All In

"Okay, so we'll come back for you around 10 o'clock, okay?" she told her father.

"You know it's three hours later back home in Michigan right, honey?" he said already clearing the decks for an early departure.

Kendra made a face of her own and said, "Ten o'clock. Right here."

"Okay. Ten it is." He hesitated then said, "What do you wear to a place like this, Ken?"

"Whatever you want!" she told him. "This is Las Vegas. The only dress code is no dress code."

"What are you girls doing for dinner tonight?" he asked. "I'm getting pretty hungry. Is it too early to eat?"

"You mean dinner?" Kendra asked. "It's only 4 o'clock, Dad. Not even you eat that early."

"It's seven to my body," he told her.

"I could eat something," Erin said quietly.

"Great," Cole said. "How about right here? My treat."

An hour later they finished what was for him, dinner, and the girls' a late lunch, and Cole told them, "I probably should try and catch a nap if you're not even meeting me until 1am." Kendra went to object so he added, "My time."

"You stay up all night playing poker, Dad, so don't tell me you can't hang."

"Yeah, but I like poker," he said under his breath.

Erin laughed nervously again while Kendra told him, "I so heard that!"

He hugged her goodbye and shook hands with Erin who managed to call him by his first name this time. "See you tonight, Cole," she'd said as she and Kendra headed out to her car.

As he got ready to take a shower before laying down for a while, Cole couldn't help but wonder how Erin and his daughter had ever paired up let alone become best friends. The best he could come up with was the old saw about how opposites attract. He also couldn't help but think their was a rather nice-looking young woman somewhere underneath all of that matronly-looking exterior. He was trying to picture her in a nice dress with her hair let down and a pair of contact lenses. He quickly dismissed the idea as it was none of his business. He also knew he'd likely never see her again once the tournament was over. It was even likely he might not see her again after tonight as he couldn't imagine anyone with the possible exception of his daughter, sitting around the casino watching him from a distance sitting at a table and playing cards with a bunch of other people they didn't know, either.

He set his alarm for 9:30 and woke up feeling refreshed and ready to go until he remembered where he was going. "Lava," he thought to himself trying to remember the name of the club he didn't want to go to. "Who names a club after something that destroys entire cities anyway?"

He quickly pressed out a dark blue shirt and grabbed a pair of gray, wrinkle-free Dockers and was ready to go with five minutes to spare. The girls were waiting for him right where they'd agreed to meet and there was also a very nice-looking young man holding his daughter's hand.

"Daddy!" Kendra called out waving to him. Cole smiled and waved at her as he headed her direction.

"Hi Ken," he said kissing her on the cheek. "And hello again to you, too, Erin," he said politely.

"Hi, Cole," she said shyly.

"Dad? This is my boyfriend, Jared. Jared? This is my father, Cole Garr." They shook hands and Cole told him, "It's nice to meet you. Kendra's said some very nice things about you."

"Thank you, sir," he said. "She just hasn't gotten to know me well enough yet. Once she does, all of that will stop."

"Not from what I hear," he told him. Cole immediately liked him and hoped to have the chance to get to know him a little better before leaving town. On the way to the club, Cole sat up front with Jared and they swapped war stories with Jared's being real and Cole's being the kind of stories only peacetime soldiers can tell. Jared took his notoriety in the CCT community in stride understanding he really was just a guy doing his job. Had any of his buddies been in the same situations under the same circumstances, he knew they'd have done the same things he'd done. It just happened to be him and he'd got some shiny medals to wear once or twice a year on his dress uniform. What really mattered where the guys who were still alive. That was important. Multi-colored pieces of cloth were bullshit.

"Okay, here we are," Jared said as they pulled in to park the civilian Hummer he drove. Cole kidded him about on the way there and in his quiet way he told him the government variety blew up too easily. He knew because he'd been in one that had.

Cole read a sign that said, 'Vice Sunday' outside the entrance of LAVO and wondered that that might mean. The airmen all had Monday off as it was a three-day weekend for them for Labor Day so being out all night and having to get up wasn't an issue. Cole's tournament started at 9am Tuesday morning so he couldn't use needing to get to bed early as an excuse, either.

But he no sooner walked inside than he started looking for reasons to leave. 'Vice Sunday' was actually a DJ spinning hip-hop records with a dose of mash-ups thrown in for good measure.

