CHAPTER FIVE
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TWO WEEKS LATER, MERCYENJOYED a quiet Saturday morning with Ethan and her boy.
It had warmed her heart that Ethan had volunteered to say grace before breakfast. He’d said he’d wanted to go to church on Sunday together. She’d tried to lead Cole to the Lord to no avail. And here, she hadn’t done much but could already see signs of changing in Ethan.
Thank You, Lord.
The scents of cinnamon and bread spread in the air as their small family munched on French toast she’d cooked.
“What do you all think about going to a seafood restaurant next week? One right on the ocean?” Ethan smiled as he cut the French toast into smaller pieces for Stevie. “Or would you rather have Italian? Or Chinese?”
“Seafood!” Stevie took a deep sip of his orange juice.
Ethan glanced at her, and she nodded. “Sounds great to me.”
During the last two weeks, he’d taken her to an Italian restaurant twice in the neighboring McAllen and a Mexican one in Rios Azules while his parents had babysat. Mercy’s heart warmed as she thought about those wonderful evenings.
Still, she liked it that Ethan would include Stevie this time. During the follow-up visit two days ago, the doctor had said that Stevie was recovering surprisingly fast and okayed the restaurant and even the zoo visit, provided they used the stroller and that they took Stevie home at the first sign of tiredness.
“How is the job hunt going?” Ethan took several bites of his French toast. “I’m fine with you staying at home, and I love home-made dinners. But I want you to do what makesyouhappy.”
Mercy perked up. “Oh, you’re not going to believe this. One of your neighbors has her own business, and she said that her accountant retires in two months. She needs a part-time accountant. I’ll be working only several hours a week.”
Ethan grinned. “I take it you got the job? Congratulations!” He walked around the table and placed a kiss on her cheek, then returned to his seat.
His smile and his kiss made her swoon.
Mercy took a moment to recover. “What’s more surprising, she said that a bad reference from my boss is the best reference to her and that other people I worked with gave me stellar recommendations. Apparently, everyone does know everyone in small towns.”
“Cariño, your reputation precedes you. You totally deserve it.” His eyes showed admiration for her.
“Thank you.” Deep inside, she was glad the job wasn’t a full-time one. She wanted to spend more time with Stevie and she enjoyed cooking for him and Ethan. She started working in the yard, and it brought her mind serenity she hadn’t expected. And she finally had time for friends, including new ones, her neighbors, two of them turning out to be moms, too.
Her life was so different from her previous one with Cole, which was filled with fear and anxiety. She should be happy.
Shewashappy.
But a nagging feeling of worry, of things beingtoo goodhad appeared from time to time. Something was bound to happen. She was content with a quiet, simple family life. But was Ethan? And if so, for how long?
