nightmare for a girl as sweet as Mercy. If she was smart, she’d walk away right now, before whatever this was even got started.
She pulled back, her eyes questioning mine. My mask back in place and walls erected like my dick, I moved her off of me.
“You kissed me.”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. Shouldn’t have let it happen. I’m your boss.”
“You’re seriously going to give me that bullshit line?”
“Yep.”
“Whatever. I don’t need this crap. Later, Jax.”
One thing was for sure, Mercy was smart. She was walking away, just like she should be.
Daddy,
I hope you are doing well. I miss you like crazy. I miss our talks, your advice. I could sure use some right now. I like this guy, a lot. But I don’t think he feels the same way. It hurts. I wish life could be easy, less complicated.
Have you heard from Mama? I keep hoping and praying she’ll get some help, maybe come and visit you. Tell me what’s going on with you. Are you going to get the assignment you wanted?
Love you,
Mercy
I stared at my ceiling most of the remainder of the night last night and was dragging butt this morning. I rushed through my shower when I saw I was running short on time. Red glowing seven forty-five stared back at me, mocking me. I chucked my sneaker at it and knocked it off the bedside table. Take that! Aww, yeah.
Running my fingers through my wet strands, I separated them and wove them into a long over-the-shoulder braid before wanding on some mascara. Running to my closet, I yanked a maxi dress off its hanger and then slid my feet into my black foam flops. I ran downstairs, grabbed an apple and a bottle of water, my purse and keys.
The shop was dead and I’d crocheted a new beach cover-up by lunchtime, so I decided to call June. She answered on the second ring.
“Hey, Mercy.”
“How are you, June?”
“I’m good. Hold on.”
She came back on the line a minute later. “Sorry. Brody is asleep. He had the overnight shift last night.”
“And how is Mr. Brody?”
“Good,” she nearly purred.
“Finally found your perfect distraction?”
She laughed. “You could say that.”
“Well, I’m glad. Hey, speaking of Brody, I have a favor to ask.”
“Sure.”
I explained that I’d felt kind of sick lately and wanted his opinion. I couldn’t afford a doctor and she said she’d see if he could swing by on his way to work this evening. She would be waitressing at the Hard Rock Cafe and her shift started at four o’clock this evening. We made plans to hang out on Sunday, our day off.
Celeste came in at four thirty, an unusual half hour early. “You have an appointment?”
“Not with a doctor.”
“Brody?”
I nodded. “How bad is it?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell for some reason.” She looked at me with pity. This was bad. Even when she’d caught me eating from her garbage, she hadn’t looked at me like she was now. “Mercy, I wish...I wish I could afford to give you health insurance and hire you properly, but I’m on Medicare. Even if I did pay you like the law says I should, if I were to enroll you in a program, it and taxes would eat almost all of your income from the shop up. I looked into it today.”
“Thanks for checking for me. I’m sure this is all nothing. I’ll be fine. I’m young and healthy. Right?”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I hope so, Mercy-girl. I really hope so.” Celeste hugged me tightly and told me to go home and wait for Brody. So, I did. He showed up just before six o’clock.
I’d been pacing the floor, waiting for him, so I met him at the door and flung it open before he could even ring the bell or knock. “Hey.”
“Hey. June said you were sick. You’re not pregnant are ya?” he joked.
“I wish,” I muttered. His eyes widened and he stepped inside. Before I closed the door behind him, my eyes locked on a pair of sea-green ones. Jaxon stood in the driveway looking up at
She pulled back, her eyes questioning mine. My mask back in place and walls erected like my dick, I moved her off of me.
“You kissed me.”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry. Shouldn’t have let it happen. I’m your boss.”
“You’re seriously going to give me that bullshit line?”
“Yep.”
“Whatever. I don’t need this crap. Later, Jax.”
One thing was for sure, Mercy was smart. She was walking away, just like she should be.
Daddy,
I hope you are doing well. I miss you like crazy. I miss our talks, your advice. I could sure use some right now. I like this guy, a lot. But I don’t think he feels the same way. It hurts. I wish life could be easy, less complicated.
Have you heard from Mama? I keep hoping and praying she’ll get some help, maybe come and visit you. Tell me what’s going on with you. Are you going to get the assignment you wanted?
Love you,
Mercy
I stared at my ceiling most of the remainder of the night last night and was dragging butt this morning. I rushed through my shower when I saw I was running short on time. Red glowing seven forty-five stared back at me, mocking me. I chucked my sneaker at it and knocked it off the bedside table. Take that! Aww, yeah.
Running my fingers through my wet strands, I separated them and wove them into a long over-the-shoulder braid before wanding on some mascara. Running to my closet, I yanked a maxi dress off its hanger and then slid my feet into my black foam flops. I ran downstairs, grabbed an apple and a bottle of water, my purse and keys.
The shop was dead and I’d crocheted a new beach cover-up by lunchtime, so I decided to call June. She answered on the second ring.
“Hey, Mercy.”
“How are you, June?”
“I’m good. Hold on.”
She came back on the line a minute later. “Sorry. Brody is asleep. He had the overnight shift last night.”
“And how is Mr. Brody?”
“Good,” she nearly purred.
“Finally found your perfect distraction?”
She laughed. “You could say that.”
“Well, I’m glad. Hey, speaking of Brody, I have a favor to ask.”
“Sure.”
I explained that I’d felt kind of sick lately and wanted his opinion. I couldn’t afford a doctor and she said she’d see if he could swing by on his way to work this evening. She would be waitressing at the Hard Rock Cafe and her shift started at four o’clock this evening. We made plans to hang out on Sunday, our day off.
Celeste came in at four thirty, an unusual half hour early. “You have an appointment?”
“Not with a doctor.”
“Brody?”
I nodded. “How bad is it?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell for some reason.” She looked at me with pity. This was bad. Even when she’d caught me eating from her garbage, she hadn’t looked at me like she was now. “Mercy, I wish...I wish I could afford to give you health insurance and hire you properly, but I’m on Medicare. Even if I did pay you like the law says I should, if I were to enroll you in a program, it and taxes would eat almost all of your income from the shop up. I looked into it today.”
“Thanks for checking for me. I’m sure this is all nothing. I’ll be fine. I’m young and healthy. Right?”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I hope so, Mercy-girl. I really hope so.” Celeste hugged me tightly and told me to go home and wait for Brody. So, I did. He showed up just before six o’clock.
I’d been pacing the floor, waiting for him, so I met him at the door and flung it open before he could even ring the bell or knock. “Hey.”
“Hey. June said you were sick. You’re not pregnant are ya?” he joked.
“I wish,” I muttered. His eyes widened and he stepped inside. Before I closed the door behind him, my eyes locked on a pair of sea-green ones. Jaxon stood in the driveway looking up at
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