Believing in Tomorrow

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “You’re very welcome.” Levi didn’t want to acknowledge the warmth her words created within him. So he just put the truck in reverse and said, “Ready to head back to your house?”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  During the ride back to the Callaghan and McFadden home, Samantha continued to give Levi information on her family. She shared about her brother’s accident that had left him facing rehab for a badly shattered leg. She told him about the situation surrounding her oldest brother and his girlfriend and the baby who had been dedicated that morning. Most surprising was learning that one of her brothers—who wouldn’t be present at the gathering—played in the NHL. Not being a big hockey fan, Levi wouldn’t have recognized the name. Now, if he’d played football for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Levi would have known who he was.

  Levi appreciated Samantha giving him a head’s up about her family. He liked to know as much as he could about a situation before going into it. It was interesting getting a behind-the-scenes look at a family who, from the outside, appeared to have it all. A thriving business. A beautiful home. Children who had successful careers. Yet, it was apparent that just like every other family—rich or poor, large or small—they had their share of struggles and difficulties.

  “Gabe has mellowed some since his accident and getting involved with Maya, but he can still joke with the best of them. I would recommend ignoring most of what comes out of his mouth.” The tone of her voice belied the harshness of her comment. “I’m hoping he surprises us all by acting his age. Mitch is much more serious. Sometimes it’s hard to believe they’re twins.”

  “Does your father live here in Winnipeg, too?”

  “No. My dad passed away when I was really little. He was in the military at the time.”

  Levi felt his stomach tighten. “I’m sorry.”

  She gave him a quick smile. “It’s okay. I don’t really remember him very well, to be honest. Unfortunately, I’m not sure he was as good a father as my mom has tried to paint him. We never talk to her about him anymore. Bennett and Makayla have more memories of him but, from what they’ve said, the memories are not necessarily great ones. He had a temper and not a lot of patience with us kids. For all intents and purposes, Steve is our father even though we don’t share a blood relationship with him.”

  Levi’s own memories of his father weren’t great either. So, they had that in common. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had someone like Steve Callaghan come into his life. He had to become the man of the house at a young age and do what he could to help his mom. Working to earn money to help their mother wasn’t what most thirteen-year-olds were doing, and for certain it hadn’t been what Davy had done. But Levi did what he had to in order to help his mom, and he was grateful for the work ethic that experience had instilled in him. It had served him well over the years. Had allowed him to build a business that was prospering—as long as his brother kept his hands off his money.

  There were significantly more cars in the parking area now than when he’d come earlier to pick up Samantha. A couple more trucks with the C&M Builders logo were parked there, and he realized that it was showtime. He sure hoped that he was going to meet whatever expectations they might have of him as the father of their granddaughter/niece.

  “Ready?” Samantha asked as he turned the engine off. “Was there anything else you wanted to know? Ask now.” She smiled. “Nothing is off limits in getting information from me.”

  “I think I’m good, but I reserve the right to ask questions later after I’ve met everyone.”

  “Sounds good.”

  As he got out of the truck, Levi immediately inhaled the tantalizing aroma of barbecue. When he opened Samantha’s door, she slid out then gestured to the wide covered veranda that wrapped around the sides of the large house.

  “We might as well head around the back. That’s where we’ll be eating since it’s such a lovely day.”

  And it was. The air was warm, but not too hot thanks to the gentle breeze that blew, rustling the leaves of the trees surrounding the house. From the maturity of the trees, Levi surmised that they had been planted when the house was built. As someone who loved working with plants, Levi could appreciate the beauty of the landscape. Seeing the abundance of flowers planted along the edge of the house and in rock enclosed gardens, Levi realized—belatedly—that perhaps he should have brought a plant or flowers for his hostess.

  It was too late now, but if Levi was invited back again, he would definitely bring something. If nothing else, he would try to gather information on the type of flowers or plants she favored and make sure that whatever he brought was something Emily Callaghan would appreciate and enjoy.

