The Reunion (10 page)

"I came in here and my stuff was just where I left it and your stuff was gone."  Mike was repeating the story for the third time.  "There was your makeup bag and the dress and stuff."  The stuff was a thong and pair of shoes.  He couldn’t bring himself to mention the underwear.

"He could have left me my damn hair dryer."  She grumbled.  She loved the dress.  It was much more Toni's style than hers but the color, a silver blue, and the fit was perfect.  She didn’t doubt for a moment the dress had been made for her.  Ty could do something like that.  Her hair would definitely be down and curly.  The shoes surprised her; they were comfortable and matched the dress perfectly.

"I think you look terrific."  Mike shuffled his feet.

"Thanks baby."  She hugged him.  "Let's spike your hair."  She spent a few minutes fussing over her son's clothes and hair then grabbed her key and stuck it in the plastic card keep and put it around Mike's neck and inside his shirt.  She didn't want to be messing with a purse and the dress didn't have anywhere she could hide the card.  "Don't lose that and DON'T let Ty near it.  He's probably got three copies of our key anyway.  Where's yours?"  He pulled it out of his pant's pocket and showed her.  "Let dance."

Em had never seen this group so cleaned up and nice looking.  Most looked pretty good at the weddings, but this was pretty fancy for the “backyard barbecue” set.  They were
shown
to a table, families kept together and kids arranged by age.  Mike was talking up some cousins he hadn't met before from Texas when Josh, Carole and the boys came in.  Carole was raving over the dress.  When Em started telling them about coming back from the pool and her clothes being gone again.  Josh was rolling.

"Did you see the front table?"  Toni waltzed over with a drink in her hand and the matching dress to Em's but in golden brown.  They were admiring each other's dresses then she continued. "They have the Connallys, Williams, Kasmans, Starks and Larsons up there.

"Where are the Campbells and where the hell is O'Bryan?"

"He's sitting with your mother.  The Campbells, Simons and Bells are on the second set of tables."  Toni spun around and laughed.  "It's worked out perfectly."

"The guys out did themselves."  She tried to see Pete and Tommy but hadn't spotted them yet.  "Your dress?"

"Stolen suitcase and left in my room.  Same?"

"Same."

"TYLER!"  They both yelled causing several people to laugh and applaud.

"Eye candy."  Ty handed each of them a flute of champagne.  "Have you seen Teri Crenshaw?  She's pregnant again."  He whispered to them and laughed.  "Come with me.  We're going to the head table for a minute."  He put a hand on each of their bare backs and prodded them through the crowd to the head tables.  They stopped and talked at several tables as they worked their way across the room.

"Ty when are you going to settle down and make only one woman miserable?"  Em asked and he ran his finger up her back, tickling her.

"I think he should spread it around, we haven't married because we can't find anyone as good to us as he is."  Toni teased.

"Speak for yourself, except for these things he avoids me like the plague."

"Tommy's moving back, you know?"

"NO I DIDN'T."  Em said.  Ty felt Em start to freeze and kept her moving forward.  "'bout time he came to his senses.  He's going back to the bar?"

"Restaurant."

"Whatever, they're in the same building." 

Bea spotted them first and put her hand on Martha's who looked up and saw the three of the approaching.  Ty looked so tall and handsome uncharacteristically dressed up in a tux, Em and Toni were breathtaking in matching dresses the exact color of their respective eyes, Toni’s in warm golden brown and Em’s in light ice blue.  Martha's gasp got the attention of Lou and Hannah who were trying to explain the politics and power plays of Brockton Petroleum and Connally Chemical from fifty years earlier to Brockton and they went instantly silent.

"Did everything just go silent or is that my imagination."  Em smiled nervously. "It feels like we're being served up as appetizers."

"Then prepare to be devoured Em.  You look yummy."  She turned her head and smiled up to Ty.

"Thank you Ty."  She stopped and kissed his cheek.  And Toni kissed his other cheek and they finished closing the distance to the other side of the ballroom.

"Oh Ty, they look like dreams.  Thank you."  Bea came around the table and hugged and kissed her nephew.  "I'd never get her into something so beautiful.  Antonia, you're breath taking."  Bea kissed Toni.  Each of the aunts came and hugged and kissed the three of them.  Connor came storming up and grabbed Toni by the waist and swung her around.

"You're a vision Antonia."  Connor laughed, then turned to Em.  "And you don't look half bad either for a whore."

