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

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “Hopefully, it wasn’t anything too bad,” Ethan said, a small smile tipping up the corners of his mouth.

  “Actually, he’s had nothing but praise for you and for your sister.” Makayla was a bit surprised at the sincerity in Gabe’s tone. He wasn’t as bad as Kenton when it came to teasing, but he wasn’t far behind.

  This time, Makayla saw a bit of pink in Ethan’s cheeks as she added, “His sister Sierra is an absolute darling.”

  Before they could say anything more, the roar of a boat engine grew louder. They all turned to watch as Bennett throttled down and brought the boat slowly into its spot at the marina. He had Tami, Dalton, Danica, Sammi, and Sierra with him. Before he completely stopped the boat, Danica and Dalton were scrambling over the edge onto the dock.

  Danica gave a loud shout, waving with both hands before turning to chase after Dalton as he sprinted down the dock and around onto the pier.

  “Better brace yourself, bro,” Gabe said as the two teens hurtled towards them.

  Dalton reached them first and flung his arms around Gabe while Danica grabbed on to Kenton. Tami, Sammi and Sierra approached more slowly while—not surprisingly—Bennett remained at the boat. Tami greeted both men with a hug then they introduced Sierra.

  “Are you guys here for the whole weekend?” Danica asked as she stepped back from Gabe.

  “I’m here for a few weeks actually,” Gabe said. “My next project isn’t due to start for another month or two. I’ll be staying here until the start date is confirmed.”

  “I’m here for about ten days,” Kenton said.

  “You’re off-season now,” Danica pointed out though Makayla was pretty sure Kenton wasn’t thrilled to be reminded his team hadn’t made it past the second round of the playoffs. “Why can’t you stay longer?”

  “I have some obligations that I need to fulfill for some endorsements that I’ve done. So I need to get back to LA for a couple weeks and after that I’m on to New York and then Hawaii.”

  Makayla watched as Sierra edged closer to Ethan, her gaze on Kenton as he talked to Danica. No doubt it was overwhelming to meet a few more members of the family—especially those two. But at least she and Ethan knew everyone except Ryan now, and he would be a breeze after meeting Kenton and Gabe.

  When Makayla saw that Bennett wasn’t coming to join them, she turned to Tristan and Ethan. “Are you guys going back out on the boat now?”

  Tristan nodded. “Ben said he’d hook up the tube, and I was going to see if I could convince Ethan to give it a try.”

  The sound of another boat approaching drew their attention, and Makayla watched as a sleek blue boat settled down into the water as it neared the marina. She spotted Lee, James, Erin, and Grace sitting in it.

  “Why don’t we all head over there to see what’s going on now,” Makayla suggested. “And you guys can say hello to the rest of the gang.”

  As they walked down the pier, Danica held onto Kenton’s arm. Their closeness despite their age difference was still strong even though they didn’t see each other that often. In some ways, their relationship reminded Makayla a bit of Ethan and Sierra’s. From the time Danica had been a baby, Kenton had taken the role of big brother very seriously.

  Bringing up the rear of the group, Makayla fell into step beside Sierra and Ethan.

  “Well, you’ve met almost all of us now,” she said with a smile. “And if you thought last night was loud, just wait until tonight. Kenton and Gabe bring the party.”

  Sierra’s eyes sparkled with anticipation while her brother didn’t look quite as enthused.

  “But don’t worry. You can always take a break from the noise if you need to,” Makayla assured him. “That’s what I’m planning to do.”

  Makayla didn’t outright set up a meeting with Ethan later that evening, but she was more than happy to let him know that he could probably find her on the deck again if he wanted to.

  “Will there be any fireworks?” Sierra asked as they followed the group off the pier along the grass to the dock where the boats were.

  “We won’t be setting any off ourselves,” Makayla said. “But there are people across from us on the other shoreline who often set them off. Last year they had an incredible display, so maybe they’ll do something similar again this year. We’re just lucky it’s not too dry this year, or they might not have been allowed to do it.”

