Buch lesen: «The DuGrandpres of Charleston»

Chapter 1

Jordin DuGrandpre stared out her office window, immersed in sights and sounds of the downtown business district. In 1960, her grandfather Marcelle founded the first African American–owned law firm in Charleston, South Carolina. DuGrandpre Law Offices was in its new location, four floors above bustling Broad Street. Marcelle’s esteemed legacy had continued with twin sons Etienne and Jacques DuGrandpre and their children.

Etienne’s daughter Jordin loved this city of her birth and could never imagine living anywhere else. She adored everything about Charleston—the waterfront park, the food...everything.

“I guess you heard the news about Boot Camp Gym.”

Turning away from her office view of downtown, Jordin faced her twin sister. “Jadin, I didn’t hear you come in,” she stated.

“I noticed.” She gestured toward the window. “This view is absolutely stunning.”

Jordin gave a slight nod of agreement. “I did hear about the new gym. I actually went by there a few days ago. I’m really happy for Ethan.” She felt a warm glow flow through her.

Jadin sat down in one of the visitor chairs. “I am too,” she murmured. “It’s good to see how things worked out for him.”

“Ethan had a lot going on back then—more than any of us knew.” Jordin and Ethan Holbrooke had been friends since they were in middle school. She still remembered the day he left as if it had been yesterday, although eleven years had passed. She had been sixteen at the time and heartbroken over losing her best friend.

“Are you still infatuated with him?” Jadin inquired, leaning forward in her seat, looking at Jordin as if she were trying to figure out what she was thinking. “You don’t have to say anything because I’m sure I already know the answer to that question.”

“I will always care about Ethan.”

A grin spread across her sister’s face. “I knew it. You still have feelings for him.”

Jordin stared into golden-brown eyes that mirrored her own. “Drop it, Jadin. I haven’t seen Ethan in a long time. Besides, I’m sure he’s forgotten all about me. Especially since he never once tried to contact me after he left.” She swallowed the hurt she felt behind Ethan’s actions. He had promised to keep in touch no matter what.

“But you haven’t forgotten about him though.” Jadin’s voice pulled Jordin away from her thoughts.

She did not confirm or deny her sister’s statement.

“Have you heard if he’s moving back here or just opening the gym?” Jadin inquired.

“I haven’t,” she responded, “but I’m hoping that he will come back to Charleston to stay. I’ve missed him.”

“This man is not the same boy and teenager you remember, Jordin. Besides, he may be married with a family. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

She detected a hint of censure in her sister’s tone. “He’s not married,” Jordin announced. “It was mentioned in another article I came across.”

“But it doesn’t mean that he’s exactly free and single either,” Jadin countered.

“I know...” she responded with a soft sigh. “It’s not like I’m planning a wedding or setting my hopes and dreams on Ethan. I just want to reconnect with him. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Not as long as your expectations are realistic.”

A tall, slender woman dressed in a pair of navy blue pants and a crisp powder-blue blouse appeared in the doorway.

“Mom, what are you doing here on a Monday?” Jordin asked. The only time Eleanor usually came by the office was for a weekly lunch date with her husband on Wednesdays.

“Your father wanted to see me,” she responded. “He just informed me that another DuGrandpre is joining the firm.”

Jordin noted her mother did not seem thrilled by the news. “Is it Andre? He’s been talking about leaving New Orleans for a while now.” Eleanor did not care much for her nephew’s choice in the criminals he often represented. In truth, Jordin felt the same way about her cousin.

Eleanor shook her head no. “It’s not Andre.”

“Then who is it?” Jadin inquired.

“Your brother.” Eleanor’s tone was coolly disapproving.

“Austin is coming to Charleston,” Jordin uttered in surprise. “I wonder how his mother feels about his decision to work with Dad.” Her father was married briefly to a woman named Irene and Austin was born out of that union.

When Etienne DuGrandpre married Jordin’s mother, Irene left Charleston vowing that Etienne would never see his son again. Although she could not manipulate 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 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 on my mind last night, Jordin. I’m really surprised that you haven’t gotten married already. You’re pretty enough and I know how much you love children—”

Jordin quickly rose to her feet, and cut her off by saying, “I don’t want to hold you up so I’ll leave so you can talk with Dad.”

“Hon, can you drop these off with Ryker?” Rochelle asked, holding a thick folder.

“Sure.” Jordin cast a look of sympathy at her father before exiting his office. Her aunt had a good heart but she was snobbish, opinionated and very protective of her children. When Ryker and Garland first got married, her interference almost ruined their relationship.

Jordin walked briskly down the hall to where Ryker’s office was located. “These are from your mother.”

“Hey, did you know that Ethan is back in town, cousin?” he inquired when Jordin set the folder containing legal documents on his desk.

She felt a warm glow flow through her body and responded, “No, I didn’t know he was here. Have you see him?”

He shook his head no. “Garland and I ran into Chandler Morris last night while having dinner. He told us that Ethan was moving back permanently.”

“That’s great news about Ethan,” she murmured. “I’d really like to see him.”

