Leap of Faith: Mercy, #1

By Lili Grouse

Faith has a new landlord…
Faith Thompson never thought she'd see Chase Stevens return to the small town of Mercy. She certainly didn't expect him to come back as her new landlord, set on selling the home she's had for the past seven years. Faith never found the courage to tell Chase how she felt back when they were still friends, and she's determined to keep those old feelings dead and buried now that he's back. After all, it devastated her the last time he left, and Chase already has plans to leave again for his life in L.A. But the more time Faith spends with Chase, the harder it is to ignore the way she's always felt about him. With potential heartbreak looming on the horizon, Faith has a decision to make: does she take a leap of faith and tell the only man she's ever loved how she feels, or does she push him away and let her heart heal for good?

A long time ago, they used to be friends…
In ten years, not much has changed in the small town of Mercy. At least, that's what Chase Stevens believes when he's forced back to his hometown to renovate the unwanted house his mother gifted him. The interaction with his new tenant, Faith Thompson, however, quickly dispels him of that notion. When they were younger, Faith was a tough-as-nails tomboy and his best friend. Now, she still has the quick wit he always appreciated and her love for the outdoors, but she's not the confident young woman Chase grew up with. With his life and business back in L.A. and a divorce looming over his head, Chase should tie things up in Mercy as quickly as possible, but the desire to spend time with Faith and rekindle their friendship is irresistible. And when friendship has the potential to blossom into something more, Chase must decide whether it's nostalgia for his carefree younger years tempting him to stay, or whether he once overlooked everything that was right under his nose.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Grouse Hill Publishing
• Release date: Mar 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215859629

Lili Grouse

Growing up on a farm, Lili Grouse discovered her love of storytelling early on, making up bedtime stories for the calves, who were probably happier for the attention than the actual storytelling. In school, she was given a notebook to be used solely for writing stories in. She filled it up and asked for another - she was working on an epic, darn it. Of course, writing time in school wasn't enough, so she took to writing - and illustrating - stories at home on printer paper her father happily provided. Cut to thirty years later, give or take, and Lili Grouse is still at it. These days, her stories have less to do with strawberries going on adventures and searching for hidden treasures, and more to do with finding that elusive happy-ever-after. It is her dream to one day write for a living, but in the meantime, every minute not spent working, sleeping, or reading is dedicated to working on her passion.

Book preview

Leap of Faith

Mercy #1

Lili Grouse

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Grouse Hill Publishing

Copyright © 2019, 2023 by Lili Grouse

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

Cover image under license from Shutterstock.

Cover design by Colleen Kelley, The Magenta Quill Book Design

Previously published by Sheila & Swede (2019)

All rights reserved.

For all those who dare to dream.

Contents

1.1

2.2

3.3

4.4

5.5

6.6

7.7

8.8

9.9

10.10

11.11

12.12

13.13

14.14

15.15

16.16

17.17

18.18

19.19

20.20

21.21

22.22

23.23

24.24

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Also By

Excerpt

1

Faith Thompson carried the last of her elderly neighbor’s boxes over to the waiting cab. The movers had already taken the larger pieces, and now it was just Mrs. Daniels left with the little mementos she didn’t trust the movers with.

Thank you, dear, Mrs. Daniels said and smiled, the creases on her face rearranging with the stretch of her skin. I think I’m going to miss you the most. She patted Faith’s hand lovingly, and Faith felt genuine warmth run through her.

Mrs. Daniels had been the perfect neighbor and landlord, always ready to lend an ear or a cup of sugar. In return, Faith had helped her with grocery shopping and filling her prescription at the pharmacy in downtown Mercy. Situated a few miles from Albany, New York, the little town of Mercy had only one pharmacy, and it was the kind of town where everybody knew everybody.

I’m going to miss you too, Mrs. Daniels, Faith said and blinked away tears. But I’ll be by to visit you at Whispering Willows.

Oh, don’t worry about me, dear. I’m happy to make room for the next generation. I hear it’s a young couple that’s moving into my little place. I’m sure they’ll be much better company for you than this old bat. Mrs. Daniels chuckled and patted Faith’s cheek.

I doubt it, Faith muttered under her breath as Mrs. Daniels climbed into the cab, but made sure to smile and wave as her former landlord – and a major part of her support system – left for a new life in the retirement village on the outskirts of Mercy.