  “There you two are,” Steve called from his spot at the barbecue. “Thought maybe you had gotten lost.”

  “No,” Sammi said as she approached him. “I just had to fill Levi in on all the family secrets.”

  “All of them?” The question came from a man seated near the grill, a pair of crutches resting near his seat. Gabe.

  “Mostly yours, Gabe. I told him to just ignore anything you said.” Samantha bent to give Gabe a kiss on his cheek.

  “Oh, come on now. So if I said you were the sweetest of my sisters, he should ignore that?”

  “Oh, most definitely.” This came from a woman walking down the wide porch steps with a bowl in her hands. She had the same dark hair as Samantha and a burgeoning belly. Makayla.

  Everyone that was within earshot laughed. A tall dark-haired man slipped his arm around Makayla’s waist and held her close to his side. “I happen to believe that you are the sweetest.”

  “Yeah. Yeah.” Gabe waved his hand dismissively. “But you’re biased, man, and prefer not to sleep on the couch.”

  Ah, that made the man Ethan. Makayla’s husband.

  “Levi?” At the sound of his name, Levi swung around to see another tall dark-haired man coming toward them. He held a tiny little girl with light brown curls in his arms, a blonde-haired woman right behind them. Keeping the little girl in the curve of his arm, he held out his hand. “I’m Bennett.”

  Levi shook his hand, but his gaze went right to the little girl. He had a curiosity about babies now that he never had before. Especially baby girls.

  “This is Olivia Joy and her mother, the love of my life, Grace.”

  The woman smiled up at Bennett as she pressed her head to his shoulder. Then her gaze fell on Levi, a curious look coming over her face. “Nice to meet you, Levi.”

  “You, too,” Levi said as he shook the hand she held out.

  Over the next ten minutes, Levi met the remainder of the family that was present. A statuesque woman with dark skin, high cheekbones, and warm brown eyes came around the side of the house, followed by a tall, large man who looked vaguely familiar. Levi was positive that Samantha hadn’t mentioned anything about these two.

  “Hi, Tami,” Samantha said as the woman came to her side and gave her a hug. “I wasn’t sure you’d be here today.”

  “Lucky for us, Keenan got home from their away game in Toronto yesterday, so we were able to come,” Tami said with a smile at the man behind her.

  The name registered about the same time the term away game did. Levi hadn’t watched the game yet. He had planned to watch it later that night, but he knew that the Bombers had won. And he knew who the man was. Keenan Miller.

  Samantha turned to him. “Levi, this is a close family friend, Tami, and her boyfriend, Keenan Miller.”

  Levi wasn’t sure if he should say anything about recognizing him but decided to play it cool, even though his inner football fan self was clamoring to gush his appreciation of the game Keenan played.

  “Nice to meet you, Levi,” Keenan said after Levi had shaken Tami’s hand. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

  Levi was surprised that the man didn’t try to squeeze his hand in some sort of masculine one-uppance. Of course, at Keenan’s size, there wasn’t a real need for that type of show of strength.

  “Thank you,
” Levi said.

  “Dude, I’m surprised you’re up and walking around today after that nasty hit you took,” Gabe said from his seat.

  Levi wished then that he had watched the game, so he would have known what they were referring to. He tended to avoid too much information about the games if he wasn’t able to attend them or watch them on television, even though he usually knew the score. Sunday games were his favorite since he was usually off, and so was able to watch or attend the games live. It was a nice break from his work schedule.

  Samantha stuck close to his side as conversation swirled around, some of it including him, some of it not. He didn’t mind. He’d never been a big one for talking, but he knew that lots could be learned from listening to the conversations of others. Much of what Samantha had told him about the various family members was proven true through their conversations with each other.

  “Sorry we’re late.” A young woman with shiny black hair, lightly tanned skin and gently tilted eyes came down the steps and immediately crossed to where Gabe sat, bending to press a kiss to his lips. “Hi, love.”

