“All right, Mason, I’ll be married within the allotted time. The woman I plan to marry is presently out of the country and won’t--”
“There are more conditions to the will,” Mason cut in.
Kyle gave him a hard look. “What else is there?”
Mason straightened in his seat and plunged forward. “Your grandfather has chosen the woman for you to marry.”
“He did what!”
Mason cleared his throat. “I said he’s chosen the woman he wants you to marry, the woman he wants to continue the Garwood line. The conditions in his will not only stipulate that you must marry within sixty days of his death, but it names the woman he wants you to marry, and that the two of you must conceive a child within six months of your wedding night.”
A look of disbelief and rage was evident in Kyle’s features. Muscles twitched in his jaw and his hands tightened into fists at his sides. Of all the idiotic things he’d ever heard. The old coot had gone too far this time. Way too far. While alive, Kyle Garwood III had thrived on trying to run his grandson’s life just as much as he’d thrived on running the family empire. The older man had had a reputation of being a corporate gambler, one willing to take a chance on just about anything, especially if he thought Garwood Industries would profit in the end. Kyle couldn’t help wondering if his grandfather had been so desperate for him to settle down and produce an heir that he’d been willing to risk the entire family fortune on such a proposition-- correction-- stipulation? Kyle distractedly patted the top of his head, already knowing the answer to his questions. Yes, his grandfather would take such a gamble. He would do just about anything to make sure his only grandchild had an heir to pass the company down to someday. Even if it meant forcing him into a loveless marriage. The idea was crazy, and Kyle had no intention of going along with anything to preposterous.
“I won’t do it.”
Mason shrugged at Kyle’s outburst. “If you decide not to follow through with your grandfather’s wishes, I’ll have no choice but to enforce the terms of the will.”
“I’ll have it nullified and have my grandfather declared incompetent at the time it was written,” Kyle threatened, his anger reaching the boiling point.
“That wouldn’t be a good idea, Kyle,” Mason cautioned. “Just think of what a move such as that will do to Garwood stock. Surely you don’t want to jeopardize the current position of your own companies, and those of your father’s that were given to you. Besides, no one will think your grandfather’s request odd. He’d made it public numerous times that he wanted his only grandson to settle down, get married, and produce an heir. People will view this only as his last effort to make sure that you do so.”
Kyle’s gaze again found the view outside the window. A ray of sunshine shone in the midday sky and bathed the area with dazzling light. However, the situation for him appeared bleak.
“Who is she?” he asked in a curt tone. “Just who is this paragon who found such favor in his eyes?”
Mason cleared his throat. “I understand you’ve known her for quite a while.
Your grandfather was extremely fond of her. She’s a young lady by the name of Kimara Stafford.”
Kyle turned to face Mason. A look of incredulity on his face. “Kimara Stafford! Chubs?”
Kyle’s thoughts immediately fell on the woman his grandfather had chosen for him to marry and get pregnant. He couldn’t help but remember the sweet but otherwise forgettable kid who used to follow him around. The Garwoods and Staffords were neighbors and the two families had been very close for nearly a hundred years. In fact, both his and Kimara’s parents had been killed when a private plane his father was piloting had crashed enroute to the Garwood-Stafford retreat in the mountains of North Carolina, following a Morehouse vs. Howard football game in D.C.
Kyle had known Kimara Stafford from the day she was born, and the one thing he remembered above all else was that she loved to eat and as a result she’d had a weight problem. He would never forget how the overweight girl, who had been given the nick-name Chubs, preferred remaining inside the house, shoving Twinkies and chocolate bars down her throat, to playing outside. He saw very little of her when he got older except for summers, when he came home from boarding schools. The last time he had seen her was at their parents’ funerals eight years earlier. At the age of eighteen, she still had been the non-slim, non-trim Kim. He could just imagine how she looked now.
“I will not marry Kimara Stafford.”
“I suggest you think about this before you make a decision.”
“There’s nothing to think about. Has she been told about my grandfather’s ridiculous request?”
“Yes, I spoke with her yesterday after the funeral services.”
Kyle frowned. He didn’t recall seeing anyone who fit Kimara Stafford’s description at the funeral. “You didn’t waste any time telling her, did you, Mason?” he sneered.
“I was merely carrying out your grandfather’s orders. He requested that the terms of the will be explained to the two of you separately, as soon as possible, preferably with her first.”
“And what was her reaction?” “She handled the news better than I expected. She thought the world of your grandfather and felt that although she didn’t agree with what he did, she understood why he did it.”
“What do you mean she understood? Are you implying that she wants to go along with my grandfather’s stupid plan?”
“No, Kyle. I’m not implying anything. There are no added incentives for Miss Stafford to marry you. Inheriting Stafford Publishing upon her parents’ death made her a wealthy lady in her own right. Also, your grandfather left her a sizable trust, among other things, with no conditions attached. I got the distinct impression that Miss Stafford doesn’t want to marry you any more than you want to marry her.”
Kyle let out a sigh of relief. However, Mason’s words didn’t sit to well with him.
What did he mean that Kimara Stafford didn’t want to marry him? Just who did she think she was anyway? He not wanting to marry her was one thing, she not wanting to marry him was another.
“So the heiress of Stafford Publishing thinks she can afford to be picky?”
“And with good reason. Not long after her parents’ death, under the recommendation of your grandfather she turned the running of Stafford Publishing over to a very capable CEO, who has done an outstanding job. The company is second in the nation behind Johnson Publishing. She worked at Stafford Publishing for a while after college, and then decided to venture into other things. Miss Stafford is the co-owner of the Golden Flame Catering Services.”
“A catering service? For some reason, that doesn’t surprise me. She always had a fondness for food.”
Mason raised his eyes toward the ceiling. “The Golden Flame is a very successful business here in Atlanta, Kyle. I might add that it’s been the recipient of numerous cooking awards and rave reviews. Since you spend most of your time in New York, you’re probably not aware of that.”
“You’re right,” he replied coldly. “I’m not. And it sounds to me like Miss
Stafford is an extremely busy woman. Too busy for a rebellious husband and a screaming baby. Since neither she nor I have any desire to marry or become parents, I’m positive our lawyers can come up with some suitable solution where we’ll all be happy.”
“Kyle, I don’t think you fully understand,” Mason spoke quickly. “Please feel free to consult your own attorney, but trust me, the will is airtight. There’s nothing anyone can do. Your grandfather made absolutely sure of that. If you’re not married to Miss Stafford within sixty days, and if she’s not pregnant within six months of your wedding night, I have no choice but to enforce the terms of the will.”
Kyle’s thoughts slumped into morose musings. “For heaven’s sake, Mason, it’s the twenty-first century. Arranged marriages played out years ago. Granddad’s request is totally insane. Besides, what if she can’t conceive? What if we aren’t compatible?”
“Then you’ll definitely encounter a problem your grandfather may not have taken under consideration,” he responded mildly. “Let’s just hope that’s not the case. You have six months to find out.”
Kyle shook his head in disbelief. His grandfather had it all figured out. First, he had to make sure there would be a wedding. Then to make sure it wasn’t a marriage in name only just to satisfy the conditions of the will, he had further dictated that a child be conceived, which meant that the two of them would have to become intimate. Kyle rubbed his temple with his fingers as the enormity of the situation sank in. Being forced to admit he’d been outsmarted by the old man didn’t sit too well with him.
“If I remember correctly, the Stafford estate was sold a few years ago. Do you have the address where Kimara Stafford is living now?”
Mason nodded as he reached into his desk drawer and took out a slip of paper. He handed it to Kyle. “She shares a house in Stone Mountain with the young woman who’s her business partner.”