The old duplex that Faith had shared with her elderly neighbor for the past seven years sat at the end of a one-way street; the lane was cut off by a strip of forest with a running trail that led down to the city center of Mercy. The house itself had seen better days, which made the rent on her upstairs apartment affordable. The new owners would undoubtedly want to remodel, which would inevitably raise her rent. And maybe they were looking to start a family and get rid of the tenant that came with the house…

Her footsteps echoed on the narrow wooden staircase, driving home the realization that for the first time in years, she was well and truly alone. Getting her apartment door open took a light push with her shoulder. In the old days, she’d played touch football with her friends down on the football field and had taken quite a few hits. Her shoulder was resilient, though, her body strengthened by exercise and the hiking trips she made at least once a month.

Faith pulled her brown mane out of its ponytail and headed for the bathroom. Her body was grimy from cleaning out Mrs. Daniels’ apartment, and her temperamental shower beckoned. As she was undressing, she heard a car pull up outside. Holding her sweat-soaked top to her chest, she peered out the window and spotted a strange car in front of the duplex. Were the new owners here already?

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Chase Stevens pulled up to the curb and killed the engine. The GPS in his rental insisted he’d reached his destination, but as he looked up at the old duplex at the end of Baneberry Lane, Chase hoped he’d entered the wrong address.

The blue paint looked like it had peeled years ago, and the porch railing was slightly crooked. It was a definite fixer-upper and he was a real estate broker, not a handyman. At least he could put a sledgehammer to a wall or two. Maybe he’d be able to work off some of his frustrations.

Chase closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat, forcing himself to loosen his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. There was no use in crying over spilled milk, as his mother would say. The past couple of weeks had been a whirlwind, keeping him from processing what had gone down, how his life had changed with a few spoken words and sheets of paper.

How ironic that his parents had gifted him a house in his hometown for his fifth wedding anniversary, and now he wouldn’t be celebrating any more anniversaries. At least he had a place to stay while the divorce went through. Lori had already staked her claim on their L.A. apartment by inviting his business partner into their bed. There was no way he would ever set foot in their bedroom again after finding out about the affair, so he’d stayed in a hotel while they drew up and filed the divorce papers.

Eventually, he would have to go back to L.A. to sort out the real estate business. He’d worked too long and too hard to give it up without a fight, investing years into creating a client base and contact list most in his industry would envy. L.A. was where his future was, even now that the future felt uncertain in a way it hadn’t since he moved out there ten years ago.

Ten years, and Mercy appeared not to have changed one bit. That was small-town life for you. While his mother had loved the simplicity of life in upstate NY, his father had eventually won out, and they’d moved down to Florida to enjoy retirement there. When he found out they’d bought him a house in the very town where he grew up, Chase had suspected it was his mother’s way of having an excuse to visit the area she’d loved so much. Right now, looking up at the nearly dilapidated house, he wasn’t so sure she’d done her due diligence on this. Apparently, the house also came with a tenant.

In the span of a few weeks, he’d found out his wife was having an affair with his business partner, filed paperwork to end an almost five-year-long marriage, and discovered that he was now the proud new owner of a run-down property on the opposite coast from where he’d spent the past ten years building a name for himself in the real estate industry. And he was going to have to deal with some old biddy for a tenant. Just super.

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Faith knew she needed to do the neighborly thing and go downstairs to introduce herself to the new owner of the duplex, especially if she hoped to stay on as tenant, so she moved away from the window, put her sweaty top back on, and hastily pulled her hair up in a makeshift bun to appear at least somewhat presentable.

When she stepped onto the porch, she halted. Whoever the new owners were, they still hadn’t left the car. How odd. Well, she would just have to wait for them to step out. It’d be rude to go knocking on the car window, and just as rude to run back upstairs before introducing herself.

She was considering ducking back inside as the car doors remained closed. Maybe they hadn’t seen her yet. Or maybe they were having an intimate and intense conversation and thought she was a big weirdo for just standing on the porch watching them. Oh God, what if they were making out and thought she was a voyeuristic perv, even though she technically couldn’t see inside the car? Faith wanted to sink through the porch deck. There was a loose board somewhere…

Finally, the driver side door opened and a fair-haired man stepped out of the car. Her breath caught in her throat as he came into view. His hair was cut within an inch of its life and his green eyes looked weathered and hard, but there was no doubt in her mind who he was. You didn’t spend years sneaking looks at the guy you were crazy about without memorizing every single feature of that person. His jaw was broader and his five o’clock stubble made him look much older than the last time she’d seen him. Then again, it had been ten years since he left Mercy for good.

Chase?

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Chase took a deep breath and stepped out of his rental car. For the past ten minutes, he’d been lost in thought, staring straight ahead but not really seeing anything. As he turned towards the house, he spotted a woman standing on the porch. She was dressed far too casually to be the real estate agent, so who was she and what was she doing here?

