Chapter 24

“My dear, that doesn’t have to be bad,” laughed Melissa. “Why do men do things for women? Why is society the way it is? Because men want what we have. That gives us power. You just have to learn to wield that power wisely. I’ve kept your father in line and interested in over twenty years, and it wasn’t just my good cooking that did it.”

“How do you know whether you have a good guy like Dad or a letch like Cole?” asked Christine.

“It doesn’t usually take long if you watch the clues,” assured Melissa. “Mauling you in a parked car against your wishes is an obvious deal breaker. You shouldn’t have to experience that to find out what sort of man you’re dealing with. Watch how he treats his family, his friends, strangers, and people less fortunate than he is. You’ll learn a lot about a person that way.”

“I seem to have a problem telling the good guys from the bad ones. Cole was a huge mistake in every way imaginable. It looks like Mitchell was, too. I guess I’m batting 1000% in bad choices.