A Change of Heart: A Christian Romance (The Callaghans & McFaddens Book 1)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  When Tristan appeared, Ethan realized that it wasn’t just going to be him and Bennett for the evening. He found himself looking forward to getting to know the other two brothers who worked for the company. Though Tristan and Mitch looked somewhat alike, Ethan had been informed that Gabe was actually Mitch’s twin. Tristan had seemed the most reserved of the guys in the family, but hopefully, he’d open up a bit in a more relaxed environment. Ethan was sure hoping that he’d be able to relax as well.

  Before they left, Steve told him to sleep in as long as he wanted the next morning. Ethan was grateful to have that opportunity since he had no idea how late he’d be out with the guys.

  Bennett was driving the same truck he’d used for the airport pick-up, and as they made their way downtown, he pointed out different things of interest along the way, much like his father had done that morning. They ended up at a sports bar not too far from the arena, and, after a filling meal, they made their way into the MTS Centre. It wasn’t long before Ethan realized that the tickets Bennett had were not good, they were great. As they filed into their seats—in the third row behind the Jets’ bench—Ethan found himself between Bennett and Mitch.

  It became clear pretty quickly that all three of the guys were huge Jets’ fans. Though he had never been to a game in person, Ethan knew the ins and outs of the sport since he’d watched it on television periodically. It didn’t take him long to get caught up in the game, however, cheering on the Jets as enthusiastically as the brothers. They would all surge to their feet when the Jets gained possession of the puck and headed for their opponents’ net. And they’d joined the people around them booing when the refs made a questionable call against their team.

  It was, honestly, the most fun he’d had in a very long time. It made him realize that if things went as he hoped, he might end up with some new friends, not just a new job. That thought made him take a minute in the midst of the cheering fans to once again ask God to please let it work out.

  *

  Makayla had no idea why she’d spent far too much time trying to decide what to wear to the barbecue at her parents’ place. She really preferred to keep her interactions with Ethan Collins on a professional level, but now she was going to have to deal with him in a more casual environment.

  She stared at the outfits she’d tossed on the bed. She had two very distinct styles. Her professional one and her casual one. Usually, if she needed a less formal business look, she would just remove the jacket of her suit.

  Her casual style, however, was less severe and much more comfortable. Normally, for a barbecue, she would’ve been going casual all the way without hesitation. It was only Ethan’s presence that was making her second guess what to wear.

  Finally, she decided on a pair of jeans and a pastel floral top that had cap sleeves and was gathered under her bust, flowing down over her hips. Though her outfit was more on the casual side, she’d put her hair up in the French twist she always wore to work and applied her makeup, making sure that it was flawless. She slid her feet into a pair of black sandals then left to find Tami.

  Even though this was technically a family gathering, Tami and Grace were included because as Makayla’s best friends for well over a decade, they were considered members of the Callaghan-McFadden family.

  “Ready to go?” Makayla asked when she spotted her roommate leaning against the counter in the kitchen, her head bent over her phone.

  Tami’s head popped up, and she grinned. “For sure. I need to meet this man who’s got your world turned upside down.”

  Makayla groaned as she opened the door of their apartment and stepped onto the landing. “It’s not him who has my world turned upside down. It’s the situation.”

  “If you insist,” Tami said as she followed Makayla out and closed the door.

  Together they made their way from the third-floor apartment to the main floor. There were only five apartments in the building that her father owned. She and Tami lived in the top apartment which had three bedrooms, but after Grace had moved out, they hadn’t bothered to find a new roommate. Bennett had a two bedroom apartment on the second floor while Mitch had a two bedroom on the main floor. The other two apartments were both empty, but likely not for long. Though nothing had been said, Makayla had a feeling that Ethan Collins would soon be occupying the remaining apartment. She could just see her dad offering it to him since he was in a new city and needed a place to live.

  As she climbed into her car and waited for Tami to buckle up, Makayla had to accept that her father wasn’t just bringing a new employee into the company. He was bringing a new person into their family. There was no way that her dad would treat Ethan as just an employee. And Makayla still wasn’t sure how she felt about that. But keeping Tristan’s words in mind, she resolved to at least be civil and polite to this man who was—even though she denied it to Tami—turning her world upside down. And not in a good way.

  They were the last to arrive at the house, and that was just fine with Makayla. As she and Tami walked into the kitchen to see if they could help, she caught sight of Franklin, Grace’s husband. She was glad that her friend was there, but she could’ve done without Franklin’s presence. To this day, neither she nor Tami could understand why Grace had chosen to marry him. Even though they’d met at church, Franklin’s actions and attitude often didn’t reflect the beliefs he supposedly held.

  “Well, aren’t you two looking fine tonight,” Franklin said as he approached them. He stepped between them and slid an arm around each of their waists, his fingers pressing into her hip. “I’m definitely the thorn between two roses.”

  Fighting to keep her distaste from showing, Makayla happened to look over to where Ethan stood. His brows were drawn together as he stared at Franklin. Grace stood next to her mom and didn’t seem bothered in the least by her husband’s actions or his words.

