One Special Moment - Brenda Jackson [59]
She sighed deeply and Sterling saw tears cloud her eyes. “Hopefully one day you’ll forgive me for being a seventeen-year-old girl who thought money was everything and was willing to sacrifice anything to get it, even the love of a good man and my newborn child. I made a mistake, and I know that before I die I’ll have to pay for it. I’m paying for it right now.”
Her voice was soft and quivering when she continued. “My doctors informed me a few days ago that I have a blood clot on my brain that’s causing the headaches I’ve been having lately. They don’t think there’s anything they can do, and surgery may not even be an option at this point.”
She took a handkerchief out of her purse and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. “I want to get things right in my life, and more than anything I want to bring my two sons together. If anything were to happen to me, you’ll be the only blood relative Nicholas will have. I plan to tell him everything. I just wanted to let you know that. And whether you choose to believe it or not, I regret not being a part of your life. I realized that many years ago, but then it was too late. The damage had already been done. I did tell Alan the truth before he died, and he was very understanding and supportive. I was a fool not to have told him sooner. If I had, maybe things would have been different. Like Chandler, Alan was a good man.”
Her mouth trembled at the corners when she said, “No matter what you may have thought over the years, I’ve always been proud of you and all of your accomplishments, Sterling, and I do love you. I just hope and pray that one day you’ll believe that. Goodbye.”
Sterling didn’t say anything as he watched her walk out of the room.
Colby sat curled up in the huge rocking chair in her brother’s office trying to be quiet as she watched him go over some business reports. It brought back memories of her sitting in this very chair as a child doing homework while he studied at that same desk. Even now his concentration was just as intense.
Cynthia was upstairs taking a nap and had been ever since Mac had dropped Colby off here instead of taking her back to the condo. She had decided to pay James and Cynthia a visit after her workout at the gym.
She released a deep sigh, which James heard. He looked up, concerned. “Are you all right, honey?”
“I’m fine. Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
“You never do that. You ought to know that by now.” He pushed aside his papers. “How are the wedding plans coming along?”
“Okay, I guess. There really wasn’t a whole lot to do since Sterling wants a small, private ceremony. I’ve already bought a dress to wear, the flowers and cake have been ordered, and since I’m getting married here, Mac said that will eliminate the need for security from those pestering reporters who’ll want pictures.”
James nodded. “What about the honeymoon?”
Colby shrugged. “According to Mac, Sterling is working on those details.”
“So you have no idea where you’re going?”
“No, none.”
James smiled. “Maybe I’ll wheedle the information out of Sterling the next time he calls me.”
Colby jumped out of her chair and went to stand in front of James’s desk. “Sterling calls you?”
James laughed. “Yes, he calls me. I talk to him every day.”
“Why?”
“He calls to see how you’re doing.”
Colby was livid. “I don’t believe this!” she said, throwing up her hands. “He calls both you and Mac every day to check to see how I’m doing, but he doesn’t bother to call me.” She began pacing in front of James’s desk. “It doesn’t make sense.”
James nodded. “I admit it didn’t to me, either, at first. Then he explained things.”
Colby stopped pacing. “By all means, please explain things to me.”
James sat back in his chair. “He misses you, Colby. He misses you a lot and if he were to hear your voice, he’d miss you that much more.”
“Sterling told you that?”
“Yeah, he told me that.”
Colby shook her head. Sterling was some actor.