them with the borrowed jewels. "Is that really me?" she asked as she gazed into the mirror. "I feel like such a fraud."
"Stop putting yourself down," Donna said. "You're a lovely woman who never does anything with herself. It's past time you started making the most of what you've got. And believe me, Ms. Vance, you've got plenty."
"But do I have enough for someone like Caleb Bishop?"
"More than enough," Susan said, hugging her. "If the man has sense enough to realize it."
Caleb had practically dropped the bouquet of daisies when Sheila opened the door and invited him into her home. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it hadn't been the breathtakingly elegant woman whose loveliness had left him momentarily speechless. What had happened to the woman in overalls and no makeup? he'd wondered. For a split second he'd thought the stunning lady was another woman.
Boy, oh, boy, was Crooked Oak in for a surprise tonight. He'd known the busybodies would have gossip material for a week after he arrived at the country club with Sheila, but now they'd have a heyday discussing the widow's transformation from plain Jane to beauty queen.
He didn't know when he had looked forward to anything so much as he did escorting Sheila this evening or when he'd been so thoroughly fascinated by the prospect of seducing a woman. And he had every intention of, later tonight, using all his charm to entice Sheila into his bed.
"Ready?" Caleb asked Sheila when they entered the country club.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said.
He slipped his arm around her waist and guided her into the fray. Every head turned. Soft whispers rose to loud murmurs. Half a dozen men, including the mayor, scurried toward them. And all the females in the room craned their necks to get a better view of the couple.
"Who's that with him?" one elderly matron inquired of her daughter.
"Good Lord, Mama, that's Sheila Vance."
"Can't be."
"It is Sheila Vance," another lady at their table said.
"Who'd ever have thought she was hiding a body like that under those overalls she wears," a man said, apologizing for his comment after his wife poked him in the ribs.
Sheila was unaccustomed to being the focus of so much attention. And even though she realized that Caleb was the man of the hour, she couldn't help but notice the way the men gathered around him kept glancing appreciatively in her direction. Did she really look that good? Had Susan and Donna been right? Was she truly lovely tonight?
"Sheila, my dear girl." Mayor Frost clasped her hand. "You look downright gorgeous."
Blushing profusely, she smiled shyly. "Thank you."
"Come along, Caleb. We have a table reserved up front for you and your date." Councilman Witten nodded toward the raised dais that had been set up, where the guest of honor would be put on display.
Knowing every eye in the house was focused on Caleb and her, Sheila was more nervous than she'd ever been in her entire life. Caleb might be accustomed to being the center of attention, but she wasn't. Most of her life she'd been a nonentity, a wallflower, a quiet, sweet girl no one gave a second glance.
The meal might have been delicious. She had no way of knowing. With her nerves tied in knots and a queasy feeling attacking her stomach, what little food she consumed tasted a great deal like cardboard. Grateful when the waiter carried away her untouched dessert, Sheila turned her attention to Mayor Frost as he gave Caleb a glowing introduction fit for a head of state.
With that familiar cocky smile in place, Caleb rose to the podium. He was, without a doubt, the most gorgeous hunk on God's green earth. The tuxedo he wore fit his body to perfection, accentuating the breadth of his wide shoulders and the slimness of his hips. Before he even opened his mouth to speak, his presence alone mesmerized the crowd.
Sheila noticed the way he kept his right arm down by his side and used his left hand while he spoke. Knowing that the partial paralysis in his
"Stop putting yourself down," Donna said. "You're a lovely woman who never does anything with herself. It's past time you started making the most of what you've got. And believe me, Ms. Vance, you've got plenty."
"But do I have enough for someone like Caleb Bishop?"
"More than enough," Susan said, hugging her. "If the man has sense enough to realize it."
Caleb had practically dropped the bouquet of daisies when Sheila opened the door and invited him into her home. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it hadn't been the breathtakingly elegant woman whose loveliness had left him momentarily speechless. What had happened to the woman in overalls and no makeup? he'd wondered. For a split second he'd thought the stunning lady was another woman.
Boy, oh, boy, was Crooked Oak in for a surprise tonight. He'd known the busybodies would have gossip material for a week after he arrived at the country club with Sheila, but now they'd have a heyday discussing the widow's transformation from plain Jane to beauty queen.
He didn't know when he had looked forward to anything so much as he did escorting Sheila this evening or when he'd been so thoroughly fascinated by the prospect of seducing a woman. And he had every intention of, later tonight, using all his charm to entice Sheila into his bed.
"Ready?" Caleb asked Sheila when they entered the country club.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said.
He slipped his arm around her waist and guided her into the fray. Every head turned. Soft whispers rose to loud murmurs. Half a dozen men, including the mayor, scurried toward them. And all the females in the room craned their necks to get a better view of the couple.
"Who's that with him?" one elderly matron inquired of her daughter.
"Good Lord, Mama, that's Sheila Vance."
"Can't be."
"It is Sheila Vance," another lady at their table said.
"Who'd ever have thought she was hiding a body like that under those overalls she wears," a man said, apologizing for his comment after his wife poked him in the ribs.
Sheila was unaccustomed to being the focus of so much attention. And even though she realized that Caleb was the man of the hour, she couldn't help but notice the way the men gathered around him kept glancing appreciatively in her direction. Did she really look that good? Had Susan and Donna been right? Was she truly lovely tonight?
"Sheila, my dear girl." Mayor Frost clasped her hand. "You look downright gorgeous."
Blushing profusely, she smiled shyly. "Thank you."
"Come along, Caleb. We have a table reserved up front for you and your date." Councilman Witten nodded toward the raised dais that had been set up, where the guest of honor would be put on display.
Knowing every eye in the house was focused on Caleb and her, Sheila was more nervous than she'd ever been in her entire life. Caleb might be accustomed to being the center of attention, but she wasn't. Most of her life she'd been a nonentity, a wallflower, a quiet, sweet girl no one gave a second glance.
The meal might have been delicious. She had no way of knowing. With her nerves tied in knots and a queasy feeling attacking her stomach, what little food she consumed tasted a great deal like cardboard. Grateful when the waiter carried away her untouched dessert, Sheila turned her attention to Mayor Frost as he gave Caleb a glowing introduction fit for a head of state.
With that familiar cocky smile in place, Caleb rose to the podium. He was, without a doubt, the most gorgeous hunk on God's green earth. The tuxedo he wore fit his body to perfection, accentuating the breadth of his wide shoulders and the slimness of his hips. Before he even opened his mouth to speak, his presence alone mesmerized the crowd.
Sheila noticed the way he kept his right arm down by his side and used his left hand while he spoke. Knowing that the partial paralysis in his
Similar Books
