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

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  He was suddenly more eager than ever for Sierra to be home. It didn’t feel right to pursue anything with Makayla while in the midst of this. But that wasn’t all, he had a feeling that his sister would be thrilled if something were to develop between him and the woman she looked up to so very much.

  When Ethan’s eyes opened a few hours later, he lay there for a moment trying to figure out why he was on his couch, and why Bennett and Makayla were asleep in chairs across from him. As it came flooding back, he wondered what it was that had woken him.

  Then he felt a light touch on his shoulder. “Ethan?”

  The soft sound of his sister’s voice had Ethan jerking up from the couch to his feet. “Sierra?”

  Before she even responded, he was around the end of the couch and grabbing her into his arms. He prayed that this wasn’t a dream as he clutched Sierra to him, unwilling to let her go. He could hear movement behind him as Makayla and Bennett woke up.

  Finally convinced that he truly was awake, Ethan held Sierra at arm’s length and stared at her. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded even as tears spilled over and down her cheeks. “I just want to be here with you.”

  So many responses went through Ethan’s mind, but in the end, he just pulled her close again and whispered, “I know, sunshine. I know.”

  As much as he wished that he could just keep her there with him, Ethan knew that he needed to contact the police to let them know that she was safe at his apartment. He was almost positive that they would return her to her parents, but hopefully, it would be short-term loss for long-term gain. After all of this, Ethan planned to ask for a meeting with Steve and Bennett as soon as possible to talk to them about his need for the job to be permanent in order to attempt to gain custody of Sierra. He could no longer afford to wait around for the three-month probation to end. He really hoped that they saw things the way he did and would agree to offer him the permanent job sooner.

  Or if there was any question on their part about his ability to do the job, cut him loose so he could find permanent employment. That was definitely the worst case scenario. One that almost made him question pursuing that conversation with Bennett and Steve. Almost. But this was about Sierra. Everything he’d done for the last fourteen years had been for her, and he didn’t plan to change that now.

  In the background, Ethan could hear Bennett on the phone, but it didn’t sound like it was to the police. It sounded more like he had called James once again for legal advice. He glanced at the display on the microwave, wincing when he saw it was three o’clock in the morning. Hopefully, James didn’t mind being woken up in the middle of the night.

  “Are you doing okay, sweetheart?” Makayla said as she came to stand next to them, her hand reaching out to brush strands of hair from Sierra’s damp cheeks. “Why don’t we go to the bathroom, and you can get cleaned up a little bit, okay?”

  Makayla met his gaze over the top of Sierra’s head, and he knew that she was giving him and Bennett the opportunity to talk and decide what the next step should be. He gave her a quick smile of thanks before releasing Sierra into her arms. He watched the two of them walk down the hallway and realized that it might as well be his heart walking away.

  “James says we need to call the police,” Bennett said, his voice low.

  Ethan glanced over at his friend and nodded. “I figured as much. I’m just very concerned for her safety given how he was here earlier. I don’t think he’s ever hurt her in the past, but I’ve also never seen him quite as angry as he was tonight.”

  “The best we can hope for is that the police officers have made some notes on how things happened here earlier and perhaps are willing to let us keep Sierra for the time being.”

  Ethan rubbed the back of his neck, tension once again building through his shoulders up into his head. “She’s going to be furious with me if she ends up back there. I feel like I’m betraying her trust.”

  “I think you need to explain everything to her. I hope you don’t think that James has spoken out of turn, but just from the few things he said, I get the feeling that you are already speaking to him about Sierra’s situation. Is that the truth?”

  Ethan nodded. “This move here to Winnipeg seemed to escalate things. Her parents leaving her on her own in a strange city was just the final straw for me. So I did go talk to James about it, but we decided we needed to wait a little while before filing for me to have custody of her.”

  “Why would you wait?” Bennett’s brows drew together as he frowned. “If things have gotten worse since moving here, wouldn’t you want to move more quickly?”

  Well, so much for meeting with Bennett and Steve.

  Ethan decided to answer the question as honestly as he could. “James felt that it would be beneficial if my job were permanent before we filed for custody. I don’t know the status of my dad’s or Elle’s jobs, but if their jobs were already permanent and mine was just probationary, I could lose the case before it even began.”

  Bennett stared at him, his frown giving way to a look of chagrin. “I’m so sorry, Ethan. If I had known that the three-month probation would mess you up for something like this, we never would have set it up that way. Dad and I just wanted to make sure that you had an out if, for some reason, you decided the job wasn’t for you. There’s no doubt in our minds that you are the man for the job. If that’s all you’ve been waiting for, consider this the termination of your probationary period and the beginning of your permanent employment.”

  At that moment, it felt like a weight fell from his shoulders. Ethan hadn’t realized exactly how much the whole situation with his job had been weighing on him until that very moment. “Thank you. It doesn’t seem enough to just say that. But truthfully, it’s all I can say. Thank you for the job. But more than that, thank you for opening the door to a life for Sierra and me that might never have been possible otherwise.”

