Part 9 (2/2)
”Remember that friend I told you I was coming here to see.”
”Yes, what about her?”
”I deliberately led you to believe it was a she.”
There was a pause. ”And she's not?”
”No, he's he's not.” not.”
There was another pause. ”Colby, are you trying to tell me that your friend is really a he he and not a and not a she? she?”
Colby took a deep breath. ”Yes.”
There was another pause. ”I think I can handle what you're telling me, Colby. After all, you're twenty-six years old. Cynthia told me a long time ago I was too overprotective where you're concerned. And she's right. You're out on your own and have been since completing college. You have a good head on your shoulders, and I trust you to make the right decisions in life. You've never disappointed me, Colby, and I'm proud of you. I know I don't say that often enough, but I am proud of you. And I want you to know that no matter what, I'll always be here for you. Cynthia will, too.”
Tears blurred Colby's vision. ”Thanks.”
”Are things serious between you and your friend?”
”Yes, very serious. I wouldn't have traveled all this way to see him if they weren't.”
”When will I get to meet him? And why haven't I met him already?”
”You'll get to meet him soon, and the reason you haven't met him yet is because we were sort of conducting a long-distance relations.h.i.+p and weren't sure how things would work out between us. Now we're sure.”
Colby closed her eyes. She hated lying to him and knew she was about to do so even more. Crossing her fingers, she added. ”We have decided to get married.”
”What!”
”I know it comes as a surprise, but we love each other and want to get married.”
”Colby, don't rush into anything. Come home and we'll talk about this. Marriage is such a big step. How long have the two of you known each other?”
”We met two months ago.”
”Two months ago? Colby, it's too soon to think of getting married. People date for years before marriage. Cynthia and I dated for almost three years before we decided to get married.”
Colby smiled. ”The two of you should have gotten married a lot sooner. You were driving each other, as well as me, crazy.”
She heard her brother chuckle. ”Well, yeah, but let's get back to you, young lady. Just how well do you know this guy?”
”I know him well enough to know he's the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. He's the man that I want to father my children.”
”But why the rush?”
Colby couldn't help but shake her head. Nothing in life had prepared her for this type of conversation with her brother. He was the type of person who had to know everything and had to understand every little detail especially when it concerned her. After their parents' death, he had tried wrapping her up in a covering of protection so thick it had taken Cynthia's emergence into their lives to rip it apart.
Cynthia, a mere twenty-two years old and fresh out of college, had been Colby's Spanish teacher in her first year of high school. She had gone head-to-head with the handsome James Wingate when he had refused to let Colby go on a field trip with the Spanish club. That had only been the beginning. Somehow through their constant teacher-versus-guardian battles over her, James and Cynthia had discovered they actually liked each other. And much to Colby's delight, her favorite teacher and brother had begun dating.
”Colby? Are you still there?”
”Yes.”
”Well, answer my question. Why are the two of you rus.h.i.+ng into marriage when you've only known each other a couple of months?”
”Because we don't want to wait any longer to...”
There was a pause. ”To do what?” James asked.
”To become intimate. You know my feelings on s.e.x before marriage.”
”So you're marrying him just so it'll be all right for the two of you to sleep together?”
”No, of course not. I told you, we love each other and we want to do the right thing. And it's getting harder and harder for us to stay apart that way. He's a good person and wants to do the right thing. You should admire him for that.”
”If he's such a good person why hasn't he made it a point to meet your family? I would think he would have if things are this serious between the two of you.”
”We didn't think it was a good idea. Because of who he is, we had to keep things a secret.”
”A secret. Just who is this guy?”
Colby took a deep breath and plunged forward. ”Sterling Hamilton.”
The pause on the phone was so long that for a moment Colby thought the line had gone dead. Then the explosion came. ”Sterling Hamilton! The The Sterling Hamilton! The actor?” Sterling Hamilton! The actor?”
”Yes.”
”Colby, you can't be serious!”
”I am serious, James.”
”Colby, honey, listen to me. I want you to come home immediately, baby. We need to talk about this.”
”Sterling is bringing me home day after tomorrow and we'll talk then.”
”Listen, baby. I think you should come home now. Alone. Tonight. How on earth did you get involved with the likes of Sterling Hamilton? I read the papers and the magazines. The man is a nationally known playboy. He's into women, lots of them. Besides, he's almost ten years older than you. Colby, think about what you're getting yourself into.”
”I have thought about it, and I want to marry him. I wanted to let you know that Sterling and I became engaged yesterday. Chances are an announcement of our engagement will make tomorrow's papers. I wanted you to hear it from me first.”
”Colby, don't, baby. Listen to me for a-”
”No, I have to do this. I want to do this. Sterling is bringing me home on Friday. We'll talk then. Tell Cynthia I'll call her tomorrow. Good night, James.”
”Colby, wait!”
”Yes?”
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