  “I can’t wait,” Sierra said. “I absolutely love fireworks. We always used to go see them when we lived in Calgary.”

  Makayla smiled at the young girl. “I’ve always loved them too.”

  By the time they joined the group, greetings were being exchanged. Not surprisingly, however, Bennett hadn’t left the boat. Gabe headed toward him and leaned down to grab Bennett’s hand and helped him onto the dock for a hug. Kenton, however, made no move in Bennett’s direction.

  Before long, Makayla found herself in the boat with Bennett, Ethan, and Tristan. Kenton and Gabe along with Lee got into James’s boat with him and Erin. Those remaining said they planned to go to the pavilion to wait for her mom and dad. Somewhere out on the water, Mitch and Franklin still had the jet skis.

  They all donned life jackets then Bennett and James guided the boats away from the dock, going in opposite directions. Once they were a good distance from the marina, Makayla helped Tristan set up the line to pull the two-seater tube.

  “Why don’t you get in, Makayla, and Ethan can go along with you,” Bennett suggested.

  Makayla found herself completely on board with that idea, but she wasn’t surprised when Ethan balked. She didn’t think it was because she would be in the tube with him, but it was entirely possible.

  “I’m really not a big fan of water,” Ethan said as he eyed the tube Tristan was putting into the water.

  “Come on, man,” Bennett said as he clapped Ethan on the shoulder. “I think you’ll enjoy it once we get going. I promise not to go too fast, and if you really are not having fun, I’ll stop so you can get back in the boat.”

  Makayla could see that Ethan really wasn’t sure about it, but she was going regardless, so she turned to where Tristan was holding the tube in the water at the back of the boat. It was a new water tube, better than the ones they’d had in the past couple years. She climbed into one side of it and turned around to settle down into the opening then leaned back against the support and hooked her heels on the edge of the tube.

  With a resigned look on his face, Ethan climbed out of the boat into the other side of the water tube. Makayla gripped the handles as he settled into his seat. The tube bounced a bit in the water as they were hit from the wake of another boat.

  “You guys both in there good?” Tristan asked as he leaned over the back of the boat with one hand still on the tube.

  Makayla glanced at Ethan, who gave one quick nod. Tristan gave Bennett the go-ahead and soon the boat began to pull away. The tow rope stretched between them and then became taut. Makayla tightened her grip on the handles, the back of her hand brushing against Ethan’s. As the tube began to pick up speed, she saw the muscles in his forearm tighten.

  The tube skimmed along the water at a slowly increasing speed. Makayla lifted her face to the sun as the air rushed past her. Water sprayed up at them as they cut across a wake and the tube bounced on the waves. True to his word, Bennett didn’t pick up speed the way he might have for those more familiar with tubing behind the boat.

  With her arm pressed against Ethan’s, Makayla could feel some of the tension ease out of his arm as the ride progressed. While she wouldn’t have agreed to get into the tube with Ethan if Gabe or Kenton had been driving, she completely trusted Bennett to drive them safely. The other two tended to forget that not everybody was a daredevil and felt it was their duty to introduce people to the thrilling side of life.

  Bennett, however, was more aware of people’s comfort level, and Makayla figured that he also now viewed Ethan as a friend and wouldn’t do anything that would make him too uncomfortable. After ab
out five minutes of being towed, Makayla looked over at Ethan. His face had relaxed into a bit of a smile as the wind ruffled the short strands of his brown hair.

  “So you’re okay with this?” she asked him over the roar of the boat.

  He turned toward her and smiled as he nodded. Makayla felt her heart pound hard in her chest as, for the first time since meeting him, she was the recipient of a genuine smile from the man. She’d seen him smile like that at Sierra, but this was the first time it had been directed at her.

  Afraid that her expression might give away more than she was ready for, Makayla looked back toward the boat and gave Tristan their family’s signal for more. Bennett didn’t pick up too much speed, but he took them further away from the marina and as they passed certain spots, Makayla pointed out things like the lighthouse to Ethan.

