than friends. Even Tallie never suspected the truth. How you hid your feelings from her all these years, I'll never know."
"I hope you're right, because I have no idea how I'd deal with things if Caleb and Danny ever found out that I'd lied to both of them all these years." Sheila walked back inside the garage, swung open the door to her air-conditioned office and waited for Susan to catch up with her.
Sheila sat in the swivel chair at her desk, while Susan unpacked their hamburgers and fries and spread them out on paper napkins.
"If you'd gotten serious about Pat Lawley last year when y'all were dating on a regular basis, the two of you would be married now and you wouldn't be faced with the problem of how to deal with Caleb." Susan pulled a straight-back wooden chair up to the desk. "I know Pat doesn't exactly make you go weak in the knees, but he'd be a good husband and a good father."
"I've already been married to a man who was a good husband and a good father," Sheila said. "If I ever marry again, it will be because I'm so madly in love I can't see straight."
"Aren't you being foolish to think Caleb Bishop is your Prince Charming?" Susan sat in the chair. "Look, I know exactly how you felt about him when we were in high school. You had as big a crush on Caleb as I did on his brother Hank. The only difference was that Hank never thought of me as anything but his kid sister's little friend. You've been pining away all these years for something that's never going to happen. What if I'd waited around hoping Hank Bishop would return to Crooked Oak and sweep me off my feet? Well, I'll tell you what—I'd be thirty-two and still single. Lowell Redman might not give me butterflies in my stomach, but I love him dearly and we're very happy together."
"There's one slight difference in your situation and mine," Sheila said. "You and Hank never had sex and you never gave birth to his child."
"No, you're right. Hank never even kissed me."
"Stop worrying about me. Just because I don't intend to settle for what I can get doesn't mean I'm going to succumb to Caleb Bishop's boyish charm and let him ruin my life."
"I talked to Tallie and she's probably going to call you." Susan lifted her hamburger to her mouth.
"What did you tell Tallie? Did you mention that folks around here are speculating about Caleb and me being a couple?"
Susan chewed the bite, swallowed it and then gulped down some cola. "Tallie doesn't agree with me. But then, she doesn't know everything I know. She thinks you're just what the doctor ordered for Caleb. Don't be surprised if she tries to talk you into dating him."
"Maybe I should date him."
"What?"
"Maybe I should date Caleb and let the tongues wag. If you don't think anyone would suspect the truth about Caleb and Danny, maybe I've been overly concerned about nothing."
"Even if the truth coming out about Danny's true paternity isn't an issue, are you so eager to get your heart broken again that you'd actually have an affair with Caleb?"
"I think Caleb is only interested in me because I made it perfectly clear that I wouldn't sleep with him. I must be the first woman who's ever said no, so he considers me a challenge. Maybe if I date him and—"
"You're going to sleep with him to discourage him? My heavens, Sheila, what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that maybe I should call and ask him out. Maybe I should throw caution to the wind and—"
The telephone on Sheila's desk rang. Both women gasped.
Sheila lifted the receiver. "Hanley's Garage and Tow Truck Service."
"Hi, Sheila."
Her stomach filled with butterflies at the sound of Caleb's voice. "Hello."
"How are you?" he asked.
"Fine. You?"
"I'm in need of a date for next Saturday night," he said. "It seems the town's throwing this big party at the country club in my honor. I thought maybe you'd like to go with me."
"I—I—" Quit stuttering, you idiot! she admonished herself. Here's your chance to catch the brass ring. "Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes,
"I hope you're right, because I have no idea how I'd deal with things if Caleb and Danny ever found out that I'd lied to both of them all these years." Sheila walked back inside the garage, swung open the door to her air-conditioned office and waited for Susan to catch up with her.
Sheila sat in the swivel chair at her desk, while Susan unpacked their hamburgers and fries and spread them out on paper napkins.
"If you'd gotten serious about Pat Lawley last year when y'all were dating on a regular basis, the two of you would be married now and you wouldn't be faced with the problem of how to deal with Caleb." Susan pulled a straight-back wooden chair up to the desk. "I know Pat doesn't exactly make you go weak in the knees, but he'd be a good husband and a good father."
"I've already been married to a man who was a good husband and a good father," Sheila said. "If I ever marry again, it will be because I'm so madly in love I can't see straight."
"Aren't you being foolish to think Caleb Bishop is your Prince Charming?" Susan sat in the chair. "Look, I know exactly how you felt about him when we were in high school. You had as big a crush on Caleb as I did on his brother Hank. The only difference was that Hank never thought of me as anything but his kid sister's little friend. You've been pining away all these years for something that's never going to happen. What if I'd waited around hoping Hank Bishop would return to Crooked Oak and sweep me off my feet? Well, I'll tell you what—I'd be thirty-two and still single. Lowell Redman might not give me butterflies in my stomach, but I love him dearly and we're very happy together."
"There's one slight difference in your situation and mine," Sheila said. "You and Hank never had sex and you never gave birth to his child."
"No, you're right. Hank never even kissed me."
"Stop worrying about me. Just because I don't intend to settle for what I can get doesn't mean I'm going to succumb to Caleb Bishop's boyish charm and let him ruin my life."
"I talked to Tallie and she's probably going to call you." Susan lifted her hamburger to her mouth.
"What did you tell Tallie? Did you mention that folks around here are speculating about Caleb and me being a couple?"
Susan chewed the bite, swallowed it and then gulped down some cola. "Tallie doesn't agree with me. But then, she doesn't know everything I know. She thinks you're just what the doctor ordered for Caleb. Don't be surprised if she tries to talk you into dating him."
"Maybe I should date him."
"What?"
"Maybe I should date Caleb and let the tongues wag. If you don't think anyone would suspect the truth about Caleb and Danny, maybe I've been overly concerned about nothing."
"Even if the truth coming out about Danny's true paternity isn't an issue, are you so eager to get your heart broken again that you'd actually have an affair with Caleb?"
"I think Caleb is only interested in me because I made it perfectly clear that I wouldn't sleep with him. I must be the first woman who's ever said no, so he considers me a challenge. Maybe if I date him and—"
"You're going to sleep with him to discourage him? My heavens, Sheila, what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that maybe I should call and ask him out. Maybe I should throw caution to the wind and—"
The telephone on Sheila's desk rang. Both women gasped.
Sheila lifted the receiver. "Hanley's Garage and Tow Truck Service."
"Hi, Sheila."
Her stomach filled with butterflies at the sound of Caleb's voice. "Hello."
"How are you?" he asked.
"Fine. You?"
"I'm in need of a date for next Saturday night," he said. "It seems the town's throwing this big party at the country club in my honor. I thought maybe you'd like to go with me."
"I—I—" Quit stuttering, you idiot! she admonished herself. Here's your chance to catch the brass ring. "Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes,
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