"He's got to die." Em started at Connor, her eyes flew open as Ty put a flute of chilled champagne to her back, which, instead of diverting her attention, propelled her into rage.  "Connor O'Bryan! I never had sex with Ryan, you inconsiderate… unforgiving… son of a…" She started sputtering.  "And stop picking on my son!  You pompous…"

"Ryan you take this one and I'll handle your father."  Ty grabbed Em before she could take a swing at her step-uncle once removed, sort of.  Handing her to Connor's son.  Who couldn’t stop laughing.

"It's always a mistake to put the two of them in the same room."  Ryan had her from behind around the waist and dragging her kicking and screaming the other direction.  "And I thought Tommy and Pete were the ones that were going to kill Dah."

"Nah, they only wanted to punch him.  I'm out for some
serious
damage."  Pandemonium broke out with yells, laughter and scolding from her mother and aunts.  They managed to get Em heading the other direction to thunderous applause and cheers.  Ryan set her on her feet and kept blocking her from heading back to the front table.

"I hope someone got that on film or video."  Brockton was at her elbow and pulled her in the direction of the exit.  Ryan relinquished control and went back to do damage control with his father.  Bea had her index finger in Connor’s face and Ty and others were trying to break
them
up.  Toni was sitting on the edge of the table sipping champagne and calmly talking with Louise and Martha.  Hannah looked like she had swooned, had taken a seat and was being seen to by a couple of the cousins.  Em stopped just outside the door and Brockton turned her around and led her into the casino.  "You need to walk this off."  He would love nothing better than to throw her over his shoulder and carry her off somewhere private.  It took a full ten minutes for air to reenter his lungs after seeing her approach them.  "Do you want to talk about it?"  He was speaking softly but she was barely hearing anything.  The fury and O'Bryan's calling her a whore were still ringing in her ears. 

"Did you hear him?"  Em stopped, stepping in front of Brockton and yelled in his face.

"Everyone within a mile heard him."  Charles started her moving again. 

"He called me a whore."  She had rounded on him again and he saw that she was drawing attention even if she was unaware of her surroundings.  Tears were filling her eyes and Brockton suddenly changed directions and exited the hotel, he signaled for a cab and put her inside.

"They know he wasn't serious.  They knew that was part of your ongoing feud."

"But he called me a
whore
."  She started crying.  He pulled her to him and let her cry then suddenly she tensed and her head shot up.  "MIKE."

"The room was full of your family.  Mike's fine."

"He didn't hear, did he?  I don't want him hearing what that…that…"

"Can't think of anything nasty enough huh?" Em gave him a watery smile.

"No.  He calls Mike a bastard at every opportunity.  We talk about it but…"  She started shaking her head and tears filled her eyes again.  Brockton signaled for the driver to circle the block again.  "Most of the time I can just ignore him but he's never gone this far before.  I'm used to most of the names he calls me, but I wasn't prepared...  in front of the whole family... I couldn't think…"

"He wanted to hurt you for some reason."

"He's always hated me.  He hated us because Stacy and Ryan would spend more time with us than him.  He stopped picking on Josh and Ty years ago.  Josh just kind of switched him off, but I tried being nice and tried ignoring and tried fighting back and nothing worked.  Then he started in on Mike.  I can't take it anymore."  She was very expressive and frustrated, deservedly so, but it was fascinating watching the way her brain worked, logic fighting emotion; reasoning with irrational.

"Your mother was the one that was keeping him away from you and Mike, I understand."  He signaled for the driver to pull back in to the hotel.  "I've never seen anything like it; this family of yours."  He paid the cabby and led her back toward the hotel.  Ty was standing outside smoking a cigar.  She took the cigar from him and took a puff and blew a smoke ring then handed it back to Ty.

"Multi-talented."  Ty smiled and looked at her. "You've been a very naughty girl."  He put a finger under her chin and looked at her eyes.  "You don't cry.  What's gotten into you kid?"

"I'm getting old.  Probably hormones."  Ty's booming laughter startled a number of the people coming and going around them.  He handed her the cigar again and she took another puff.

"Not unless you're pregnant again." He pulled her into a hug.  "We've got an audience to impress.  Let's go."  Em reached out to Brockton and laced her fingers through his when Ty released her.  She was starting to pull him under.  She was bringing him along for the ride.  Mike was pacing just inside the door to one side.  He stopped in front of them and saw that his mother had been crying, that Ty was on one side and she was holding Brockton's hand.  He kissed her and without a word returned to their table.  They started to follow Mike but she dug in her heels and headed back to the front table.  Murmurs followed them as she released Brockton's hand and ignored Ty trying to guide her away from Connor.  She went right up to him. 