"What do you want to drink, Daddy?" Kendra hollered over the music.

"A pair of earplugs?" he called back.

"I'm ordering you a beer," she said with a huff.

Garr had been in places like this back in the day but they were all overseas. The only differences were that not everyone in here was either an Asian hooker or a GI and it was smoke free. The music sounded strangely the same to him and he did his best to deal with it because it mattered to his daughter.

Their drinks came and Kendra hollered out, "To good times! Woo-hoo!" as everyone took a first drink. She grabbed Jared and out they went onto the dance floor.

"This is...exciting," he said loudly to Erin.

She smiled and said loudly, "It's not exactly my thing, but it beats sitting in my dorm room alone reading a book." She hesitated for a second then said, "But sometimes not by much."

Cole laughed and finally took a look at her. Her hair was still in a bun and she was still wearing the same black glasses, but she'd put on a nice top with a pair of black pants and it made her look a bit more feminine.

After several songs had played, Kendra brought Jared back over and said, "Come on, you two, go out and have some fun. Go dance! Dad? Ask Erin to dance, okay?"

"No, you don't have to do that, Cole. I'm fine. Really," she yelled at him.

"We're good, honey!" he assured her.

"Party poopers!" she said as she drug Jared back out onto the floor.

Cole heard the DJ, a younger black man say, "Okay, we gonna slow things down a bit for alla y'all, so grab that special girl and get on out here!"

As the song started playing Erin said, "Oh! I love this song! Have you heard it before, Cole?"

It was called Nobody Knows by the Tony Rich Project. It had a slow, smooth sound to it, but Cole hadn't heard it and told her so. Erin's face lit up for the first time and he was surprised at how pretty it was underneath all the dowdiness. He decided to see if she liked the song enough to dance to and asked her, "So...would you like to dance?"

"Really? I'd love to!" she said with a genuine smile.

They found a small space and Erin wasn't sure if it was okay to put her arms around him until he grabbed her hand and put his hand on her hip. She put her arm on his shoulder and thanked him for asking her.

"I used to listen to this all the time when I was growing up. It used to make me cry," she said in his ear. "Seems kind of silly now."

Cole listened to the words which he could actually understand. "Why didn't I say, the things I needed to say? How could I let my angel slip away? Now my world is just tumblin' down. I can say it so clearly, but you're nowhere around." As if that wasn't sad enough, the refrain nearly made him cry as he thought about how much he missed Sharon. "The nights are lonely, the days are so sad. And I just keep thinkin' about the love that we had. And I'm missin' you, and nobody knows it but me."

As the song ended, he found himself not only fighting to blink away the tears forming in his eyes, he realized Erin's arms were both around him as his were around her. When he let her go he noticed her eyes had also teared up and she wanted to make sure he didn't see her. When he thanked her for the dance their eyes met briefly and they saw the after effects of the song as single tear ran down Erin's cheek while Cole was still blinking to clear his own eyes.

He walked her back to where they'd been sitting and he was still fighting the battle with his emotions. Erin noticed and said, "Are you okay?"

Cole's throat was tight and he couldn't speak. He nodded his head but turned away from her slightly so she couldn't see his eyes.

Erin put her hand on his which was resting on his thigh and said, "It made you think of your wife, didn't it?"

Those words did him in. He hadn't cried in several months, but this was just too much. He stood up and headed for the exit without saying a word. By the time he got outside, he was openly crying and bent over a few feet from the door. Fortunately, this episode had been deep but short-lived. In just a few seconds, he was standing up straight and taking deep breaths when he felt a presence next to him.

"I'm so sorry, Cole," Erin said. "I can't even imagine how hard this has been for you. Is there anything I can do?" she asked with complete sincerity.

"No, not really. Thanks, though. It's still just...so hard sometimes, you know?" he said trying to smooth out his breathing. "That line about the nights being so lonely... That really got to me."

Erin's heart was breaking for him as she moved in front of him. She didn't say another word, she just put her arms around him and held him.

"Hey, you two!" they heard Kendra call out. "What the hell? I leave you alone for five minutes and you're out here falling love?" She'd seen her dad's eyes after he'd crying enough times to know what was going on. "That song got to him, didn't it?" she said to Erin.

"Both of us," she replied. "Just for very different reasons." She let him go and said, "I guess I should get back inside."

