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

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  James waved his hand in the air. “Don’t worry about that. I’m happy to talk with you here if you have some concerns.” He nodded his head toward the end of the table. “Why don’t we sit down there so that we can talk with a bit more privacy?”

  “Aren’t you guys heading back to the city tonight?” Ethan asked as they moved away from where the others were playing their game.

  James nodded. “We’ll leave in a little while. Erin wanted to play a couple games before we left. Since she’s the one that has to get up the earliest, we leave when she wants.” James glanced down the table to where his wife sat next to Makayla. His love for Erin was clear on his face. Then he looked back at Ethan and said, “So what’s happened with regards to Sierra?”

  Keeping an eye out to make sure Sierra didn’t return unexpectedly, Ethan told James about the call from his father. He acknowledged his mistake in not consulting them first about bringing her to the Callaghans’ cabin, and James agreed that it would’ve been better if he had, but he also told Ethan that he had done well to try to not engage his dad in a war over where Sierra stayed, at least in the short term.

  “I think your dad was most likely just angry at you about today which is why he demanded that you bring Sierra back to them. If you could convince her to not get upset with them while she’s there, I have a feeling that they will likely send her back to you before too long. But you need to be making a note of each of these situations and the conversations that you have with him. It will all play into our case once we go for custody. Make sure that if he leaves you any voicemails or sends you texts or emails, you keep them. Regardless of what they actually say, you need to keep everything.”

  Ethan knew that this was not a situation that could be resolved quickly, but that was exactly what he wished for in that moment. Ever since he’d met with James to seriously pursue custody of Sierra, he’d been praying that the situation would not drag out, especially for Sierra’s sake. If he could just get through the next little while and keep his job, hopefully, things would be looking up, and the light at the end of the tunnel would be more than just a pinprick.

  *

  Makayla tried to focus on the game in front of her, but as she discarded a card that Grace immediately snatched up, she knew her attention wasn’t there. As it had done all evening, her gaze once again sought out Ethan.

  She had been surprised to see him with Bennett and Tami at the beach. Surprised and a little embarrassed when she realized that her need for space had developed into an issue when her mom hadn’t been able to get hold of her. Thankfully, Bennett hadn’t made a big deal about it and, as usual, Ethan hadn’t said anything either, but he had looked concerned. Maybe he did care about her. That thought buoyed her spirits.

  “Earth to Makayla,” Tami said with a laugh. “Although I hate to call you back from wherever you are. Considering the smile on your face, it must be a happy place.” Tami grinned as she fanned herself with the cards in her hand. “Hey, that rhymes. I’m a poet.”

  “No. You aren’t,” Makayla said as she stared at the cards at her hand.

  “Says you.” Tami kicked her under the table. “Care to share?”

  Still keeping her gaze on her cards, Makayla said, “You’re still not a poet. And I’m still not sharing.”

  Tami sighed dramatically. “Come on, girls. I need some excitement in my life.”

  “I don’t bring excitement,” Makayla said as she discarded a card after carefully considering the piles in front of the other players. “I just bring drama.”

  Grace reached over and patted her hand. “And yet, we still love you.” She frowned down at the cards she held. “But I would’ve loved you more if you’d discarded a six.”

  Makayla tried to keep her attention on the game and off of Ethan sitting not that far away from her. She couldn’t hear what he and James were talking about, but the expression on Ethan’s face told her it was something serious. Although, to be honest, that appeared to be his default expression. She’d glimpsed a little less serious side of him as they’d ridden together on the tube, but it hadn’t been anything lasting.

  “I won!” Erin exclaimed as she raised both arms in the air, disrupting Makayla’s thoughts.

  Muttering under her breath, Grace began to gather up the cards. “Are we going to play another round or is Erin the winner for this particular holiday gathering?”

  “As much as I’d love to stay and play more,” Erin said as she glanced over to where James sat, his attention now on them. “I have to be at the bakery in the morning, so we probably should leave pretty soon.”

  It didn’t take long for James, Erin, and Lee to get ready to head back to Winnipeg. Once they had left, things seemed to settle down as people spent time talking instead of playing games. Ethan had disappeared, but Makayla wasn’t sure if he’d gone outside or upstairs to the guys’ bedroom. Looking around, she noticed that Bennett was also gone, although that didn’t surprise her too much. With Kenton there, she figured that Bennett wouldn’t hang around for any type of conversation with him.

  Makayla returned to her seat at the table and was quickly joined by Tami and Grace. They began to eat from the bowl of popcorn her mom had placed in front of them.

  “I’m sorry that there was a bit of an issue with Franklin earlier,” Grace said, her gaze on the bowl of popcorn.

  Makayla glanced at Tami just as her friend looked her way. This was always such a touchy subject that she wasn’t sure if she should say anything or just accept what Grace said and change the subject.

  “You don’t need to apologize for him,” Makayla said, her voice low so they weren’t overheard. “Ethan just felt that Franklin’s actions were disrespectful to you.”

  Grace’s head stayed bent as she traced a pattern on the wood table in front of her. “I don’t think Franklin is ever going to change, and I’ve accepted that. If he says things that offend you, please just ignore them.”

