Don’t believe everything they tell you, I can hear him saying. Guess he knew this was going to come out tonight.

Why didn’t he tell me himself? I hunch my shoulders against the hurt.

Amanda sighs. “Yeah. Six months old. Cutest thing you’ve ever seen.”

“Connor’s never mentioned—”

“It’s complicated,” Amanda says. She doesn’t sound angry, but there’s something in her tone that’s final.

Conversation over.

What’s not over is the unsettled feeling it leaves me with.

Lucy jumps in, addressing Amanda, which I think is her way of changing the subject. “So how are things going with expanding your catering business to dinner orders?”

Amanda starts talking animatedly about how well the catering is going, and my mind wanders to the “bar brawl” I saw Brody get into last month when I was home for my mom’s birthday. At the time, I’d felt sad for him. Brody Wilder, still up to his old antics. Part of me was disappointed, the part that had wanted to believe he’d left behind his high school self—the guy who pulled pranks for the thrill of them, picked fights, and let himself get drawn into scuffles.

My parents used to say Brody was fighting a war no one could see.

I wonder if his bar brawl was part of that fight.

I wonder if Connor knows what happened between Brody and his ex—if Brody talks to Connor about it.

Jill brings drinks and appetizers. I haven’t had cracklings—fried pork rinds—for a few years ago now, and I chow down happily.

“Hey, I hope this is okay to say.” Lucy touches my hand again. “But Amanda hinted that you’d been through some tough stuff lately and that you might want to hear my story.”

Hanna scoffs. “Amanda doesn’t hint.”

“I was very hint-y in this case,” Amanda protests. “I just told Luce that Rachel might appreciate knowing what brought Lucy to Rush Creek.”

“I would love to hear what brought you to Rush Creek,” I tell Lucy.

She grins at me. Under other circumstances, she’s the kind of woman I might find intimidating. She looks—expensive. Her clothes are fashionable and perfectly assembled. She’s wearing heels even though we’re surrounded by people for whom a fleece jacket and jeans is the new business suit. And she has that kind of glossy hair that forms perfect ringlets when you curl it, which she obviously has for our otherwise casual girls’ night.

Also, she’s wearing makeup. The only other makeup at the table is Amanda’s—a little bit of mascara and lip gloss.

I can do all that stuff—nice clothes, makeup, hair—but in reality? I almost never do. I’m so out of practice, I’m not sure I’d know where to start.

It might be nice to have a friend who could show me if I needed help.…