  “You’re welcome. But you deserve our thanks as well. I have seen in you the willingness to not just view what you do at our company as a job, but also that you want to take pride in your work within the company to make it even better. You have been the perfect fit for us.” Bennett’s gaze flicked down the hallway to where the girls had disappeared. “And that fit isn’t just with the company.”

  Before Ethan could say anything, Makayla and Sierra reappeared. Makayla kept her arm around the young girl as they made their way back to where Ethan and Bennett stood. Ethan braced himself for what he needed to tell Sierra. He hated that for the second time in less than a week he was going to have to deliver upsetting news.

  30

  E than slid his hand into his pocket then pulled it out and held it towards Sierra. Without hesitation, she took the candy he offered her but then clung to his hand. As he looked into her eyes, Ethan hated what he had to do next, but there was no way that he could keep her with him without the legal right to do so.

  “Sunshine, we need to talk,” Ethan said, struggling to keep the emotion from his voice.

  He glanced at Bennett to give him a subtle nod then slid his arm around Sierra’s shoulders and guided her to the couch. Makayla sat on Sierra’s other side while Bennett walked down the hallway to make the phone call to the police in private.

  “If they make me stay there, I’ll just run away again.” Sierra’s response to the news was about what Ethan had anticipated.

  “Sierra, I need you to be patient. I’m working on trying to see if I can get permanent custody of you, but it’s going to take time.” Ethan looked more closely at his sister. “Dad hasn’t hurt you or anything, has he?”

  Sierra didn’t look up as she shook her head, her fingers fiddling with the wrapping on the candy she’d taken from him. “He’s drinking more than he used to, and he yells a lot.”

  “You need to tell me if he’s hurt you. I won’t send you back there if he’s hurt you in some way. But, Sierra, it has to be the truth, or else they might make sure that you never get to come back here again.”

&nb
sp; Sierra shot him a look as she shook her head again. “He didn’t hurt me. He’s hardly ever around, and when he is, I stay in my bedroom.”

  Ethan realized then that this whole situation was more about him than about Sierra. This was about his dad taking control from him and doing that through Sierra. He hated the thought that she was getting caught in the middle of everything, but he didn’t know how to extricate her while his dad was in this mindset.

  He tried to explain to her a little bit more about the process that they would have to go through in hopes of her being able to stay with him permanently. Unfortunately, she wanted it to happen sooner rather than later. He wanted that as well, but he also understood that sometimes the wheels of the legal system turned more slowly than people wanted. But he would stay the course if it meant that at the end of everything, Sierra was his.

  When the cops buzzed from the front door a while later, Bennett let the men in then waited to open the door for them when they got to the apartment. Unfortunately, it was two different officers than the ones who had been there earlier. Ethan had hoped that anything they decided tonight would’ve been colored by what they’d seen earlier with his father. These two new cops, while no doubt perfectly competent, would only, at most, have read a report of what had gone on earlier in the evening.

  He was surprised to see that the cops had not come alone. The woman who accompanied them identified herself as a social worker. As the cops asked questions, Ethan recapped for them from his point of view what had happened throughout the afternoon and evening. He could tell, though, that this was not going to go the way he or Sierra wanted.

  “I’m sure you’re aware that, barring abuse, we need to return Sierra to her legal guardians,” the worker said with a sympathetic smile at Sierra. “And since you said that there is no abuse present, we’ll need to take her there now.”

  “Would it be possible for her to stay the rest of the night here?” Ethan asked. At that point, he figured he had nothing to lose.

  “I’m sorry. But according to notes from earlier, Sierra’s father requested that she be returned to them no matter what time of the day or night. In fact, he wanted to make sure you were not given any further updates regarding the case. Obviously, that’s out of our control since Sierra is here with you.”

  The officer looked at the worker who then turned to Sierra. “Do you have any other things that you need to take with you?”

  Sierra looked at Ethan then back down at the floor and shook her head. “I don’t want to go back there.”

  The worker reached out and ran her hand down Sierra’s arm. “I understand that, sweetheart. But you yourself have said that there is no abuse, so we have to abide by your father’s wishes.”

  Ethan reached out and drew Sierra into a hug. “You need to go with them now, but you text me as soon as you’re back at Dad’s, and everything’s okay. And just remember what I told you, we are working on this.”

  Ethan felt emotions rise up in him again as Sierra clutched at him. But this time around, he needed to stay strong for her sake. Thankfully, the officers and the worker were patient and waited for Sierra to gather herself together enough to leave with them.

  Once the door was closed, Ethan went to the window that looked out on the front street and watched as the small group exited the building and moved toward the squad car parked at the curb. It didn’t take long for the car to pull away and disappear.

  “Get your keys, and let’s go,” Makayla said as she gripped his arm.

  Ethan looked down at her. “Where?”

  “I know Sierra is supposed to text you when everything is okay, but what if it isn’t? Wouldn’t you rather be nearby instead of waiting here and then having to drive that whole way to get to her? If the worst happens, you’re right there and can get to her quickly. And if everything really is okay, then all you’ve wasted is a little bit of gas and your time. But I think doing this will give you peace of mind.”

