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

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  2

  E than followed his fellow passengers off the flight from Calgary into the airport in Winnipeg. Considering it had been his first time on a plane, all had gone fairly well, though he could’ve done with a little more legroom. He glanced around curiously as he made his way to the stairs leading down to the baggage claim area. Since he was only staying for a couple of days, Ethan had packed a bag that met the requirements of the hand carry, so he didn’t need to wait for any checked luggage.

  At the bottom of the stairs, he stepped out of the way of other passengers while his gaze searched for the person who would be picking him up. It didn’t take long to spot the tall dark-haired man holding a sign with his name on it. Switching his bag to his left hand, Ethan made his way over to where the man stood and held out his hand.

  “Hello. I’m Ethan Collins.”

  The man lowered his sign with a friendly smile and took Ethan’s hand in a firm grip. He was about his height and build with stylishly cut dark hair and dark blue eyes. “Nice to meet you, Ethan. I’m Bennett McFadden. Welcome to Winnipeg.”

  “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too.”

  Bennett gestured to the baggage carousels. “You can pick up your luggage just over here.”

  Ethan lifted his bag and said, “This here is all I’ve got.”

  “Well then I guess we can head on out,” Bennett said as he pointed to the exit.

  As he walked beside the man, Ethan couldn’t quell the nervousness in his stomach. So much was riding on him making a good impression on this man and the others in the company. Already he could see that this man had more polish than Josh did. The black pants and light blue shirt Bennett wore looked like they cost quite a bit more than the slightly faded jeans and white polo shirt Ethan had on.

  The late night air that greeted them as they exited the building felt a little cooler than what it had been in Calgary when he left. It was too bad that if he had to make such a major move and uproot his life that he wasn’t moving to someplace with a warmer winter than Calgary. Instead, he was going to end up in a city that had a longer and colder winter than where he currently lived. But since he had no choice, he’d have to make do and buy a warmer jacket.

  “So how was your flight?” Bennett asked as he led the way across several lanes of traffic to reach the parking garage.

  “Well, since this was my first time on a plane, I’d have to say it went just fine. I didn’t have any overly high expectations of the flight. Just wanted to land safely, and that we did.”

  Bennett glanced over at him as he stopped at a parking pay station. “Never been on a plane before?”

  “No. I’ve never had a reason to fly in the past. I will say that the view flying into the city was quite spectacular with all the lights.”

  The other man nodded and smiled. “Yes, that view is quite amazing.”

  They got into an elevator that took them up a floor, and when they got out, Bennett led him to a large black truck with the logo for the company on its doors. The alarm on the truck chirped as they approached.

  “You can put your bag in the back seat,” Bennett said as he rounded the bed of the truck to get to the driver’s side.

  Once they were buckled in, Bennett guided the vehicle to the exit of the parking lot then waited for the security arm to lift. As they left the airport behind them, Ethan looked around at the city he would soon be calling home, but he couldn’t see too much since it was nighttime.

  “Dad feels it’s important that you understand our family since the company is made up of a lot of family members,” Bennett said as he steered the truck along the road leading away from the airport. “Because of that, he wanted you to stay at our family home just outside the city. I hope that’s okay with you.”

  Ethan swallowed hard. He hadn’t anticipated staying with the family, although what Bennett said made sense. Hopefully, they didn’t find it awkward with him there. He wasn’t the most talkative man on the planet and was fairly private. But if this was the price he had to pay to get this job, then he was going to try to be the best houseguest they’d ever had.

  When Steve Callaghan had said they’d provide a place for him to stay, he’d automatically assumed it would be a hotel. Presented with a different scenario, Ethan wanted to get a feel for what he might be facing when they reached the house. “Do you have a fairly large family?”

  Bennett laughed. “You could say that. There are ten of us children, but only four still live at home. We’re actually a blended family. My mom had four kids when she married Dad, who also had four kids, and then they went on to have two more together.”

  “Wow. That is a large family.” Ethan couldn’t even imagine having that many siblings.

