Brock said, “So you like all the losing teams, Maguire?”
Swanson persisted, “Anderson was a legacy player, right?”
“I think so,” Sanders said.“I think he played the same years I did.We never played against each other, but he always made the news because his father played for the Eagles in the Super Bowl, so they made a big deal of him.”
“He’s brilliant behind a keyboard,” Fisher said.“He’s probably forgotten more than I’ve ever learned about hacking.Guy can subnet in his head.Probably dreams in code.”
Swanson snorted.“Since you’re just about the smartest guy I’ve ever met, that’s saying a lot.”
Fisher’s cheeks turned red, but he was saved from replying by Peña and Norton’s arrival.“Ozzy will be here in a minute,” Peña said.“Then we can decide what we want to do next.”
“I’m good with doing this,” Sanders said, sticking his legs out and tossing a peanut into the air, which he caught in his open mouth.“There’s worse ways to spend an afternoon.”
“It’s good to just sit and be able to talk guy talk,” Brock agreed.“Seems like there’s always business getting in the way.”
The group spent the next hour catching up.Osbourne and his father joined them, and the conversation turned to the Category 5 hurricane that hit Miami during Thanksgiving a year ago.“It was pretty bad,” Osbourne said.“I’ve been in some storms, but cat five is something special.”
“Well, you were busy, too,” Norton said.
Osbourne nodded and smiled sheepishly.“That I was.”
Osbourne spent the night the hurricane hit Miami protecting the shelter Melissa ran for battered men and women from a drug cartel that took an interest in one of her tenants.In the middle of the hurricane, the cartel bore down on them, leaving Osbourne alone to defend it.He used his honed Special Forces skills to single-handedly protect Melissa and her sister from eight other men.
“With salt shot, no less,” Jerry said.“I’m sure it would have been nice to have actual buckshot or, you know, anything better.Anything at all.”
“Well,” Sanders drawled, taking a pull of his soda, “it’s not about the ammo, it’s how you use it.”
Jerry shook his head.“Sometimes it’s just about the ammo, bro.Carpe munitionem.Seize the ammo.”
Everyone laughed and listened as Osbourne told the story, answering questions and adding anecdotes.“Long night,” Osbourne said casually.“It was good to see the sun come up.But the city’s still recovering, and it’s been eighteen months.”
Olive curled in the corner of the couch and listened to Melissa and her sister chatter about life.In the suite’s kitchen, Phil’s mom, Candace, and Cynthia Norton filled platters with fruit and sandwiches.She looked around the room, at the woman who had joined their party.
Olive had to run the gauntlet of Secret Service agents and US Marshals before entering the suite.She had arrived last despite arriving fifteen minutes early.
Lynda Sanders handed her a water bottle and slipped into the chair next to her.“How are you?”
“Good,” she said, twisting the lid off.“I’ve enjoyed getting to know everyone.”
“I’ve met most of these women over the years,” Lynda said, looking around the room.“Except Erin and Lola.They’re new to me.I think Brock is going to have his hands full with Erin.”
“Erin’s been great,” Olive said, nudging her friend.Erin paused in talking to Rania and looked over at her.“She’s the cruising master.”
“My mom loves cruising,” Erin said as she fiddled with the wristband and looked at the spiral staircase that led up to the bedrooms.“Ever since my dad passed, I’ve been her go-to partner.I’ve never been in one of the suites, though.This is really nice.”
“It is,” Cynthia said.“We’re in a balcony suite, but it’s not as big as this.I do have two bedrooms, because of the detail, but it’s certainly not so grand.”
Olive looked around, noting all the closed doors.“Compared to our cabin, it’s huge.”
“There are only two of these on this particular ship,” Candace said.“We were blessed to get it.I really didn’t want to try to plan and produce a wedding from a stateroom.”
“You guys have been so generous,” Olive said, “Thank you again for this trip.”
“It’s our pleasure.Phil and Melissa are precious to us.”For a moment, tears filled her eyes.Olive knew she must be thinking about her son who was killed.“Doing it on a cruise ship was a great idea.The Marshals suggested it.”
Melissa joined the conversation.“We appreciate everyone coming.I told Phil I would be fine with eloping, but he knew his mom wanted a ceremony, and he surprised me with the work he put into figuring out how to get my sister here.”
Olive remembered the briefing at the opening dinner.They couldn’t ask her new name or where she lived.And they weren’t to mention her children.“It’s wonderful.”
