“She had a good reason. I cheated on her.” His father’s voice was barely audible.
Ethan dropped the rag. Several seconds passed before he picked it up. All these years, he had this wonderful image of his father and not so wonderful of his mother, and it turned out...
“I made a huge mistake. I’m human. Thankfully, your mother forgave me. There’s another reason I’m telling you this.” The older man ran the rag along the left side for several long moments.
Ethan waited patiently, knowing he couldn’t hurry his father.
His dad straightened. “Don’t make the same mistake with Mercy. Don’t step out on her. You might lose both her and Stevie, and it’s just not worth it.”
A hot wave of anger swept through Ethan. “I’d never do that!”
“Well, it’s a small town, and there are rumors about you and Leah...” His dad’s voice trailed off.
Spread by Leah, no doubt.
Ethan resisted the urge to grind his teeth. “There’s nothing between me and Leah. Honest. Being with Mercy makes me so happy. Why would I want to ruin that?”
Fear of abandonment.
Was that what his father called it?
It hit Ethan like a brick.
That was where this anxiety, this restlessness came from.
Dear Lord, I’m surrendering this fear of abandonment to You. Please help me be the best husband to Mercy I can be and the best father to Stevie. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
His dad threw the dirty rag in a trash can and studied his son. “Glad to hear that. And I’m not just saying it because I love Mercy’s cooking.”
Ethan chuckled as he wiped his hands on a paper towel. “But that’s part of it, right?”
His father sighed as he wiped his hands, as well. “Alittlepart. Makes you happy, huh? Well, I’ve never seen this shine in your eyes before, so I believe you.”
“Marrying Mercy was the best thing I ever did. There was never anything fake about her, be it eyelashes, smile, or words. She liked me before I had money, popularity, or an expensive house. Her kindness shines through in her every gesture. She’s the real deal.” Ethan’s heart warmed up.
“But she gets insecure sometimes because of your past, doesn’t she?”
“I get that feeling. But since I married her, I don’t notice other women. I know well the treasure I have at home.”
His father’s face brightened. “I raised you well. Because, you know, I started having doubts.” His dad gestured in the kitchen’s direction.
Ethan shook his head. “I dated enough to know that there are many Leahs in this world. There’s only one Mercy.”
His dad nodded thoughtfully. “There’s only onemercy.”
“Frankly, I was upset with you at first when you gave me that ultimatum, either to marry or lose the chance to own the auto shops. But now I think that’s the best thing you ever did for me.”
“How about that.” His dad grinned as he led Ethan back to the kitchen. “You didn’t think I was serious about that ultimatum, did you?”
Ethan stopped in his tracks. “You weren’t?”
“Keep moving,mi hijo. I saw the way you looked at Mercy when she had dinners with us, the way you talked about her.” His father walked into the kitchen.
Ethan followed him, trying to process the news.
“But I also knew that for years you stayed away from her out of respect for her marriage, then widowhood. You weren’t making your move now, either. I figured you could use a little push in the right direction.” His dad dropped himself into a chair.
Ethan did the same because his knees suddenly felt weak. “You call it alittle push?”