  As the ride progressed, Makayla considered the rather odd predicament she found herself in. Given her changed philosophy on dating, she was used to telling a guy that she wanted to hang out with him in group settings first before agreeing to date him one-on-one. Now she found herself getting to know Ethan in group settings, but she had no idea if he would even be interested in them dating. The more she was around him, the more she wanted to be around him. She didn’t recall feeling that strongly for a guy before.

  After a while, Bennett slowed the boat then brought it to a stop in the water. Tristan gripped the tow rope and began to pull them in toward the boat.

  “You guys ready to switch off?” Tristan asked as he grabbed hold of the tube so that Makayla could climb into the boat.

  Bennett came to join them at the back of the boat as well and grinned when Ethan climbed off the tube. “How was your first tube ride?”

  “I’ve really got to stop trying to talk myself out of doing things I’ve never done before,” Ethan said as he smiled at Bennett. “I’m beginning to realize how much I might miss out on just because I’m not certain it will be something I’d enjoy.”

  Bennett slapped him on the back. “That’s what I like to hear.”

  “Is it my turn to drive?” Makayla asked.

  “You betcha,” Bennett said as he turned to where Tristan waited to climb into the tube.

  Once the guys were in place, they gave Ethan a few pointers on spotting for them then Makayla made her way to get behind the wheel of the boat. She had done this enough times in the past that she felt confident as she allowed the boat to gain speed gradually. Every once in a while, she’d glance over her shoulder to see how the boys were doing. Knowing that they could handle some speed, she pushed the boat a bit more than Bennett had with her and Ethan. She almost enjoyed being behind the wheel as much as being in the tube.

  As they continued their tour around the lake, she spotted the jet skis with Mitch and Franklin, and at one point passed James’s boat going the opposite direction, also pulling a tube with people on it.

  “I think they’re done,” Ethan called from the back of the boat. They’d told him what signal to look for to let Makayla know when they were ready to get off the tube.

  She slowed the boat down, enjoying the feel of it sinking level into the water. It didn’t take long for the guys to clamber back on board, pulling the tube behind them.

  “We should head back in,” Bennett said as he took his place behind the wheel once again. “Mom and Dad are probably at the pavilion with the lunch already.”

  Makayla moved to sit in one of the seats behind where Bennett stood. It was moments like these that made her truly grateful for her family and for what they had. She knew some might look from the outside and see only the trappings of their lifestyle. What they didn’t know about was the money that was given regularly to support missionaries and other causes both locally and around the globe. Each of the kids, except the two youngest, had all gone on a mission’s trip at least once.

  Her parents, however, had ended up making it a yearly event for the two of them. And something told Makayla that part of her dad’s planned retirement was to enable them to spend more of their time helping others in whatever ways were needed. She’d already come to realize how selfish she’d been in trying to oppose what her parents wanted to be able to do with their lives. The company had been a means to an end for her dad, and it had never been his goal to work his way into an early grave for it.

  As they neared the marina, Tristan stood close to the edge of the boat as he prepared to jump onto the dock to secure it. Once that was done and they had all climbed out, the four of them headed toward the covered pavilion where they had planned to meet for lunch. As they walked along the dock, Makayla could tell that the number of people at the marina had grown while they’d been out on the water.

  Walking up to the pavilion, Makayla realized that they were the last to arrive, and some had already started eating.

  “Grab a plate and some food, say a prayer and dig in,” her dad said as he handed them paper plates and gestured to the food on a nearby table.

  After filling her plate, Makayla grabbed a drink from a cooler. As she turned around, she just about ran into Franklin. His gaze dropped to her shirt and then he grinned.

  “I bet a million girls wish that they woke up looking like you,” he said with a wink. “And I’m sure their boyfriends do too.”

  Makayla actually had to look down at her shirt to remember what it said, since she had grabbed it without much thought that morning when she’d been getting dressed.

  I woke up looking like this.

