“Before, when we broke up, after I caught him cheating, we had a big fight. He hit me, Conner. He punched me in the side of the face, hard enough to leave a bruise. I had to cover it with makeup. But he said he was sorry. He promised not to do it again.”

“And do you believe him?”

“I want to.”

“But do you really?”

The only reply was silence.

Conner mouthed a curse. “Listen to yourself, Ronda May. Why are you asking me whether you should marry a man who cheats on you and hits you, when you already know the answer to that question?”

“You’re saying I shouldn’t marry him?”

“I’m not saying anything. You’re a smart girl. You figure it out.” Conner took a deep breath and changed the subject. “Megan said she had a talk with you.”

“Uh-huh. She was trying to be nice, I guess. She even left me a voicemail this morning. I haven’t listened to it yet. Maybe I won’t.”

“Maybe you should.” Conner glanced up to see Rush standing in the doorway. “I’ve got to go,” he said. “But think long and hard before you say yes to that cowboy. You deserve a good man who’ll treat you the way a woman should be treated. And he’s out there, Ronda May. You just need to keep looking.”

Rush grinned as Conner followed him outside. “I figured you needed rescuing,” he said.

“Thanks,” Conner said. “I want Ronda May to be happy, but she’s got to learn to make her own decisions. She can’t expect me or any other man to make them for her.”

“Well, I hope that man doesn’t turn out to be Chuck Bartle,” Rush said. “If he treats his women the way he treats his animals . . .” He let the words trail off. “How are things with you and Megan?”

“Good. And I want to keep them that way.” Conner walked down the steps, whistling. He was already counting the hours until Sunday.

* * *

The next afternoon, Megan put on the wool slacks and blazer she’d packed, took her wrapped gift, and drove to Tracy’s for the bridal shower. Tracy’s house, just two streets over from Maggie’s, was a neat Arts and Crafts bungalow with an overhanging roof and a broad, covered porch.

When she rang the bell, it was Rush’s precocious little girl, Clara, who opened the door. Megan had heard the story of how Rush, after five years in his first marriage, had learned that Clara was fathered by his wife’s lover. Last year, through some legal maneuvering, he’d been able to get partial custody of the child he adored as his own. Clara now spent her summers and Christmas holidays with Rush and Tracy.