As he walked around the car, the woman took a few steps toward him. She was stunningly attractive with her chocolate brown hair and toned body, but he’d had enough of beautiful women for a while. Then she spoke.

Chase?

Chase frowned. How did this woman know his name? Was she the real estate agent, after all? What had happened to ‘Mr. Stevens’, as she’d called him repeatedly over the phone and in her emails?

There was something familiar about her, though. Big, brown eyes, heart-shaped face, clear and lightly tanned skin, and an athletic body that suggested she spent a lot of time outdoors. Running, hiking, playing sports… like touch football… No. It couldn’t be. What would she be doing here?

Faith?

From the look on her face, he knew he’d guessed it right. Never in a million years would he have expected to see Faith Thompson back in Mercy. She’d had so many big plans for the future when they were growing up and, before they’d lost touch, she’d been talking about going to college out in California. Maybe he hadn’t been supportive enough of that particular choice, but that had very little to do with Faith and everything to do with Lori’s insecurities.

Despite being a gorgeous, popular, blond cheerleader, Lori had been pretty possessive when it came to him and their relationship, at least in the beginning. If Faith had moved to the same campus, he would have spent time with her because they’d been friends since they were kids, and that wouldn’t have gone over well with Lori. It didn’t matter to his girlfriend that he had always considered Faith as one of the guys. So, when Faith stopped calling and emailing, he didn’t make the effort to reach out and keep their friendship going. At the time, he’d experienced more than a twinge of guilt over abandoning his childhood friend, but he’d thought he was doing the right thing. If he could only have one of them in his life, he had to make a choice. He chose Lori. For better or for worse. The ‘for worse’ part had finally caught up with him.

Wow, it’s been— Faith started, shaking her head and wearing a look of incredulity on her face that he was sure mirrored his own.

A decade, he completed her sentence. It’s great seeing you again. He should hug her. It was the natural thing to do when meeting an old friend, wasn’t it? And yet something was holding him back. So… do you live around here?

He looked over at the neighboring house for signs of a family she might have these days. Not that that would explain her occupying his porch, but…

Actually… she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, keeping her hands in her pockets. I live here.

Here? As in…? he gestured towards the duplex when descriptive words failed him. So it was the wrong address. He couldn’t help but feel relieved that he wasn’t the new, not-so-proud owner of the crap pile that Faith apparently lived in. Now he just had to say goodbye to Faith and—

I rent the upstairs apartment. Mrs. Daniels, the former owner, just moved to a retirement village. I thought you were the new owner, that’s why I came down.

Crap. Chase recognized the name Daniels. Geraldine Daniels was listed as the seller of the property. And there was an F. D. Thompson listed as tenant. Faith Denise Thompson. Double crap. I guess I am.

It served him right for not doing his due diligence. The real estate agent had been dismissive about the tenant that came with the house, stating that it wasn’t a problem, and he’d assumed it was another senior citizen who might be persuaded to move into a retirement home shortly. Not his childhood friend, who was one year his junior. The same childhood friend he’d turned his back on ten years ago.

Oh. She frowned, looking over his shoulder at something that wasn’t there. I thought…

She was expecting a couple, Chase realized. A couple that didn’t exist anymore. It’s just me, he said simply, putting enough chill into his voice to dissuade from any further questioning. They might have been good friends once, but they were practically strangers now.

Oh, she said again, the frown still tugging at her forehead. She was clearly confused, but smart enough not to push. More cautious than she’d been as a child, that’s for sure. Well, welcome back, I guess.

Thanks.

The awkward distance between them had quickly grown by leaps and bounds. It reminded him of running into old college friends on the street. You asked a couple of polite questions and then you just ran out of things to say, realizing the only thing you had in common was that you went to the same school once upon a time. Or that you grew up in the same small town, for that matter.

Well, I should get going, Faith said and hiked her thumb towards the house, where a door to the side of the porch suggested there was a separate entrance to the upstairs apartment. I have to get to work.

On a Sunday? he asked, keeping the polite conversation going. If he really was her new landlord, they’d be seeing a lot of each other between now and whenever he could get the hell out of Mercy.

I work at Books ‘n’ Buns – the café slash bookshop downtown?

She phrased it as a question, as if he didn’t remember the old place that had been in the same spot for decades. As if they hadn’t hung out there after school on a regular basis.

I know the place, he said, flashes of memory playing before his eyes. They’d had some fun times together back then. I’ll stop by some time and check it out, see if things are any different from what they used to be around here, he added.