Erin took a couple of steps and waited for Kendra as Cole turned to his daughter and told her, "I really can't take anymore of this, honey. I think I am gonna walk back or maybe take a cab. You understand, right?"

"Yeah, I do," she said putting one hand on her father's cheek. "Sorry, Daddy. I wish you'd stay, but I know why you want to leave. And I really didn't know they'd play anything that sad."

"It's a nice song," he told her mustering up a brave smile. He turned to Erin and said, "I can see why you like it so much."

"I guess we'll see you tomorrow then," Kendra said.

"Right. Tomorrow." He turned to Erin and told her, "Thank you for the dance. It was very nice even though the song was such a tear jerker."

"My pleasure," she said with a shy smile.

Cole kissed Kendra on the cheek and said goodnight as she turned to go back inside. "Come on!" she said to Erin as she grabbed her arm.

"Give me a sec, okay? I wanna make sure your dad's okay. Do you mind?"

"Of course not. And thank you for being so nice to him. I know he's old and everything, but I can tell he enjoyed dancing with you. Well, except for the crying part," she said trying to kid around. "See you inside?"

Erin nodded then walked back over to Cole who was looking at his iPhone. "Is it crazy to try and walk?" he asked her feeling much better already.

"No, it's not crazy. It's a perfect night for it and all of the streets are well lit."

He got his bearings and said, "Well, then I think I'm gonna walk back. Goodnight Erin and thanks again for the dance."

"You're welcome," she said as he started heading back. He only got a few steps before she called out, "Cole? Can you wait for a minute?"

"Sure," he told her. "What's going on?"

"I'll be right back! Stay right there, okay?"

Two minutes later she came back outside carrying her purse and said, "Mind if I walk with you?"

Erin noticed him looking down at her shoes and she said, "They're flat. I never wear heels...for obvious reasons."

"I'm glad you're not wearing heels tonight, but you could, you know. So what if you're tall? It's an asset so don't be afraid to show it off now and then." He shook his head and said, "Sorry, I don't often give unsolicited advice. I'll be quiet now, I promise. And I'd really like it if you walked with me." He smiled at her then offered her his arm which she gladly took as they began making their way toward the Rio.

For the first half hour or so, they talked about Fort Lewis, Olympia, Lacey, his time in the Army, and whatever other common threads they could find.

After a few minutes of quiet Cole said, "So is there anyone special in your life, Erin?"

"Who me?" she asked as though he might be referring to one of the many other people passing them by. "No. I don't date a whole lot," she said quietly. There was some more quiet before she said, "And that's really just fine with me. I'm not in any hurry to get married or anything."

"Well, you're still young and have plenty of time. I'm just a little surprised you're not seeing anyone."

A few more minutes passed before Erin asked him, "How about you, Cole? Have you dated at all since...you know...since...?"

"No. Uh-uh. I'm so busy with poker and all that now to even think about dating."

"Yeah, I like to read a lot myself. Like poker, books never hurt you or..." There was an awkward pause.

"It's okay," he told her. "You don't have to justify your life to me. As long as you're happy, no one else's opinion matters." She still had her hand in his arm so he pulled her a little closer and said closer to her ear, "And that includes my daughter. She can be a little pushy even though she thinks she's only trying to help."

Erin laughed and told him, "I really love Kendra. She's such a free spirit. In fact, she's pretty much everything I'm not. Outgoing, fun-loving, pretty..."

Cole stopped them and turned toward as he said, "Hey? Where did that come from?"

"Where did what come from?" Erin asked concerned she'd said something hurtful or offensive. "Kendra is my best friend and she really is pretty so I just meant..."

"You said she's everything you're not then said she's pretty."

Erin stopped looking at him the moment he said, "You're a very pretty girl, Erin. I'm not sure why, but something tells me you prefer to hide it." Now it was Cole who thought he'd said something wrong and quickly added, "Hey, it's none of my business, okay? I just want you to know that you're selling yourself way too short. You're a wonderful person and although you don't need to change a thing to be beautiful, you'd look spectacular if you'd maybe let your hair down once in a while or traded in the dark glasses for some contact lenses."

Because Air Force guys hit on her all the time, she was able to fend off his compliments with a laugh and by adding, "Right! Contacts and a boob job and a butt lift and..."

