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  “Mr. Stewart, this is a surprise. I hadn’t expected to—”

  “Ever see me again,” he interrupted. He managed a smile as he looked at her. “I can understand your surprise but it’s no greater than my own.”

  Colby raised a brow, but before she could respond, Edward Stewart continued. “Sterling had an unexpected appointment this morning. He called and asked me to be your escort to breakfast.”

  Colby couldn’t help but grin at something so absurd. “My escort?”

  Edward Stewart nodded and grinned back. “Yes, and it appears I’m just in time. You were about to leave.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t need an escort, and I don’t know why Mr. Hamilton would think I would.”

  “Neither do I, but let’s just humor him, shall we?”

  Colby frowned. “I’m in no mood to humor Sterling Hamilton. The man is despicable.”

  Edward Stewart’s laugher was not what Colby had expected. She allowed time for his amusement to subside before asking, “Did I say something funny?”

  A rueful smile touched his lips. “I apologize for my outburst, Ms. Wingate, but you’re so unlike the women who’re usually around Sterling. I find your candidness refreshing. I don’t know too many women who think Sterling Hamilton is despicable. Most of them think he’s the best thing since the banana split.”

  Colby raised her eyes toward the ceiling. She knew that, unfortunately, Cynthia was one of those women. “Then that explains why Sterling and I can’t get along.”

  At Edward Stewart’s confused expression she added, “I’m allergic to bananas.”

  Colby shook her head when the man burst out laughing again. To her way of thinking, it didn’t take much to amuse him.

  “My dear, you must join me for breakfast. If you don’t do it to humor Sterling then do it to humor me. I’d love your company.”

  Colby hesitated for a second then said, “In that case, it will be my pleasure.”

  Moments later they entered the hotel’s elegant dining room and were given a table near a window with a scenic view of Sunset Boulevard. After Colby accepted the menu from the waiter, she looked out the window and was amazed at the number of Mercedeses and Jaguars that went by.

  “Coffee, Ms. Wingate?” Edward Stewart asked.

  Colby turned to him. “Yes.”

  After the waiter poured their coffee and left to give them time to look over the menu, Edward Stewart shook his head, chuckling. “After you left my office yesterday, it took me a good twenty minutes to calm Sterling down.”

  “He was that mad, huh?” she asked, smiling, getting a little satisfaction in knowing she’d been the cause of Sterling Hamilton’s anger.

  “No, he wasn’t mad. He just couldn’t contain himself for laughing so hard,” Edward replied, chuckling as he informed her.

  “Laughing?” Colby looked up sharply from pouring cream into her coffee. It had not been her intention to be funny yesterday. “And just what did he find so amusing?”

  “The fact that you walked out on him,” Edward answered. “No woman has ever done that before.”

  Colby rolled her eyes. “Then it’s about time someone did. He has a lot of nerve in what he wants me to do.”

  “He’s determined to go through with it.”

  Colby shook her head. “I know, and that’s the sad part.”

  The look Edward Stewart gave Colby hinted that he agreed with her. And for some reason she got the feeling he was trying hard not to expose his own thoughts on the matter. “Sterling has his reasons for taking the approach he’s taking,” he finally said.

  Colby snorted. “I can believe that. The man is a cold, calculating, arrogant, egotistical, conceited person who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Any decent man wouldn’t use what’s happening to my brother’s company as a bargaining tool to force me into doing something I’m totally against.”

  Edward Stewart slowly expelled his breath, frowning thoughtfully. “I know Sterling didn’t make a good impression on you, but believe it or not, he’s none of the things you just described him to be. In all actuality, Sterling is the most decent man I know.”

  “Then you must not know too many people.”

  Edward Stewart chuckled. “On the contrary, I know a great number of people and like I said, Sterling’s the most decent person I know. He’s a warmhearted individual and a loving man who would make a wonderful father. His own father, Chandler Hamilton, was that kind of man.” He smiled. “The media was in awe over the relationship between Tiger Woods and his father, but even their close relationship can’t hold a light to the one Sterling and Chandler had.”

