“Your dad wants to marry me?” She must have gone too many nights with too little sleep. She was definitely hearing things.
“No.” Ethan grimaced, glanced Stevie’s way, and lowered his voice. “My dad wants me to marry. I turned thirty, and he said he’s waited long enough.”
Mercy’s jaw dropped. “I’m supposed to make your dad happy by marrying you? Do you realize what you’re saying?”
A muscle moved in Ethan’s cheek. “You make it sound so cold-hearted. And like marrying me is such a hardship. You know me well.”
“Yes, exactly. I know you well.” Mercy groaned. “You have a new girlfriend every month or more often. Sorry, but you’re not husband material. And after my disastrous marriage, I’m not wife material, either.”
“My dad gave me an ultimatum. If I don’t marry, he’ll give the auto shops to my younger brother. He’ll run them into the ground.” There were pleading notes in Ethan’s voice.
She’d never heard pleading notes in Ethan’s voice. Until now. The auto shops meant a lot to him.
Her anger dissipated. “I’m sure there will be plenty of willing candidates.” Was it the sting of jealousy? It couldn’t be, of course. “Why would you ask me?”
“Because I know you. I trust you. My parents adore you. Because I want to give you and Stevie the home and stability you deserve. And I think you’re beautiful and amazing and... Because...” He shielded his eyes. “Never mind. I only have to stay married for a year. Dad isn’t cruel. He said if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.”
“Are you kidding me?” This time Mercy groaned so loudly birds flew up from the trees. She kept her eye on Stevie, but her thoughts were tumultuous. “When I married Cole, I did it for life. I don’t intend to remarry.”
“I’d never treat you the way Cole did.” Ethan’s voice dipped.
Doubt wormed inside her. Marrying Ethan would solve many of her problems, including the recent one, a health insurance policy that was worse than having none. Then she shook her head. “If I truly fell in love and married again, it would be for life. Not for a year. When I give my vow to cherish my husband forever, I mean it. Let’s forget this conversation ever happened.”
Something filtered through the fog of indignation.
Hold on a second.
Ethan thinks I’m beautiful?
He’d never told her that before. They’d just been friends.
Her heart did a strange tumble in her chest.
No, it must be a ploy to get what he wanted, and that was the auto shops.
Ethan reached for her hand. “You don’t like me?”
Tingles from his touch surprised her. It wasn’t the reaction she wanted to have to her best friend. Her pulse spiked. Not liking him wasn’t an issue. Liking him was. She wasn’t the naïve and trusting girl she once had been. Cole had taken care of that.
“It’s not that.” Mercy sighed.
Call her old-fashioned, but she had her own ideas about happily ever after, and a modern marriage of convenience wasn’t for her.
“Mr. Ethan, look!” Stevie ran faster.
“Good job, buddy!” Ethan yelled back.
Her heart skipped a beat. Ever since Stevie had been born, she’d done what was best for her son, even if it meant she had to sleep less or eat less. Ethan would make a great father for her son, but for how long? The track record of Ethan’s relationships spoke for itself. They never lasted.
Was her son already getting attached to Ethan? If she was crazy enough to agree to his weird proposal... After a year, Ethan would hold on to the chain of auto shops. He deserved it; he really did.
But if he decided that his relationship with Mercy wasn’t working out, like so many others, she and her son might be left with crushed hearts.
For the second time.
***
THE NEXT DAY, ETHANdrove to Mercy’s place. It was a weekend, so he hoped she’d be home.
