His Secret Child. BEVERLY BARTON

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      Two

      Caleb hit the rewind button on the VCR and cursed himself for a fool. Why the hell had he brought along the tape of last season’s final playoffs game—the last baseball game of Caleb Bishop’s illustrious career—when watching himself in top form was an excruciating torment?

      “You’re a glutton for punishment, aren’t you, Bishop?” he said to himself. “How many times are you going to watch that damn tape?”

      When he stood, he tossed the remote control onto the sofa and headed for the kitchen. His stomach rumbled, as if on cue, the moment he entered the neat, white kitchen. Glancing at the clock on the microwave, he noticed that it was nearly noon. He hadn’t eaten a bite since he’d gotten up nearly four hours ago.

      For the past ten days he had shut himself off from the rest of the world. Living like a hermit, he hadn’t even answered the telephone for the first few days. But Tallie’s insistent messages warning him that if he didn’t pick up the damn phone before long, she was going to drive down from Nashville and personally kick his butt, encouraged him to make contact with the outside world.

      Caleb pulled a box of cereal from an upper cupboard, retrieved the milk from the refrigerator and prepared himself a bowl of comflakes. The supply of groceries Sheila Vance had brought him was nearly gone. Within a day or two, he’d either have to make a trip into town or ask Sheila to do some shopping for him. He liked the idea of giving Sheila a call. More than once he had stopped himself from contacting her and using any pretense to lure her over to his house. But she’d made it perfectly clear that she wasn’t interested in a brief affair. No, she wouldn’t be. His instincts told him that Sheila was still the type of girl who’d want a long-term commitment from a guy. And he simply wasn’t the kind of man who made a woman promises he couldn’t keep.

      Just as he downed the last spoonful of soggy flakes, the telephone rang. Damn, why couldn’t Tallie leave him alone! He jerked the receiver from the wall hook by the back door and growled into the phone.

      “Yeah, what do you want now?”

      “And hello to you, too,” Hank Bishop said.

      “Hank?”

      “Yep. Who’d you think it was?”

      “Tallie,” Caleb replied. “Our little sister is driving me nuts trying to keep tabs on me from Nashville. You’d think with a husband, a baby and duties as first lady of the state, she wouldn’t have time to pester the hell out of me.”

      Hank chuckled, the deep sound reverberating from his chest.

      “Well, you know our Tallie. She can’t keep her nose out of everybody else’s business.”

      “So, what’s up, big brother? Or are you checking on the washed-up has-been, too?”

      “You’re going to have to stop feeling sorry for yourself sooner or later,” Hank said. “Why don’t you do all of us, yourself included, a big favor and make it sooner?”

      Caleb snorted. “Humph. Straight to the heart of the matter, as always. You make it sound so easy. Just pick myself up by the bootstraps, dust myself off and do. . .do what, big brother? I wasn’t the smart, straight-arrow type like you. And I wasn’t the hell-raising rebel like Jake. All I ever wanted was to play baseball. Since I was just a little kid. Now, that’s gone. Forever. And I don’t have the slightest idea what to do with the rest of my life.”

      “How about starting by being grateful you have the rest of your life.”

      Caleb knew that his older brother meant well, but Hank didn’t know what it felt like to have his life out of control, his dreams destroyed and his future uncertain. No, Hank was the type who, no matter what happened, would always take charge and find a way to do the honorable thing. If Hank were in his shoes, he’d already have mapped out a new course for his future. But then, Hank was the smart brother. Caleb was the dumb jock.

      “Yeah,” Caleb agreed. “I suppose being a pitcher with a useless right arm is better than being dead.”

      “Are you still moping around the old homestead?” Hank asked. “Haven’t you even been into town? I’ll bet folks are dying to see you and welcome the local hero back to Crooked Oak. And there’s probably more than one cute girl who’d like to ease your loneliness.”

      Caleb chuckled. There was no point denying his ladykiller reputation, not to his own brother, who knew him better than anyone else alive. “As a matter of fact, I met a rather interesting woman the first day I came back.”

      “I thought you hadn’t left the house.”

      “This particular woman was here when I arrived. She’d aired out the place, brought in groceries and had my supper waiting for me.”

      “Are you talking about Tallie’s friend? What’s her name? Mike Hanley’s kid sister? The one who married Dan Vance?”

      “That’s the one. Sheila Vance.”

      “If I remember correctly, I’d say the woman isn’t your usual type.”

      “Maybe I’d like to try something different for a change,” Caleb said. “I’ve had my share of airheaded beauties. Sheila may be a plain Jane, but there’s something about her that—”

      “It’s called quality,” Hank said. “Tallie thinks highly of Sheila. Seems she’s had it pretty rough, widowed so young and trying to raise a child on her own. Think twice before you use a woman like her to ease your loneliness.”

      “If you’re warning me not to hurt Sheila, save your breath. Tallie’s already read me the riot act.”

      “Good for her.” Hank cleared his throat. “Why don’t you come up to Virginia and stay with me for a while?”

      “I might later on. But for now I just want to stay put to try to figure out who the hell Caleb Bishop is if he’s not the star СКАЧАТЬ