Gretel and the Bear

by Natalie Kristen

  GRETEL AND THE BEAR

  By

  Natalie Kristen

  GRIMM BEARS

  Red and the Bear (Book 1)

  Snow and the Bear (Book 2)

  Gretel and the Bear (Book 3)

  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

  Gretel Woods has been looking for her brother, Hansel, for ten years. Everyone thinks he's dead but Gretel knows that Hansel is still alive.

  She will find her baby brother and bring him home. Even if it kills her.

  Derek Grimm realizes that the beautiful owner of the new bakery, The Gingerbread House, is hiding some dark, dangerous secrets.

  He follows her, refusing to let her walk alone into a den of wolves.

  Gretel isn't prepared for the powerful feelings that the handsome, protective bear shifter stirs in her.

  She is determined to protect those she loves, but so is Derek.

  Will they finally have the fairy tale ending that they're looking for?

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER ONE

  Gretel Woods flipped the sign to Open on the door of her little bakery, The Gingerbread House. She arranged the muffins, cupcakes and gingerbread cookies on the window display and carefully pushed the trays aside to make space for the grandest display of the day.

  A big, beautiful gingerbread house.

  Gretel made herself smile as she whispered, “Happy birthday, Hansel.”

  It was her baby brother's birthday today. He would be eighteen years old.

  Gretel felt a sharp pang in her heart as she closed her eyes and pulled the precious memories of her younger brother from the deep, dark depths of her mind.

  Ten years. She'd last seen him ten years ago. But she had never stopped wishing and hoping that she would see him again.

  He's alive.

  Gretel dug her nails into her palms and clung fiercely to that tiny sliver of hope. The hope was fading but it was still there. She would never stop believing. She believed in Hansel and she believed that he would one day find his way back to her. She would find him and bring him home.

  “Ta-da! Here it is,” Mama said cheerfully behind her.

  Gretel spun round and gasped at the lovely gingerbread house on the counter. She and Mama had been working on the gingerbread house for three days, but Mama had insisted on putting some last minute finishing touches to their masterpiece.

  Gretel pressed her fingertips to her lips when she saw what Mama had done. She had made two marzipan figurines of a smiling boy and girl holding hands in front of the gingerbread house.

  Gretel stared at the two little figurines and whispered, “That's me and Hansel,” she pointed out. “But—where are you?”

  “Oh, you and Hansel, you're family,” Mama answered with a small smile. “I...”

  “Mama!” Gretel's voice rose. “What are you talking about? You are our family! You are our Mama! You saved us.”

  Mama's smile grew smaller and became sad. “I...couldn't save Hansel,” she murmured, looking down.

  Gretel marched over and took her firmly by the shoulders. It broke Gretel's heart to see the guilt and pain on Mama's face. After all these years, she still blamed herself.

  “Mama, you saved us. Hansel is alive. I know it. I can feel it,” Gretel said fervently. “I will find him, Mama. I will never give up. I. Won't. Let. Her. Win!” she said, through clenched teeth. She could feel her grip tightening on Mama's thin shoulders and she released Mama with a start. “I'm sorry, Mama. Did I hurt you? I didn't mean...”

  “Of course not, Gretel. You can never hurt me.” Mama smiled and stroked Gretel's dark brown hair lovingly.

  Gretel kissed Mama on the cheek and narrowed her eyes at her. “Hmph. I knew what you were up to. So...” She put her hand into the pocket of her apron and held up her own little marzipan figurine. “I made this!”

  “Oh, Gretel!” Mama's eyes filled with tears as she watched Gretel plant the figurine of a sweet woman with dark skin and curly black hair between the two children. Gretel didn't spare the details. She made sure she put all the scars on the woman's face and arms, and a radiant smile on her scarred face.

  “There. Now it's complete.” Gretel went to put her arms around Mama. “See, there's you, Hansel and me. And your scars are a part of you, Mama. I won't ever let you hide them. Those scars show the world how brave and beautiful you are. I see your love and your beautiful, beautiful heart every day, Mama. I love you,” Gretel whispered and kissed Mama's wispy, thinning hair.

  “I love you too,” Mama said hoarsely, dabbing at her eyes. “Now, let's put our masterpiece where it belongs.”

  Together, they carried the gingerbread house to the window and set it right in the middle of the shelf. Hansel loved gingerbread, and he had always wanted a gingerbread house. If only he could see this beautiful gingerbread house that they'd made specially for him...

  With their arms around each other, they stepped back and sang softly, “...happy birthday to Hansel, happy birthday to you!”

  Gretel smiled and pulled Mama closer. She was half a head taller than Mama now, and she was painfully aware of how thin Mama had grown.

  Mama jerked suddenly and began to shuffle hurriedly to the back. Gretel called after her in surprise.

  Without turning around, Mama muttered, “I see some customers coming.”

  “Yeah, but...” Gretel glanced over her shoulder and saw two rambunctious children skipping across the street and pulling their mother determinedly towards The Gingerbread House.