  The shirt had been a gag gift one year when they’d spent Christmas at the lake. Her mom and dad had given it to her to wear at the cabin since, presumably, it was the only place she could actually wear the shirt and have it be true.

  Gripping her can of soda, Makayla frowned at Franklin, once again wishing that her best friend had stayed single rather than marry him. He was an attractive man and, from what Grace said, he worked hard at maintaining his physique. However, whatever appeal he had physically disappeared once his personality came out. If a man had said something flirty to another woman while they were out together, Makayla would have dropped him like a hot potato. And yet Grace had married Franklin even after he’d repeatedly done that very thing.

  “It’s probably not my place to say anything.” Ethan’s voice came from behind her, and Makayla glanced over her shoulder to see him scowling at Franklin. “But when you talk like that, you’re being very disrespectful.”

  21

  F ranklin scowled and crossed his arms. He was pretty close to Ethan’s size, but he was the exact opposite of him in personality.

  “You’re right, dude. It’s not your place to say anything.” He shot a look at Makayla and winked. “Besides, most girls would take what I said as a compliment.”

  “What you said to Makayla was out of line, but when I talk about you being disrespectful, I mean that you’re disrespecting your wife.”

  Makayla appreciated not only Ethan’s words but the fact that he kept his voice low and steady. He wasn’t trying to draw attention to what was going on with Franklin.

  “Grace? Why on earth would you say that?” Franklin’s brows drew together as his expression darkened. “Do you have your sights set on her or something?”

  “Absolutely not. But when you give attention and compliments to other women in the way you should only give to your wife, you are disrespecting her.”

  “So what if I’m making other women feel good about themselves? Are you really trying to tell me how to be a husband? You don’t even have a girlfriend. How would you know what you’re talking about?”

  The conversation, particularly on Franklin’s side, was getting a little bit louder. Makayla looked around for Bennett, in hopes that he would come back Ethan up. No one said anything to Franklin about it anymore because any time one of them said something or talked to Grace about it, she got very defensive. Ethan obviously didn’t know about those previous interactions, and it was probably about time somebody did talk to Franklin about it again. Ethan had the least to
lose by doing so.

  “I don’t need to be in a relationship to know how a woman should be treated. And if I did have a girlfriend or a wife, they would be who I focused my attention on. Not their friends.”

  “Is everything okay here?” Bennett asked as he came to stand beside Franklin and Ethan, his gaze going between the two men who were squared off in front of him.

  “Your buddy here thinks he has the right to tell me how to act,” Franklin said as he flicked a hand in Ethan’s direction. “Like he’s a part of this family.”

  When Ethan didn’t say anything to defend himself, Bennett looked at Makayla and lifted a brow. “What’s going on?”

  “Franklin made a comment about the saying on my shirt that Ethan felt was disrespectful to Grace. Ethan mentioned that to Franklin and…” Makayla looked at each man and back at Bennett as she gave a shrug. She didn’t have to give him the details of how Franklin reacted, he knew from personal experience.

  Bennett crossed his arms and shifted his weight in Ethan’s direction as he stared at the other man. “Franklin, you know I’ve spoken to you before about the way you talk to other ladies, especially Makayla and Tami. We’re not going to get into it any further now, but just know that I don’t feel that Ethan was out of line in what he said to you. And as for being part of this family, anyone we choose to include in our family gatherings becomes part of this family.”

  Makayla saw the temper flare in Franklin’s eyes as his jaw tightened. For a moment, she thought he was gonna lose it right there on the spot, but, thankfully, he apparently thought better of it as he straightened his shoulders then spun on his heel to stalk away. Makayla hadn’t even been aware of the tension in her shoulders until Franklin left them alone. Slowly, as the tenseness of the situation eased away, her shoulders lowered, and she let out a long breath.

  “I’m very sorry if I was out of place bringing that up here,” Ethan said as he looked at Bennett. “I just really haven’t appreciated hearing how he talks to Makayla or Tami, particularly since he’s married to Grace.”