Free All In by JC Szot

hesitate.”
    Mick made his way back upstairs and reclined on a narrow
patch of mattress. He dozed on and off and woke when the pink hues of dawn
lighted the room. He crept out into the hall and went in search of coffee.
    ****
    When he returned and opened the door, fumbling with
the Styrofoam cups, Cara was already up.
    Mick smiled faintly, setting their cups on the
nightstand. He removed a small paper bag from under his arm and handed it to
her.
    Cara looked inside. Her mouth salivated at the sight
of two bagels wrapped in waxed paper, the butter and jam bleeding through.
    “Thanks,” she said quietly. He’s so damn aloof! After years of Mick being a fairly easy read,
this morning he was as illegible as a doctor’s signature.
    Things needed to be said, but now wasn’t the time. They
needed to move into the next phase of their plan, whatever that
phase was. Work and a place to stay came first.
    Cara sat down on the edge of the bed and vented the
lid to what she knew was hot chocolate. She drank it all year round, just like
a coffee lover.
    The crinkling of paper filled the silence. They
began to eat. After forcing down two bites, Cara couldn’t stand it anymore, the
unease that lingered due to the previous evening.
    “What’s happening? she asked, wiping her mouth.
    Mick’s eyes flicked to hers.
    “We need to move on. Ken’s afraid there could be
trouble. I did assault that guy,” Mick shook his head. How’s South Jersey sound?
Some sand, and the salty sea,” he said, his tone uncertain.
    “Sounds good,” Cara smiled, trying to reassure him. “What’s
our mode of transportation?”
    “We’re taking a train. It leaves in about an hour,”
he said, looking down into his cup as if a solution was floating on the surface
of his coffee. He looked up at her. His teeth gnawed at his lip.
    “You still with me?” he asked, his voice barely audible.
    “I’m still here, aren’t I?” Cara laughed, needing to
plow through this thicket of confusion that’d grown between them overnight. She
didn’t like it. The longer she ignored it, the denser it would become. His next
inquiry had her heart tripping.
    “You all in, Cara? Despite everything?” Mick asked. Lines deepened around his
eyes as they bore into her.
    Everything? Was
Mick referring to the tussle between him and Ken’s customer, their kiss, or
both? Was Mick rethinking his advances toward her? The ground shifted beneath her
feet. The maze she wandered through forked before her, her confirmations now
cloudy. Maybe he wanted her to commit fully to the entire package before he
took a risk and proceeded. It was much to ask, but if it wasn’t for Mick she’d
still be rotting in The Hollow.
    Cara stood up and tossed her cup into the trash,
feeling the heaviness of his stare. She zipped up her pack and set it near the
door, glancing back at him.
    “I’m still here, and I’m all in.” Her voice wavered.
    “Good,” Mick nodded. “Then let’s go.”

 
    Chapter
Seventeen
     
    The train ride to Point Pleasant was the shortest of
their journey so far. When they stepped out onto the platform of the train
station, the sun had barely passed its noontime peak.
    They wandered around the station before flagging
down a local cab. Mick tossed their packs into the backseat and they settled
in.
    “Where to?” The
driver shot a backward glance at them in the rearview mirror.
    “Downtown,” Mick answered, extending his legs out in
front of him.
    “Nothing much there.” The
driver snorted. “Hurricane’s wiped the place out. Best off
heading to the outskirts.”
    “Are they looking to rebuild?
We’re looking for work,” Mick informed him.
    “I believe so. Pebble Beach would better suit you,
at least for the time being.”
    Cara looked at Mick.
    “Okay, then,” he relented, sinking back into the
seat.
    The cab moved through the station traffic, easing
onto Route 35. Cara opened up the window, allowing some air to circulate. It
was warmer here, the tease of