One Special Moment - Brenda Jackson [23]
Sterling rubbed the top of his head, clearly recognizing he had no answers about such things. Luckily, he knew someone who would. Crossing the room he picked up the phone and began dialing. Moments later a feminine voice came on the line.
“Hello?”
“Kimara?”
“Sterling? How are you?”
“Fine. And you?”
He could hear her soft chuckle. “Busy as usual. With the kids there’s never a nonbusy moment around here. If you want Kyle, you just missed him. He left for the airport a few minutes ago.”
“No, in fact you’re the person I need to talk with.”
“Oh? What’s up?”
“I have a few questions about breast-feeding?”
There was a pause and Sterling could just imagine the curious look on Kimara’s face about now. “Breast-feeding?” she finally asked.
“Yes, breast-feeding. Do you have a few minutes?”
“Sure, what do you want to know? I should consider myself an expert on the subject.”
“First of all, is it absolutely necessary?”
“No, but medical and health reports have shown that breast-fed babies are less likely to encounter childhood diseases and illnesses than those that aren’t. And women who decide to breast-feed feel it’s important to give their child that edge.”
Sterling nodded. He remembered his father telling him how sickly he’d been as an infant. In fact, by his first birthday he had been hospitalized at least twice. He couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps that could have been avoided if his mother had hung around to make sure he’d gotten the proper care as a baby.
“What’s the normal period for breast-feeding? It’s done up to what age?” he asked.
“It depends. Most mothers stop at one year. Some continue as long as eighteen months. Anything beyond that would be too risky.”
Confusion lit Sterling’s eyes. “Too risky? Against what?”
“Sharp teeth.”
Sterling chuckled when understanding dawned. “I can see your point.”
“Sterling?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you interested in breast-feeding?”
“It’s a long story. Look, I have to go. I’ll get back with you later. Give the kids hugs for me.” He quickly hung up the phone before Kimara could ask any other questions.
He took a long, thoughtful breath. Sitting down he slumped back against the sofa, first staring up at the ceiling and then glancing down at his hands. A warm feeling touched him when he looked at the platinum ring he’d worn since his twenty-first birthday. It had been in the Hamilton family for generations and just like his father had passed it on to him, he wanted to pass it on to his son or daughter.
Sterling smiled good-naturedly. More than likely he would be passing the ring on to a son since there had not been a female born into the Hamilton family in over four generations.
Then he thought about his father. His dad had been a deeply caring and concerned parent with strong principles, who had tried raising him to be a man of integrity and honesty. Colby was wrong, he was nothing like his mother. Just because he didn’t want a permanent wife in his life did not make him an indecent person. At present, his main concern was the well-being of the child he desperately wanted.
And for that reason and that reason alone, he would extend Colby’s time in his life from six weeks to at least a year. He wasn’t too crazy about the idea, but there was no way around it.
Picking up the phone again, he placed a call to Edward Stewart.
Hours later Colby’s eyes were still red-rimmed and puffy from all the crying she’d done. Getting up off the bed, she knew she had no more tears left to shed. What good would they do anyway? Further crying wouldn’t change her situation.
She couldn’t help but think about what she had agreed to do. To save her brother’s company she would marry Sterling. It was a decision she would have to live with for the rest of her life, and the impact of that decision left her shaking.
She took a deep breath and momentarily closed her eyes, willing her body to stay calm. Somehow she would get through this. She was known around school as the one person who could turn a negative situation into a positive