Grimm, p.1
Grimm, page 1
Grimm
Iron Horse Legacy Book #7
Elle James
Twisted Page Inc
Contents
Grimm
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Epilogue
SEAL Salvation
Prologue
Afterword
About the Author
Also by Elle James
Grimm
Iron Horse Legacy BOOK #7
New York Times & USA Today
Bestselling Author
* * *
ELLE JAMES
Copyright © 2022 by Elle James
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.
© 2022 Twisted Page Inc. All rights reserved.
ISBN EBOOK: 978-1-62695-486-1
ISBN PRINT: 978-1-62695-701-5
Dedicated to my daughter Courtney who is always willing to brainstorm with me. I love you so much!
Elle James
Author’s Note
Enjoy other books in this series by Elle James
* * *
Iron Horse Legacy
Soldier’s Duty (#1)
Ranger’s Baby (#2)
Marine’s Promise (#3)
SEAL’s Vow (#4)
Warrior’s Resolve (#5)
Drake (#6)
Grimm (#7)
Murdock (#8)
Utah (#9)
Judge (#10)
Visit ellejames.com for more titles and release dates
Join her newsletter at
https://ellejames.com/contact/
Chapter 1
“How’s it going with the demolition, Grimm?” Molly McKinnon appeared in the doorway of the room Grimm had been assigned after he’d moved from the B&B in Eagle Rock to the lodge.
“Almost done with this room.” Mike “Grimm” Reaper grabbed one of the thin slats on the wall and pulled it hard, popping it free of the square nails that had held it in place for over a hundred years. “It’s too bad the walls were damaged so badly in the mine explosion. I feel like I’m destroying history.”
Molly nodded. “I know how you feel, but the damaged rooms have to be inspected and proven structurally sound. And while we’re at it, we’ll bring all the wiring and plumbing up to current code.” She crossed her arms over her chest and nodded. “It’s going to be good. We’ll preserve as much of her historical glory as we can.”
Grimm pulled the last slats loose and tossed them into the wheelbarrow. “What’s next?”
Molly grinned. “Dinner. Our new chef has been experimenting with recipes.”
Grimm frowned. He was typically a steak and potatoes kind of guy. Fancy foods were hit and miss. He liked what he liked and rarely strayed from the norm. “Are we the guinea pigs?”
Molly laughed. “Yes, we are—lucky us. Dezi was top of her class in her cooking school. We’re lucky she decided to come home to Eagle Rock to work at the lodge. You’re going to love her.”
Grimm frowned. He hadn’t loved any female in a long time. That once-bitten analogy had stuck with him for the past seven years. He wasn’t likely to change his mind anytime soon. No matter how good she was in the kitchen.
“Molly!” a deep voice boomed in the corridor. “Are you coming? Dezi’s got dinner on the table. The guests are fed, and she’s waiting on us.” Parker Bailey appeared in the doorway beside Molly and slipped an arm around her waist. “I’m starving,” he said and dropped a kiss on her lips.
Grimm’s frown deepened as a tug of something he didn’t want to identify pulled at his chest. Molly and Parker had been through a lot together and had come out stronger for it. Their love for each other was apparent to those around them. That was how love should be, Grimm thought. Not that he was in the market for it.
He'd come to Eagle Rock and the Lucky Lady Lodge to pound nails, not to find a woman. He’d come for the peace and quiet and the lack of any real responsibility other than for the work he’d been hired to do along with his other teammates. They were in the process of restoring the old lodge following a massive explosion inside the mountain the lodge perched on.
“I was just gathering the last of the crew. Can’t have anyone missing Dezi’s inaugural dinner at the Lucky Lady.” Molly smiled up at Parker. “Have you tasted the bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin?”
“Mum, no,” Parker nuzzled her neck. “But you had me at bacon.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on. I’m so hungry I could eat the whole hog.” As he hurried down the hall, Molly in tow, Parker called over his shoulder, “Don’t be too long, Grimm, or there won’t be anything left.”
Grimm shook his head. Molly and Parker had taken on a herculean task of restoring the Lucky Lady Lodge. After nearly dying in the explosion, Molly had taken a shine to the grand dame and was pouring her heart and money into bringing her back to life.
Portions of the lodge were closed to the public—the parts Grimm’s team had been hired to tear down and rebuild.
The team of five members, all former special operations men, had seen enough action, extracted VIPs, been responsible for the lives of entire villages and risked their lives more times than they could count. They’d come to Montana to do something completely different from what they’d done on active duty.
Restoring the old lodge would be therapy for the lingering PTSD each man harbored within. They’d be tearing down the battered and ruined walls and rebuilding them to something solid and safe.
It was a metaphor for what Grimm secretly hoped to accomplish with his life. As it was, he didn’t know how to be a civilian where he didn’t duck each time a truck backfired or constantly scan the shadows for bad guys looking for their chance to put a bullet through his head.