  Makayla took a step to the side as she glanced at Tami. Her friend rolled her eyes and also stepped away from the man who was once again being far too familiar for either of their tastes. His behavior might have been slightly more acceptable had he been single, but even then, he got into Makayla’s personal space way too often for her liking. When she and Tami had tried to address things with Grace, their friend had laughed off their concerns.

  “I’m glad you two made it,” her mom said as she gave them each a hug. “Tami, this is Ethan Collins. Ethan, this is Tamika Clarke. She is Makayla’s roommate, and she, Gracie and Makayla are best friends. Tami works as a nurse at the same hospital as our Sammi.”

  Makayla almost laughed at the wide-eyed look on Ethan’s face. Tami had that effect on men even though she didn’t like it. Many a man had tried to capture Tami’s attention, but only one had been successful. Unfortunately, that one and only relationship had ended in heartbreak for her friend. As a result, Tami was much more careful about the men she let get close to her. Truth be told, Makayla had also learned from her friend’s heartache and was much pickier about the men she considered spending time with.

  As she watched Tami and Ethan shake hands, she saw the stunned look on Ethan’s face quickly slide into a more friendly expression. She watched him to see if maybe he would express an interest in her roommate, but aside from a polite exchange of words, there was nothing more—at least nothing that showed on his face.

  “Why don’t you guys head on out to the back yard,” her mom suggested. “Steve is out there with Bennett and Tristan.”

  5

  B efore anyone moved, Dalton appeared in the doorway. Makayla took in his appearance, wondering—not for the first time—where he’d inherited his sense of flair when it came to fashion and attitude. He wore his ever-present black skinny jeans, but this time, they were paired with a green T-shirt over which he sported a vest. He wore a thick leather cuff bracelet on each wrist and a black and silver beaded choker around his neck. His straight brown hair hung low in his eyes until he gave his head a flip.

  A smile curved his lips when he spotted her. Dalton im
mediately headed in her direction. He slid his arms around her waist and hugged her tight. She returned his hug and pressed a kiss to his cheek since he was an inch or so taller than her.

  “So when are you planning to come to work at C&M? You know we all did it to earn money when we turned sixteen.”

  Dalton jerked back, his hand pressed to his chest. “Do I look like I belong on a construction site?” Without waiting for her reply, he went on to say, “I was definitely born for something—”

  Makayla arched a brow at him, daring him to continue.

  The teen obviously realized he was rapidly digging himself a large hole. He cleared his throat and gave his head a flip. “I was definitely made for something different.”

  “Well, we could put you in the office helping Gracie like Danica does. You could come in on the days she’s not there.”

  Dalton scowled at her. “Helping in the office is for the girls.”

  “True.” Makayla shrugged. “But if you don’t want to work on the sites, that’s your only other alternative.”

  Dalton crossed his arms and lifted his chin. “Actually, that’s not really true. It’s not like I need the money.”

  “Really?”

  “Really,” Dalton said as he nodded. “The YouTube channels I started with Danica and Devon have been doing really well. We are getting a lot more views than we used to, and our subscribers are up. Plus, we’ve been given the chance to audition for a local commercial. To sing the jingle for it.”

  Before Makayla could reply, her mother was shooing them out the back door. The others had already gone out and now stood on the wide covered porch that ran nearly the length of the house. Makayla loved that porch. It was wide enough that when it rained, she could still sit in a chair against the wall and watch the storm without getting wet.

  She saw that Tami was speaking with Bennett and Ethan while others had taken seats at the various tables set up on the large deck. Her dad stood at the barbecue with Mitch, and the smell of cooking meat drifted in the air. This was not an unusual gathering. Ever since they’d moved into the house, they’d had lots of summer barbecues. Sometimes it would be just their family, but other times it would include friends from their church or school. They usually had the company barbecue—which included subcontractors and their crews—there as well.

  Makayla felt herself relaxing in the familiarity of her surroundings even though there was a new person in their midst. Maybe it would’ve been better if Gracie had waited for someone like Ethan. Even though she didn’t know the man very well—at all—the look on his face at Franklin’s behavior had not been one of support. It was rather ironic that when push came to shove, she’d rather have Ethan at the barbecue than Franklin.

  *

  Surrounded by the Callaghan-McFadden family, Ethan found himself missing Sierra. Danica and Dalton appeared to be close to her age, and he wondered if they would be interested in befriending his sister. It had been her greatest worry when she’d told him that they were moving from Calgary to Winnipeg. She’d always had a difficult time making friends because she was relatively shy and even at her school in Calgary she’d only had one or two really close friends. And now she had to leave them behind before the school year was even over.

  Even though he tried very hard to control his gaze, Ethan was constantly seeking out where Makayla was. When she’d appeared in the kitchen with her friend, his heart had skipped a beat—again. And though her friend, Tami, was also very beautiful, for some reason in his eyes, she didn’t come close to holding a candle to Makayla.

