Tobias: Book One of the Cantrell Brothers Series

Chapter Three

“I'll take a small, black coffee, please,” Jane said to Gloria, the kind, old waitress at Brad's Diner.

With a nod of her head that caused her sparkling earrings to shine in the air, she started the pot and went over to the counter to ask the bearded trucker what he wanted for breakfast.

It was about seven in the morning. She started work in about another hour. Every Friday, she came to Bradley's for a cup of their coffee. Well, she didn't really come just for their coffee, but rather to just sit and relax in one of the most comfortable and easy-going places she had ever been in. Maybe it was the worn down, red leather seats, or maybe it was the checkered wallpaper that just calmed her down, she didn't know. It just felt calming to be here.

“Here you go, dear. Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?”

“No, thank you. I already ate breakfast. Thanks for the coffee.”

The plump lady smiled at her and went in back of the kitchen to see how their cook was doing with the trucker's order. The smell of freshly grilled sausages was in the air, among the sweet scent of honeys, jams, and the different syrups that they stocked up.

Jane watched the news until it was seven thirty and then walked outside into the warm air to her Harley. She rode to the Clinic with fifteen minutes left to help her prepare for today. Waving to the janitors who were just finishing drying the floors, she stacked up all of the papers in her office that also doubled as the room where she brought her first-time patients.

After replacing the linens and the pillow for sanitary reasons, she looked at her schedule for today. She had all of her regular patients up until her last appointment. She couldn't really count Tobias as a regular after only one visit. His appointment was at two in the afternoon.

Chewing on a piece of peppermint gum, she waited until her computer signaling her next patient was here began to ring and then brought the middle-aged woman to the Rehab Center where she helped Katheryn, the middle-aged woman, do her wrist exercises. The day continued on in this manner until it was lunch time. She went down to the cafe and dove into her grilled chicken salad. The essential proteins would aid in the repairing of her muscles after her weightlifting tonight.

She made small talk with Sherri, Karen, Peter, and Thomas, all employees at the Clinic. Sherri was one of the RNs, or nurses, for Peter, and Thomas was one of the repairmen for the Clinic. He had fixed her computer more than once. He always teased her about her mid-life crises with technology, and she didn't blame him. Computers were her other arch nemesis.

After downing the rest of her water bottle, she was surprised when she saw Huret Adams, the kind, elderly man who had mistakenly hit her with his cane, in the Clinic. He avoided her eyes as she called for Breanna Lim to follow her to the Rehab center. Well, maybe he just didn't see her, she thought.

“Any improvements so far, Breanna?” And that's how her next hour went. The alarm on her computer rang, but she ignored it, allowing the seventeen-year-old to finish her last couple of exercises on the large, latex, exercise ball.

“Okay, you're free to go. I'll see you on Monday.”

“Thank you,” Breanna replied cheekily and then basically skipped to the door leading outside.

Jane spotted Tobias immediately and motioned for him to follow her down the hallway. Glancing up at his white, cutoff t-shirt that displayed his tanned and built arms, she tried not to drool as she also looked down at his long, red shorts that made his tan that much brighter and said, “I see you've taken my advice on which clothes you should wear. Did you drink a lot of water today?”