Tobias: Book One of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter One

Jane Reynolds' face dripped with sweat after finishing her midnight run. She looked over to where her friend, Karen, was breathing as if every breath would be her last. Chuckling lightly, Jane grabbed her water bottle and let the cool liquid replenish everything that had been lost in her body during the fourteen mile run. The run had originally been Karen's idea; they were both training for the half marathon that was taking place next month.

Looking down from the track to the large area in the rehab center that was right next to where they both worked, Jane smiled proudly as she gazed at all of the new equipment that had been completed last week after months of work. The entire clinic had been refurbished. Muted greens and blues were painted on the walls, going nicely with the dark blue carpeting and tiled floors. Strength equipment of all shapes and sizes for every muscle imaginable in the body was placed strategically around the large room.

What used to be an old gymnasium with sparse equipment and dusty, wooden floors was now a state-of-the-art training area for those looking to get in shape and for those whose bodies needed to be healed after an injury. A built-in pool had even been added in the east wing that had once been an enormous storage room.

She fondly remembered all of the patients she had helped in the past three years she had worked at Memorial Walk-In Clinic and Rehab Center. At the age of twenty-six, she had been recommended countless of times by her previous patients. Be it from a seven-year-old boy who had broken his wrist or an eighty-two-year-old woman who had fractured a hip, she had happily taken care of all of them.

“What's going through that head of yours?” Karen asked her after chugging the rest of her own water bottle.

Jane shook her head and smiled. “Nothing much. I'm just thinking about how much this place has improved. Just think about how much more exercises I can help people with.”

“It's beautiful, isn't it? You can even do water treatments now!” her friend, a secretary for the Rehab Center, squealed excitedly as they trekked down the stairs to the also newly renovated woman's locker rooms.

They continued talking animatedly about the refurbishments of the Clinic and of Karen's upcoming wedding. Karen's fiance, Alex Mastile, was a successful surgeon at Memorial Hospital a couple of streets down from the Clinic. Karen and Alex had been engaged for over a year now and were finally going to get married about two months from now. With light blonde hair, bright green eyes, a healthy body that she worked hard on, and not to mention a bubbly personality, Karen was simply stunning and could have anyone she wanted.

“And you will wear that pink dress that I picked out for you! As my maid of honor-”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Jane interrupted. “As your maid of honor, I am obligated to do whatever you desire. Be it from scrubbing your toes to-”

“Lifting up my dress when I have to pee.” Karen completed the rest of her ever repeated mantra to Jane. “Then you can pick out a yellow dress for me on your wedding day!”

Jane just rolled her eyes playfully at her friend's constant antics. “You know how I feel about that stuff.”

“Just 'cause your mom and dad got divorced when you were younger, doesn't mean that it's going to happen to you. How many times have I told you this?”

The word divorce brought her back to the day when she had turned seven. Because she had been home-schooled during that time, Jane had decided to do her mathematics later that evening in the living room. Her parents were busy fighting again over which cake they should buy or if it should be homemade. There wasn't a day they would go without fighting. Her dad had stormed off without another word, leaving her and her weeping mother alone until late at night when he had come home. Alcohol had been on his breath when he had kissed her cheek at one in the morning.