Maybe she had said too much when she told him she needed more time? When he didn’t show up for supper, Sherry was alarmed. Except for the last month when he was gone, he had never left her alone for so long. The guilt grew as the evening wore on with still no appearance from Stag. She had fibbed to him a little bit. Jodi and Dixie had agreed to help her work through the fear instilled in her by LeRoi’s battering, but they hadn’t said that Stag had to leave her alone during the counseling. In fact, they had suggested that having him attend some of the later sessions might be helpful for him to understand why she felt the way she did. She really didn’t want him there. He already had a low opinion of LeRoi. Her husband had had his faults, but he had his good qualities too. In the early part of their marriage he had made her feel beautiful and loved. He had showered her with gifts. When they were dating, he sent flowers every week. Later it was jewelry. The more violent he was, the more expensive his gifts became.
