“So what you think?” Mac asked as he came around to open the car door for her.
She turned to him and smiled. “I think I’ve come home.”
* * *
When Sterling’s plane landed in Jacksonville, Florida, prior arrangements had been made for him to be picked up and taken immediately to the hospital. As he sat in the chauffeur-driven car, he couldn’t help wondering what Nicholas Chenault’s reaction would be when he arrived unannounced.
He took a deep breath, wondering if he really should have come. Even now the thought occurred to him that it might be too late.
When the car pulled up in front of the hospital, he got out. He had spoken with the hospital officials from his jet. So that the hospital wouldn’t become a circus with his arrival, and to not tip off the media, arrangements had been made for hospital security personnel to meet his car. He was then taken up to the tenth floor by way of a special service elevator.
When Sterling stepped off the elevator he glanced around and immediately saw Nicholas Chenault talking to a man who appeared to be a doctor. Sterling recognized Nicholas because he favored Angeline. He had her light brown coloring and light-colored eyes.
Sterling knew that he, himself, was the spittin’ image of Chandler. It was strange how one woman could give birth to two sons and they looked nothing alike. If anything, the only similarity they shared was their towering height. No one would ever guess they were brothers unless they chose to reveal that fact.
As if he had felt someone studying him, Nicholas Chenault glanced his way. Their eyes met. A part of Sterling wanted to feel resentment for the fact that this man had shared a part of his mother’s life where he had not. He remembered how protectively she’d held Nicholas in her arms as a baby that day he had approached her and asked her to come home to him and his dad. Beginning that day, a part of him had resented the child she had preferred over him.
But not anymore.
Thanks to Colby, he’d been given food for thought. And plenty of it. She had been right. Nicholas Chenault had never done anything to him. And as he continued to look deep into his brother’s eyes, he no longer saw him as an adversary. Nor did he see him as the “other child” that had gotten his mother’s love when he had not. Instead, he saw a man in pain who faced the possibility of losing a parent he undoubtedly loved deeply.
Sterling sighed. Nicholas probably loved Angeline just as much as he loved Chandler. In that case, he was going through pure hell.
As if they both made an important decision at the same time, Sterling and Nicholas began walking toward one another. It was Nicholas who offered his hand first in a firm handshake.
“I’m glad you came, Sterling.”
Sterling relaxed when he felt the sincerity in Nicholas’s words. “Thanks for notifying me.”
Nicholas gave him a pained smile that was filled with warmth nonetheless. “She’s your mother, too.”
Sterling nodded, finally, after all these years, accepting Nicholas’s words. “How is she?”
“There hasn’t been any change. She’s holding her own, although she hasn’t come around since the surgery. Her doctor is afraid she may have slipped into a coma. I was just talking to him. You may be interested in what he has to say.”
Sterling followed Nicholas to where the doctor was standing. He wondered how Nicholas would make introductions.
He soon found out.
“Dr. Thorn, I’d like you to meet my brother, Sterling Hamilton, and we want to know everything that’s being done for our mother.”
* * *
Colby had fallen in love with Sterling’s home. The two-story house was large and spacious on the inside. It was apparent the house had been specially designed so that each one of the four bedrooms upstairs had a balcony that overlooked one of the many huge mountains. The sights were breathtaking.
Very nice, she thought as she settled into bed that night. The only thing missing was Sterling.
He had called earlier from the hospital and had told her Angeline Chenault’s condition was unchanged, and that she hadn’t regained consciousness. Their conversation had been brief and the only thing he’d said about Nicholas Chenault was that the two of them had met.
Colby drew in a deep breath. Even late at night she could smell the sweet fragrance of the wildflowers she had seen growing alongside the house. Tomorrow she intended to take a walk around the property. She had wanted to do that earlier today, but by the time she had unpacked it had begun getting dark.
The sounds in the distance of crickets and frogs intertwined with an occasional whooing sound from an owl. The noises were soothing and relaxing. Again she couldn’t help but wonder how anyone could not like this place. She wouldn’t be like those other Hamilton women who became bored and restless as they waited for their lumberjack husbands to return home. She would keep herself busy while Sterling was away. She might even apply for a job at the elementary school in town. The thought of teaching again made her smile.
Now if she could only convince Sterling to keep her. She was determined more than ever to talk to him when he returned. She had news for him. Whether he liked it or not, he had a permanent wife.
Her last thought before sleep overtook her was that she was here to stay.
* * *
Dr. Thorn studied the two men who were sprawled out in the chairs in the hospital waiting room asleep. They had been there all night waiting for word of Angeline’s progress. He had known the Chenaults for over twenty-five years and no one had ever mentioned Angeline had another son. Especially a son named Sterling Hamilton, the well-known movie actor. No doubt the media would have a field day when they found that out.
He cleared his throat and the two men woke instantly and stood. Although they weren’t similar in physical features, except for their height, they both gazed at him with that same deep, intense stare. He could tell by the way they were looking at him, that they were expecting bad news.
It was Sterling who spoke first. “How is she?”