He heard the snark in his voice as he said the words, and he wanted to kick himself. It wasn’t Faith’s fault that he’d never wanted to come back here, or that he’d been forced to come anyway. And he had no right to judge her for staying, even though he’d thought she’d go out and do great things with her life instead of wasting her potential waiting tables in Mercy.

Right. Her mouth was a thin line as she started backing away from him. See you around.

Chase opened his mouth to apologize for acting like a giant douche, but Faith was already gone. So much for his efforts to be civil. Maybe it was just as well. He wasn’t here to stay. This was just a temporary fix, and he didn’t have time to invest in making friends – or rekindling old friendships. Spending time with Faith would only lead to more guilt when he inevitably walked out of her life again. She was a part of the small town they’d always wanted to escape, and he’d made a home for himself in the city. They had nothing in common anymore. Reconnecting would be a terrible idea. Besides, if his friendship with Jimmy was any indication, friends always ended up stabbing you in the back, anyway.

2

Faith closed the door behind her and took a deep breath as she rested her back against it. What was Chase Stevens doing back in Mercy? He’d sworn never to return once he left for college, so it wasn’t as if she had been holding her breath for his return all these years. Back then, she couldn’t wait to leave Mercy herself, but then life happened. Or, more accurately, death happened.

After her dad’s accident senior year, Faith had to help her mom pay the bills, and so she’d turned her weekend job into a full-time one and stayed at home. Then when her mom got sick, medical bills ate up the last of their savings. Even if Faith had wanted to leave town after her mom passed away, she couldn’t afford to.

Seeing Chase again was a reminder of a happier time in her life. She had been what some call a tomboy, spending all her free time with her dad, who coached little league football when he wasn’t at the high school teaching P.E. Her dad had coached Chase and his friends, who were one year older than she was, and she had begged to join in. She’d been a stubborn kid and they’d eventually agreed to let her play with them. It didn’t take long to earn their respect on the field, and friendship followed closely behind.

As they got older, her little group of friends had expanded their extracurricular activities to hanging out at the Mercy Youth Center – where Chase taught her to rock climb – and to taking hiking trips up in the Adirondacks. Almost every minute of her spare time was spent with Chase, at least until he started noticing girls. The kind of girls who used makeup and flirted with boys, and who only went outdoors to cheer at games.

By that time, Faith had come to realize she’d developed a serious crush on her best friend, and every time he took a girl out, it felt like a rusty nail was hammered into her gut. Every time she’d looked in the mirror, she’d noted how plain and boyish she looked. No wonder Chase never looked at her the way he looked at the cute, blond cheerleaders with their padded bras and tiny waists. But he always came back to her, seeking out her company when whichever girl he was dating at the time got too clingy, or too girly. She’d told herself that having him as a friend was good enough and that maybe one day he’d realize ‘girly’ wasn’t for him. When he moved away to college and started dating Lori, she knew it was time to stop waiting for that day to come. After ten years apart, she didn’t think any of those old feelings would still be lurking around. She’d been dead wrong.

With a deep sigh, she grabbed her bag and the hiking book she was currently reading and headed out. She wasn’t working today, but she could certainly go over to Books ‘n’ Buns and hang out with her co-worker for a bit while she tried to figure out how to handle the sudden reappearance of her former best friend and crush.

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The little bell above the door dinged as Faith entered Books ‘n’ Buns and Carla Benson looked up from behind the counter, her customer service smile ready to go. With her blond, wispy hair, she always reminded Faith of her aunt, the late Mrs. Grayson, who ran the coffee shop when Faith first started working there.

It’s just me. Go back to whatever it was that you were doing.

Scrubbing the sneeze guard, you mean? Carla sighed and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Thanks, I’ll pass. What are you doing here on your day off, anyway? Shouldn’t you be helping your neighbor pack?

Mrs. Daniels is safely packed and en route to Whispering Willows, Faith said and flopped down on a couch in the book section of the café, pulling her own book out of her bag. The coffee shop was devoid of patrons at the moment.

And you’re bored, so you’ve come to see little ol’ me? Carla said and pretended to fan herself with her washcloth. I’m much obliged.

I needed a change of scenery, is all, Faith said with a one-shouldered shrug. Coffee?

I just put on a fresh pot, Carla said and walked over to the coffee maker. Don’t know why I bother, though. It’s not like we have a big turnout on Sunday afternoons these days.

Business will pick up. It always does, Faith said and found the dog-eared page she’d last visited in her book.

Easy for you to say, Miss Tour Guide, Carla drawled and poured Faith a cup of coffee. You have an alternative career to fall back on. Me, I’ve put all my money into this pit.

Faith rolled her eyes. "I’d hardly call bi-monthly hiking tours