Free Two's Company by Jennifer Smith Page B

father’s passing.
    After he handed his keys to the valet, he walked inside and found his
    mother waiting. He looked her over with a smile. Her hair had been recently
    coiffed in the latest fashion, and a string of pearls clung to her slender throat. Ah
    yes, she might as well hang a placard around her neck that said, Catherine James,
    wealthy widow.
    All smiles, she turned to him with a full champagne glass in her hand and
    offered a cheek for him to kiss.
    “Ian, my love,” she cooed. “You’re the most handsome man alive!”
    “Thank you, Mother, and you’re truly a vision.”
    “You do know how to flatter your old mother, don’t you?”
    “You aren’t old, Mother, you’re like fine wine—elegant, with a sweet
    aftertaste,” he said with a wink.
    “Don’t overdo it, Son.” She raised a delicately arched brow.
    “Ian!”
    He embraced his younger sister and swung her around in a circle. “Sylvia,
    don’t you look beautiful? I didn’t know you’d be here.”
    “I arrived last night and wanted to surprise you!”
    “And that you did. How have you been?”
    “I’m wonderful. Guess what?” Before he could guess, Sylvia stood on
    tiptoe s and whispered in his ear, “I’m pregnant! You’re going to be an uncle!
    Shush, I haven’t told Mother yet.”
    “Congratulations, it’ll be our secret.”
    “Here, I’ve been so rude! I want to introduce you to my friend,” she said,
    pulling him by the hand to a table. “Gillian, I’d like you to meet my brother, Ian.
    Ian, this is my best friend, Gillian Carmichael.”
    “Gillian, very nice to make your acquaintance,” Ian bowed and kissed her
    hand.
    “Very nice to make yours,” Gillian said with a smile.
    “My brother is a very successful entrepreneur,” Sylvia said, sliding into the
    chair. “Gillian is a corporate executive, travels all over the world troubleshooting
    and preventing world crises!”
    “It’s not quite that exciting,” Gillian said with a smile.
    “It sounds wonderful.” Ian pulled the chair out for his mother.
    “Sorry,” she said, sitting down. “I swear getting Mildred to stop talking for
    a moment is more difficult than splitting the atom! Now, where is my sister? She
    said she and David would be here on time. They’re worse than you—”
    “Here we are, here we are!” Came a voice from behind them. “So sorry
    we’re late, but David couldn’t find his contacts this morning. Ian, aren’t you the
    handsome one? Oh, and Sylvia, darling, when did you get here? Catherine, you
    said nothing to me about your daughter being here! What a wonderful surprise!”
    Helen Staples chattered as she went around the table and placed a kiss to
    everyone’s cheek. “And we’ve never met,” she said when she got to Gillian’s
    chair.
    “Aunt Helen, this is.. .” Sylvia started.
    “I’m Helen, and this is my husband, David Staples. He’s my fourth. After
    the others died on me, I got myself a younger man!”
    “My aunt Helen,” Sylvia said under her breath. “Aunt Helen,” she said
    loudly to get the woman’s attention. “Why don’t you sit down? I have some
    news I’d like to share.”
    “Oh my, what is it?” Helen said and took a seat beside her husband.
    “Well ….” Sylvia beamed. “I’m pregnant!”
    “Pregnant?” her mother asked. “What do you mean pregnant?”
    “Mother, you do remember what pregnant means. It’s how Ian and I
    arrived in the world!”
    “But you and Oscar have only been married two years.”
    Sylvia took a sip from her water glass and set it down. “Yes, we’ve been
    married two years and have decided to start a family.”
    “Mother, this is wonderful news,” Ian sai d. “You’re going to be a…”
    She slapped at him. “Yes I know what I’m going to be! A gr-a gr-- oh, I
    can’t even say it!”
    Ian burst into laughter. “So that’s the problem, becoming a grandmother?”
    “Hush! Don’t you dare say that too loudly!”
    “Oh, Mother, please!” Sylvia said,