  “Had?”

  “Yes. Chandler passed away unexpectedly last year. He died in his sleep from a heart attack.”

  “Did you know him personally?”

  “Oh, yes. My friendship with him went all the way back to when the two of us were kids growing up in a small lumberjack town in the mountains of North Carolina.”

  Colby hesitated a moment before asking, “Did you know Sterling’s mother as well?”

  Edward Stewart set down his coffee cup. A long, weary sigh escaped him. “Yes.”

  Colby decided to press for answers to questions that bothered her. She was sure Mr. Stewart wouldn’t hesitate to let her know when she was inquiring about something that wasn’t her business. “I understand she wasn’t around while he was growing up.”

  Edward Stewart lifted a brow. “Sterling told you that?”

  “No, but it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. I get this feeling that as far as he’s concerned, the whole idea of motherhood sucks.”

  Again Colby got the distinct impression Edward Stewart was desperately struggling not to say something. At that moment, the waiter came to take their order. After he left, she decided to pick up where they’d left off. There were things she needed to know about Sterling’s childhood; things she needed to understand.

  “Mr. Stewart?”

  “Yes?”

  “I know as Sterling’s attorney you’re very loyal to him, and I can appreciate that. But I want you to try and understand my predicament. I have some important decisions to make. They are decisions that will not only affect my life and Sterling’s, but decisions that could very well affect the life of a child.”

  She breathed in slowly in an attempt to steady her voice, which had gotten rather shaky. “Sterling expects me to give him my decision today. Even now, I’m still totally against what he wants me to do. But I’m also torn by the thought that my brother might lose his company without Sterling’s help. But when you think about it, me being the one chosen for what Sterling wants to do doesn’t make any sense.”

  After taking a sip of coffee, she continued. “Sterling claims he did a thorough investigation on me. In that case, I would have been the last person he would have chosen. I love kids. I was named Teacher of the Year in my hometown last year, and I’m on various committees that benefit children. Someone who loves kids as much as I do wouldn’t easily give one up. He should have sought out a woman who doesn’t like kids or who’s indifferent to them.”

  She took another quick sip of her coffee. “If a builder wanted to tear down an old building, he wouldn’t employ the services of a person who’s a member of the historical preservation society to do it, would he?”

  Edward Stewart looked long and hard at Colby before finally answering. “No, he wouldn’t.”

  He sat back in his chair. To his way of thinking, she was absolutely right. He had wondered about that very same thing himself. He’d seen the intense look on Sterling’s face while he had first viewed the videotape on Colby that had been part of the investigator’s completed report. The one scene that had captured Sterling’s attention more so than any of the others had been the one showing Colby’s interactions with her class on the playground. The smile that had been on her face indicated she was enjoying the children’s little games as much as they were. From playing hopscotch with the little girl
s to kick-ball with the little boys, it was apparent she was having a great time.

  Inwardly, Edward believed Sterling wasn’t just seeking a woman to bear his child, he was subconsciously looking for a woman who was the epitome of a perfect mother. Something his own mother was not.

  He heaved a sigh. Sometimes attorneys had gut feelings about things. And he felt this was one of those times. Colby Wingate had summed it up perfectly. Her being chosen didn’t make sense. It was a very irrational act on Sterling’s part. And he’d never known Sterling to act irrationally. Which meant he’d been so taken with Ms. Wingate that he’d thrown sensibility right out the window.

