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

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  “I can’t even imagine. My mom was way too protective of me to let me even consider doing anything like that. Of course, I’m not sure I would have wanted to anyway.”

  “Yeah, the girls never were as eager to join me. In fact, I’m not sure I was ever able to convince Makayla or Sammi to do the more risky stuff.”

  The waitress returned with their food, interrupting their conversation. Gabe hesitated for a moment then said, “Do you mind if I say grace for the food?”

  “Not at all,” Maya said then bowed her head.

  As Gabe said a prayer of thanks for the food, his dad’s words came to mind about dating someone who didn’t share his faith. Maybe that was a discussion they needed to have along with all the other getting-to-know-each-other questions.

  “This looks delicious,” Maya said as she picked up her fork.

  “I haven’t had a bad dish yet in all the time I’ve been coming here.” Gabe reached for the ketchup. “Do your parents live here in Winnipeg?”

  Maya nodded, her fork pausing on its way to her mouth. “Yeah. My dad is from here. My mom’s parents came to Winnipeg from Japan, and my mom was born here. My mom worked for my dad, and that’s how they met.”

  That explained the exotic look Maya had with the combination of Asian features blended with Caucasian ones. Her brown eyes were round but still had a slight tilt to them that made them beautiful to him. Her dark hair and lightly tanned skin were definitely from her mom, but Gabe wondered if the one dimple she sported came from her dad.

  “What does your dad do?”

  Maya took the time to chew her bite of food before answering him. Gabe got the feeling that she was chewing a bit more than she needed to, and he wondered why she wasn’t eager to answer the question.

  “He’s in business. To be honest, I don’t know exactly what he does. He travels a lot.”

  “Does your mom still work for him?”

  Maya shook her head. “She quit after they got married. My dad’s business was doing well enough at that point that she didn’t need to work, so she could stay home with me.”

  “You didn’t want to work for your dad?”

  “Absolutely not. I’m sure my mom wishes I would have gone to him for a job, but I needed to stand on my own.” She paused. “It’s bad enough I’m still living at home.”

  Gabe grinned. “Well, technically, I still live at home too. I mean, I used to have an apartment in the building my dad owns, but after doing some shuffling around, someone else needed the apartment, so I gave it up. Now when I’m here, I stay with my folks.”

  “Is that where Grace moved to?” Maya asked.

  “Yep. After her husband died, she decided to move out of their condo and back into the building where Makayla, Bennett, and Mitch live.”

  “It’s neat how you all get along well enough that you want to live close together.”

  Gabe sighed. “We don’t all get along that well. Bennett and Kenton have some issues. They used to be best friends, but now whenever they’re in the same room, the tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife.”

  “What happened?”

  “No one knows for sure, but I personally think it has something to do with Grace.”

  Maya’s eyes widened. “Grace? Really?”

  “Yeah. She and Bennett have a history going back to when they were all teens, and I think Kenton got mixed up in it somehow.” Gabe swirled a fry through the ketchup. “It’s probably a good thing Kenton plays down in LA even though my dad keeps hoping he’ll get traded to the Jets.”

  “Will Kenton be home for Christmas?”

  “Not likely. The team doesn’t get much—if any—time off at Christmas. Most times, Kenton is the only one not home. Ryan lives in Minneapolis, so he’ll be home. Do you have other family you get together with at Christmas?”

  “Not really. My dad is estranged from his family, unfortunately, and my mom’s parents have both passed away. They were older when they had her, and she was an only child too. I think that’s one of the reasons she wanted more children.” Maya paused and took a drink of water. “My mom wants to go away for Christmas, but I told her that with my new job, I can’t.”

  “I’m sure Bennett would give you time off if you asked. Family is always important to us so he’d be fine with you spending that time with yours.”

  Maya shook her head. “No. I’d rather not ask. I want to stay here for Christmas.”