  “How about you? Do you have any sisters or brothers?”

  Ethan supposed it was only fair that Bennett got to ask him questions too. Usually, he didn’t talk much about his family—especially with people he didn’t know—but there was no way to brush off Bennett’s direct question. “Yes. I have one sister.”

  “Are you close with her?”

  “Yes, we’re very close. She’s the reason I’m moving to Winnipeg.”

  “That’s great that you have family here. Although I have to say, with my family, there are days I wish I lived a little further away from them.” Bennett’s words held an indulgent undertone that made Ethan think that he really didn’t feel that way.

  Ethan wondered what it would be like to be part of a large family. Even though he technically had a dad, he’d never felt like he had a family. His mom had passed away when he’d been four years old, and his dad had basically checked out at that point. He’d made sure that Ethan had food to eat and clothes to wear but that had been the extent of his parenting.

  Trying to stop himself from taking a trip down memory lane to a place he didn’t want to go, Ethan said, “I know that your business is family run. How many of you work for C&M?”

  “We’ve all put in time over the years. Dad insisted that each of us work there once we turned sixteen. Part time during the school year then full time in the summer. Once we graduated from high school, we could continue to work at the company while we went to university but we weren’t obliged to work there after we graduated.” Bennett slowed to make a turn off the highway. “Right now, there are four of us who are full time. Myself, Makayla, Mitch, and Tristan. Sammi is a nurse so she doesn’t work at the company at all anymore. Danica helps out in the office some. She and Dalton are still in high school.”

  Ethan tried to absorb all the names that were being thrown at him. He did a quick count. “So that’s six of you involved in some way? What about the other three?”

  “Kenton, Ryan, and Gabe have moved on to their own careers. In fact, none of them are home at the moment.” Bennett glanced at him, but Ethan couldn’t see the expression on his face in the faintly lit cab of the truck. “Just to put you at ease, there won’t be a quiz on this, so don’t feel you have to remember everything I’ve told you.”

  It wasn’t long before Bennett turned into a driveway that had a wrought iron fence that curved into an archway over the road. The driveway was illuminated with lampposts, and soon a large well-lit home came into view. Ethan felt his stomach clench. He would be meeting Steve Callaghan, and it was so very important he make a good impression on the man. Acutely aware that his palms were damp, Ethan pressed them to his denim-covered thighs.

  Bennett opened his door, and light flooded the interior of the cab. He glanced over at Ethan and gave him a smile. “Don’t be nervous. My dad is already convinced that you’re the answer to his prayers. Short of committing a crime, I think you’re pretty much a shoo-in.”

  The words had likely been said to put Ethan at ease, but they didn’t. Now he felt even more pressure to live up to Steve Callaghan’s expectations. He wasn’t a highly educated man. Going to university once he’d completed high school had been impossible, but he’d learned everything that he could from Bob and the others in the company
who were willing to share their knowledge. He wasn’t book-smart, but he had experience, and he wasn’t dumb.

  He hoped that would be enough to land him this job. Since there had been no other responses to the resumes he’d sent out, everything was riding on this one.

  Ethan climbed out of the truck and got his bag from the back seat. He followed Bennett up the wide steps that led to the porch that ran the whole length of the front of the house. Without bothering to knock, Bennett pushed the door open and gestured for Ethan to precede him inside.

  Before he had time to register his surroundings, a tall man with salt and pepper hair and a broad smile approached them.

  “Ethan! It’s good to see you made it in one piece.” The man stuck out his hand. “I’m Steve Callaghan. Welcome.”

  Ethan shook the man’s hand and then looked at the petite woman who appeared at Steve’s side. She had blonde hair that just brushed her shoulders and, like her husband, she had a welcoming smile on her face. Steve slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

  “This is my wife, Emily.” He smiled down at her. “Angel, this is Ethan Collins.”

  As Ethan shook her hand, Bennett leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek.

  “I didn’t expect you to still be up, Mom.”