Ryker didn’t blink when he looked at Jordin and broke the news. “Then you’ll be thrilled to know that he’s moving his corporate offices here, as well. His office is in the building on the corner.”

Jordin’s heart sang with delight. “Now that I know where his office is located, maybe I’ll drop by with a gift to welcome him back to Charleston, and then I’ll fuss him out for not keeping his promise to me.”

Ryker gave her a knowing smile. “Why am I not surprised?”

She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m going to forgive him because he has always been my best friend. I can’t wait to see Ethan again.”

“I understand. I’d like to see him as well.”

“We can go there together,” Jordin suggested.

Ryker shook his head no. “I’m sure you’d like to have some time alone to get reacquainted with Ethan.”

Her smile broadened in approval.

“Oh, before I forget, the girls want to spend some time with you this weekend,” he announced. “What’s your schedule like?”

“I don’t have anything special planned. Why don’t I come get them Friday after work and keep them until Sunday? You and Garland can have some couple time.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

Jordin met her cousin’s gaze. “I want to do this. I love spending time with Kai and Amya.”

“Maybe you can explain to them that while they have the same birthday, they are not twins. They know that you and Jadin are twins as well as my dad and your dad.”

She laughed. “They are just trying to figure all this out.”

“Garland and I tried to explain that they are not twins because they have different mothers.”

“Ryker, they are only four years old. Amya never knew her biological mother—all she knows is that Garland is her mom. She is also the only mother Kai has known. When they are older, they will understand that they were switched at birth and how it worked out in the end.”

“Happily-ever-after,” Ryker murmured.

Jordin broke into a smile. “I love seeing you so happy.”

“I love Garland more and more each day. She is a wonderful wife and mother.”

“You complement each other.”

“I’ve always felt that way about you and Ethan,” Ryker told her. “Remember how you two used to finish each other’s sentences?”

Jordin chuckled. “Yeah, we did do that.”

“When you see him, don’t forget to give him my regards.”

“I won’t. Thanks for the heads-up on Ethan,” Jordin said as she headed toward the door.

Although she was happy to hear that her best friend had returned, troubling thoughts assailed her. Ethan’s back and he didn’t even try to contact me. Eleven years have gone by and no word from him. Why didn’t he keep his promise?

* * *

Jordin had such a warm, loving spirit and she was always smiling. Ethan loved her sense of humor and the sense of freedom she seemed to have in her life. Not only was she beautiful but she was intelligent as well. There had always been an undeniable magnetism between them, which probably explained why he was sitting in a parked vehicle across the street from the law firm, watching as she and Jadin walked to the bistro located on the corner.

Coward.

Ethan had missed her greatly but was unsure of the best way to approach her, especially after he hadn’t bothered to stay in contact with her over the years. He knew that in deciding to move back to Charleston, they would run into each other eventually.

But as strong as his attraction was to Jordin, Ethan knew that he could never act on those feelings. A relationship other than friendship between them could never work because they were from two very different worlds. But also because love was not a part of his plans for the future. He was focused on his company and didn’t have the time or the inclination to deviate from the driving force that had been guiding him since college.

Ethan pulled up the collar of his jacket and turned the key in the ignition. He drove to his hotel. The home he purchased would not be ready for another two weeks.

He sat down in the living area of his suite and picked up the television remote. Jordin was still at the forefront of his mind. He considered calling her at the office, but decided to wait until he found the right words to say to her.

Ethan tried watching TV, but when he couldn’t find anything to his liking; he gave up and reached for a magazine on health and exercise trends.

He was interrupted an hour later when his friend Chandler called.

“How did your interview go?”

“Okay,” Ethan responded. “It’s just not something I enjoy doing. I’m thinking of hiring someone to handle publicity.”

“Have you talked to Ryker or Jordin?”

“Not yet,” he answered. “I’ve been so busy with the gym...”

“You might as well know that I told Ryker you were in town.”

“That means that Jordin knows as well,” Ethan uttered. “She was going to find out eventually, I guess.”

“Her knowing is not such a bad thing, is it?”

“No.”

“Have you visited any of the old haunts?”

“I did a ride-by on my bike a couple of times,” Ethan confessed, “but that’s about it. I didn’t go by my old neighborhood though.”

“Are you worried that you’ll run into your mom? My aunt said that she saw her at the market last Saturday.”

Ethan swallowed his surprise. He’d had no idea that Lydia was back in Charleston. “She’s the least of my worries.”

“I’m sure she’s heard by now that you were moving back.”

He chose his words carefully. “It doesn’t matter to me. She’s not a part of my life anymore.” Ethan changed the subject by asking, “What time are we meeting for dinner tomorrow night?”

Their conversation ended ten minutes later after setting a time to meet.

He got up and made his way to the master bathroom where he showered and put on a pair of sweats.

Jordin.

He found himself wanting to open up to her about everything, but to feel her pity was much more than Ethan could bear. He had no idea how much she’d heard about that awful period of his life, but staying away from Jordin would not be easy, especially when his new office was a block away from the DuGrandpre firm.