  “Long time no see, beautiful,” Gabe said as he smiled up at her.

  She was accompanied by an older couple made up of a beautiful Asian woman and a distinguished-looking gray-haired man. Levi figured out the young woman was Maya, and he concluded that the couple must be her parents. Samantha hadn’t mentioned anything about them, but soon he learned his conclusion was correct, and he had yet another jolt of shock when he realized exactly who Maya’s father was.

  During the introductions, no one give a last name for the couple, and even though he knew that Maya’s last name was St. James, Levi recognized the man from business journals and magazines he read. Max Zevardi. Once again, Levi quelled the urge to blather on about how much he admired the man’s hard work. He shook the man’s hand and willed himself not to say anything that would embarrass himself or the other people there. They hadn’t been introduced with a last name, so he could only assume that the reason for that, most likely, was anonymity.

  “Why don’t you guys help your mother with the rest of the food,” Steve Callaghan said. “This stuff is just about ready.”

  “I’ll be right back,” Samantha said before following some of her siblings into the house.

  Levi wasn’t left alone for long. Bennett approached him, the little girl still in his arms.

  “So would you like some practice?” he asked.

  “Practice?”

  “Holding a baby,” Bennett said with a grin.

  “Oh. Uh.” Levi looked at the baby girl, suddenly thinking how small she was. “I’m not sure about that.”

  “I know it can be a bit daunting, but really, once it’s your own, you have a lot more confidence.”

  Levi hoped that he was right because looking at the baby in Bennett’s arms, all he could think about was how tiny and fragile she looked. Was it possible for babies to be born less tiny and fragile looking? Because he wasn’t sure he could live with himself if he accidentally dropped her.

  “If you want to practice anytime, just let me know. Olivia likes dark-haired men.” Bennett nuzzled the little girl’s neck. “Don’t you, sweetheart?”

  The baby smiled and banged a hand against Bennett’s face. Clearly, the baby adored the man holding her. Levi could only hope that his own daughter would look at him with such an expression one day.

  “So what is it that you do?” Bennett asked.

  “I own my own business,” Levi said, for some reason a little reticent to divulge too much about it, but he knew it would seem strange if he didn’t give details. “Doing lawn maintenance. Snow removal. Landscaping.”

  “You like to work outdoors?”

  “When the weather’s nice, I definitely do. However, rain and frigid temperatures are not my favorite working conditions.”

  “Yeah. I never cared for them either. Not to mention the damper they can put on construction. Never a good thing when it’s your business.”

  Levi continued to talk to the man, wondering when he’d face some sort of judgment for the way he’d come into Samantha’s life and the role he’d played in getting her pregnant. Thankfully, Bennett, at least, didn’t seem to hold negative feelings toward him. He had anticipated those feelings from Samantha’s mother, but interestingly enough, she hadn’t shown him any animosity upon meeting him either. In fact, he wondered if perhaps her reticence in having Samantha stand with them had not been because she worried about what people would think of their family, but what they would think of Samantha and possibly how some might treat her. Was she trying to protect her daughter?

  When he observed Emily watch Samantha, he saw only concern on her face. No judgment. No anger. Just worry and concern. Samantha didn’t seem to be as worried about how people would treat her, so Levi hoped that Emily, too, could let go of her concerns and just be there to support her daughter.

  “Do you have a church, my man?” The question came in a deep, rumbling voice. Keenan Miller settled onto the bench on the other side of the picnic table from Levi.

  “No, I can’t say that I do.” He was still in a bit of shock over finding the man there with Samantha’s family. “Religion hasn’t had much of a role in my life to date.”

