Sweet Mercy - Lynn Hagen Page 0,5

so I’m not going to gossip about the ranch.”

“Fair enough.” Ford smiled when the waiter brought their drinks and they ordered their food.

When the waiter walked away, Mercy narrowed his eyes. “Just tell me you’re not crazy.”

The question threw Ford. “The last time I checked I was pretty stable. Though I do have a tendency to laugh at the dumbest jokes, and occasionally I can be a real bear.”

Pun completely intended.

Mercy pursed his lips and looked Ford over. The innocent appraisal had Ford half-hard. “Jason was a really nice guy before he turned psycho. I guess only time will tell with you.”

“Who’s Jason?” Was that the guy from the diner? Ford had a laptop tucked under the driver’s seat of his truck. The Ultionem had given him great access to data most weren’t privy to. He had a plethora of information on nonhumans so he could do his job.

This wasn’t the first time they’d hired him to track someone down. Ford was damn good at what he did, and so far hadn’t failed a mission. If Vladimir was anywhere near Fever’s Edge, Ford would find him.

“Jason was an unstable ranch worker,” Mercy said, interrupting Ford’s thoughts.

Now Ford was downright curious. One way or another, he’d get the lowdown on the ranch and what had happened. Until then, he couldn’t stop ogling his mate. Mercy was freaking gorgeous, and Ford’s bear kept snarling for him to get closer.

“I should stop at the grocery store,” Mercy said right before the waiter brought them their food. They thanked the guy before Mercy added, “There’s a couple sales I want to take advantage of.”

After they finished their meal, they walked toward Ford’s truck. He noticed how Mercy looked at the building across from where he’d parked. It had a big For Lease sign in the window.

“Thinking about renting that out?” Ford smiled.

Mercy’s hair was just long enough that he was able to tuck it behind his ear. Ford was dying to touch the shell of his mate’s ear, to tug gently on the strands as he kissed the guy. “Can I tell you something without you repeating it to anyone?”

Ford nodded.

Mercy bit his bottom lip. “My dream is to open my own bakery. Sounds silly, right? I have a good job on my brother’s ranch. Why should I want to leave that? Besides, I’m pretty sure it takes a lot of money to start your own business, which I don’t have.”

Ford asked an obvious question. “Can you bake?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” Mercy sighed. “We need to get to the grocery store then check on my tires.”

“I’ll call the mechanic,” Ford offered. “No sense in buying food that might spoil if the tires aren’t ready.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Mercy kept staring at the empty building with longing in his eyes.

“Is there another bakery in town?”

“There’s a cupcake shop a few blocks over,” Mercy said. “They taste good, but Melinda’s options are limited. I would love to bake cinnamon rolls, cakes, eclairs, and everything else that makes a person’s mouth water.”

Ford was getting a sweet tooth just thinking about what Mercy was describing. “You should serve coffee, too. People love a cup of coffee with a sweet treat in the morning.”

Mercy’s sexy blue eyes lit up as he smiled. “I hadn’t thought of that. I would also decorate the shop in pretty pastel colors. Maybe add a few tables, and…” Mercy’s shoulders sagged, and his smile faded. “It’s a nice dream, but I’m a realist.”

“Seems like you’ve given this a lot of thought.”

Again, Mercy shrugged. “I have a ton of catalogs at home. I’ve even made a dream list of the things I would want in my shop. I know it would be expensive to start because I’ve already priced everything out.” He gave Ford a wobbly smile. “I have a lot of time on my hands.”

Ford didn’t indulge Mercy any further. He had his own job to do before he left town. He was also a realist and wasn’t sure he should even tell Mercy that they were mates. Ford didn’t plan on sticking around. That wasn’t his life. This town wasn’t his future.

He was nothing more than hired muscle who went wherever the job took him. It had been over a century since Ford had made somewhere his home, and that had ended disastrously, had nearly cost him his life.

Times had changed, but people hadn’t.

Mercy wasn’t the only one with dreams, but setting down roots wasn’t in the cards for Ford. He’d made