Sins of the Father

Chapter Four

"What the hell?" When Mercy arrived in the kitchen on Thursday morning, she found a vase of red roses sitting on the kitchen table. Her birthday wasn't until the next day, and her mom always got her tulips.

Mercy's mom, Teagan, turned away from the kink where she had been doing the dishes. "Those came this morning for you." She wiped her hands on a dishtowel. "From someone named Happy." She took a small envelope out of her back pocket and handed it to her. "Odd name. I didn't read it," she assured her.

Opening the envelope, Mercy pulled out, not a card as she had expected, but a sheet of folded up notebook paper. Curiously, she unfolded it and began to read.

*** Little girl,

I got your address from Austin. Hope you don't mind. Looking forward to seeing you tonight.

Happy ***

Mercy chuckled at his penmanship. "He writes like a serial killer."

Teagan scowled at her daughter. "That is in no way funny."

Mercy rolled her eyes.

"Does he know?" Teagan put her hands on her hips. "Who is this guy anyway?"

"A guy I know from the diner, and I'm telling him tonight."

Teagan snorted. "Well, good luck to you, sweetie."

***

Mercy had finished her nightly chores and had just said goodnight to Austin as he headed out the back door when she heard the bell on the front door ring.

Heading out into the dining room, Mercy found Happy flipping the sign on the front door to closed and locking it.

"Hey," she was nervously running her palms on her jeans as she approached him.

"Hey, baby." He put his hands on her hips and leaned down to kiss her, but Mercy turned her head, so he only caught her cheek with his lips.

"I told you to hold off on anything like that." Mercy pulled away from him.

Happy was very clearly annoyed. "So how about you start talking? I ain't real patient."

Mercy walked over and grabbed the black scrapbook from under the diner counter. "Sit." She nodded towards Happy's usual table in the back.