  “I don't want to scare the children,” Mama said matter-of-factly and disappeared just as the kids pushed through the door, chattering at the top of their high-pitched voices.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Derek Grimm cursed as the lights turned red. It seemed the lights and the traffic were conspiring against him this morning. It was red at every turn!

  The car in front of him zoomed triumphantly past the lights just a second before they turned red. Stomping on his brakes, he glared at the trail of exhaust fumes and the back of that obnoxious, offending car as it sped off. It just wasn't fair.

  Derek glanced at his watch. He was still early, but he liked going to the office at least an hour before everyone else. He was the Chief Financial Officer of the Grimm Group, and he liked going in early and going through the accounts with a clear head while the office was still quiet and peaceful. Once the day started, he would have his hands and head full. Reports and financial figures would start coming in, and as the Grimm Group owned a large number of resorts, theme parks and food outlets, there were many, many sets of accounts for him to go through.

  Derek drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and turned to look out the window as he waited for the lights to change. He blinked at the sight of a beautiful gingerbread house in the display window of a corner bakery.

  Derek whistled. That was the most impressive and most delicious-looking gingerbread house he had ever seen. There was creamy smoke oozing from the chimney and he saw striped candy curtains in the windows. The door of the gingerbread house was open so he could see that even the inside of the gingerbread house was intricately decorated.

  “Amazing,” he brea
thed.

  Horns blared behind him, and Derek scowled. Traffic lights were evil, he concluded. When he wanted the lights to be green, they turned red. When he wanted to stop and stare, the lights screamed at him to go.

  “Okay, okay,” he mumbled. “Don't get your knickers in a twist, people.” As a bear shifter, he was blessed, or cursed, with very sharp, sensitive hearing, and he could hear the drivers in the cars behind him spewing colorful expletives. He sped away and made a quick turn at the next street. He wanted to get back to that bakery at the street corner.

  Derek parked his car in a side lane and jogged to the bakery. He quirked an amused smile when he saw the name of the bakery. The Gingerbread House.

  There were a few customers in the bakery. Derek inhaled the wonderful, delicious scent in the bakery and let out a low growl.

  It wasn't just the smell of baked goods. It was the unmistakable, alluring scent of...her.

  Derek's eyes widened at the sight of the pretty brunette behind the counter. The woman was smiling as she served her customers and packed their orders into bags and boxes. She chatted and joked with some of the customers, and the sound of her laughter took his breath away. He knew right there and then that he wanted to hear this sound every single day for the rest of his life.

  Tendrils of dark brown hair framed her heart-shaped face and her dimples danced in her cheeks when she smiled. Her hazel eyes flashed briefly to Derek, and she blinked twice before offering him a quick smile.

  Derek waited patiently until all the customers had left and they were finally alone in the shop.

  “Good morning,” the woman said pleasantly. “May I help you?”

  Derek stared at her for a long moment. Everything about her, her voice, her scent, her smile, felt so familiar and so perfect.

  When she fidgeted, Derek cleared his throat and said, “Yes, yes. I...I want...” You.

  She frowned and cocked her head expectantly at him. “Would you like some of our gingerbread cookies or cupcakes? They're our bestselling items,” she said helpfully.

  “No.” Derek shook his head, trying to clear it. He couldn't seem to think straight with this female so near him. Yet, she wasn't near enough. He wanted to close the distance between them and touch her. He wanted to feel the warmth and softness of her skin, her sweet, delectable curves, her breath on his neck...

  Derek shook his head again. Something was messing with his head. He couldn't even remember what he came into the bakery for.

  For her, his bear growled.

  Derek turned around sharply and tried to wrestle his beast down. His horny, hot-blooded bear was out of control.

  Derek's eyes fell on the gingerbread house in the display window and he let out a shout.

  “That! I want that,” he said, whirling round to face the startled woman.

  “The gingerbread house?”

  “Yes.”

  “I'm sorry. That's not for sale,” she said firmly.

  Derek turned to look at the gingerbread house. “That's a pity. It's beautiful,” he said.

  The woman's lips curved. “Thank you. Mama and I made it.”

  Derek approached the counter and said suddenly, “What's your name?”

  The woman hesitated before replying, “Gretel.”

  “Gretel.” Derek repeated her name softly as he came closer to her. “I'm Derek Grimm,” he said. “I drive past your bakery almost every day. But I only noticed it today.”

  “Oh. We've only just moved to the city a few months ago,” Gretel said with a grin. “Mama taught me to bake since I was twelve, and we've been running a bakery for a long time. Last year, we did our sums, and figured that we could finally afford the rent in the city. So, here we are!”

  “Lucky me,” Derek muttered.

  “What's that?” Gretel asked.

  “I said, I'm lucky to have found you,” Derek said sincerely.

  “Thank you. I hope you'll spread the word,” Gretel said earnestly. “This is our business card. We specialize in cakes, cookies, gingerbread...”

  Derek put the card carefully in his pocket and glanced round the little bakery. “Put them all into bags. I'm buying everything.”

