Part 3 (2/2)
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 doc.u.ment 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, s.h.i.+rley Timmons, picked up the phone on the second ring.
”Wingate Cosmetics, may I help you?”
”Hi, s.h.i.+rley, 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 s.h.i.+rley, Colby quickly dialed the telephone number to her brother's home.
”h.e.l.lo?”
”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 a.s.sure 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.
He had a problem.
And the seriousness of that problem was uppermost in Sterling's mind as he stepped off the elevator and headed toward his hotel room. He could barely remember the details of his early-morning meeting with the producer of his next movie. Far too often, he'd found himself preoccupied with thoughts of Colby Wingate.
And that realization annoyed him immensely.
It had been far too easy for his mind to remember the things about her that had first caught his attention when he'd viewed the video he'd received with the investigator's report. It had not been the tendrils of brownish-black hair that covered her head, nor had it been her pretty oval-shaped face. Neither had it been her lovely, full enticing mouth, nor the sight of her rounded bottom in a tailored pantsuit.
What had caused him to study the video over and over again had been her compelling ebony eyes. He'd seen those same dark eyes, the ones that had glared him down yesterday, soften with love, care and kindness while she'd held a crying child in her arms. He'd seen those same eyes light up with joy when one of her small students had handed her a wildflower he'd picked out of the school yard. That scene had touched him, and had stirred him in such a way that left him mesmerized, entranced.
But even as his mind had decided she would be the one, a part of him had rebelled immediately against the idea. It had been the part of him that didn't like the attraction he had begun feeling for a total stranger. It was also the part of him that had decided a long time ago to never succ.u.mb to the allure of a woman like his father had. Chandler Hamilton had gone to his grave still very much in love with the woman who had turned her back on him and their son.
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