  Ethan thought for a moment and then nodded. She was absolutely correct. “Are you coming with me?”

  “You couldn’t keep me away.” Makayla looked over at Bennett. “I’ve got this. You should probably get a few hours of sleep before you go to work, though.”

  Bennett shrugged back into his suit coat. “Yes, but please send a text as soon as you hear from Sierra one way or the other.” Bennett turned to Ethan. “And don’t worry about coming in at all today. Make sure you get some rest. There’s nothing at work that’s so urgent that we can’t take care of it ourselves or leave for you to handle tomorrow.”

  As he left the building with Makayla a few minutes later, Ethan was once again so grateful for the support she offered him along with Bennett and the rest of the family.

  “Why are you doing this?” Ethan asked a few minutes later as he drove the truck through eerily quiet streets to his dad’s apartment. “You didn’t have to come with me.”

  “Well, I have a couple reasons for doing this. First of all, I’ve come to love Sierra, and I care very much about her well-being. I don’t think I’d sleep tonight anyway until I knew that she was okay, so I might as well come along.” Makayla paused and when he glanced over at her, she seemed to be looking at him.

  “And your other reason?”

  Makayla didn’t respond away then said, “That’s the main reason. The most important one at the moment.”

  As silence fell between them, Ethan had to wonder…if that was the main one, what was the secondary one? The possibilities brought to life a few different emotions. Anticipation. Excitement. Love. It was probably a vain hope that perhaps she felt something for him. But even if she did, it wasn’t the time to talk about it. However, it was suddenly all his mind wanted to focus on.

  The thoughts helped make the drive to the apartment seem a little bit shorter, and the dread in his stomach had eased just a bit. Not because he wasn’t still worried about Sierra as much as ever, but because he knew that now he wasn’t alone in this. For the longest time, he alone had had to shoulder any worries or concerns for his sister. It was a blessing to now have others who cared about Sierra and were willing to stand beside him during tough times like these.

  He pulled to a stop behind the already empty cop car then took out his phone. With the cell clutched in his hand, Ethan gazed up at the mostly dark apartment building. As he sat there, he felt Makayla’s hand on his arm and welcomed the contact with her. It helped him feel grounded while his emotions were threatening to spin out of control again. But most of all, it reminded him that he was not alone.

  They’d been there about five minutes when the sudden ringing of his phone sounded loudly in the quiet of the truck, causing them both to jump. He didn’t recognize the number, but he tapped the screen to accept the call anyway.

  “Mr. Collins, this is Susan Melton. I was the worker who was there with the police officers just a short time ago. There’s been an incident here at the apartment with your sister and your father.”

  Ethan’s throat tightened and threatened to keep him from replying, but he managed to ask, “Is Sierra okay?”

  “I think she’ll be fine, but we’ve requested an ambulance to take her to the hospital just to be sure.”

  “What happened? How was he allowed to hurt her?”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Collins. Your father lashed out before any of us realized what was going on. He attacked Sierra quite suddenly, and her head hit the wall. She lost consciousness for a little while which may indicate a mild concussion, so we’ll have her evaluated at the hospital. Can you meet us there?”

  Before Ethan could reply the front door of the apartment building opened, and the two police officers appeared with his father between them, fighting them every single step of the way. They hadn’t even gotten him into the car when an ambulance pulled up, its lights flashing. Ethan jumped out of the truck and tried his best to avoid the overwhelming need to give his father a taste of his own medicine. The only thing that held him back was that Sierra needed him.

&n
bsp; With Makayla at his side, he moved quickly toward the entrance to the building. “Ms. Melton? Are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’m here.”

  “I’m following the paramedics up to the apartment. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  The woman didn’t seem too surprised as she hung up the phone. Ethan reached out to grab Makayla’s hand as they followed the paramedics into the building and into the elevator. He watched the numbers flash by as the car rose to the tenth floor, fighting the urge to lash out at everyone who had insisted that Sierra be returned to her parents. He held on by a threat because he knew that it was important that he give no one a reason to write up anything negative about him in this whole encounter.

  His hold on his anger just about snapped when he got his first look at Sierra. Makayla must have sensed that he was almost at the end of his rope because she gave his hand a tight squeeze and ran her other hand up and down his forearm. Her touch again was enough of a reminder of where he needed to keep his focus.

  The paramedics lifted a clearly disoriented Sierra onto their stretcher. She looked over at him, her face already showing the signs of the trauma that had been inflicted on her. “Ethan?”

  The tremulous quality of her voice almost made Ethan’s legs buckle, but he stayed strong and bent over her, touching the side of her face gently. “I’m here, sunshine. They’re going to take you to the hospital to check out your head, but I’ll be there with you. Okay?”

  “Are you guys taking her to Children’s?” Makayla asked one of the paramedics as they followed them out to the elevator. When the man nodded, she said, “I’ll give you directions.”

  They exited the elevator with the paramedics, and he stayed close to Sierra until they had loaded her into the back of the ambulance. His gaze stayed on the ambulance as it pulled away from the curb then he turned to look at Makayla. “Maybe it will just be easier if you drive.”