  Edward Stewart’s gaze suddenly grew luminous with admiration as he watched Colby begin eating. He had a strong feeling she could very well be the one person to erase the terrible pain and hurt Sterling had suffered over the years because of his mother. It had been so easy for Angeline to just walk away and leave her husband and six-week-old baby in search of a life that was better than the one Chandler could afford to give her. Not only had she not looked back, but she had wanted them completely erased from her past forever. But what she hadn’t counted on was five-year-old Sterling recognizing her from a photo Chandler had kept sitting on the dresser in his bedroom. She’d been on television with her new husband, Alan Chenault, a highly respected, wealthy businessman from Florida. The couple, to the television viewers, had been extremely happy because they’d just had a baby boy. “My very first child,” Angeline had smilingly told the reporter.

  It was apparent her husband did not know about her first husband and the child she’d left behind, and she was determined to keep it that way. But the icing wasn’t put on the cake until the following year when Sterling had come face-to-face with her for the very first time. He had gone to Charlotte, North Carolina, with a youth group, not knowing that his mother, her husband and their one-year-old child were there. He had recognized her immediately in the lobby of a hotel, and with the innocence of a child, he had walked up to her and asked when she was coming back to him and his daddy.

  Unfortunately, Edward thought, he had been one of the group leaders and hadn’t realized what was happening until it was too late. He didn’t know such coldhearted selfishness could exist in any person. In front of all of Sterling’s friends, his mother had denied even knowing him, and had gone so far as to summon hotel security claiming Sterling was harassing her and her family.

  That night Sterling had cried himself to sleep. But upon waking the next morning his small face had been expressionless, and in a solemn little voice he’d said, “Mr. Edward, I’m okay now. Some kids don’t need mothers anyway. It’s just gonna be me and my dad, just like always. All I need is my dad. And I want to go home now.” That day Chandler had made a special trip into Charlotte to get his son to take him home.

  “Mr. Stewart?”

  Colby’s voice invaded his memories of the past. “Yes?”

  “You aren’t eating.”

  He smiled. “I got lost in my thoughts for a moment, dear.”

  During the next half hour, they talked about a number of things, but Colby couldn’t help noticing how Edward Stewart stayed clear of any conversations regarding Sterling. He suggested places for her to see while she was in town and provided her with the names of a number of good restaurants.

  “I really enjoyed having breakfast with you,” Edward finally said, when breakfast was over and they stood to leave the dining room. With a smile he took her elbow and started to guide her toward the elevator.

  “Going back to what you said earlier, about certain decisions you have to make, I strongly suggest you think Sterling’s proposal over very carefully before making any decisions. Once you sign that contract, there’s no turning back. And trust me, it’s airtight. Sterling made sure of it. He doesn’t want to encounter any problems later on.”

  Colby nodded, knowing she wasn’t going to get much more out of Edward Stewart than that little bit of advice. After all, his loyalty was to Sterling. When they arrived back on the tenth floor, he paused outside her hotel room door. A wry smile touched his lips.

  “I happen to think, Ms. Wingate, that you could possibly be the best thing to happen to Sterling in a long time.”

  Colby was taken back. “What! How can you even think such a thing?” she protested.

  Mr. Stewart held up a hand to silence her. “Just listen to what I have to say for a moment.”

  Colby conceded and he continued. “Have you ever heard the story of Samson and Delilah?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then I suggest you think about it. Samson was bigger than life but all it took was a woman like Delilah who eventually had him eating out of her hands.”

  Colby frowned. “I don’t want Sterling Hamilton eating out of my hands. I don’t want to have anything to do with him, period.”

  “But to save your brother’s company, you’ll have to have something to do with him,” he replied simply. “Goodbye, Ms. Wingate. If I don’t get the chance to see you again before you leave California, I hope you have a safe trip back to Virginia.” He turned and headed back toward the elevator.

  * * *

  An hour later, Colby found herself pacing the confines of her hotel room after reading the report once again. She’d hoped she had misread the document last night, but, unfortunately, that hadn’t been the case.

  Time was running out. Sterling would probably be returning to his room any time now and would seek her out for a decision…a decision she still had not made.