  Makayla frowned. “You shouldn’t have to accept him treating you like that, though, Gracie.”

  Grace nodded her head as if she understood what Makayla was saying, but her words didn’t match up with that. “Franklin’s going through some stuff right now. Some health stuff. I think being like that is his way of covering up the stress he’s feeling.”

  Makayla wanted to call her friend out on that since Franklin had been that way since the day they’d met him almost three years earlier. She felt bad if he was dealing with some personal stuff, but it shouldn’t be used as an excuse for his long-term behavior.

  “He needs to find a better way to deal with the stress,” Tami stated bluntly. “It’s not fair to you, and it’s not fair to the rest of us when he talks that way.”

  “I’ve talked to him about it,” Grace admitted, her gaze still on the table. “He just doesn’t see the harm in it. As long as he is faithful to me, he doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with saying what he does to you guys.”

  Makayla’s heart hurt for her friend. She could never imagine any of the men in her life, Ethan included, ever treating the woman they claimed to love like Franklin did Gracie. She knew that talking to Grace about it wouldn’t really accomplish anything. The change had to come from Franklin, and as long as he didn’t see the error of what he was doing, he would never change.

  At one time, she had prayed regularly for her friend and felt convicted that she had let that lapse. Giving Gracie’s hand a couple pats, Makayla resolved to once again pray on a daily basis for her friend and her marriage. She wanted Gracie to be happy. She’d had so much sadness in her life already, Makayla felt Gracie deserved a man who loved and cherished her.

  Not long after that, Emily began to clean up the snacks and soda cans. The others quickly got up to help her. Once everything had been tidied and order restored, good nights were said as people climbed the stairs to the bedrooms on the second floor.

  In the girls’ room, Danica and Sierra were once again squeezed into one bunk as they laughed and talked, each
holding their phone in front of their faces. Makayla was so glad to see the friendship that had blossomed between the two girls.

  Sometimes it seemed that Danica didn’t really have any friends outside of the small group of her, Dalton, and Devon. Even though Sierra was a couple years younger than Danica, it was apparent that the two had plenty in common and seeing them together made Makayla smile. She wanted her younger sister to have a friendship like she enjoyed with Tami and Grace.

  After crawling into bed, she and Tami talked for a few minutes before saying good night and settling into their preferred sleeping positions. Makayla put her earplugs in since it didn’t look like the two girls planned to fall asleep anytime soon, though they seemed to be trying to be quiet as they talked. She knew from experience that neither Tami nor Sammi would be kept awake by their not-so-quiet whispering. She was the only one who had trouble falling asleep if there were distractions around.

  When she woke the next morning, she was once again alone in the room. It didn’t take her long to get dressed and ready for the day before heading downstairs. A quick glance revealed that it was only the ladies and Dalton left at the cabin.

  “The guys have all gone golfing at the hotel,” her mom said as she slid a plate with some pancakes and sliced fruit on it across the island to Makayla. “I thought it was a little hot for them to be out on the course, but they left early so hopefully they’ll be done before the sun gets too much hotter.”

  While Sierra and Danica were watching videos on their phones from the sounds of things, Tami, Grace and Sammi came to join her at the counter as she ate. They sat talking about life, church, and friends. Occasionally her mom would interject something into the conversation as she worked. It appeared that she was making buns or maybe some cinnamon rolls. Makayla inhaled the yeasty aroma with appreciation, knowing it meant something delicious would be the end result.

  Once she was done breakfast and had cleaned up her plate, the girls hung out on the deck, enjoying the peace and quiet. Makayla was grateful for the break from work and just being able to hang out with her friends. But the quiet didn’t last too long as the guys all showed up around one o’clock.

  Makayla was actually surprised that Kenton and Bennett had both gone golfing. Although, over the past few years they had perfected the art of being in the same space and yet totally ignoring each other. Their situation reminded her a bit of the one with Grace and Franklin. They’d all tried addressing it as soon as they’d realized there was an issue but had basically been told to butt out.

  They had helped her mom get the lunch of deli meats, cheese, buns, and vegetables ready earlier, so it was just a matter of pulling it all back out again when the guys got home. Though Ethan interacted with the others as they spoke about the golf game, Makayla could see that he was distracted. His gaze kept going to where Sierra and Danica sat on the couch with their heads together laughing and talking.

  Once he finished his sandwich, Ethan dropped his paper plate in the garbage and made his way to where his sister sat. She looked up at him as he approached and then frowned at something Ethan said. She didn’t argue, though, just got to her feet and followed him out the door onto the deck.

  Though Makayla couldn’t hear what Ethan was saying to Sierra, she had a clear view of Sierra as she shook her head at whatever her brother had said. The teen’s hands clenched into fists as she again shook her head, more vehemently this time. When she stamped her foot and raised her hands to her face, Makayla knew that whatever Ethan was telling her, Sierra was definitely opposed to it.

  25

  M akayla felt an arm go around her shoulders and looked over to find her dad standing next to her, his gaze on the pair out on the deck. “Ethan and Sierra need to head back to the city this afternoon.”

  “Why? I thought they were here for the whole weekend.”

