the court system in her favor, Irene was successful in alienating her son from his father by making him believe that Etienne loved his twin daughters more. By the time he was sixteen, Austin wanted little to do with his father.
“How does Dad feel about this?” Jordin questioned.
“He’s ecstatic, of course. This is something he’s always wanted.”
“Mom, how do you feel about this?” Jadin wanted to know.
“I’m not sure,” Eleanor responded candidly. “I just find it interesting that a man who has had nothing to do with his father for years suddenly wants to work in the family law firm. I’m suspicious of his motives.”
“I have to admit I’m feeling the same way,” Jordin confessed. “I was surprised when I heard that Austin decided to study law and now this...” She gave a slight shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe he really wants to connect with the father he barely knew.”
Eleanor sat down in the empty chair next to Jadin. “Your father tried to be there for Austin but was rejected at every turn. His mother turned him against his own father. It still angers me to think of it.” She retained her affability, but there was a distinct hardening of her eyes.
“Austin’s a grown man,” Jadin stated. “Maybe he’s ready to repair his relationship with Dad. He may not have any ulterior motives.”
“All we can do is wait and see how this goes,” Eleanor stated. “I just don’t want your father to be disappointed.”
Jordin nodded in agreement as she checked her watch. “I have to go. I need to head over to the courthouse to meet with my client. I’ll give you a call later, Mom.” She began placing documents into her tote.
“I think I’ll go with you,” Jadin said. “I haven’t seen you in action in a while. Besides, I want to see how this case goes.”
“I believe in our justice system, so I’m sure my client will win. We have a lot of strong evidence to support his claims.”
“I’ll go get my purse.”
Jordin grabbed her tote, and then said, “Meet me at the car. I am going to walk down with Mom.”
Jadin rose to her feet. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Eleanor looped her arm through Jordin’s. “I hope you are not spending all of your free time alone.”
“I’m not, Mom. I’m not dating anyone, but I still manage to get out with friends and have a good time.”
“I know that you want to have a husband and family at some point—it won’t happen unless you meet someone.”
Jordin smiled. “I don’t just want to meet any man, Mom. I want the right one.” As far as she was concerned, there was only one man perfect for her. The problem was that she hadn’t heard from him in years.
* * *
Ethan Holbrooke’s head was throbbing when he woke, and he felt nauseated. After the feeling passed, he shook the foggy feeling in his head and swallowed to rid the cottony taste 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