  She paused long enough to take in a deep frustrated breath as she tried weighing her options. She had considered telephoning the president of Morton Industries to plead with him to leave Wingate Cosmetics alone, but deep down she knew Sterling was right when he’d said it wasn’t all about money. The man also wanted to get even.

  She began pacing the floor again.

  Surely there was something someone could do. She refused to believe the situation was as hopeless as Sterling claimed. Wingate Cosmetics’ board of directors consisted of a number of highly intelligent men. Surely one of them could come up with a solution. And the only way to find out was to come clean and tell James everything. Only then could he come up with a plan to save his company without Sterling’s help, which was contingent on her agreeing to his proposal.

  She picked up the phone and began dialing. There was a three-hour time difference between California and Virginia. So James would be at the office. Efficient as ever, his secretary, Shirley Timmons, picked up the phone on the second ring.

  “Wingate Cosmetics, may I help you?”

  “Hi, Shirley, it’s Colby. Is James in?”

  “No, Colby, he didn’t come into the office today.”

  “What! Is something wrong?” she asked, frowning. She’d never known her brother to miss a day from work.

  “Not that I know of. He called this morning and asked me to clear his calendar and reschedule all of today’s appointments. You may be able to reach him at home.”

  “Thanks, I’ll do that.”

  After ending her conversation with Shirley, Colby quickly dialed the telephone number to her brother’s home.

  “Hello?”

  “James, are you all right? Is anything wrong with Cynthia?”

  She heard his soft chuckle. “No, honey, everything’s fine.”

  Inwardly, Colby sighed. “Then why aren’t you at work?”

  “I decided to take the day off,” he said. “The company can do without me for at least one day. Cynthia had a doctor’s appointment and I wanted to be there.”

  Colby nodded. She was glad he’d finally put Cynthia before Wingate Cosmetics.

  “I’m glad.”

  “So am I. All of my hard work has paid off and the company is doing super these days. I’m at a point where I can finally relax and devote more time to Cynthia. She deserves that and more. I don’t know how I could have made it the last couple of years without her.”

  Colby agreed. Cynthia
loved James very much, and during the past few years she had been a patient and understanding wife while James devoted most of his time to making the company a success. “How’s she doing?”

  “The doctor said everything’s looking okay, but she’s not out of danger yet. The first four months are the most crucial, so she’s at a delicate point right now.”

  Colby heard a tinge of worry in her brother’s voice. “I’m sure things will be fine,” she rushed in to assure him. She knew just how much having this baby meant to both James and Cynthia. It was Cynthia’s third pregnancy, and the other two times had ended with her losing the baby by the fourth month.

  “All we can do is to continue to pray and hope for the best. I believe things will work out for us this time,” he said.

  “I believe that, too.”

  “How’s California?”

  “Nice.”

  “And how’s that friend you went to see?”

  His question reminded Colby of the reason she was here and the little lie she’d told him and Cynthia as to the reason she was coming to California.

  “Just great.” She took a deep breath. “Look, James, I have to go now, someone is waiting for me. Give Cynthia my love and tell her I’ll call her back later today. Enjoy your day off work.”

  “All right, hon. You take care. Love ya.”

  “Love ya, too.”

  Colby hung up the phone knowing there was no way she could share any bad news about the company with James now. He had his hands full worrying about Cynthia. She also knew what her decision would be and her heart sank.

  Going into the bathroom, she undressed and put on her robe. She felt a slight headache coming on and decided to lie down for a while. Walking across the room, she dropped down on the bed and felt an unwilling trembling of her lips. She flopped down on her back when she felt tears clouding her eyes. Grabbing a pillow, she wrapped her arms around it and held it tight against her chest. She didn’t want to cry but felt herself doing just that. In order to save Wingate Cosmetics she would have to go along with Sterling Hamilton’s proposal. Clutching the pillow even tighter, she couldn’t stop the tears from falling or stop her heart from aching. And having control over neither, she finally fell asleep.