The Love of Her Life: A Christian Romance (The Callaghans & McFaddens Book 3)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “Is this your first time here?” the woman asked.

  “I guess it’s pretty obvious, eh?” Maya said with a smile. “I’m actually supposed to be meeting someone here.”

  The woman’s smile widened. “Gabe?”

  “Yes. He said he was here already.”

  “He is. Let me take you to him.” She began to walk the length of the desk, pausing in front of an open door. “Jack, can you watch the desk? I’ll be right back.” Without seeming to wait for an answer, the woman came around the end of the desk and joined Maya. “My name is Cathy. And you’re Maya, right?”

  “I am. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Cathy led the way to one of the past-vertical walls Maya had seen. She came to a stop a little ways from the wall and pointed to the man who was about halfway up the wall. “There he is.”

  “Is he a regular here?” Maya asked as she watched Gabe pause, looking as if he was just hanging from an extended arm with his feet braced against the wall. Suddenly he moved, smoothly extending his other arm to grip a hand hold and move further along the wall. Maya held her breath when he paused again, waiting for his next move.

  “Yes. He’s actually one of the owners and has helped design several of the walls.”

  Maya heard the admiration in the woman’s voice as she stared up to where Gabe had once again advanced on the wall. Did this woman feel the same way for Gabe that Maya did?

  “He’s amazing to watch,” Cathy said. “He has such a grace to him as he climbs. Like it takes no effort at all.”

  Maya turned her gaze back to Gabe, watching again as he moved, showing the grace Cathy had mentioned as he swung by his hands for a moment before bringing his feet to the wall and pausing. She decided then that she didn’t need to climb. She’d be happy to just watch him. Gabe in motion was truly a thing of beauty.

  However, she had a feeling that Gabe wouldn’t let her do that. Something told her that he would want to share his passion for the sport with her.

  He hooked his safety rope one last time before reaching the top, bringing cheers from the people on the ground. It was then that Maya realized that it hadn’t just been her and Cathy who’d been watching his climb. Gabe gave a wave as the person who’d been holding the ropes lowered him to the ground.

  Once on the ground, Gabe spoke to the man as he worked himself free of the rope. Cathy headed in their direction, so Maya followed her. Gabe looked up as Cathy approached, his gaze quickly moving past her to Maya.

  “You up next, babe?” Cathy said as she joined them, slipping her arm around the waist of the man Gabe had been talking to.

  “Nope. I had my turn earlier and failed to reach the top.” The man gave a shake of his head. “I design this wall, and he just breezes through it.”

  “You did a good job, Brent.” Gabe slapped him on the shoulder. “Just not good enough.”

  “I found someone who was looking for you,” Cathy said with a wave at Maya.

  “So I see,” Gabe said as he smiled at Maya. “Good morning. I’m glad you could make it.”

  “Hi.” Maya felt warmth spread through her at the smile that seemed to be just for her. “I’m feeling a little intimidated, I have to admit. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather just go for breakfast?”

  Brent and Cathy both laughed before Brent said, “Sorry to tell you, once Gabe gets someone in those doors, he doesn’t let them out unless they at least attempt to climb a wall. But don’t worry, you’re in the best hands with him.”

  “Well, on that note,” Gabe said, rubbing his hands together, “let’s get you ready to climb.”

  As they walked toward the front of the building, Maya said, “Are there bunny walls?”

  “Bunny walls?” Gabe asked, a note of humor in his voice.

  “You know. Like bunny slopes for skiing.”

  “Ah, yes. There are beginner walls. Don’t worry. I’d never throw you on a tough wall to start. I want you to enjoy this after all. If you don’t, you might not come back with me, and that would be a shame.”

  “I’d come back to watch you climb any day of the week. You looked amazing up there.”

  Gabe shot her a grin. “You thought I looked amazing?”

  Maya laughed. “Like you don’t know.”

  “Usually people put their stuff in a locker, but you can just put your things in the office with mine.” Gabe guided her behind the desk to the open door. “Hey, Jack.”

