Page 2 of Season of Mercy
Stevie looked up, his eyes hopeful. “Mommy?”
“Just one. Let’s go.” She took Stevie’s other hand.
Thankfully, the ice cream parlor was next door to the church, so they just walked there. To the passersby, they probably looked like a small family.
Mercy’s throat constricted. Once upon a time, she did have a small family, marrying the man she fell head over heels for, Cole Grant. But that happiness hadn’t lasted long. She’d learned the hard way that people who professed to love you the most were the ones who could hurt you the most, too.
She glanced at Ethan, who was showing Stevie different cars that passed on the road and explaining their makes and models. She doubted Stevie would remember any of them, but the boy listened with an open mouth.
Ethan had always liked cars, had spent his childhood and adolescence tinkering with them in one of the auto shops his father owned. Now, there were seven auto shops, and Ethan managed them all.
How much did Stevie miss having a father figure in his life? Judging by the way he leaned to Ethan, a lot. And the older Stevie got, the more he’d miss it. Her heart squeezed in her chest.
Stevie obviously needed a dad. But after the way Cole had left a hole in her heart, she couldn’t imagine ever remarrying.
They entered the ice cream parlor, met by the cool wave of the air conditioner. Ethan ordered ice cream: chocolate, peach, strawberry, and chocolate with caramel. They settled at a table near the window, and immediately a large glob of pink sweetness ended up on Stevie’s T-shirt. She held in a groan. She needed to do laundry, anyway.
“I missed you, Mercy.” Ethan gently wiped the gooey stuff from Stevie’s green T-shirt with napkins. For a confirmed bachelor, he was surprisingly good with kids. “I haven’t seen you in two weeks. You said you’d call me when you had a chance.”
Mercy felt a sting of guilt. But it wasn’t like he lacked company. He was rumored to date every night. And she was sure taking care of seven auto shops didn’t leave time for being bored.
“Sorry. I didn’t have a chance.” She adjusted the cone with the ice cream in her little boy’s hand, and Stevie started consuming the ice cream with surprising speed. “My son is my world. You know that.”
“I do. That’s why I don’t call you much. But... it’s nice to see you and Stevie again.” Ethan handed her the cones.
She could see why he was so popular with women. It wasn’t just because he took them to popular restaurants or gave them flowers, or because he drove an expensive car, or because he was so well-built and handsome, though there was that.
The man had tons of charisma. His smile was open, his compliments sincere, and his gifts generous. She knew him well enough to realize he had a good heart, too.
Before she’d met Cole, she’d wished badly Ethan wouldn’t share that heart with a new girl every month. Those times were gone, of course. It was none of her business who he shared his heart with now. According to the Rios Azules grapevine, he dated a gorgeous redhead named Leah these days. News traveled fast in a small town.
“Mommy, your ice cream is melting!” Her son’s voice interrupted her musings.
“Right. Thank you, sweetie.” She took a small bite of the peach cone.
Mercy closed her eyes for a moment. The ice cream was smooth, sweet, and oh so delicious.
When she opened her eyes, Stevie was almost done with his ice cream, and Ethan had a strange expression in his eyes. Some kind of longing.
That expression made his dark, expressive eyes even more gorgeous, if that was possible. He looked at her as if he... was attracted to her. She had a strange movement in her chest, similar to the one she’d had when she’d been fifteen and met Ethan for the first time.
She needed to snap out of it.
“Sweetie, how do you like your ice cream? We should thank Mr. Ethan for treating us, right?” She wiped Stevie’s chin and cringed inwardly at the ruined T-shirt.
Nearly done with his strawberry ice cream, the boy nodded enthusiastically. “Thank you for treating us, Mr. Ethan.”
Ethan leaned to her son. “Buddy, how about you ride on my shoulders? We’ll go check out what the bathroom here is like, okay? They might have some of that funny soap we can make bubbles with.”
“Yay!” Stevie jumped from his seat. “Mommy, can I?Pretty please?”
“Pretty please?” Ethan grinned.
How could she resist the attack of two smiles? “Sure. I’ll be here, Stevie.”
Soon Ethan and Stevie were on the way to the bathroom, where presumably Ethan would clean the boy’s T-shirt while entertaining him with soap bubbles.
Mercy took bites of her ice cream, alternating between peach and chocolate with caramel. But the taste turned bitter in her mouth as she thought about the bad news her boss had given her yesterday. The company had switched to a different health insurance plan with much higher premiums and way less coverage. Mercy’s heart squeezed painfully.