  “I decided to keep your dad company while he waited.” She grinned as Bennett shook his head and gave her a smile. When she looked back at Ethan, she said, “I’m sure you must have had a long day. Would you like something to eat before going to bed? I know they don’t feed you much of anything on those shorter flights.”

  “No, thank you. I’m fine.” With the nerves in his stomach, Ethan wasn’t sure he could eat right then anyway. Plus, it was already past his usual ten o’clock bedtime.

  “How about I show you to your room?” Steve offered.

  “I’m going to head off,” Bennett said before Ethan could move to follow Steve. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ethan. Have a good night.”

  Ethan tipped his head to the man. “Thank you for the ride.”

  “You’re welcome.” Bennett bent to give his mom a hug then headed for the door.

  “Let’s get you settled,” Steve said and held his hand out toward the staircase not far from where they were standing.

  Ethan noticed that there were pictures on the wall as they climbed the stairs. He only got a quick glance as he followed Steve, but it looked like they were portraits of a large group of children over a series of years. Once they reached the second floor, Steve led him down a wide hallway which had several doors on both sides. Most were closed, but when they came to an open one, Steve reached in to turn on the light.

  “This is your room for the duration of your stay. There’s a bathroom through that door there.” Steve stepped back to allow him to enter the room. “If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask, okay? We’ll eat breakfast around seven-thirty, so just come on downstairs and follow the noise.”

  “Thank you,” Ethan said, trying to keep his mind clear of everything until he was finally alone. So many thoughts and observations were vying for his attention.

  “You’re welcome, son. See you in the morning.” Steve clapped him on the shoulder before stepping out of the room and closing the door.

  Son? No one had ever called him that before. Even his own father called him boy most the time. He was twenty-eight years old and was still getting called boy. Bob was probably the closest thing to a father-figure he’d had, and even he had never called Ethan son.

  Ethan looked around the room and for a moment wondered if he was dreaming. The room wasn’t really big, but there was a large bed along with a chest of drawers and a desk in the corner. He walked over and put his bag on the desk then unzipped it. He needed to pull his clothes out so they wouldn’t be wrinkled the next day.

  After getting the call from Steve, Ethan had taken some time to search on the internet to see what business casual might look like. This job was more of an office job than what he was used to so that would require a different wardrobe than what he currently had. He’d made a quick trip to a couple of the thrift stores he and Sierra liked to frequent where he’d scored a nice sports coat and a couple of shirts. He just hoped they’d do the trick until he could afford something better.

  When he finally crawled into the super comfortable bed, Ethan figured it would take him time to fall asleep, but instead, he found himself drifting off right away. It was like the house was wrapped in peace and happiness, and it seemed to permeate the room and relax him.

  It took Ethan a moment to orientate himself when his alarm went off the next morning. As he reached to turn it off, he looked around the dimly lit room. Winnipeg. Not Calgary. And he had a job interview.

  Moving quickly, he threw back the covers and went into the attached bathroom to take a shower and get dressed. He rarely spent much time on his appearance but today was important since he was making impressions on people. With that in mind, Ethan made sure his hair was neat, and his scruff looked intentional, not like he’d just forgotten to shave for three days. Once he felt he was presentable, Ethan slid his wallet and cell phone into his pockets and left the room.

  As he stepped into the hallway, he looked up to see a young man headed his way. The teen lifted his head, jerking it to the side when he spotted Ethan. A long sweep of light brown hair slid away to reveal a pair of curious blue eyes. He wore black skinny jeans and a short sleeve T-shirt that appeared to have some sort of logo on the upper left side of it. The boy’s hands were full of books, a messenger bag, and his cell phone, but he gave Ethan a friendly smile.

  “You must be Ethan,” he said as he approached. “My name is Dalton.”

  “Nice to meet you, Dalton.” Ethan would have offered to shake his hand, but it appeared Dalton didn’t have one to spare.

  “You headed down for breakfast?” Dalton asked as they walked toward the stairs.

  “Yes, I am.” Thinking back to what Bennett had said the night before, Ethan figured that this was one of the two children that Steve and Emily had had together.