  “Yo, dude.” Jack gave them a nod as they walked past. “Dudette.”

  Maya leaned toward Gabe and softly said, “Dudette?”

  Gabe chuckled. “Yeah. Jack likes to pretend he’s a surfer or something.”

  “Or maybe he just has a bad memory and can’t remember anyone’s name.” This came from a large man sitting behind a desk. While Gabe was tall and on the lanky side, this man was tall and well built.

  “Hey, Hunter. This is Maya. I invited her to come try out some climbing.” Gabe helped Maya out of her jacket.

  “Good to meet you, Maya.” The man got up and held out his hand. “Welcome to Rock On.”

  “Thank you.” Her hand was swallowed up in the man’s. He gave a firm, but not finger breaking, shake before releasing her hand.

  “Let’s find you a pair of shoes,” Gabe said.

  “I wasn’t sure what to wear, so I hope this is okay.” Maya motioned to the stretch skinny jeans she wore with a long sleeve T-shirt. Her mom probably would have had a fit that she was leaving the house dressed that way, but it seemed the most appropriate for what the day held.

  Gabe gave her a quick look over before nodding. “That’s just fine.”

  Cathy appeared in the doorway of the office. “What size shoe do you wear?”

  After Maya told her and then slipped on the shoes Cathy returned with, it wasn’t long before Gabe took her to a wall that—thankfully—looked a little less intimidating than the one he’d been climbing. As he ran through the basics, she recognized several terms that she’d heard on the videos earlier. Though she was sure he could do it all in his sleep, Gabe took his time to explain everything to her. From the reason why his shoes were shaped a bit differently from hers to the different types of buckles on the harness she would be wearing.

  Though getting the harness on her and the rope attached required Gabe to be in her personal space, she appreciated the fact that his hands didn’t brush against any parts of her body that they shouldn’t. He was all business as he got her ready.

  For her part, Maya definitely enjoyed having Gabe that close. She found herself appreciating the scent of whatever cologne or aftershave he was wearing. His hair fell forward over his forehead as he bent to show her the figure eight knot he’d made by feeding the rope through the two loops on the harness.

  “And that’s strong enough to hold me up if I fall?” Maya asked, still not convinced this was the best idea she’d ever agreed to.

  He looked up at her as he gave the rope a tug, the skin by the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “Yeah. You don’t have to worry about that. If these will hold me, they’ll definitely hold you.”

  6

  Once Gabe declared her ready to go, Maya turned to look at the wall he’d brought her to. She knew it wasn’t a difficult wall, but it was still rather imposing. Seize the day. She was going to trust that Gabe wouldn’t have her doing anything that would be potentially life threatening.

  As he walked her closer to the wall, Gabe continued to give her instructions. “Try to keep your arms extended. Keep the weight on your shoulders, so your arms don’t get overtired.”

  Maya remembered hearing something about that in one of the videos she’d watched.

  “These beginner walls have fairly straightforward routes to the top, so you should be able to find a path without too much trouble.” He guided her toward a starting position. “And don’t worry if you don’t make it to the top your first time. This is more to just get you informed and comfortable with the equipment and the wall. Next time you’l
l be able to concentrate on just the climb.”

  Maya looked over at him and arched a brow. “Next time?”

  “Oh yes. There will be a next time,” Gabe said with a confident grin. “You’ll be back for more.”

  Reaching out to grasp the first handhold, Maya glanced over her shoulder. “You seem pretty confident about that.”

  “You’ll see.” He took a couple of steps back, the rope he would use to spot her in his hands.

  Taking a deep breath, Maya turned her attention to the wall and began to tentatively move up. Though she could see the next places her hands and feet needed to go to, she tried to move carefully. It wasn’t a race, and in her mind’s eye, she could see the woman she’d watched on YouTube climbing with graceful, smooth movements, much like Gabe had shown earlier.