Grimm pushed the wheelbarrow out of the lodge to the large waste collection bin that was already half full after being emptied that morning.
After dumping the load, Grimm left the wheelbarrow next to the bin, brushed his hands across his dusty jeans and headed into the lodge, hoping to grab a shower before he joined the others in the dining room.
“Oh, good, I need a taste-tester.” Dezi Thomas, the petite brunette with an infallible smile and dark brown, almost black eyes, appeared in the lobby carrying a covered basket. He’d seen her around but hadn’t been formally introduced. She made a bee-line for him, her short legs moving fast for not running.
Grimm frowned. “I’m not a guinea—”
She plucked a morsel out of the basket and popped it into his mouth before he could tell her to fuck off. Then she had the nerve to smile. “What do you think?”
He wanted to tell her he thought she was out of her mind and shouldn’t be shoving food into strangers’ mouths, but he couldn’t. The explosion of flavor on his tongue sent a moan of pure pleasure up his throat.
Her grin broadened. “Good?”
He chewed and swallowed. “Holy hell. What was that? And do you have more?” His stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn’t stopped for lunch.
She held up the basket full of the incredibly delicious appetizers. “You guys work hard. I wanted to ensure you got plenty of protein while making it fun and tasty. And I might have gone a little overboard on the bacon for this meal.” She grimaced. “Bacon-wrapped chicken bites, dredged in brown sugar and cayenne pepper. Sweet with a little bite and completely satisfying as an appetizer.”
“Brown sugar and cayenne?” He licked his lips, still feeling the warmth of the pepper. “Wow.”
“You like the combination?” she asked.
He nodded and reached for the basket.
She laughed and smacked his hand playfully. “This is the first course. You have to let the others have some.”
“You could just give me the basket, and I’ll make it my meal. The others don’t have to know what they’re missing.”
Her brow wrinkled. “This is just a teaser for your palate. You won’t want to miss the rest of the meal.”
“Is it as good as those little flavor bombs?”
She lifted her chin. “Guess you’ll have to come to dinner and find out.”
He glanced down at his dirty clothes. “I need a shower before I sit at a table. I’m covered in dust.”
“I don’t think anyone will care how dusty you are. However, they do care how long it takes for you to get to the table.” She cocked an eyebrow. “Everyone else is in the dining room. I’m making them wait on you.”
His brow furrowed. “I’ll be five minutes. Tops.”
She glanced at her watch. “Four minutes, fifty-nine seconds and counting.” Her lips tipped upward at the corners in a bit of a smirk. “Won’t be any of these left by the time you get back.”
“Save me one?”
She tipped her head. “Only if you’re back in…” she glanced at her watch again, “four minutes and thirty-seven seconds.”
He left her standing there with the basket and raced up the stairs to his room. Hell, it would take almost a minute to get to his room and back, giving him only three minutes to strip, shower and dress.
Hopefully, she’d take pity on him and save one of the savory chicken b ombs for him. If not, he’d ask for the recipe and make some himself.
It had been a long time since he’d had something that good, served by a sassy, sexy chef he wouldn’t mind getting to know a little better. Not that he was interested in starting something with her, he reminded himself.
Relationships were hard. He’d tried it once and failed. So many of his buddies had as well, only to end up in divorce when their spouses got tired of waiting for them to come home.
Still, the lure of amazing food made him pick up the pace, stripping off his shirt as he ran. He arrived in his room, already half naked.
He toed off his boots and shucked his jeans. In the adjoining bathroom, he reached into the shower stall and turned the handle to start the flow of icy cold water. Without waiting for the water to warm, he stepped beneath the spray and made quick work of scrubbing the dust out of his hair and off his skin. Two minutes later, he was out of the shower, quickly dried and shoving damp legs into a clean pair of jeans.
As he zipped the fly, he frowned. Why was he hurrying? Was he so hungry that his patience was tested? Or was the sexy chef the real reason he was in an all-fired hurry to get to the dining room?
He didn’t stop to conduct a self-examination of his motivation. Grimm shoved his feet into boots, grabbed a T-shirt and ran from his room. He descended the stairs, taking two at a time to reach the bottom, the tantalizing scents of food making his stomach rumble in anticipation.
Grimm burst through the open door into the dining room to find his entire team seated at the table, passing platters and scooping food onto their plates.
“We couldn’t wait,” Drake said with a grin as he shoveled a spoonful of vegetables onto his plate. He laughed. “Dezi even made the vegetables amazingly delicious.” He held up a chunk of chicken on the end of his fork. “Have you tried these?” His team leader popped the item into his mouth and moaned.
Grimm’s lips twisted. “Had one. I was hoping Dezi had saved me another.”
Drake’s woman, Cassie Douglas, held up the empty basket. “Sorry. They didn’t last long.”
“Don’t worry,” Drake rubbed his hands together, “we were assured there’d be more courses to this dinner.”
