from his mouth as he sat up in bed.
Charleston. The very place he’d vowed never to return to eleven years ago. So what had prompted him to open his newest gym in a city that evoked bad memories?
Jordin DuGrandpre.
Eleven years away from her and Jordin was as fresh in his mind as she had been when he was taken away from Charleston. They had been sixteen years old at the time. He recalled that she had tears in her eyes as they said their goodbyes. Ethan promised to keep in touch, but did not keep his word. It was too painful, and at the time, he doubted he would ever see Jordin again.
Ethan had intentionally avoided all contact with her because he did not relish seeing the pity in her eyes, or hearing it in her voice. After all, he was not a victim. He survived his mother’s abandonment, his father’s rejection and the rigorous training at the military academy. When he graduated college, Ethan sold weight loss products from the trunk of his car by posting handmade flyers all over Richmond, Virginia. In the first month, he made five thousand dollars and three years later, he was a millionaire. Now, Ethan owned a chain of fifteen gyms around the country.
He shook away his thoughts and hustled to take a shower. He had an appointment to meet with a news reporter to discuss his latest gym and its programs.
An hour later, Ethan stalked through the entrance with his jaw clenched. His scowl wasn’t aimed at anyone or anything particular. Ethan hated giving interviews, but considered it crucial to his business.
The woman was already there when he arrived.
Running her fingers through her blond curls, she awarded him a huge smile as he approached her. “Thank you for meeting me, Mr. Holbrooke. I’m Helen Jovanovich.”
“Just call me Ethan.”
“Okay, Ethan. I really appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to me.”
He unlocked the double doors and escorted her inside.
“Wow,” she murmured. “This is unlike any other gym I’ve seen before.”
“This is something I hear all of the time,” Ethan responded. “This is what makes Holbrooke Boot Camp Gyms different from any other. Our programs are designed for people who are really serious about exercise. The training is rigorous.”
“In what way?” Helen asked as she scribbled words in a notebook.
“We have a total body circuit training that can burn eight hundred to twelve hundred calories a session using various pieces of equipment. This program is never the same routine.” Ethan paused a moment before continuing. “This is our Suspension Trainer. It’s a highly versatile piece of equipment that uses a person’s own body weight to build functional strength and improve flexibility, balance and core stability all at once.”
“So the programs here are definitely not for those who dabble in exercise.”
“They are for people who are serious about fitness,” Ethan emphasized. “Our martial arts and circuit training class is designed to train a person like a fighter. We have several professional athletes who train regularly with us in the off-season.”
Helen touched one of the one-hundred-pound heavy bags. “I can certainly see why. What do you call this?”
“These are our ground and pound bags. They are six feet tall and weigh a hundred pounds or more.”
“So all of your programs are designed to push you to your limits?”
“Yes,” Ethan stated. “Customers come to Boot Camp Gym because they want to learn advanced weight training techniques.”
“I see that you offer a kickboxing class.”
He nodded. “My kickboxing program is a high-intensity training technique using multiple tools on the heavy bag.”
Ethan released a sigh of relief when the interview came to an end. He left the reporter in the care of his new gym manager, but he wasn’t ready to return to his hotel suite. He had been away from Charleston for a long time. It was time to get reacquainted with the city.
An hour later, Ethan lost himself in the rhythmic sounds of the churning wheels of his bike as he rounded the first bend of a ten-mile ride. He enjoyed the feel of the cool air on his face as he rode, pushing himself hard to help take the edge off his mood, but so far it hadn’t helped.
* * *
Jordin hummed softly as she strolled into the lobby of the building where she worked. She was joined a few minutes later by an associate. “Good morning, Keith.”
“Morning,” the man uttered in response with his jaw clenched.
She knew that his scowl wasn’t aimed at anyone or anything in particular, but she did not try to initiate him in conversation. Jordin moved out of his way as he stabbed the elevator control panel. Keith was a brilliant lawyer and charismatic in the courtroom. Outside of this, he was not necessarily a people person.
The elevator doors slid open minutes later to reveal the reception desk and waiting area of the DuGrandpre Law Offices. Keith’s nod to the receptionist was curt but polite as he moved past her toward his office.
Jordin smiled. “Good morning, Charlotte.”
The woman smiled in return. “It’s always nice to see your sunny smile, especially after a cloud blows through.”
She knew Charlotte was referring to Keith and chuckled softly. “Be nice...”
Jordin stopped in front of her father’s secretary. “Is my dad in yet?” She asked as her fingers drummed distractedly on the desk.
“He should be here within the hour.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Humming softly, Jordin made her way to her office, shutting the door behind her.
Ethan was opening a gym in Charleston. It was a great opportunity to try to reconnect with him, she considered. Then she could find out why he hadn’t kept his promise to stay in contact.
She sighed softly.
Jordin missed her best friend and longed to see him again, but it was best not to get her hopes up. The pain in her heart was like an old wound that ached on a rainy day.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her telephone.
It was her father’s secretary.
“Your father has arrived and he would like to see you.”
“I’ll be right there, Charlotte.”
Jordin left her office and walked the short distance to the large corner suite. “Good morning, Dad.”
Etienne smiled warmly. “I heard you were fantastic in court yesterday.”
She sat down in one of the visitor chairs. “I believed that my client was the best choice to raise his son and the judge agreed in light of the evidence.” Jordin paused a moment before adding, “I felt bad for the mother though, but she still has a lot to do before she can handle parenting.”
“How is the boy?”
Jordin smiled. “He’s happy. His mother will have supervised visitation every other weekend once she completes rehab.”
Her father nodded in approval. “That child’s happiness and safety is what is most important.”
She agreed.
A slender woman strolled into Etienne’s office without knocking.
“Good morning, Aunt Rochelle,” Jordin greeted.
A flash of annoyance crossed her father’s face. She knew that he only tolerated Rochelle out of respect for his brother. His sister-in-law was a great attorney, but otherwise a selfish and inconsiderate person.
“Hello, dear,” Rochelle responded. “You were