The Reunion by Grace Walker Page A

shrug their shoulders.  The game continued until everyone was somewhere and every piece of luggage at the curb was stowed and doors closed.
    “Tyler Mathew LeBeau!”  He rolled his eyes and turned around.  “You lost Em!”
    “Sorry mom, Aunt Beatrice.”  He turned and kissed his mother and aunts.  “Hi Aunt Hannah.”
    “He handed her to some nice looking boy standing next to one of the limos.  Maybe it was a sky cap and she’s on her way to London.”

-8-
    Brockton spotted her across the lobby near the video arcade.  Em saw the opportunity just as Josh had.  Josh hadn't seen Cousin Deedra in years.  She was an attractive woman in her fifties sitting in the bar watching several of the relatives at a nearby craps table.  Em signaled for the Mafia brothers.  They hid with her around the corner and she was telling them something.  Gesturing with her hands and laughing.  They looked around the slot machine at the woman in the bar, and while watching started laughing harder.  Josh started flirting with the woman at the table.  He sat down signaled the waitress and began holding the woman’s hand and kissing it.  She looked nervous and was looking around for help. 
    Em sent Pete and Tommy her direction.  She immediately recognized the Rizzoli brothers and Pete gave Deedra a kiss on the cheek and asked if there was any problems, then he got toe to toe with Josh and looked to be squaring off.  The family members at the craps table were finally aware of their woman's dilemma and Bea who had been watching from the others side of the bar, started filling the others in.  Another group was gathering at the far end of the bar and they sent the swaggering Irishman towards the table.  He came up behind Josh and slapped him on the back.  That seemed to give it away and she jumped up and started hugging the men, wagging her finger and yelling at them. 
    Brockton watched Em double up with laughter when Mike sneaked up behind her and startled her.  She threw an arm around his shoulders, continued to laugh and breathlessly told him what just happened.  Her face red with laughter and tears were in her eyes.  She felt him behind her again.  Mike smiled and took a step back, then turned and returned to the video arcade area a few feet away.
    "Em?"
    "Mr. Brockton." She laughed still trying to catch her breath.
    "Charles." He corrected her again.  She wiped her eyes. 
    "Sorry."  She took a deep breath and blew out the air in another laugh.  The big guy spotted her from the far side of the bar and started toward her.  Brockton indicated she should look and she looked for an escape route.  Brockton stuck out his arm and swept her behind him.  The two men eyed each other and she looked around from behind Brockton
    "Ty, Mike is in the arcade and I have to stay here.  Don't make me hurt you."  The mountain started laughing.  He patted Brockton's shoulder and walked back to the bar.  It wasn't often Brockton felt small, this guy made him feel like a runt.  She came back around and faced him. "Thanks.  He gets silly at these things."
    "Large man."  Using Large in describing the six foot six, two thirty man in the Hawaiian shirt and jeans, just seemed ridiculous.
    "Lap puppy."  She laughed.  "He's wonderful.  I still haven't found my laptop so I can't send the information I put together before we left the office."
    "I found it."  He announced and she sighed in relief.  "It ended up across the street with our stuff."
    "It's not in a protected file or anything.  Have Marshall get it, it's under Intranet Planning in the Work folder on the Desktop."
    "Sure.  Thanks."  He was again distracted by the activities in the bar and the waitress trying to get orders from the dozen or more that had just joined the group at the table.  "Thanks."  He repeated and then left.  When he glanced back he saw the gigolo one picking Em up and swinging her around.  Strange family.  He decided and went back to the suites