Chapter 17 #2
“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.”
Candace set a tray of sandwiches on the table. “I think having the Secret Service here with Cynthia helps. The Marshals were acting a bit nervous, even though it was their idea.”
Cynthia, who apparently overheard, snorted. “It nearly took an act of Congress to get approved to be here. I wish I was kidding.”
“I’m sure it’s fine,” Rania said. “The security getting aboard seemed a little over the top.”
“It’s always like that,” Erin confirmed. “Very thorough. Are you guys going ashore in the morning?”
Olive shook her head. “Jerry’s cool staying aboard. I don’t really want to go without him.”
Cynthia came all the way into the room after setting the fruit on the table. “Rick said he had no interest in getting off the ship. I’ve been to the Bahamas before on a mission trip. I’m good with not.”
Erin nodded. “I’ve been so many times. Right off the ship, it’s mostly tourist things. And the vendors can be a little aggressive. Past that, it’s not such a great neighborhood in any direction, if you know what I mean.”
Lynda chuckled. “I’d love to see Bill deal with some aggressive vendors just one time. By the time he would get done talking to them, they wouldn’t know if they should be selling or buying.”
Cynthia gave a half-smile, staring back at some private memory. “That’s because he’d read who they are deep in their souls within a second of speaking to them. He uses that against them.”
Lynda nodded and grinned. “Oh my, yes. It’s definitely a gift he has.” She shook her head. “Then he speaks with that slow drawl, and they underestimate his intellect, and it’s all over from there.”
Olive chuckled. “I’ll remember that when I’m talking to him.”
“Oh, it’s far too late,” Lynda drawled. “He’s already figured you out. You can ask him to sum up his analysis of you if you want.”
Emma interjected, “I spent years conspiring with Bill. I do miss him in the field.” Emma said. “He’s brilliant at reading faces, knowing lies and truth.”
Olive turned to Emma. “It fascinates me that you can do what you do.”
“Yeah, if I thought about it too much, I probably would feel the same.” She brushed her dark hair off her face. “But the more I do it, the better I get at it.”
“Where are you from?” Lynda asked Olive. “I definitely can hear the Alabama.”
“Mobile. Just north of Mobile.”
“Thought so.”
“But I love living in Clarksville.”
“Oh, nice area,” Lynda said. “We were there right before Bill got out.”
“Yeah, I got out of the Army at Campbell and stayed. Definitely nice to have four distinct seasons.”
The women chatted and celebrated the bride.
At one point, they moved into the dining area and fixed plates of lunch.
Olive piled her plate high with fruit and cheese.
She sat down again as she popped a chunk of pineapple into her mouth.
The ripe sweetness of pineapple burst on her tongue with the first bite, juicy and sun-kissed.
Melissa spoke up once everyone had a plate.
“I appreciate all you ladies being here. Our guys are so close and such a strong force together that I had hoped we would become friends, too. The more I speak to each of you, the more I’m discovering you all are my sisters as much as our men are brothers.
” She held up her lemonade. “This party is for you. Something to give you a quiet moment away from the crowds and a chance to get to know your sisters without our men.”
They chatted and ate lunch, and the longer Olive spent in the company of the women, the more at home she felt. This group didn’t even flinch at the idea of her being a veteran, of her time spent serving. They embraced that about her and shared their own stories and experiences.
She listened to Cynthia recount her story of a harrowing escape from the jungles of Katangela and Lynda’s fake marriage to Bill on a mission in Istanbul.
Emma talked about the time terrorists took her prisoner and how the entire time she knew Jorge would find her.
Melissa and Lola shared the story about the hurricane in Miami and how Phil had protected them against the cartel members.
She knew she was with women who could think like her, love like her, and pray like her.
Long after lunch, she looked at her watch. “I guess we should start getting ready for the evening,” Olive said. “Jerry and I have plans to go see a show.”
“Oh, we are, too,” Emma said, setting her plate in the sink. “We can walk together so we’ll sit next to each other.”
She hugged her new friends and some old ones, then walked out of the suite with Emma. She and Jerry had made plans to meet outside of their rooms at three. She rubbed her thumb over the large round diamond on the new ring on her finger.