  She wanted to reach the top, to show Gabe that she could do it, but midway up, her arms and legs began to tremble with the strain. She paused, holding onto the grips, trying to keep from slipping off them.

  “You okay, Maya?”

  Maya resisted the urge to look down at Gabe. Instead, she looked up, trying to gauge how far she needed to go in order to reach the top. She took a deep breath and let it out, realizing that there was no way her body was going to get her to her destination. Her head dropped forward.

  “You’ve done great, Maya.” Gabe’s voice was full of encouragement. “For your first time, you’ve gotten really far. If you’re done, just push back from the wall. I’ve got you.”

  Maya knew she had to let go, but she didn’t want to. It was so important to her that Gabe know she could do this, but there was just no way she was going to be able to. With a sigh, she pushed away from the wall and let go. Her stomach clenched as she swung in the air before landing on the ground.

  Immediately, she was captured in a hug, her arms held tight to her side.

  “You did great!” Gabe released her and stepped back, his hands coming to rest on her upper arms. He massaged the muscles there. “How are you feeling?”

  She looked up at him as she clenched and unclenched her hands. “I wanted to get to the top.”

  “I know. That’s how I felt the first time I tried climbing, but I didn’t make it either.”

  “Really?” Maya gave him a skeptical look. “I find that rather hard to believe.”

  “It’s the truth. It’s taken many years and a lot of practice to get to the point I’m at now.” His hands slid further down her arms, continuing to massage them. “But how did you like it?”

  “I didn’t think I’d like it, but there was something invigorating about having to rely on just my own strength to get up there.” She stared down as his strong fingers worked the muscles in her hands. “It was amazing.”

  “I knew you’d like it,” Gabe said. “You seemed like a person who was up for a challenge.”

  “Well, to be honest, I’ve never thought about doing something like this,” Maya said, feeling a bit bereft as he let go of her hands. “And there just might be a next time.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.” Gabe grinned, his blue eyes twinkling. “You’re welcome here at the gym anytime you want. Did you want to try again now?”

  “I don’t think I can,” Maya said with a shake of her head. “My arms feel like they’re about ready to fall off, and I don’t think I’ll be able to walk for the rest of the day if I try again. Maybe you can give me some pointers on exercises that would help me gain strength and do better next time.”

  “That I can do, but first, let’s get you out of this harness.” Gabe quickly undid the rope and then the buckle of the harness.

  Once she was free, they returned to the office where she switched from the climbing shoes into her boots. She made a note to buy some shoes of her own since she really did want to try it again. But there was no way she’d ever tell her mom what she’d been up to. It was just one more thing she was going to have to keep from her parents even though what she wanted most was to be able to share all these experiences with them.

  “Ready to get some lunch?” Gabe asked as he handed her her jacket.

  Maya nodded. “I didn’t really eat much for breakfast, so I’m definitely ready for some food.”

  Gabe rapped on the desk where Hunter sat. “I’ll be back a bit later.”

  “Have fun,” the other man said with a broad smile.

  As they walked toward the exit of the building, Gabe said, “How about we take my truck. I’ll bring you back here afterward, if that’s okay.”

  “That’s fine.”

  Gabe pulled into the small parking lot of the restaurant he’d decided to take Maya to. He was so pleased with how things had gone at the gym. Knowing that she was a little apprehensive, he had just wanted her to try it once. It was something he loved doing, and for some reason, he’d really wanted her to give it a try. He wanted it to be something they could do together again.

  “I’ve never been here before,” Maya said as she walked with him to the entrance.

  Gabe wanted to take her hand, but he knew it was probably a little too soon for that. He opened the door and let her precede him into the restaurant. He hadn’t been sure where to go, but he’d wanted a place where they could sit and talk in peace and quiet without feeling rushed.

  The hostess greeted them with a smile and then led the way to a booth in the back corner. She waited until they’d both slid into their seats before handing them the menus.

  “Your waitress will be with you shortly.” With a quick smile, she left them alone.

  “You’ve been here before?” Maya asked as she opened the menu.

