pick you up, say, around seven-thirty."
Gwyn winked at him. "We're going to have us a real good time." She scanned the small group of boys still waiting for rides and called out to her son. "Devin, come on. We've got to go. I'm dropping you by Aunt Brandie's to spend the night."
Gwyn rushed her son to their car and when she backed out, she stuck her head out the window and yelled, "See you at seven-thirty, Caleb. Now don't you be late, sweetie."
Caleb grinned and waved. He felt a hard tug on his left arm and when he looked down, he saw Danny Vance staring up at him.
"Have you got a date with Devin's mom?" he asked.
Sheila and Pat walked up behind Danny. Sheila's gaze locked momentarily with Caleb's.
"Well, yeah, sport, I do. You see—"
"I thought you were going to date Mom and me." Danny swallowed hard. "I know Devin's mom is kind of flashy, but she's not the—"
"Danny, that's enough," Sheila said. "It's not any of your business whom Caleb dates." She gripped her son's tense shoulder.
Danny pulled away from his mother and ran toward their car.
Caleb cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, I—"
"It's all right," Sheila said. "Danny will be okay. It's better he realizes now that there's not going to be anything happening between you and me."
Pat put his arm around Sheila's shoulders. "Why don't I go along with you and Danny over at Pete's tonight?"
Sheila forced a smile. "That sounds like a good idea."
Caleb stood alone in the parking area long after everyone else had left. Why did he feel like a bad guy? Why did it bother him so damn much that he had disappointed Danny Vance? He didn't owe Sheila's son anything and it was best for both him and the boy if they didn't get too tight.
Admit it, Caleb told himself. You like that kid and you want him to like you, to keep on admiring you. You know how it feels to be the only kid on the team whose father is dead. You can relate to Danny, can understand how he feels and what he wants. He wants a father the way you always did.
For some reason Caleb couldn't fathom, a crazy notion crossed his mind. What would it be like to have a son—a boy like Danny? He'd never thought about having children, never considered the possibility that anything was missing from his perfect life. But being back home in Crooked Oak, having spent time with Sheila and her son, made him wonder if something really important hadn't been missing from his life for a long time before the boating accident had ended his career. A wife. Children. A family of his own.
Four
Caleb awoke with a slight hangover, a severe arousal and a rotten attitude. Last night should have been fun. But it hadn't been. He had gone through the motions with Gwyn Baker and it certainly hadn't been her fault that their date had ended so badly. She hadn't been lying when she said she knew all the hot spots between Crooked Oak and Nashville. He thought they'd hit at least half a dozen places, drinking and dancing and partying it up big-time, before he'd brought her back to the farm. Hell, the woman had been all over him, thrilled at the thought of spending the night with the hometown celebrity—the famous Caleb Bishop. Maybe if she'd just kept her mouth shut, if she hadn't gone on and on about him being a superstar, she might still be in his bed this morning.
Or maybe she would be there still if he hadn't been thinking about Sheila Vance the whole time Gwyn had rubbed against him like a cat against her master's leg. Why couldn't he forget the kiss he'd shared with Sheila on her front porch? He had shared more passionate kisses with far more beautiful women. Gwyn to name just one. But when the moment of truth came last night and he had tossed Gwyn down on his bed, he'd looked at the woman lying there, her arms open wide, and he had seen not the sultry petite Gwyn, but Sheila Vance. The momentary apparition had shaken him so badly that he'd made up some stupid excuse and driven his date straight home.
Caleb stumbled into the bathroom,
Gwyn winked at him. "We're going to have us a real good time." She scanned the small group of boys still waiting for rides and called out to her son. "Devin, come on. We've got to go. I'm dropping you by Aunt Brandie's to spend the night."
Gwyn rushed her son to their car and when she backed out, she stuck her head out the window and yelled, "See you at seven-thirty, Caleb. Now don't you be late, sweetie."
Caleb grinned and waved. He felt a hard tug on his left arm and when he looked down, he saw Danny Vance staring up at him.
"Have you got a date with Devin's mom?" he asked.
Sheila and Pat walked up behind Danny. Sheila's gaze locked momentarily with Caleb's.
"Well, yeah, sport, I do. You see—"
"I thought you were going to date Mom and me." Danny swallowed hard. "I know Devin's mom is kind of flashy, but she's not the—"
"Danny, that's enough," Sheila said. "It's not any of your business whom Caleb dates." She gripped her son's tense shoulder.
Danny pulled away from his mother and ran toward their car.
Caleb cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, I—"
"It's all right," Sheila said. "Danny will be okay. It's better he realizes now that there's not going to be anything happening between you and me."
Pat put his arm around Sheila's shoulders. "Why don't I go along with you and Danny over at Pete's tonight?"
Sheila forced a smile. "That sounds like a good idea."
Caleb stood alone in the parking area long after everyone else had left. Why did he feel like a bad guy? Why did it bother him so damn much that he had disappointed Danny Vance? He didn't owe Sheila's son anything and it was best for both him and the boy if they didn't get too tight.
Admit it, Caleb told himself. You like that kid and you want him to like you, to keep on admiring you. You know how it feels to be the only kid on the team whose father is dead. You can relate to Danny, can understand how he feels and what he wants. He wants a father the way you always did.
For some reason Caleb couldn't fathom, a crazy notion crossed his mind. What would it be like to have a son—a boy like Danny? He'd never thought about having children, never considered the possibility that anything was missing from his perfect life. But being back home in Crooked Oak, having spent time with Sheila and her son, made him wonder if something really important hadn't been missing from his life for a long time before the boating accident had ended his career. A wife. Children. A family of his own.
Four
Caleb awoke with a slight hangover, a severe arousal and a rotten attitude. Last night should have been fun. But it hadn't been. He had gone through the motions with Gwyn Baker and it certainly hadn't been her fault that their date had ended so badly. She hadn't been lying when she said she knew all the hot spots between Crooked Oak and Nashville. He thought they'd hit at least half a dozen places, drinking and dancing and partying it up big-time, before he'd brought her back to the farm. Hell, the woman had been all over him, thrilled at the thought of spending the night with the hometown celebrity—the famous Caleb Bishop. Maybe if she'd just kept her mouth shut, if she hadn't gone on and on about him being a superstar, she might still be in his bed this morning.
Or maybe she would be there still if he hadn't been thinking about Sheila Vance the whole time Gwyn had rubbed against him like a cat against her master's leg. Why couldn't he forget the kiss he'd shared with Sheila on her front porch? He had shared more passionate kisses with far more beautiful women. Gwyn to name just one. But when the moment of truth came last night and he had tossed Gwyn down on his bed, he'd looked at the woman lying there, her arms open wide, and he had seen not the sultry petite Gwyn, but Sheila Vance. The momentary apparition had shaken him so badly that he'd made up some stupid excuse and driven his date straight home.
Caleb stumbled into the bathroom,
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