Free Last Exit in New Jersey by C.E. Grundler

with me, and he looks at me weird.”
    “You are weird. And soaked,” he pointed out. She glanced down self-consciously, color rising in her face, and he sighed. “Do you want me to find Micah, or is there going to be a problem? Tell me now. Otherwise, get going.”
    “I’m sleeping in the truck.” The truck with no air-conditioning and a door that didn’t lock. She stalked into her cabin, changed into dry clothes, and began packing a duffle bag with enough to wear over the coming days. Witch rocked and she heard her father talking in the salon, likely going over things with Joe.
    “So how long am I staying with creepy?” she called out.
    “Could you please act civilized?” her father replied, aggravated. Good; served him right.
    “Oh, I’ll be on my best behavior,” she said with sugary sarcasm. “I was just wondering whether I should pack this…” She stepped out holding up a pair of black lace panties and found herself face-to-face with Stevenson.
    He glanced at her father. “Creepy will refrain from responding in the interests of self-preservation.”
    Face burning, Hazel returned to her cabin, slamming the door on their laughter. Jerks. To hell with them both.
    “Hey, Miss Manners,” her father called. “You ready to go?”
    No, but apparently that didn’t make a difference. She sulked out, avoiding eye contact with either of them. Shaking his head, her father locked up Witch while Stevenson boarded the black boat and started the engines, which turned over smoothly. Hazel gave her father a loaded look: the engines sounded fine.
    “Just bring the trailer around.” He walked to the Travelift as Stevenson guided the rumbling boat into the lowered straps. Hazel backed RoadKill to the trailer, locked the plate, raised the landing gear, and connected the electric and air lines, then tested the trailer’s brakes. Joe snugged the Travelift straps, Stevenson shut the engines, and the boat rose into the air.
    Hazel lifted the shark’s-tooth pendant and rubbed the smooth fossil. She’d discovered it in the bank of a creek in Belmar. She’d always had a knack for finding things. Unaware that fossilized shark’s teeth were common for that area, she believed she’d unearthed a rare treasure and bestowed it upon Micah, who’d promptly lost it. He was forever losing his keys, watch, phone, wallet, his heart, and his way. It was a running joke how many times he’d misplaced the shark’s tooth over the years, but Hazel always managed to return it to him. She only hoped it was a sign she’d see him again soon.
    A knock on the cab door startled her. She looked down at her father standing beside the truck.
    “I was calling you.” He studied her. “You okay?”
    No. “Just thinking.” She tucked the tooth back into her shirt.
    “That what I smelled? Good. I was afraid RoadKill was overheating.”
    He waited for the inevitable comeback but she had none. He sighed. “Haze, I’ll find him, I promise. Let’s get this loaded and rolling.” He passed her the shop keys. “Go grab the EZpass; it’s in Joe’s desk.”
    This wasn’t right. She couldn’t just drive away, not now. Hazel climbed down, kicking shells as she trudged across the lot and unlocked the shop. Everything was spiraling beyond her control, and she didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t shake the terrible feeling that if she left, she’d never return. Behind her footsteps scuffed on the linoleum; she turned to find Pierce blocking the doorway while his friend Rheingold kept watch by the window.
    Pierce grinned. “Well, well. Look who we have here, all by her lonesome.”
    Hazel’s stomach sank. Over the years, she learned if she couldn’t avoid him, the best way to deal with Pierce was not to acknowledge him. She didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much the mere sight of him disgusted her or how his presence still triggered a rush of fear she’d never completely overcome. Now he had her cornered, and she