RED AND THE BEAR
By
Natalie Kristen
GRIMM BEARS
Red and the Bear (Book 1)
Copyright © 2016 Natalie Kristen
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are used fictitiously or are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual locales, events, establishments or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
About this Book
Rose Redwood has always known that some fairy tales weren't just bedtime stories. They were true.
Living in the small town of Redcape Grove with her great-grandmother, Rose manages to keep her name and her secret out of the spotlight.
But being half wolf, Rose is fast approaching her first mating heat.
Her ripe scent attracts danger to her, but Rose is determined to protect herself and her Nan from the monsters that are coming for her…
Jack Grimm is coming off a devastating loss. Refusing to take the time to mourn and grieve, Jack is spiraling deeper into a darkness that is threatening to tear him and the people closest to him apart.
The last thing he expects when he stops at a small, remote town is to meet a brave, feisty redhead who awakens both his bear and his heart.
But Rose is harboring some grim secrets of her own.
Can Jack and Rose trust each other with their past, and create their very own happy ending?
* * * * *
CHAPTER ONE
Rose Redwood waltzed into the kitchen, pirouetting like a ballerina before setting the laden trays down on the counter top. She heard a sharp intake of breath behind her and she chuckled.
“Don't pile so many plates and cups onto your tray. There's no need for these gravity-defying stunts. This is a restaurant, not a circus,” Nan tsked and stirred the bubbling pot on the stove furiously. “Just carry one tray at a time. Be more careful, Rose. One of these days...” Nan clucked her tongue, narrowing her eyes at Rose over the top of her glasses.
Rose laughed. “Don't worry, Nan, I can do this with my eyes closed! Watch!”
“Don't you dare,” Nan scolded, but Rose heard the laughter in her great-grandmother's voice.
Rose had been helping Nan in her little restaurant, The Cottage In The Woods, since she was a little girl. She knew everything about running the restaurant, and she knew every inch of the cozy little establishment like the back of her hand. She could cook all the dishes on the menu, and she knew all the regulars who frequented their restaurant. Some of the sturdy, antique furniture in the restaurant was as old as her. After the close of business each day, while Nan cleaned up in the kitchen, Rose would tidy up the restaurant and polish every piece of well-worn furniture with tender, loving care.
Rose glanced at the kitchen clock. Lunch time was almost over. Most of the customers had finished their meal and left, and only old Mr Grayson remained at his usual table by the window, slurping his soup and reading the papers.
Redcape Grove was a small, sleepy town. Rose had grown up here, and she had never left Redcape Grove in all her twenty-one years. Nan was her only family, and Rose loved Nan with all her heart. Nan was the only one who had opened her heart and home to Rose's mother when everyone else shunned her and turned their backs on her.
Rose turned to stare at the back of Nan's head. Nan and Rose used to have the same wild, flaming hair, but now Nan's hair was completely silver. Nan wore her hair in a long braid which reached down to her waist, and she stood straight and proud in front of the stove, like a maestro conducting an orchestra of simmering, sizzling pots and pans.
Rose went to her and took the ladle gently from her hand. “I'll take over,” Rose said. “You go sit down and have a nice cup of tea. Or you could go chat with Mr Grayson and catch up on the latest gossip.”
“All right then.” Nan huffed and wiped her hands on her red apron. “I'll go out and straighten up the place a bit. We can open early for dinner today if we get everything ready by four o'clock.”
Nan ambled out of the kitchen, and Rose turned her attention to the stove. Stirring slowly, her eyes drifted to the shelf by the back door of the kitchen. There was a thin book lying on the shelf. The book cover showed a girl in a bright red hood and a big bad wolf.
Little Red Riding Hood.
Rose blew out a breath. Little Red Riding Hood was a well-known, well-loved story.
Everyone thought that the story was just an innocent fairy tale, a cautionary story with a happy ending.
But Rose knew the real ending of Little Red Riding Hood.
Only Nan, Rose and a few of the older inhabitants in Redcape Grove knew the truth behind the fairy tale.
It wasn't just a fairy tale.
It was the story of Rose's mother.
Little Red Riding Hood, the innocent girl in the story, was Rose's mother.
Nan had never lied to Rose about her background. Rose's mother had died giving birth to Rose, but Nan kept her granddaughter's memory alive by telling Rose all about her beautiful, brave mother.
“She loved you,” Nan had told her. “Your mother held you in her arms before she died and she gave you your name.”
Rose looked away from her great-grandmother's yellowed copy of Little Red Riding Hood.
Nan was the grandmother in that story. But Nan never encountered the big bad wolf. Rose knew that Nan sometimes wished that the wolf had come for her instead. “If the wolf had swallowed me whole, like in the story, he would have left my granddaughter alone,” Nan would shake her head and sigh.
Rose blew out a heavy breath. She was the daughter of Little Red Riding Hood. She was Little Red, but she would never make the same mistake as her mother.
