if the leaf was in it, which it was.
Jesse’s eyes grew round. “What color is the tablecloth? I can’t tell. You’ve got so much food on it.”
“Are you trying to tell me I overdid it?”
“How many people did you invite? The whole congregation plus the staff you work with?”
“I don’t want anyone going hungry.”
“Believe me, if they do, they have an eating disorder.”
Beth scanned the table laden with three cakes, two pies, several dozen cookies and brownies, vegetable and fruit trays with two different dips each, several kinds of small sandwiches without the crust, crackers and chips with assorted spreads and a cheese ball. “I had to put the drinks in the kitchen. I ran out of room.”
Jesse snatched up a carrot stick and took a bite. “So how many people are coming?”
“Besides you and Nick, Darcy and Joshua, there are the reverend, Tanya Bolton, Zoey Witherspoon, Paul Howard and Boswell.”
“Boswell? He didn’t say anything to me about coming.”
“I saw him at the grocery yesterday when I was buying some of the food and thought he might enjoy coming. You don’t mind, do you?”
“No, especially since Nate and Cindy are over at Gramps and Susan’s. I’m glad Boswell’s getting out. I’ve felt guilty about uprooting him from Chicago. He promises me that he doesn’t mind living in Sweetwater, but I’m not sure I believe him.” Jesse popped a potato chip into her mouth. “What do you want me to help you with?”
Beth twirled. “Do I look all right?”
“Why, Beth Coleman, I’ve never known you to care too much about how you look.”
Regretting that she had given in to her panic and called Jesse for advice, Beth started toward the kitchen. She realized she was plain, but that didn’t mean she didn’t care about how she appeared to others. Come on, Beth, don’t you really mean Samuel Morgan?
“You can wipe that smug smile off your face, Jesse. I just didn’t want to be overdressed.”
Jesse stopped Beth’s progress with a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be serious. Turn around.”
Beth faced her friend, her hands on her waist, now hoping she could pull off an “I don’t care” attitude.
With a finger against her chin, Jesse studied her. “Black jeans with a cream silk blouse. Not bad. New blouse?”
The heat of a blush scored Beth’s cheeks. “Yes. I haven’t bought anything new in months.” And except for an occasional treat to herself for Christmas and her birthday, she purchased only the basic necessities she needed for school. While her siblings had been growing up, clothing had been expensive, not to mention later helping with their college tuition.
Holding up her hands, Jesse took a step back. “Stop right there. I’m glad you’re finally doing something for yourself and not just for your brothers and sister. It’s about time.” Her gaze skimmed the length of Beth once more. “Deep-six the tennis shoes. Heels would be better with what you have on.”
“Tennis shoes go with jeans.”
“But heels will look better with your blouse, which is soft and feminine. Don’t you have a black pair we got last year?”
“They’re awfully dressy. This is a casual party.”
Jesse flipped her hand in the air, dismissing Beth’s concerns. “You’ll be casually elegant.”
The sound of the doorbell cut through the sudden silence.
Beads of perspiration popped out on Beth’s upper lip. She didn’t give parties. Why had she come up with this way to kick off her new outlook on life? Bad, bad idea.
Jesse waved her toward her bedroom. “Go. I’ll get the door. I don’t want to see those tennis shoes.”
Wiping her hand across her upper lip, Beth hurried away, wondering if she could hide for at least an hour in her bedroom. She would have been fine with just Darcy, Joshua, Jesse and Nick. She could have convinced herself that this wasn’t a party she was responsible for, but the additional five people made a mockery out of that thought.
While rifling through the bottom of her closet for the box that held her black heels, she heard laughter coming from her living room and the doorbell chiming again. When she finally found the shoes, stuck way in the back, she examined them, unable to believe she had bought them. It was Jesse’s fault. She’d worn them only once—to Darcy’s wedding. Jesse had been with her when she had purchased them. In fact, Jesse had been the one who had insisted she buy them. On her own she never would have, and still couldn’t believe she’d let Jesse talk her into them. Beth held them up, still debating whether to wear the silk-and-leather heels. They were three inches high—two more than she usually wore—with long pointed toes and no back strap. They looked uncomfortable, but actually—much to her surprise when she had tried them on at the store—they were very comfortable.
When the bell announced another arrival, Beth kicked off her tennis shoes and removed her socks, then donned the black heels. She didn’t dare look at herself in her full-length mirror. She knew she wouldn’t leave the room if she did. Hurrying as quickly as possible in her heels, she came into the foyer as Jesse opened the door to another guest—Reverend Samuel Morgan.
He peered past Jesse toward Beth and for the barest moment his eyes flashed surprise. The hammering of her heart increased, worry nibbling at her composure. What did she look like? She’d tried some new makeup she’d gotten at the grocery store yesterday and had left her curly hair down about her shoulders, probably in a wild mess by now. She wanted to whirl around, go back to her bedroom and check her appearance in her full-length mirror.
Then he smiled and her world tilted for a few seconds.
After murmuring a greeting to Jesse, Samuel came toward Beth, his long strides purposeful as if he were a man on a mission. “Thank you for including me in your celebration.” He clasped her hand between his and shook it. “I haven’t had a chance to do much since moving here. As you suggested, it’ll be nice to meet some of my congregation in a relaxed atmosphere.”
Relaxed atmosphere? There was nothing remotely relaxed about her at the moment. “I’m glad you could come.” Her hand was still sandwiched between his. Suddenly she didn’t feel thirty-eight but a young woman of eighteen, inexperienced but eager to learn the ways of dating. That was not to say she hadn’t dated a few men over the years, but most of her time had been taken up with caring for her siblings and trying to make ends meet, first as a college student and then on the meager pay of a teacher. She definitely felt like a novice.
Finally releasing her hand, Samuel peeked into the living room, which also gave him a view of the dining-room table loaded with food. “Is everyone here?”
Beth scanned the small group of friends and nodded. “I like to cook and I just kept preparing food until I ran out of time.” She actually had missed not cooking for others since Daniel had left for college.
“I’m glad I didn’t have time to eat dinner before coming.”
“So
