy this trip.”

“Enjoy? Seriously?” Riley’s voice quavered. “You made me break up with Caleb. You made me leave Sherry and all my friends, all the people I love! I’ll never see them again! How am I supposed to ‘enjoy’ that?”

“I’m sorry, honey,” Grace said. “You’ll make new friends, I promise.”

“Riley, it’ll be better once we get settled in Pittsburgh,” John said.

“No, it won’t. You’re tearing me away from my life. You’re both so cold and heartless!”

“Riley, stop,” Grace said. “We’ve been over all of this.”

Brushing at her tears, Riley caught Blake looking at her, narrowed her eyes and flipped him her middle finger.

“Screw this!” Riley stood. “Why’d we leave so freaking early, like farmers? I’m going to sleep.”

She stomped into the bedroom at the rear, slamming the privacy door behind.

“Riley!” John called.

“Let her go.” Grace turned to her window, massaged her temple while looking at nothing.

John looked at the road ahead.

Blake stared into the desert.

The tires hummed.

* * *

An hour later, they crossed into Nevada at Primm, a cluster of casinos, restaurants and hotels.

Depending on your direction on the I-15, it offered your first chance, or last, to test your gambling luck in Nevada.

“Want to stop here?” Grace asked.

“Let’s keep going. There’s a new place I read about a couple miles ahead,” John said.

A few miles north of Primm they pulled into the Silver Sagebrush, a truck stop busy with rigs wheeling in and out from the interstate, gears grinding, air brakes hissing. Dozens more filled the lot while other vehicles parked in different sections.

“This is massive,” Grace said.

“Wow, it’s wild,” Blake said.

John found a spot in a far corner, partially shaded by palms. He parked and turned off the engine.

“Blake, wake up Riley,” John said.

“No. Let her sleep.” Grace reached for her bag. “I’ll leave a note. We’ll get her something and bring it back.”