Dr. Thorn looked from one brother to the other. “Remarkably well for a woman who’s gone through what she has. She’s awake now, and I think I can say the surgery was a success, although she’s not completely out of the woods yet. She has a lot of recovering to do and will need all the support she can get.”
“Can we see her?” Nicholas asked anxiously.
Dr. Thorn smiled. “Yes. In fact, she’s been asking for the both of you.”
For the first time since meeting the day before, the two brothers looked at each other and allowed themselves to smile.
* * *
A few moments later both Sterling and Nicholas stood at the foot of Angeline’s hospital bed. By the time they had gotten to her room, she had drifted back off to sleep.
“Mr. Chenault?” a nurse whispered softly as she entered the room. “You have a phone call at the front desk.”
Nicholas nodded to the woman. He then turned to Sterling. “That’s probably my office. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Left alone, Sterling allowed his gaze to linger on Angeline. In the hospital bed, she looked so tiny and frail. Her entire head was bandaged up and all sorts of machines were connected to her by way of various tubes. Sterling compared the woman he was looking at now to the one who had come to visit him in California. In less than four weeks, she had seemed to age almost twenty years.
Taking a deep breath he moved and sat in a chair at the head of the bed. No matter how he had felt toward her in the past, he would not have wanted this for her or anyone, not this sort of pain and suffering. At least Chandler had been spared that, having passed away in his sleep.
Suddenly Angeline’s eyes opened weakly, and she looked at him. At first it appeared she was somewhat in a daze as she continued to look at him. And then as if she recognized him, a semblance of a smile tried to form on her lips and tears came into her eyes.
Sterling saw her attempt to raise her hand to him and took it in his. She tried to move her lips to forms
words to make a sound and couldn’t. In frustration, tears trickled down her cheeks and her lips began to tremble.
A part of Sterling wanted to get up and walk out of the room. He wanted to walk out on her like she had walked out on him. But he couldn’t. Colby was right. He had to forgive and he had to forget.
Rising to his feet, he leaned over her, still holding her hand in his. “It’s okay, Mother,” he whispered softly. “Everything’s going to be all right. The most important thing now is for you to get better. Nicholas and I are counting on it.”
Angeline Chenault rapidly blinked back tears and looked up at Sterling with stunned disbelief in her eyes. Then slowly nodding her head she closed her eyes and drifted back to sleep with her small hand still firmly encased in Sterling’s larger one.
* * *
“Mr. Wingate, there’s someone here to see you, sir. It’s Homer Morton of Morton Industries,” Shirley Timmons announced over the intercom.
The expression on James Wingate’s face became one of surprise. Why on earth would Homer Morton be visiting him? He pushed aside the report he’d been working on. “Please show him in, Shirley.”
James stood as he straightened his tie. It had been years since he had seen his former employer. He couldn’t help but wonder why Homer Morton would be paying him a visit.
It didn’t take long for him to find out when an angered Homer Morton literally stormed into his office.
“You’ve gone too far, Wingate, and I won’t let you get away with it.”
James was taken aback by the man’s angry words. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Homer Morton’s mouth twisted even more with anger. “You’re lying, Wingate. I know all about what you did, and I won’t let you get away with it. I can’t believe you’d stoop so low as to use your sister to save your company.”
“Use my sister to save my company?” James walked around his desk to face the man. “What the heck are you talking about, Morton?”
“I’m talking about the fact that somehow you found out Morton Industries was buying up Wingate stock.”
James lifted a brow, clearly surprised. “Why would you be interested in Wingate stock?”
The man snorted. “Like you don’t know. I wanted this entire operation, Wingate, and I had all intentions of getting it until you found out I was on the verge of taking over your company.”
James shook his head, frowning. “I knew nothing about that.”
“Yes, you did. Somehow you found out and used your sister to stop me.”
James shook his head. The man had evidently gone mad. He knew nothing about Morton’s allegations, and he couldn’t imagine Colby knowing anything about them, either. Other than holding shares in Wingate Cosmetics, she’d never taken an interest in the family business. Teaching was her love.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Morton.”
“I’m talking about your sister’s marriage to Sterling Hamilton.”
“What about Colby’s marriage to Hamilton?”
“I don’t know what’s in it for Hamilton, but I do know you benefited from their marriage. You were able to save your company from me. While I was busy buying up your stock, Hamilton’s company was busy buying controlling shares in mine.”
James looked at the man with disbelief. “That’s not true.”
“Oh, it’s true, all right. Your sister now owns the controlling shares of stock in my company.”
* * *
“I think your being here did a lot to improve Mom’s condition. I want to thank you again for coming.”
Sterling nodded, not knowing what to say but knowing he had to be completely honest with Nicholas Chenault about how he felt. “I started not to come. I didn’t want to at first, but now I’m glad I did. I had to close this chapter in my life.”
They were still at the hospital and Dr. Thorn had given them the use of his private office to drink some much-needed coffee and to talk.
Nicholas got up and walked over to the window and looked out. “I hope you’ll reconsider that, Sterling.”