  “Cool. Hope you’re hungry. Mom makes great breakfasts.” Once they reached the main floor, Dalton led the way through a doorway into a large, sunny kitchen.

  “Good morning, Ethan,” Steve called out as soon as he spotted him. “Come on in and find a seat.”

  Ethan hesitated, not wanting to take someone else’s seat.

  “This chair’s free,” Dalton said, gesturing to the empty chair next to the one he’d settled into.

  Breakfast turned into yet another first for Ethan. Everyone waited until Emily and Steve had brought the food to the table, and Steve had said a blessing before they started to eat. As platters of bacon, scrambled eggs, and fruit came his way, Ethan took a little of each. His stomach was still a bit tense, but the longer he spent in the presence of the family, the more the knot eased.

  “Ethan, I see you’ve met Dalton already. This is Danica, Tristan, and Sammi.” Steve gestured to the three people at the table that Ethan didn’t know. “Guys, Ethan is here to see about taking over Bennett’s job.”

  Ethan smiled at the trio who had just been introduced. The knot eased further when he received friendly smiles in return. Dalton and Danica looked very much alike with light brown hair while Sammi’s hair was a rich dark brown like Bennett’s, and Tristan’s was blonde. They all had eyes of varying shades of blue.

  Breakfast didn’t last long, and soon people were standing up and carrying their dishes to the sink. Ethan followed suit and then watched as Steve kissed Emily goodbye.

  “Have a good day, sweetheart,” Emily said then her gaze went to Ethan. “I look forward to getting to know you a bit better later when we have more time.”

  Ethan nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Outside, Sammi headed toward a small SUV and hollered, “Get moving, you two.”

  Dalton and Danica scrambled into the car after Dalton had handily won the call for shot-gun. Tristan got behind the wheel of a car simi
lar to Sammi’s and was the first to pull out of the driveway. Steve waited until they were all gone before leading Ethan to a large truck like the one Bennett drove with the company logo on it.

  3

  A s Steve steered the truck toward the road, he said, “I can’t tell if you’re a quiet one or just overwhelmed.”

  “Probably a bit of both,” Ethan admitted. “I was an only child until I turned fourteen, so being in a home with lots of people is something new.”

  He glanced over at Ethan and smiled. “Just wait until they’re all here. It’s even more chaotic.”

  “Do they all live in Winnipeg?” He seemed to recall Bennett saying something to the contrary, but he wasn’t sure.

  “No, not at the moment. Kenton is a professional hockey player and is currently playing in LA. We keep hoping he’ll get traded to the Jets, but so far, no luck. You a hockey fan?”

  Ethan looked at Steve in surprise. His son was an NHL player? “Uh, I catch the Calgary Flames on television when I can, but I don’t go to the games. I guess I’ve probably seen your son play and not realized it.”

  “We’re hoping he’ll come home this summer, but who knows. Gabe and Ryan don’t live here either. Ryan is in the US military and is just back from a tour in Afghanistan. Not sure when we’ll see him next. And Gabe, well, you’d have to ask Emily where he is. That boy moves around so much I can’t keep track of him. Emily, however, makes sure she knows where he is.”

  “What type of work does he do?” Ethan asked.

  “He does a little bit of everything, it seems. Though he graduated with a degree in business, he spends a good chunk of his time traveling the globe. When he’s serious about work, he and a couple of his friends buy up failing companies and somehow turn them around. Don’t ask me how they do it, but they do. They seem to have the Midas touch. Gabe just seems to want money to fund his traveling adventures. That boy lives for adventure. He’ll jump off bridges. Climb mountains. You name it, he’s either done it or plans to.”

  Ethan wondered what that kind of life would be like. He’d never considered doing anything that adventurous. It sounded dangerous, and if there was one thing he wouldn’t do, it was knowingly put himself in harm’s way. Sierra needed him, and he’d be foolish to take the chance of leaving her alone just so he could experience a thrill. That was definitely not his thing.