Page 23 of Season of Mercy
“What?” She whirled around together with her chair. Her jaw dropped.
She leaned forward and listened hungrily, as if afraid to miss a single moment, a single sound.
Ethan leaned back as a feeling of joy spread inside him. Getting Mercy’s favorite gospel band to come to Rios Azules had taken a lot of effort and the promise of a huge favor to his cousin. But seeing that expression of awe on Mercy’s face was worth it. Her lips moved, as if she was singing along with the band in her mind.
Ethan shifted his chair closer to hers and took her hand. He wanted to share this experience with her.
When the song was over, Mercy’s clapping was the loudest in the round of applause. Then for three more songs, she listened to them, completely mesmerized.
“What a coincidence that my favorite gospel band is performing here tonight when we decided to come to this restaurant.” Mercy turned happy eyes on him when the band took a small break.
“Would you like to meet Tom Marks?” Ethan squeezed her fingers.
“What? How?” Then understanding flashed in her eyes. “It wasn’t coincidence. It was you.” She flung her arms around him.
Ethan’s heart moved somewhere into his throat. A simple hug from Mercy affected him so much.
Mercy shifted back. “Thank you.”
When he found his voice, Ethan waved off the praise. “You give me too much credit. I thank God I was able to bring your favorite band here. And I’m grateful to God that Tom Marks is my cousin.”
“Who is now very happy to meet you.” Tom Marks’s baritone made Mercy literally jump in her chair.
Then she just stared at the singer.
Tom cleared his throat, his hand still extended.
“Hi, Tom. Thanks for being here tonight. My wife is very happy to meet you, too,” Ethan said finally.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Having a total fan girl moment here.” Mercy leaped to her feet and grabbed Tom’s hand with both of hers. She shook it so vigorously the man might’ve regretted he’d extended it in the first place. “I’m your biggest fan.”
It was a good thing that Ethan wasn’t the jealous type, so he just nodded when his cousin offered to take a picture with Mercy. Mercy looked like she was about to faint, so Ethan hung nearby, in case he had to catch her before she hit the floor.
“His songs, the way he sings about God just touch my soul.” Mercy sank into a chair after Tom left, leaving her an autographed CD.
Ethan felt a little stab of guilt for hisnot entirely jealousmoment earlier. And it was true, Tom’s songs had touched Ethan’s soul, too, filled it with an incredible feeling he’d never experienced before. They had made him think about God’s love, grace, and the gift of salvation.
And to think, Ethan had had his cousin’s CD for years but hadn’t bothered to listen to the songs.
Judging by the expressions on the people’s faces during the small concert, Tom had done the same to everybody else. Nobody had eaten a bite during the performance but listened, yearning for every word and every note.
Ethan felt that something changed inside him, something very important. In that moment, he truly believed that God would never abandon him.
By giving Mercy a gift, in reality he’d given a precious gift to himself.
“This evening is incredible, but we need to get back to Stevie.” She touched his fingers.
It reached all the way to his heart. “Sure.” He gestured for the check with his free hand.
When her fingers wrapped around his and his pulse skyrocketed, Ethan knew he was falling for her. But would she ever love him?
He knew Mercy well. She’d never leave him of her own volition. Even if she met another Cole and fell in love with him, she’d never break her vows, never ask for a divorce. Ethan would have to be the one to let her go.
On the way home, Ethan found himself praying, again and again.