  “They were supposed to be, but Sierra’s dad called and told Ethan they want Sierra home tonight.”

  Makayla’s stomach clenched, thinking back to what Ethan had told her the other night as they’d sat together on the deck. She knew that Sierra being with her parents was not a positive thing. “Do they want her back for good?”

  “Ethan doesn’t know. He didn’t want to upset his father any further for fear that they might keep Sierra from him indefinitely. He has no legal right to keep her from them.”

  “He needs to do something about that. Sierra is so happy when she’s with him.” Anger swirled within Makayla. “He takes such good care of her. She needs to stay with him.”

  “I agree with you, sweetheart.” Her dad’s arm tightened around her as together they watched Sierra’s head drop forward and her arms wrapped around her waist.

  Ethan held out his arms as if to hug Sierra, but she stepped back from him. Makayla felt a shot of pain in her heart as she watched Ethan’s arms fall limply to his sides. She found it hard to take a breath because of the tight band of emotion in her chest as she watched his shoulders slump. Blinking rapidly, Makayla tried to keep the tears that stung her eyes from spilling down her cheeks.

  It wasn’t long after that that Sierra came back into the cabin and went straight to the stairs. Ethan stayed on the deck, and Makayla fought the urge to go to him. When he came back inside a few minutes later, she could see the shattered look on his face. She knew how deeply this would hurt him given what he told her the other night. It was clear to anyone who knew Ethan that everything he did, he did for Sierra. He had even uprooted his life in Calgary, leaving a long-term job, in order to come to a new city and make sure that his sister was okay.

  While Ethan and Sierra were upstairs, her dad took the time to let the others know what had happened. As soon as he was finished explaining, Danica ran up the stairs. Makayla felt as if a pall had been cast over the remainder of the weekend. She had been looking forward to spending more time with Ethan outside the office. She was pretty sure that her dad would tell him to come back after dropping off Sierra, but she was also fairly certain that he wouldn’t. From what she knew of the man, Makayla didn’t think he would come back to enjoy the weekend when his sister couldn’t be with him.

  Danica had her arm wrapped around Sierra when they came back down. The young girl had her bag clutched in one hand and her phone in the other. Makayla had a feeling that Danica would be spending a good chunk of the weekend on her phone. And something told her that, for once, her parents wouldn’t object.

  Ethan’s face showed none of his earlier emotion when he came back down with his own bag. Makayla longed to go to him and give him a hug to tell him everything was going to be okay, but unfortunately, she didn’t know if everything really would be.

  She followed the rest of the group outside as they escorted Ethan and Sierra to the truck. Danica and Sierra’s embrace was long, and Sierra was crying when she climbed into the front seat beside her brother. Makayla saw Ethan swallow hard as he lifted a hand in farewell before backing out of their driveway.

  Once they had disappeared from sight, the group slowly made its way back into the cabin. Even Kenton and Gabe were quiet as they helped themselves to more food. With Tami leaving in a short time as well, it seemed as if their group had shrunk quickly. For the first time in a long time, Makayla found herself wanting to be back in her apartment in Winnipeg instead of the cabin. Wanting to be close to where Ethan was. She truly felt as if a good chunk of her heart had driven off in that truck with him and Sierra.

  And he didn’t even know.

  *

  The first thirty minutes of their trip was made in silence aside from Sierra’s sniffles and the taps from her phone as she madly texted someone. Ethan figured it was most likely Danica. Aside from him, Danica and Dalton were the ones that she texted with the most.

  Ethan struggled to find the words to make this better for Sierra, but he was afraid to start the conversation for fear it would go in a direction that he didn’t want. There was a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever he thought about the situation and the possibil
ity that his dad and stepmom might decide to not let Sierra come back to stay with him.

  He wanted to be able to give Sierra the assurance that this was just a temporary thing. It was his job to protect her, to take care of her, and it was a job that he took on willingly because of his love for Sierra. All he could cling to was the hope that just like times in the past when it had seemed like they were going to cut off his connection with her, things had, in the end, worked out.

  This made him more determined than ever to work with James to see if he could gain custody of Sierra permanently. But he couldn’t tell her anything yet because he didn’t want to get her hopes up unless there was a good likelihood of him being successful. Until he knew for certain that his job was stable, and he could prove to the courts that what he offered Sierra, even as a single man, was better than what she had with her parents.

  “Are we going to the apartment first?” Sierra asked, speaking to him for the first time since their conversation on the deck.

  “Yes, I had planned for us to swing by there so you could pick up anything that you might want before I take you home.” Ethan nearly choked on the word. Her home was not with her parents, her home was with him.

  “Is it just for the weekend?” Sierra asked the one question that Ethan had been hoping she wouldn’t.

  “I really don’t know. I think the more we cooperate with Dad, the more likely he’ll be to let you come back to the apartment. I know it won’t be easy, but they have the right to have you in their home instead of with me. If we upset them too much, they might make sure that you aren’t able to come see me anymore.”

  Sierra pulled her legs up, hooking her heels on the edge of the seat as she wrapped her arms around her knees. “Why couldn’t we just have a nice family like Danica and Dalton have?”