While Sherry devoted herself to the world of a small child, Ellie poured them glasses of iced tea, which she brought to the kitchen table.

“I suppose you heard what happened?” Sherry asked, needing to discuss the events of the night before. After all, there was sure to be some sort of backlash, since Cody seemed to blame Luke as much as he did her.

“There were rumors at church this morning. Is it true Cody was almost arrested?”

“Yes. For disturbing the peace.”

A smile quivered at the edges of Ellie’s mouth. “I’m afraid Cody Bailman has a few lessons to learn about women.”

“I would’ve thought his wife, Karen, had taught him all this.”

“I never knew her, of course,” Ellie said, reaching for her glass, “but apparently Luke did. I’ve asked him about her.”

“What did he tell you?” Sherry was more than curious. She sensed that the key to understanding Cody was rooted in his marriage, however brief.

“From what I remember, Cody met Karen while they were in college. He was away from home for the first time and feeling lonely. Luke was surprised when he married her—at least that’s what he told me. She was something of a tomboy, even at twenty. In many ways I suspect she was the perfect rancher’s wife. She loved riding and working with cattle. What I heard is there wasn’t anything she couldn’t do.” Ellie hesitated and looked away as if carefully judging her words. “Luke also said Karen wasn’t very interested in being a wife or mother. She resented having to stay home with the baby.” She took a deep breath.

“Luke also told me they had some huge fights about it. Karen died in a car accident after one of them. She’d threatened to leave Cody and Heather, but Luke doubts that she meant it. She mentioned divorce on a regular basis, dramatically packing her bags and lugging them out to the car. No one’ll ever know if she meant it that particular time or not because she took a curve too fast and ran off the road. She died instantly.”

“How sad.”

“I know Cody loved Karen,” Ellie continued. “I admire him for picking up the pieces of his life and moving forward.”

“I do, too. I didn’t realize his marriage had been so traumatic.”

“It wasn’t always unhappy. Don’t misunderstand me. Cody cared deeply for his wife, but I don’t think he was ever truly comfortable with her, if you know what I mean.”

Sherry wasn’t sure she did, but she let it pass.

“He’s at a loss when it comes to showing a woman how he feels. The only woman he ever loved was so involved in herself that she didn’t have much love left for anyone else, including him or Heather.”

“He’s afraid,” Sherry whispered. But it wasn’t for any of the reasons she’d assumed. After learning he was a widower, Sherry believed he’d buried himself in his grief. Now she understood differently. Cody feared that if he loved someone again, that love would come back to him empty and shallow.