  “I can’t say I’m disappointed to hear that,” Gabe said and gave her a wink. “I’d like to spend some more time with you over the holidays.”

  The dimple made a brief appearance in Maya’s cheek as she gave him a shy smile. “I’d like that too.”

  As the meal progressed, Gabe shared a bit about his latest travels which had been among his less exciting trips. They hadn’t involved the high level of adventure he usually went after. His next few trips would include more heart-pumping adventures, especially the trip he’d committed to with three of his friends in March. They were going to be jumping out of a helicopter to do some extreme skiing and snowboarding.

  They talked a bit about a new movie that had come out recently, and Gade didn’t hesitate to offer to take her to see it.

  “When were you thinking?” Maya asked as she pushed her plate to the side.

  “Maybe some night this week?” Gabe suggested.

  “Sure. I’d like that. Just call or text me. Or will you be in the office?”

  Gabe finished his last bite of burger then took a drink of water. “To be honest, I don’t spend much time in the office, but I’m willing to make an exception this time around. I might come in and borrow the boardroom to do some work of my own.”

  Maya smiled, the dimple in her cheek deepening. “Your brother might decide to charge you rent for office space.”

  Gabe started to laugh. “He can always try.”

  They declined dessert though the selections the waitress presented looked tempting, then Gabe took care of the bill even though Maya had offered to split it.

  “I asked you out. This is my treat.” Gabe couldn’t imagine a situation in which he’d accept his date paying for one of their meals. He was just a bit old-fashioned in that regard, he supposed.

  “Well, thank you. The food was delicious.” She got to her feet as he did and smiled at him. “And the company was wonderful as well.”

  As they walked to the car, Gabe found himself considering the poise with which Maya conducted herself. The way she always put him at ease, keeping the conversation flowing even though she did tend to keep the focus off herself. At some point, he was going to get her to answer the questions that kept coming to mind the more time he spent with her.

  When they got back to the gym, Gabe didn’t turn off the car right away. He found that he didn’t want their time to end. Knowing that he would be leaving in a couple of weeks, he wanted to cram in as much time together as he could before he had to go.

  “I was wondering if you’d like to come to church with me tomorrow.” He hesitated. “I mean, if you don’t have commitments where you attend.”

  Maya didn’t answer right away, but then she said, “I don’t actually have a church that I attend on a regular basis.”

  “Would you like to come to church with me then?” Gabe asked again.

  “Yes, I would.”

  Gabe felt a wave of relief. He had thought maybe she’d say no. That she’d be uninterested in attending a church service. “I can pick you up, if you’d like.”

  “I’d prefer to drive myself.” She smiled at him, lessening the sting of the rejection a little. “Just give me the address and the time. I will be there.”

  Gabe wondered why she kept refusing his attempts to give her a ride. Just one more curiosity about Maya that he hoped would be satisfied soon. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  Once out of the car, Maya thanked him again then she headed for an SUV hybrid parked a couple rows over. As he watched her go, Gabe wondered when he’d be able to give
her a hug when they parted from each other. It seemed like the right thing to do, but he knew it was too soon. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too soon…soon.

  “Where have you been?”

  Maya huffed out a sigh at her mother’s words as the woman came from the direction of her dad’s office. She was starting to absolutely hate those words. Maybe it was time to look into finding a place of her own. Despite the fact that Gabe was also living with his parents, she knew that it wasn’t normal for someone her age who had the money for a place of their own to still be living with their parents.

  “I met someone for lunch.” Maya took off her jacket and put it over her arm.

  Her mother’s brows drew together. “Wearing that?”

  “It was a casual thing.” Disappointment seeped into her as she saw the disapproval on her mom’s face. She wanted to share about her morning. She wanted to talk to her mom about her time with Gabe. About how he made her feel. But she knew she couldn’t.

  “Are you going out again? I would like to speak with you.”

  Maya stifled a sigh. “I’m not going anywhere. Did you want to talk now?”