  Gretel's eyes bugged. “E-everything?” she sputtered.

  “Everything,” he confirmed.

  “Ah...okay.”

  He handed her his card. His mobile phone number was printed on the card, so he hoped that she would call him. If not, well, he would be coming by the bakery every day from now on.

  “I'm with the Grimm Group. There are a lot of people in my office, so I'm hoping there's enough to feed everyone,” he explained.

  Gretel beamed. “I'll pack your order right now.” She turned and called over her shoulder, “Mama! Mama, I need your help out here! A customer has just walked in and bought everything! We're sold out!”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Gretel went to the back and dragged Mama out by the hand. “Come on out and meet this nice customer,” she urged, ignoring Mama's protests. “He bought everything! Just like that!” She snapped her fingers.

  Mama stumbled out and bowed her head low, trying to hide her scarred face from Derek.

  “Mama!” Gretel admonished. “This is Derek Grimm, the...” She fumbled for his business card. “The CFO of the Grimm Group,” Gretel read. “He wants to meet the talented women who baked the gingerbread house! That's us!” Gretel exclaimed proudly, pushing Mama forward. “This is my Mama Mae, the most talented baker in the whole wide world!”

  Derek straightened up and shook Mama's hand warmly. “M'am. It's an honor to meet you. I love the gingerbread house, but Gretel told me it's not for sale. You have a wonderful bakery here, M'am.”

  “T-thank you,” Mama stammered, still looking down.

  Gretel stood behind Mama, refusing to let her retreat to the back. Derek had taken Mama's thin, scarred hand in both of his and there was no shock or revulsion at all in his eyes when he looked at her. Instead, Gretel saw admiration and affection in Derek's striking green eyes as he gazed at Mama.

  Gretel smiled as Mama spoke shyly to Derek. Derek had a confident, easy-going manner, and he was polite, charming and sincere. The man was well-dressed and the watch on his wrist probably cost more than a whole year's rent for their shop. Derek Grimm was definitely wealthy and successful, and he was very, very good-looking. When he first stepped into the shop, Gretel had to do a double take to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating. A tall, blond man who looked like a Hollywood actor had just walked into her bakery and was standing in line for her baked goods.

  This must be her lucky day.

  As it turned out, it was.

  “Here. Pass me the boxes.” Derek gestured to Gretel. “I'll help Mama Mae pack the muffins and cookies.”

  Derek took the boxes and went over to where Mama was unloading the cookies into paper boxes which had the name and logo of their bakery printed on them. “I'll do these four trays, and you do the rest, okay?” he said, crouching beside Mama.

  “Okay.” Mama turned and smiled at him.

  Gretel stood and stared at the two of them. She blinked quickly.

  Mama had looked Derek straight in the eye and smiled. Mama didn't turn away, or lower her face and mumble to the floor. She had raised her head right up and smiled.

  Gretel wanted to hug Derek. He would probably have no idea what she was hugging him for, but what he did for Mama meant so much to her.

  Packing everything efficiently and expertly into bags and boxes, Gretel continued watching Derek and Mama. She saw Derek lean in and whisper something in Mama's ear. Mama responded with a laugh and swatted Derek lightly on the arm. The sound of Mama's laughter filled her with joy. Derek chuckled and continued joking with Mama, drawing her out of her shell. Gretel found herself grinning at them. Those two looked like they were having fun.

  “All done,” Mama said, beaming as she carried the empty trays to the back. She turned and said softly to Derek, �
��Thank you.”

  “The pleasure's all mine,” Derek replied, raising the boxes in victory. “And thank you! With your goodies, I think I've just beaten Jack for the title of best boss of the year!”

  When Gretel canted her head quizzically at him, he went on, “Jack's my big brother. He's the CEO of the Grimm Group, and a very good boss.”

  Gretel smiled as she helped him carry the bags and boxes to his car. “It's good to work with family.”

  “Yes,” he agreed. “Like you and your Mama. You have a really wonderful bakery.”

  When they had loaded everything into his car, Gretel put a hand on Derek's arm and said quietly, “Thank you very much. You've helped us, a lot.”

  He smiled but his eyes were serious.

  “You and your Mama are both strong, capable, amazing women. I'm so glad I got to meet you. Both of you,” he said.

  She held out her hand. “Thank you. I really hope you'll come by again.”

  Something flickered across his face. She caught just a glimpse of the deep, powerful emotions behind his eyes before he grinned and shook her hand enthusiastically.

  “I will be back for more!” he promised.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Derek bit into another gingerbread cookie and grinned as Jack and Hans strode into the crowded conference room.

  “What is this, a tea party?” Jack said, his eyes widening in astonishment.

  “Derek bought these treats for the whole company,” Penny, their marketing director, answered as she snagged another cupcake on her way out. “Mmm, this is good!”

  Derek chuckled and sauntered over to his brothers. The conference room table was laden with baked goods from The Gingerbread House. His secretary had spread the goodies out on the table and sent a memo to the whole company, telling everyone to help themselves to the treats in the main conference room.