Cole reached down and grabbed her hand and looked directly into her eyes as he said sincerely, "I don't know who hurt you, Erin, but shame on him—whoever it was. If you could see the pretty girl I'm looking at right now, you'd never say things like about yourself again. Trust me. You are a very beautiful woman so give yourself some credit, okay?"

Erin smiled but didn't look up. A battle was raging inside her as fears from the past reared up trying to beat down the flutter that started in her heart and migrated south. It almost reached her forbidden zone before she was able to beat it into submission the way she did every time she got close to feeling something for anyone. Especially someone who was her best friend's father.

Cole offered her his arm again and she took it again albeit reluctantly this time. Anything more would have cause the war to begin anew and that was a risk she wasn't willing to take. They walked the rest of the way in silence arriving at the hotel at what the military called oh-dark-thirty.

"Can I call you a cab?" he asked her.

"I'm really not tired. I think maybe I'll hang out in the casino for a while. Oh, I better text Kendra and let her know I'm here so she and Jared can pick me up later on."

"I'm not tired, either," Cole told her. "Hey! Do you know how to play poker?"

"Not really. I know some of the basics like pairs, three of a kind, straights and flushes but that's about it."

"Would like learn or maybe just play for fun?"

Three hours later Erin was up over $300 at one of the smaller tables. Cole couldn't look at her cards or help her decide what to do, but he was allowed to explain what was going on. Before they quit, Erin understood what things like position, three-betting, continuation-betting and the flop meant. She also knew the difference between terms like ante and the small and big blinds.

"You have a pretty feel for the game having never played much before," he told her as they cashed in her chips.

"And $305!" she said fanning the twenties. "I'm hungry. Do you want breakfast? It's on me."

"No, thanks. It's just after midnight to my body so I don't think I can eat, but I'd be glad to keep you company if you're not already sick of me."

Erin put her money in her purse and without looking at him said, "I am tired of being with you all. I really enjoy your company, Cole."

At around five am, Kendra came in with Jared and finally found them. "We've been looking all over the casino for you guys and you're in here eating pancakes?" she said much too loudly.

"I was hungry," Erin said almost apologetically. "The coffee is really good here. Do you guys want a cup?"

"Coffee? Ugh!" Kendra exclaimed. "We're exhausted. We're heading back to Jared's apartment. You ready to go?"

Erin glance ever-so-quickly at Cole before saying, "Um, yeah. I guess so." The war was once again raging inside her as parts of her desperately wanted him to ask her not to leave yet while others felt sick at the possibility he might.

"Sorry for such an awful night, Dad. I don't know why I thought you might enjoy that," Kendra told her father apologetically. Even from that distance, he could smell the alcohol on her breath but didn't say anything.

He then briefly looked at Erin, smiled even more quickly, and told his daughter, "It wasn't all bad."

Erin lowered her head as she held her coffee cup with both hands.

"So Erin didn't bore you to death?" Kendra teased.

"Hardly," he said honestly. "She's one of the nicest people I've ever met. Smart, too."

Kendra smiled and looked at her friend as she said, "Well, she should be. She's read more books than all us of combined," nodding to Jared, too.

"Hey! I've read plenty of books," Jared said but not defensively. "Tom Clancy, James Patterson, Dale Brown."

"Yeah, yeah. You're a regular Einstein," Kendra quipped. "Come on, Erin. It's gettin' late. Er, early."

She went around the table and hugged her dad. "So are we doing anything today?" she asked. "We don't want to waste a whole day, you know."

He looked at his watch and said, "Well, after we sleep 6-8 hours, isn't this one pretty much shot?"

"Grrrhh! You're not that old, Dad," she said chiding him. "I'll text you later, okay?"

Erin got up and Cole stood, too. "I'll walk outside with you," he told her.

"You don't need to do that," she replied.

"I don't mind. I want to."

Jared opened the car door for Kendra and Erin slipped into the back seat. Cole tapped on the window and smiled at her. To his surprise, Erin smiled back at him. He poked his head inside once Kendra was seated and told her, "Thanks again for walking back with me. I really enjoyed talking with you."

"Me too, Cole," she told him.

"Buy Kendra-Ken," he said. "Jared? Nice meeting you. See you again?"

"You can count on it, sir," he said with a smile. "We want to see you win this tournament."