Dezi and a redhead, who was introduced as Gabbie, entered the dining room, carrying large platters of food. The scents filled Grimm’s nostrils and triggered a loud rumble deep in his belly.
“Heard that,” Dezi said with a teasing smile as she passed him. “How’s bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin sound?”
“Like Parker said,” Grimm let a grin pull at the corners of his mouth, “you had me at bacon.”
Dezi laid the pork platter in front of him and started to sit beside him.
Grimm shot to his feet, held her chair as she settled, then retook his seat.
“So nice to see chivalry is alive and well at the Lucky Lady Lodge.” She looked up at him with her brown-black eyes and smiling lips. Her entire countenance was one of welcoming and belonging.
That wall of indifference around his heart took a hard hit.
Using the serving fork on the platter, she cut off a piece of the pork tenderloin, turned toward Grimm and popped it into his mouth.
He’d thought the chicken bites had been heaven on earth. The pork tenderloin was… He chewed slowly, savoring the celebration on his taste buds. When he swallowed, he heaved a sigh.
Cassie laughed. “Well? What’s the verdict?”
He shook his head. “I never thought I’d say this word in mixed company, but I have to describe the pork tenderloin as orgasmic.”
His teammates, Cassie, Molly and Parker, laughed, and the dinner continued in earnest. Platters of food continued around the table until everyone’s plate was full of the delicious meats and vegetables Dezi had prepared.
Molly and the guys talked about their progress on the demolition. Reconstruction would begin soon on the damaged areas. In the meantime, the lodge was still open for business.
“We had a group of eleven men check-in today,” Molly said. “They’re here for the annual walleye fishing tournament.”
“They know we’re working on other portions of the building?” Drake asked.
Molly gave a crooked grin. “We warned them. They weren’t deterred. They’ve been coming to the Lucky Lady Lodge for the past twenty years. They weren’t going to let a little explosion break tradition.”
“I get that.” Parker nodded. “And it works out well because they’ll be out fishing during the day, so the noise won’t be an issue.”
“We should be done with the demolition by the end of the week,” Drake said.
“Good.” Parker reached for a dinner roll. “I have lumber and drywall scheduled to be delivered the following Monday. We can get started on the reconstruction.”
“Enough talk about work,” Molly said. “What does everyone think about our new chef?”
“I think she deserves a standing ovation, but I’m too full of good food to get out of my chair,” Cassie said, patting her stomach. “Thank you, Dezi, for a gastronomical delight. We’re so glad you decided to come home to Eagle Rock.” She led them in a round of applause.
Dezi’s cheeks flushed a pretty pink. “Thank you. I hope I do this place justice.”
“I think you’ll bring in additional guests once they hear how good the food is here,” Molly said. “And to think, we knew you before you became a famous chef.” She winked.
Dezi shook her head. “I’m not a famous chef.”
“You will be once word gets out about those chicken bombs,” Grimm said.
“Cassie tells me you’re from Eagle Rock,” Drake said.
Dezi nodded. “I grew up here.”
“There were six of us girls who hung out together, rode horses and raised some hell,” Molly said. “Dezi was always making sure we had good food on picnics and snacks on road trips.”
Cassie smiled. “None of us were surprised when she went to culinary school. We all bet she’d teach the teachers a thing or two about chuck wagon fare.”
Dezi rolled her eyes. “I did a special project on how to cook just about anything in a Dutch oven over an open fire.” She shrugged. “The other students weren’t that impressed, but the instructors were curious. I got good marks for my presentation and cuisine.”
“Did your group of friends all end up back in Eagle Rock?” Shawn Murdock asked. “Eagle Rock is pretty small; I wouldn’t think there are a lot of job opportunities for young people?”
Cassie, Molly and Dezi exchanged glances, making Grimm wonder what silent message they shared.
“Most of us came back,” Molly nodded toward Cassie. “Cassie works with the Sheriff’s Department as a deputy sheriff.” She nodded toward Dezi. “You’ve all experienced Dezi’s magic as a chef. We’re fortunate to have her as the Lucky Lady Lodge’s number one chef.”
With a soft snort, Dezi corrected, “Only chef.”
“You’re all we need,” Molly said. “Until the construction is complete and we get busier.”
Dezi glanced around at the dining room. “This place has always had a special place in my heart. I’m glad Molly and Parker decided to bring her back to life.”
“I remember when we had a sleepover at your house,” Gabbie said. “Your mother brought us with her to work the next day here at the lodge. We helped her change bedsheets.”
Molly laughed. “I’d forgotten about that.” She tilted her head, staring into the far corner of the room. “We sock-skated down the hallways, played hide and seek on the grounds and ducked in and out of every nook and cranny.”
“Penny was always the one to have the longest sock-skate.”
“And she found the best hiding places. We never could find her. And that holds true to this day…”