CHAPTER TWO
Jack Grimm closed the trunk of his car and turned to glance at the palatial mansion behind him. The house used to ring with happy voices, laughter and the pitter patter of small, running feet. But now, it was just a big, empty house.
Jack turned away, feeling his heart clench. Everywhere he looked, every corner of the house, reminded him of his little boy. Alex's toys could be found in almost every room, and the sweet smell of his son pervaded the air, making it hard to breathe.
Jack turned at the sound of a car roaring up his driveway. He stood and watched his brother's Ferrari pull up just behind his car. His two younger brothers, Hans and Derek, spilled out of the car even before Hans's car had come to a complete stop.
“Jack,” Hans said, jogging up to him. Hans tucked his shades in his shirt pocket and glanced at the house. The curtains had been drawn over all the windows and the front door was locked. “You're really leaving,” he said grimly.
Jack nodded. “Yes.” Jack threw his house keys to his brother and Hans caught it neatly in his large palm. “I know the company is in good hands. You're both capable of running it well.”
His youngest brother, Derek, stepped forward and said, “You're not really leaving, are you? You're the CEO of the Grimm Group. The company needs you, Jack. We...”
“I'm stepping down. Hans is the new CEO,” Jack answered evenly.
“The hell I am,” Hans snapped. “I will remain as the Chief Operating Officer, and your second-in-command. I am not taking your place, Jack.”
Jack faced his brothers squarely and sighed. “I'm leaving, and I don't know if and when I'm coming back. I need...I just need to get away and get my head straight...�
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“There is nothing wrong with your head,” Derek said firmly. “It's your heart.” His tone softened as he put a hand on his eldest brother's shoulder. “We loved Alex too. He meant the world to us. I miss the little guy so much.” Derek swallowed and Jack realized that his brother was fighting to keep his voice from breaking. “You need to grieve. We understand. If you need to get away from all this for a while, then go. But come back, Jack. You are not disappearing on us. You hear me?”
“I won't disappear, baby brother,” Jack smiled. “Not on you guys.”
“Then you're still the CEO,” Hans said matter-of-factly. “There's no need for me to take over anything.”
Jack opened his mouth then shut it. “Fine.” He understood that his brothers were worried for him. They had always been close. Jack had thought that it was better for the company and fairer to Hans and Derek if they were promoted to the CEO and COO positions respectively in his absence. His brothers worked damn hard for the Grimm Group and they deserved the promotion and the recognition. At present, Hans was the COO while Derek was the Chief Financial Officer.
His brothers grinned finally and Jack went to clasp them to him in a fierce hug. He would miss them.
“Take all the time you need,” Hans said, gripping his shoulder. “We'll take care of your house and keep an eye on the business while you're gone.”
“Let us know where you are, okay?” Derek scowled to prevent his face from betraying his feelings.
“I will. You will always know where to find me,” Jack promised. He squinted into the distance and studied the road ahead. “I'll be taking a long, winding journey I guess. I'm thinking I'll head south and stop at one of the towns along the way.” With a lopsided smile, he added, “You know, I've flown to almost all the major cities but I've never really visited the small towns in our own backyard. I think this trip might prove rather interesting and rewarding.”
“Maybe you'll chance upon the perfect location for our newest resort or theme park,” Derek quipped.
“Yeah. Maybe,” Jack laughed.
Jack got into his car and snapped on his shades. He had sold his Bentley and bought a hardy Range Rover.
Saluting his brothers with two fingers, Jack pulled away from the gleaming mansion. He looked into the rear view mirror and saw his two brothers standing at the front steps of his huge, imposing house, staring after his car.
Jack grimaced and cut his eyes to the road ahead. The mansion was grand and impressive, but it no longer felt like home.
It felt like a tomb.
CHAPTER THREE
Rose straightened the stack of menus at the counter and filled all the pitchers with iced water. She refolded a napkin and adjusted the cutlery on the corner table as she made her way to the door. She flipped the sign to Open and yelled to Nan, “We're open! Get ready to feed the hungry horde!”
“Bring 'em on!” Nan hollered from the kitchen. “We're ready!”
Rose shook her head and laughed. There was no horde of hungry diners stampeding their way to The Cottage In the Woods. If there was, they wouldn't be able to cope. The restaurant was usually just half full during dinner time. They had only ten tables, so it definitely wasn't a big crowd. On some nights, the place filled up pretty quickly. There weren't many restaurants in the tiny town, so there were more than enough customers to go around. They were doing all right, and the business kept them busy and happy.
They'd opened early for dinner today, so Rose expected the customers to start coming in about an hour later. They'd be lucky if anyone walked in now.
She was heading back to the kitchen when the bell tinkled and their first customer pushed into the restaurant. Surprised, Rose spun round, but almost immediately, her smile wavered.
The man standing at the door wasn't anyone she knew, and she knew all their customers. He was a stranger, and she scented something else about him right away.
