Cynthianna Scrambled Eggs (pdf)

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guests seated on her living room sofa.
“This big blue and gold muumuu here is for you
and this red and orange teeny-tiny one is for Junior
there,” she said, pointing to Sharlene’s stomach. “That
is, if he’s a she.”
Sharlene and Zack sat motionless like a pair of
stuffed birds. It was a bit disconcerting. Liza did her
best
to
ignore
her
friends’
obvious
internal
distractions.
“I sure hope you like tropical prints, Zack, cause
we got you a shirt to match, too.” Liza turned toward
the kitchen and shouted, “Where’d we pack that loud
shirt we got for Zack, Sweet Lips?”
“I’m wearing it,” Keith cooed. Entering the living
room he handed Zack a beer and Sharlene a bottled
water then sat down beside his bride, lassoing her in
his arms. “Remember, Sug? I thought Zack would
look better in the orange and gold one instead, so I’m
keeping the blue one.”
“That’s right. How silly of me to forget. Don’t
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worry guys, I got a baby-sized tropical print shirt just
in case Junior turns out to be, well, Junior after all.”
Liza paused and exchanged a look with her new
husband before turning her attention back to the
silent couple beside her. “Is there something seriously
wrong with the two of you? You’re acting as if
somebody died.”
“Somebody did,” Zack replied flatly. “Sharlene’s
uncle passed away. It was in all the newspapers and
on the financial channels about a hundred times this
week already. I guess honeymooners don’t watch TV
or read much.”
Liza gasped and reached for her friend’s hand.
“We didn’t know. Shar, I’m so sorry. Is there anything
we can do for you?”
Sharlene smiled wanly and shrugged. “You could
find me a better lawyer. That’d be a big help.”
Keith arched a curious eyebrow. “A lawyer for a
funeral? Don’t you mean an undertaker?”
“No, Aunt Edwina’s already taken care of those
arrangements. Funeral’s Tuesday afternoon. I’ve got
to go and pick Sister Elaine up at the airport that
morning.” She absentmindedly patted her expanding
middle. “Boy, won’t she be surprised when she sees
me.”
Liza winked. “I bet. Well, now that Old Man
Pincher is gone, Jeffrey will have to give up this
notion of you two getting back together in order to
inherit some bucks. He’ll have to learn to get used to
living within his means.”
“Why should he?” Zack said quietly. “They’re still
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legally married.”
The bombshell detonated five seconds later.
“What? You’re still married?” Liza and Keith cried
simultaneously.
Sharlene grimaced. “Only by a technicality. It
seems our papers weren’t filed correctly. Jeffrey won’t
let them go through until he gets what was promised
to him, he says.”
“Bastard!” Keith pounded a fist on the coffee table,
sloshing some of Liza’s piña colada out in the process.
“What does that asshole think he’s doing wrecking
your wedding plans?”
“Inheriting seven million dollars,” Liza replied,
sticking out her tongue. “Greedy scoundrel.”
Keith whistled. “Seven mil? Lord, have mercy!
How come nobody told me about this? Shar—you’re
worth that much? Why aren’t you living in a mansion
or a penthouse?”
Sharlene blushed. “I’m just a poor girl from the
hills. I’m not worth all that much by myself. The baby
is the heir. Bart left a small portion of his estate for the
Pincher heir in his will.”
“But it’s Zack’s kid, not old asshole Jeffrey’s,”
Keith whined. “Didn’t ol’ Bartholomew Q. know the
details of your crazy conception?”
“He did. I told Uncle Bart soon after I found out. I
guess Jeffrey’s gambling on the fact that Bart never
got around to changing the will and that the courts
will let him lay claim to being the child’s father. That
way, he’d have control of the child’s inheritance.”
“But you’re certain you did tell Bart?” Liza asked.
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Scrambled Eggs
“Of course I’m certain. I told him the same day
Bart gave me the nest egg I’ve been living on for the
most part all these months.”
“Nest egg?” Keith asked. “You sure Jeffrey isn’t
after that money as well?”
“No, it’s peanuts compared to what he’d have
control of if the baby’s crowned the Pincher heir,”
Sharlene admitted. “Besides, the check was made out
to me and me alone as the unborn child’s guardian.
My lawyer could easily fight off any claim against it
in court just by letting the case drag on forever—sort
of like what Jeffrey’s doing now. Time is on my side
in this instance.” [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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