Sterling lifted a dark brow. “Reconsider what?”
“Closing this chapter in your life. How do you think I feel just finding out I have a brother?”
Sterling sat back in his chair. “I don’t know. How do you feel?”
Nicholas turned to face him. “Shocked, surprised, betrayed. I felt all those things at first but now I feel glad and overwhelmed. And to think all those years I thought I’d been an only child.”
Sterling shrugged and took another sip of coffee before saying, “You were.”
“You still haven’t forgiven her, have you?” Nicholas asked after a few minutes had passed.
Sterling took his hand and rubbed it down his face. “Yes, I’ve forgiven her.”
“Then why do you want to close this chapter in your life? Why not fully open it and get to know Angeline.”
Sterling sighed deeply. He wondered how he could make Nicholas understand. Colby was right when she’d said forgiving wasn’t so hard, but forgetting was. “It’s for the best, Nicholas. I’ve forgiven her but a part of me won’t let go and forget just yet. You don’t know what it’s been like for me. You don’t know all the garbage I had to deal with all those years.”
Nicholas came back to the chair across from Sterling and sat down. “I think I have a good idea. Mom told me everything before she got sick. She even told me what she did to you that day in North Carolina when you were only a little boy. And while she was telling me I couldn’t believe it. It was like we were talking about two different people. The mother I know and love just could not and would not turn her back on her child. But she convinced me she wasn’t the same person then. When she walked out on you and your father she was barely seventeen.”
Sterling drew back wearily. “Barely seventeen or not, she was still Chandler’s wife and my mother.”
“I know that and again I think I understand how you may feel, but I’m asking you to accept her now as she is, a warm and loving person. And accept me as I am, a man who desperately wants to get to know his brother.”
Nicholas took a deep breath before continuing. “Don’t close this chapter in your life. Give yourself a chance to know the Angeline Chenault that I know, and in time, hopefully you’ll be able to forget the pain. And I want you to give yourself a chance to know me. There’s more than just you and Angeline involved in this now. There’s me.”
Nicholas stood. “Have a safe trip back to North Carolina and tell your wife that I send my congratulations. I hope to get the chance to meet her one day.”
Sterling nodded. “I’m sure that one day you will.” Then he glanced down at his watch. “I’ve a couple of hours before my plane’s ready to take off. How about lunch? I think you need a break from here. Do you know of any place nearby where we can grab a couple of sandwiches and engage in a private conversation?”
“A private conversation about what?” Nicholas asked.
“About you.”
Nicholas frowned. “What about me?”
“Some weeks ago Kyle Garwood approached me about a business proposition concerning you and Chenault Electronics. At the time, because of personal reasons, I wanted no part of it. Now I’d like to take another look at it.”
Nicholas’s mouth tightened. “That’s not what this is about, Sterling. That’s not what I want from you. I’d much rather have a brother than a business associate.”
Sterling heard Nicholas’s words and felt the truth in them. A tender smile touched his lips. “How would you like to have both?”
Silence settled around the two men as the meaning of Sterling’s words became clear. Nicholas returned the smile. “I’d like that.”
* * *
Colby enjoyed her walk, which covered the vast area of Sterling’s property. The trees were a mixture of pine, hickory and oak. She also noticed signs of birch, maple and hemlock. She smiled. Her class at school would have loved taking a field trip here dur
ing back-to-nature week.
She sniffed the air to smell the fragrance of the camellias, dogwoods and orchids. When she made it to the edge of the property she turned back around and took in her surroundings. The land that belonged to Sterling was beautiful.
In the distance, from where she stood high on one of the smaller mountains, she could see Sterling’s home. And not too far away was the older house where he was born, the one Chandler had preferred living in until the day he had died.
Brushing off an old tree stump, she sat down. She had missed Sterling’s phone call that morning while she’d been in the shower, and the only message he had left with Mac was that he would be coming home sometime today.
She was pulled out of her thoughts when in the distance she heard someone call her name. She lifted a surprised brow when she recognized James’s tall form. She stood and began walking down the mountain toward him. When she got closer she saw the angry and intense look on his face.
“James? What is it? What’s the matter?”
“I want the truth, Colby. I want to know the real reason you married Sterling Hamilton.”
CHAPTER 20
Colby turned away from James and let out a long, shaky breath while she nervously ran a hand through her thick hair. “I don’t know what you’re asking me, James.”
He gently turned her around to face him. “Don’t you? If not, then let me explain things. I received a visit from Homer Morton of Morton Industries, and he’s made some serious accusations. He’s claiming his company tried to take over Wingate Cosmetics and in retaliation, Hamilton purchased a number of controlling shares of stock in his company and has placed them in your name.”
Colby shrugged. “So, what’s wrong with that? Sterling didn’t do anything illegal did he?”
James frowned. “No, but I’d like to know how Sterling knew about the Morton Industries takeover attempt when I didn’t, and why he purchased those shares of stock for you. What’s he getting out of all of this?”
One Special Moment Page 18