  He’d never before found himself so drawn to a woman…especially one who apparently did not feel a corresponding tug in his direction. Ethan wasn’t even sure what the attraction was. It was like his heart knew something that his mind did not. Yes, she was beautiful, but he knew that beauty should not be the basis for his opinion of any woman. So far her attitude toward him had been reserved, even aloof. So why was it that every time he saw her, he wanted to offer her his heart?

  Fighting the urge to smack himself upside the head for such ridiculous thoughts, Ethan moved his gaze away from her, focusing instead on the food on his plate. Everything was delicious from the barbecued steak and chicken to the potato salad and the veggies. Emily had even made homemade dinner rolls which were the lightest and tastiest bread he’d ever eaten.

  Would he continue to be included in things like this if he did end up working for the company? After all, there were other people present who were not part of the Callaghan-McFadden family. Or was this night just a chance for him to get to know all the members of the family and their close friends?

  This whole trip had given him a glimpse of a life he’d never experienced and honestly had never been aware really existed outside of old television shows. Though it was well before his time, he and Sierra often spent time watching the shows from the 60’s and 70’s. Many of them presented a family life that was far away from what he and his sister had experienced. Maybe his heart was attaching itself to Makayla because she was part of the life that he had only just realized he wanted. Not only for himself but for Sierra as well. Especially for Sierra.

  It made him think about the family he’d have one day. Hopefully. He had spent time observing the members of this family to see how they had created the life they enjoyed. The desire in his heart for such a life was second only to the desire he had to get to know Makayla.

  He allowed himself to be drawn into a conversation with Tami and Mitch. Tristan sat with them as well, but the man hardly said anything and yet still managed to seem engaged in the discussion. After they had all finished eating, Emily brought out cupcakes and cookies that she and Danica had made earlier that day.

  As he ate one of the chocolate cupcakes, Ethan found himself watching Makayla once again. She was seated with Gracie and Tami, and she was more animated than he’d seen her so far. Her smile came easily as she laughed at something Tami said, and Ethan was sure that her eyes sparkled as well—except he was too far away to know for sure—and something told him that was the way she was going to keep it.

  He returned his gaze to the cupcake then looked up to find Steve and Bennett joining him at the table. Tristan and Mitch were still there, having struck up a conversation regarding something about their brother Gabe.

  “Will you boys please excuse us?” Steve said to his two sons.

  Tristan and Mitch quickly nodded and picked up their plates as they got to their feet, leaving him with just Steve and Bennett.

  “I know you’re still here until tomorrow afternoon,” Steve began, “but I prefer to not discuss business on a Sunday, so I hope it’s alright if we talk a little bit right now.”

  “Of course,” Ethan agreed readily. He was anxious to know where he stood with the two men. Hopefully, this conversation would give him some kind of direction so that he could return to Calgary the next afternoon with confirmation of the job at C&M Builders or the knowledge that he needed to continue to seek out other employment.

  “Bennett and I talked at length about you even before you came. We both felt that your experience and your loyalty to one company made you potentially a good fit for C&M. Once you got here and we were able to spend time with you in person, we realized that our initial assessments had been correct.” Steve regarded him for a moment before continuing. “We would like to offer you the position on a trial basis. We are looking for a specific fit not just with our company but also with our family. I’m sure you’ve realized that both are intertwined very closely, so we would like a three month probation period. At the end of that time or any time before that, if we feel that it’s not working out, we will part ways. And that’s true for you as well. If you feel that things aren’t working out like you want, you can feel free to end your employment with us. But if, at the end of the three months, we all feel that the fit is right, the job will be yours permanently. Is that something you can work with?”

  Ethan felt the tension return. He had hoped that he’d leave W
innipeg with a definite job offer, but he supposed that a job on a trial basis was better than nothing. At least it would get him in the city and give him a chance to look for another job if this one didn’t work out. He wondered if there was something he’d done that made them unwilling to offer a permanent position or if that was just the norm for a job like this. Makayla had been the only one that hadn’t warmed up to him. Maybe it was her input that had brought them to this point. If that was the case, he was going to have to try to win her over. Without losing his heart in the process.

  “Yes, sir. That is something I can work with.” And work with it, he would. It was no longer just that he needed a job because of the move, he wanted this job. This position at C&M Builders was the job he’d dreamed of having one day…when he’d allowed himself to dream.

  Ethan forced himself to ignore his apprehension as they worked out the details of when he’d start. They also discussed his salary which was significantly more than he made working for Bob. Of course, the job itself held a lot more responsibility than he’d had at the position he’d soon be leaving. His next concern would be finding a place to stay once he got into town. Part of him wanted to ask them if they knew of any rental vacancies, but he didn’t want to put them in the awkward position of feeling like they had to offer him a place to stay on top of everything else.

  By the time the conversation was over, the crowd had thinned considerably in the backyard. In fact, it was just him, Steve, and Bennett who remained at the table on the deck. He offered his help to clean up, but it was declined, so he said goodnight—a little disappointed that Makayla had already left.