  “Yes. In the sunroom, please.”

  “Let me just put my stuff in my room, and I’ll meet you there.” She headed up to her room, taking her time as she hung up her jacket and put her shoes in her walk-in closet.

  Though she didn’t want to go back down, Maya knew delaying would just mean putting off the inevitable. She had wanted to get online and talk with Lainie about what had happened, but now that would have to wait.

  Finally, she headed back down the stairs, popping her head into the kitchen to say hi to Elisse before continuing on to the sunroom that was at the back of the house. It looked out on a large expanse of lawn and the river beyond it that, at the moment, was covered in snow. Her room had a similar view, and one of her favorite things was to sit in her window seat and watch the sun set. That would definitely be something she’d miss if she moved out. She wasn’t sure if she’d end up in a place with a similar view.

  Her mom was seated at the glass bistro table with a couple of mugs in front of her as well as a plate of cookies. Maya frowned. She hoped it was tea and not hot chocolate in the mug. And the cookies were going to have to be a pass as well. Her mom didn’t understand that she was trying to keep sugar out of her diet. It wasn’t easy, but once she’d read a report about how sugar could feed cancer cells, she’d decided that it wasn’t that important to eat sweets. Whether it was true or not, Maya had no way of knowing, but other things she’d read had said that removing sugar from her diet would also help with her immunity. Her mom might have been worried about protecting Maya, but she wasn’t interested in something as simple as dietary changes to help her.

  Maya settled into the chair across from her mom and looked at the mug. “Tea?”

  “Yes. I had Elisse make you a cup of that herbal stuff that you like to drink.”

  “Thank you.” No doubt her mom was hoping to get on her good side. Maya hoped she had the strength to stand firm in the face of what was likely to be her mom’s determination to get her way.

  “I want to discuss our trip to Paris,” she began. “We leave next week.”

  Maya picked up her mug and took a sip, looking at her mom over the rim of the mug. “I’m not going.”

  Her mom waved her manicured hand dismissively in the air. “You have wanted to go for years. I have lined up an apartment in Paris. One that has beautiful views of the city.”

  Maya sighed. “Mama, I’m not going. You and Dad can go, but I won’t be with you.”

  “I’ve gone to the trouble of setting this all up.” Her mom’s expression hardened. “You will be coming with us.”

  7

  Maya wanted to just bury her head in her hands and cry from the frustration of dealing with her mother’s attempts to control and manipulate her. All she wanted was a chance to live her life and to share it with her parents. Her mom was making both as difficult as possible. Maya was starting to live parts of her life the way she wanted, but right then, she couldn’t see how she’d ever be able to confide in her parents—especially her mom—about any of it.

  “The last time I checked, Mama, I was of legal age. I’m an adult, and I can make my own decisions now. I have responsibilities here that I can’t just abandon for a vacation to Paris.” She took another sip of her tea, waiting for her mom’s reply. When she didn’t say anything, Maya continued. “I know the only reason you’ve set this trip up now is your hope that it will mean more to me than my job. Unfortunately, you’ve underestimated my desire to have a life of my own. A life that contributes something. Jetting off to Paris is no longer at the top of my wish list.” She paused before adding, “But an apartment of my own is quickly moving up that list.”

  “You are not moving out,” her mother said without hesitation, her expression a curious mix of fear and determination.

  Sitting across from her mom, Maya remembered a different time, before hardness had overtaken every other expression. Even with the hardness, her mother was still a beautiful woman, but she was positively breathtaking when her expression softened, and happiness entered her eyes. However, seeing that was now a rarity, and Maya hated knowing that it was her mother’s fear for her that had brought on the hardness that was so evident.

  “Again, I’m old enough to decide for myself what I’m going to do, and I have the money to do it. I don’t want to move out, but if you keep trying to thwart my attempts to live the life I want, I’ll have no choice but to do that.”

  Her mother’s brow furrowed. “You should never have been given access to that money. You were far too young.”