Rose couldn't always tell if someone was a shifter, but she could always tell if someone was a wolf shifter. She could literally sniff out the presence of the wolf inside the person.
Nan had told her that there was no need to avoid all wolf shifters and she had nothing to be afraid of, but Rose remained wary. She knew what happened to her mother. She knew how dangerous, cold and cunning a wolf could be.
Rose forced herself to step forward with what she hoped was a welcoming smile. “Table for one?” she asked pleasantly.
The stranger nodded. He took a sniff and she knew that he had caught her underlying scent. His nostrils flared and he ran his eyes up and down her body as he followed her to the table.
Rose showed him to a table right in the middle of the restaurant and handed him the menu. “I'll be right back to take your order,” she said hurriedly.
Rose retreated behind the counter and took a big swig of iced water. She could hear Nan humming a cheerful tune in the kitchen as she cooked.
Rose pretended to busy herself with some paperwork. She shuffled some papers, rearranged the pens and finally chanced a glance up. She met the customer's glowing yellow eyes and she instinctively reached for the shotgun hidden under the counter.
She had gotten the shotgun a few years back. It was up to her to protect herself and Nan from the wild animals that sometimes wandered into the town from the forest and from dangerous, unsavory characters that passed through the town from time to time.
They had been robbed once, but at that time, Rose was only nine and too young and scrawny to defend her Nan. Nan had emptied out the cash register and handed over all her hard-earned money to the bandits. When Rose asked Nan later why she gave those thieving brutes the money, Nan had stroked her hair and said, “I just wanted them gone. The money isn't important. But you are, Rose.”
Rose understood that Nan didn't want the robbers to hurt her. She had given them all her cash to protect Rose. From then on, Rose swore that she would protect Nan, and she would never allow anyone to rob them again.
Realizing that her palms had turned clammy, Rose wiped them on her red apron before balling her fists and standing up. “May I take your order now, sir?” she said, striding purposefully towards the man.
The man smiled, showing just a hint of teeth. He was in a flannel shift and he was stocky and muscular. His eyes were a dirty yellow and there was a scar snaking from his left temple to his jaw.
Rose stood beside the table and pulled out her pen to jot down his order. Her eyes darted to the door and she wished someone would walk into the restaurant. Even though the man was a customer, she just didn't want to be alone in the restaurant with him.
The man canted his head at Rose and smirked. “I know what you are,” he drawled and took another whiff. “I can smell your wolf, little lady. And I can smell that you will be going into your first heat...soon.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Jack stabbed at the radio and cut off the music. He sighed and listened to the quiet in the car. He glanced at the backseat and forced a shuddering breath into his lungs as his heart ached.
There was no child seat in the back. No toys, books and sippy cup. He would always have these in the car if he was taking Alex somewhere. And the car would be filled with shrieks and giggles as Jack sang Alex's favorite nursery rhymes enthusiastically but tunelessly during the entire drive.
Jack thought of his precious little son, and gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles gleamed. His boy was gone. Forever.
Alex was only two. He should have experienced so much more. Jack would never see his little boy start his first day at school. He would never see Alex go to the prom, graduate, start a family and have his own beautiful kids. The boy's life had been cut short by a reckless driver, a youth who was talking on the phone and going too fast down a quiet street just as Alex pulled free from his nanny's grip and ran after a butterfly.
It wasn't the nanny's fault. Mrs Lee had been devastated by the accident. Jack didn't blame her, but she blamed herself. She had fallen into a deep
depression and she couldn't even bring herself to attend Alex's funeral.
Jack took a deep breath and shook away the last thoughts of his little boy. It had been six months now since Alex died. At first, Jack had just buried himself in his work and stayed in the office from dawn till midnight. He thought he could numb his pain and block out his anger by just drowning himself in work.
But he wasn't helping anyone by not taking the time to mourn and deal with his pain and sorrow. His pent-up grief festered into anger, and Jack became moody and bad-tempered. He became impatient and irritable and he flew off the handle too easily.
Jack began to doubt everything, including his business decisions, and he found he couldn't really trust himself or his judgment anymore.
He hardly went out and he hated going anywhere. He even began to hate going to his office, but he hated his home more. He just couldn't stand going home to his large, empty house.
Stepping into the house and listening to the echo of his own footsteps through the spacious hall was unbearable. The lonely, hollow echoes made him all too aware of his terrible loss. He had lost the most precious thing in his life.
Alex's mother had been one of his ex-girlfriends. He hadn't even known she was pregnant when they broke up. He'd found out that she had been two-timing him. Nine months later, she'd turned up at his doorstep with a tiny bundle. “This is your son,” she told him as she unloaded the baby into his arms. “I don't want anything to do with him. I'm getting married and my guy doesn't want the kid.” It turned out that she was marrying an older, richer dude who already had a few grown children from his previous marriages. “Get rid of the baby or the wedding is off,” he'd told her. So she got rid of the baby.
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