  “Yep. I found this place a couple of years ago. I try to come at least once whenever I’m home.”

  Maya looked at him for a moment, her dark gaze serious before turning her attention back to the menu. He wondered what she’d been thinking, but couldn’t bring himself to ask. It wouldn’t have surprised him if it had to do with his frequent travels. Mitch had cornered him again after the Christmas party to ask him what he was thinking when it came to Maya.

  Mitch hadn’t been the only family member who had noticed his infatuation with the company’s new receptionist. Makayla and Bennett had both asked him what he was thinking getting close to her when he’d be leaving again in a few weeks. Unfortunately, he had no answer for them.

  He’d never considered settling down in one place. Winnipeg was always the place he came back to, but it hadn’t been the place where he stayed since he’d graduated from university. It had been a few timely decisions with Tennyson Page and Forrest Williams that had allowed him the ability to work from anywhere in the world as long as he had an internet connection.

  He’d gone on to make some wise investments in the meantime—including the rock climbing gym—which had added to the money that was accumulating in his bank account. Gabe wasn’t focused on the things he could buy with that money. He liked the freedom the money gave him to travel the world, chasing the adrenalin rush that gave him a reason to get up each day. There was no physical item he could buy that could ever give him a similar feeling.

  Meeting Maya was the first time he’d felt that rush of anticipation for anything but an adventure. He didn’t know what it was about her, but he just couldn’t ignore it. He had to discover why she made him feel that way. Why, for the first time in his adult life, he was tempted to put the chase on hold for the chance to stay in Winnipeg for longer than just a couple of weeks.

  When their waitress appeared to take their order, Gabe motioned for Maya to go first.

  “I’ll have the BLT salad with Ranch dressing on the side,” Maya said. “And a glass of water with lemon.”

  Gabe always found it interesting to see what people he had just met liked to eat. It gave him some insight into them, or at least he liked to think it did. With Maya, knowing what she liked to eat would make things easier when he chose places to take her out to eat.

  The thought made him pause when he realized he was already planning on going out to eat with her ag
ain.

  “And how about you, sir?” The waitress’s question brought him back to the present.

  “Oh. I’ll have the double cheeseburger with French fries. And water for me as well.”

  “So. Tell me about yourself,” Gabe said when they were alone again.

  Maya’s brows rose. “What exactly do you want to know? I’m afraid I haven’t led a very interesting life.”

  “Well, you know about my family.”

  “I think I do. I mean, just when I think I’ve met you all, another one pops up.” She smiled. “Like last night with Sammi. I actually thought you meant a guy when you first mentioned her. Maybe you need to give me a rundown just to make sure I know everyone now.”

  “Okay. Here’s a rundown on the rest of the family—in order of age, not beauty or importance. Kenton is the oldest, and he plays in the NHL. Then there’s Bennett, Makayla, Ryan, me and Mitch. Sammi and Tristan are the youngest of the blended family then my dad and Emily had Danica and Dalton.”

  Maya sat back in the booth, a slightly stunned look on her face. “Wow. That’s quite a family. I’m an only child, so I can’t begin to imagine having that many siblings. I think my mom would have loved to have more kids, but that wasn’t meant to be.”

  “I enjoy being part of a large family. There’s usually someone up for doing something. When we were little, if Mitch didn’t want to play with me, I could usually talk Ryan or Sammi into doing something. Of course, most weren’t interested in the things I liked to do.”

  “Like what?” Maya asked.

  Gabe grinned as memories flooded his mind. “Well, there was the time I wanted us to jump off the roof of the porch onto the trampoline. I managed to talk Ryan into doing it with me, but when I miscalculated the distance I needed to jump in order to land in the middle of it, I ended up breaking my arm. I also loved to climb trees to see how high up I could get. And then there were the ramps I used to set up so we could jump our bikes. I always went the farthest because I would go the fastest before hitting the ramp. Mom will tell you that I am solely responsible for every gray hair on her head.”