  Keenan nodded as if he understood that, then tilted his head to the side. “Though my mom tried to take my siblings and me to church when we were younger, my father had no interest, so he never supported her efforts. It wasn’t until I lost her in my teens that I began to consider the life she’d lived, and I began to wonder where she might have gone after her death. I loved and missed her terribly, and as a way to remember her, I began to attend church the way she’d wanted me to. But in my desire to honor her life, I found freedom in my own life. Freedom from sin. Freedom from guilt. And I found hope for my future.”

  Levi considered the man’s words. Sin? Guilt? He thought he was a good man. He took care of his mother, even when she wanted nothing to do with him. He was a fair and generous employer. Was it wrong that he’d gone to the police about Davy’s theft? He hadn’t thought that doing that would ever be classed as a sin. So the one thing, of course, that stood out in his mind, mainly because of Samantha’s reaction, was that sleeping with her had been a sin. He’d never considered that thought. Sex outside of marriage certainly wasn’t painted that way by the society he lived in.

  But still, didn’t the good he did outweigh the bad? He was stepping up to take responsibility for the child that was conceived because of his actions. Wasn’t that enough to make up for the sin—if that was what it truly was?

  “I’ve never really felt that there was a need for religion. I thought that hard work and doing the right thing was good enough.” Levi was aware that while others continued to chat a short distance away, both Bennett and Keenan stayed with him.

  “I understand that sometimes it’s hard to just take a person’s word for it when it comes to matters of faith, so I wonder if you’d like to attend our Bible study. Bennett, Ethan, and I take turns leading it, and we’re just getting ready to start up again after taking the summer off. No pressure, of course, but if you’re curious at all, you’d be welcome to join us.”

  Part of Levi wanted to agree, just because the man played for his favorite team, but another part of him was a little reluctant to become involved in something like that. He hadn’t intended for his life to get so intertwined with Samantha’s family. In fact, he’d figured he’d meet them at the barbecue and then wouldn’t see much more of them after that point. Probably at the baby’s birth and maybe for birthdays and such in the future. This invitation seemed like it was pulling him into their lives too much. Like he was Samantha’s boyfriend or potential husband. Since he wasn’t either, Levi wasn’t sure if he felt comfortable prolonging his contact with the family.

  But not wanting to be rude, Levi settled for saying, “I’ll think about it. I’m in my busiest time of year, so I’m working pretty long hours and hesitate to commit to anything addi
tional right now.”

  Neither Keenan nor Bennett pressured him, and Keenan just handed him a card with his name and number on it. “If you decide to come, you can let Bennett know or give me a call. I’m not always able to attend every study myself given my traveling schedule with the team.”

  “Are you a football fan, Levi?” Bennett asked with a grin. “Or do you prefer hockey?”

  Recalling that Bennett’s brother played for the NHL, Levi allowed a brief smile to curve his lips. “I have to say that I’m more of a football fan than a hockey one—as un-Canadian as that might be.”

  “You don’t say.” Bennett nudged Keenan with his elbow. “Well, how do you feel Keenan’s been playing this year?”

  “Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to watch yesterday’s game, though I do know the Bombers won. From what I recall of previous games, Keenan’s been player of the game for at least one game so far this season, so I’d say he’s doing pretty well.”

  “We love to get together with Keenan and play armchair quarterback with him. After all, he’s not perfect, so we’re always able to find something to tell him that he could have done better.”

  Bennett laughed as Keenan rubbed his hands over his face. “You guys keep me humble, that’s for sure.”

  The conversation turned more fully to football, and Levi felt the tension that had built during the religious conversation begin to ease away. It was the first time since arriving at the barbecue that he felt almost completely relaxed. Almost…

  Samantha had left his side when Keenan and Bennett had taken up seats at the picnic table. She was currently talking with Makayla, Grace, and Tami while the teenage girls played with Olivia on a blanket on the grass.

  When the party broke up a couple of hours later, Levi said goodbye and then walked around the house to his truck with Samantha.

  Once there, Samantha smiled at him. “Thanks so much for coming today. I know it was probably awkward for you, so I appreciate it a lot.”