  “I wasn’t. I’m not. I have tried to be responsible with what I have. I’m not frivolously spending my trust money. I’ve thought through the decisions I’ve made to spend money and I’ve worked hard to achieve the goals I’ve set for myself. I mean, it took me two years to get the diploma for my online course.” Maya felt emotion clog her throat. “I just want you to see that I’m trying to embrace life.”

  “Hello, my girls.” Her father’s voice broke the thick silence that had grown between them. He bent and gave them each a kiss before sitting down on another of the chairs at the small table.

  “She is refusing to go to Paris,” her mother said, her voice tight.

  “I know, my love.” Her dad laid his hand over his wife’s. “It’s time to let it go. To let her go.”

  Her mom jerked her hand back and got to her feet. “I cannot accept that.”

  She turned sharply from the table and walked out of the sunroom. Maya’s shoulders slumped as her dad sighed.

  “She’ll come around, sweetheart. You just need to give her time.”

  “I’m trying, but she needs to give in a little.” Staring down, Maya ran her fingertips around the edge of her mug. “I can’t keep arguing with her like this. I know her reactions are coming out of fear for my life as much as love for me, but I need a chance to live. To experience things other people my age experience.”

  Her dad nodded. “I know that. Don’t believe for a minute that just because I’m agreeing to this doesn’t mean I don’t share your mother’s concerns. If I had my way, you’d never go anywhere without a bodyguard, and you’d be getting blood tests and scans every single month.”

  Maya’s eyes widened at her dad’s confession. Through all the cancer treatments, her mom had been the fearful and emotional one. Hearing her dad reveal his own fears for her made her feel like she was being selfish wanting to live her own life.

  “But I realize that is unrealistic. Also, I have to believe that you didn’t beat cancer twice just to sit in your room. I believe that you have a purpose beyond the walls of this mansion. So, I will support your decisions. I think we’ve raised you to think through things and weigh your options. I want to be a part of your life, and I don’t think questioning all your decisions or trying to undermine your plans will facilitate that.”

  “You think Mama w
ill come around?” Maya appreciated her dad’s support, but she really wanted her mom’s. Her mom had been by her side through every step of her cancer journey. They’d faced death together and won. Now she wanted her mom to appreciate her efforts to live the life they’d fought so hard together to save.

  “I think she will. Just give her time. I will continue to do what I can to encourage her to give you a chance to live your life.” He hesitated as if uncertain about continuing, which wasn’t a common expression on his face. And Maya knew it wasn’t one that anyone but those closest to him would see. “Please reconsider moving out though. I will do my best to get your mom to give you the privacy you want.”

  “Thank you. I would really appreciate that.” She gave him a wry smile. “I’m getting a little tired of hearing where have you been every time I walk in the front door.”

  He let out a laugh. “Okay. Yeah. I can understand why that would be a bit annoying.”

  “Just a bit,” Maya agreed.

  Her dad took a cookie from the plate and bit into it. “How is your job going? Are you enjoying working there?”

  “I am,” Maya said as she cupped her mug in her hands. “It’s a challenge at times, but I love the atmosphere there. Yeah, it’s a business, but it has a very family feel to it. Of course, the employees I work with are all family, so I suppose that contributes to the unique atmosphere.”

  “It seems to be a business with a good reputation,” her dad said.

  “You checked them out?” Maya asked, not really surprised at the thought.

  “Of course,” he said with a smile. “I may be willing to let you get a job, but I do want you working for a reputable business. C&M Builders is very much that. Reports I received said only good things about their business practices, and people spoke highly of not just Steve Callaghan but also Bennett McFadden.”

  Maya felt a rush of warmth at the knowledge that her dad approved of the people she worked with and had come to respect so much. Maybe one day they’d meet. She kind of hoped that day would come sooner rather than later. Well, hopefully soon her mother would settle down a bit and accept her life choices.