Slamming her palms on the table in frustration, she caused her coffee cup to spill over the edge. The bills soaked up the liquid in the same way they did every dime she made. How did a man with so little income have so much damn credit?
She had two choices: bankruptcy or another source of income. Randy stole her heart, her trust, and her dreams, and there was no way she was sacrificing her credit score too. She needed a second job; maybe someplace she could pull a few hours year-round to help make ends meet.
Determined to create a better life for herself, she dressed, put a little makeup on, and climbed into her car, an old Volkswagen Beetle decorated with flower stickers and peace signs. She wasn't a hippie, but she loved the happy-looking vehicle, and the kids at school got a laugh from it too. Each year the flower-shaped stickers seemed to reproduce. She was almost sure the glue on the backs kept her car together.
She pulled into the open spot in front of B's Bakery and went inside. If anyone knew about potential jobs, it was Katie. She had her ear to the ground in the small town. With the only bulletin board in town, she was privy to what people wanted and needed, and right now, Mercy needed money.
"Hey, you." Katie leaned against the glass display with a smile as sweet as her brownies on her face. "What brings you in?"
Mercy didn't indulge in baked sweets often. First, they weren't in the budget, and second, they were like a drug to her. Once she started, she wouldn't be able to stop.
"I'd love a cup of coffee." She looked at the sweets behind the glass and sighed.
"Muffin?" Katie pulled out a cranberry orange treat and set it on a plate. "On the house."
"It's not that I can't afford it." She tilted her head to the side. "Things are tight, but a treat now and again is in the budget."
"Take it and have a seat. I made too many today—besides, it's your compensation for having to sit with me for a visit. With the town growing and all, everyone is busy, and my lady friends don't have as much time. If Sage isn't working, she is usually taking a nap, and Lydia never leaves the clinic unless she's with Wes. Louise has eight kids, so how much free time do you think she has?" Katie nodded toward the door. "Natalie used to come in every so often, but she's got Will and Jake, who keep her hopping." She got Mercy's coffee and jutted her chin toward the table. "I need my girl time."
"I could use some girl time too." Mercy felt terrible that she hadn't gone out of her way to forge any relationships in town. She knew of just about everyone but didn't actually know them. After the public scandal and all the tongue-wagging she had to deal with, she'd taken a people hiatus since she arrived. It was time to become part of her community.
They moved to the table under The Wishing Wall.
"Tell me, where have you been hiding?" Katie asked in her Texas twang.
Honesty was at the forefront of her prerequisites for human interaction. She didn't have it with her husband and wouldn't tolerate not having it with anyone else, but did she come out of the gate with her dilemma or ease into it?
"My life has been a bit of a challenge since I moved here." She leaned in and whispered. "My husband passed away last year."
Katie's smile fell, and a tear pooled in her eye. "Oh, honey," she reached over and took Mercy's hand. "I had no idea. I'm so sorry."
While the sympathy was sweet, it wasn't necessary. "Um … thank you, but I have to be honest. Randy was a cheating, lying, sack of shit."
"Oh," Katie's eyes shot wide open. "Karma is a bitch, isn't it? If I caught Bowie cheating on me, I'd castrate him."
The death of Randy wasn't a laughing matter, but Mercy laughed loud and hard.
"Karma did that for me. Car accident."
"Seriously?" It took a few seconds, but Mercy knew when Katie figured it out. "Not that guy."
"Yep, he was mine … well, not really. Apparently, he was a lot of peoples."
"Oh, you poor sweet thing." Katie leaped out of her chair and wrapped Mercy in a hug. "Girl, you should have come in here earlier."
"It's so embarrassing." Her cheeks heated, and she was sure they resembled the color of a cranberry.
"That was his sin, not yours. His stupidity, not yours. His punishment, not yours." She hugged her tightly for a few more seconds before taking her seat.
"That's where you're wrong. I'm still being punished." She glanced at The Wishing Wall. "Do people ask for jobs up there?" She pointed to the corkboard.
"Oh lord, they ask for everything from bigger you-know-whats, to a cure for hemorrhoids. The stuff I see could make a person want to bleach their eyes."
"I thought I'd come in and put my wish on the board. I need a summer job for now and a part-time one once school starts. Do you know anyone hiring?"
"Dang it. I wish you'd come and seen me yesterday. Samantha's crew is in town, and since there isn't much nightlife here, Deanna picked up a part-time job at the bookstore. I don't think she needs it for money, but to ease the boredom of living in the sticks." Katie stared out the window. "With that walking around town, I don't know how any girl could get bored."
Mercy turned around to see what grabbed Katie's attention. Across the street was a man walking into the pharmacy. He was tall with short, dark hair. Though he looked vaguely familiar, she couldn't place him.
"Who's that?"
"Only the biggest heartthrob to move into Aspen Cove. It's Alex Cruz."
Mercy pulled a muscle snapping her head to look where the handsome man entered.
"No way. Alex has long flowing brown hair. That's