"O'Bryan you son of a Banshee!"  She yelled at him.  "Dance with me!"  The shocked silence was cut with Toni, Ryan and Ty's laughter.  She pulled him to the dance floor and repositioned his hand to her waist from her hip then dared him with a stare not to do this.  Connor wasn't especially tall, but he towered over her, even in heels.  He was suddenly struck by what a small person she was; smaller than his Stacy, smaller than his Mae, smaller than her mother Beatrice.

"You're a witch."  He started dancing her around the dance floor.  "You're a witch and a bitch and broke my son's heart."

"I never broke anyone's heart, you stupid old bastard."  She shot back at him.  "I'm too mean and nasty for anyone to get close enough for me to break their fucking heart."

"That you are."  He shifted his hand to her back.  He felt her hair brush his hand and arm.  Soft as silk.  Her appeal was never lost on him and he’d always admired her strength and her character, as well as her questionable sense of humor.  She’d take his pot shots and not blubber or moan.  "Ryan talked of no one else."

"He thought I was a fucking genius.  Getting us all into and out of trouble."

"That he did."  He looked down into those innocent looking blue eyes and flushed face.  "He would rather see you and the others than…"

"Spend time with you."  She finished, "Especially, after we became our own little gang of terrorists.  Occupying all those weekends they should have been visiting you."  She squeezed his shoulder.  Pleading for him to understand.  "We were kids.  We were having fun.  That's what kids do Connor.  They end up where they have the most fun.  They weren't rejecting you.  We weren't thinking of you at all.  We were having fun and causing trouble and learning about life."

"That you were, lass."  He rested his cheek on her head.  "Your boy’s a wonder.  He's special, everyone knows it.  Everyone sees it."

"He's lucky.  He has a terrific family."  Em knew she had done the right thing.  "We watch out for one another and care for each other.  He thinks it's a game to rescue Uncle Connor from getting into trouble.  He's never hated you.  He should.  You've been horrible to the two of us and you've gotten worse over the years."

"He's no one’s.  He's no one but yours."  Connor looked down at her again.  "You raised him well.  The two of you don't need anyone else."

"
We need our family
.”  She smiled up into his face and hit him in the shoulder.  “We've always needed our family."

"Ok, I'm cutting in.  There's not a dry eye in the house."  Ty tapped Connor's shoulder.  Connor leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you love."  Connor turned and shouted.  "Antonia!  Give us a dance lass."  He walked over to where she was flirting with those nice boys Em worked with and took her hand and kissed it.  "Let's dance."  He spun her into his arms and around the dance floor. They were perfectly matched height wise.  Almost exactly the same height.

"You just shattered the room Em.  You're still a genius."  Em slightly stumbled then shifted slightly in his arms.  They looked so mismatched. 

"You have no idea."  Em had a look in her eye. Ty knew that look.

"What have you done?"  Ty looked at her and he squeezed her hand.

“Mom?”  Ty froze.  He saw the concern in Mike's eyes so he passed her to her son.  Ty asked his mother to dance.

“Hey.  Having a good time?”  Em asked Mike.

“Uncle Connor made you cry this time.”  He looked a little pale and she put him in position and told him quickly what she wanted him to do and he started following her instruction. 

“It’s the same old thing, I just let it get to me this time.  I shouldn’t have and shouldn’t have embarrassed you.”

“You didn’t embarrass me.  I thought you should have taken a swing at him.” Mike smiled.

“Honey, he would have laid me out.”  She smiled.  They were eye to eye with her in heels.  At least for the moment.  “I don’t believe he’ll be picking on us anymore.”  At least not tonight.

“He’s not acting so drunk this time.”  Mike observed watching him dance with Aunt Toni.

“True, we should steal his keys just to stay in practice though.”  She smiled.  “We’ll get Toni to distract him.”

“We should get Aunt Stacy to kick his chair over again.”

“That was good, wasn’t it?”  She couldn’t have been prouder of him.  He was special.  “First things first.  What are we doing to Ty?”

“I thought we were done with Uncle Ty?”  Mike snickered.

“Not by a long shot.  He has my clothes again.”  She listened to the change of the music and told him how the count altered and the steps would include a slide.  “Let’s eat, I’m starved.”  She smiled wickedly.  “I've got it.  Let me have your cell phone.”  She pushed in for directory assistance then had them put the call through for another dollar.  “Hi, For delivery.”  She pulled a card from her dress and read off the credit card number.