My Beastly Billionaire (The Grimwood Legacy Series Book 1)

by Jackie Castle

  “I know nothing about running stores. And I was still grieving. At first, his request seemed as if he were setting me up for failure. I left the meeting, went out and got drunk with my friends. The few I had at the time. One of them wanted to race our cycles. He was sure he could beat my Ducati.” Duncan rubbed his hand along the back of his neck. “Neither of us had any business on those bikes. Alan, that’s the man I was racing, went through a red light right into a mail truck. I spotted it in time to jump off. I busted up my leg. It’s only because my family can pay for the best doctors that I still have it.

  “However, Alan hit the truck head on.”

  Elisa covered her mouth. “He didn’t make it?”

  A pained expression crossed Duncan’s face. “No.” He stood and started for the door. “I’ll see you later, Elisa. Thank you so much for your help. You have no idea what a ray of light you’ve been.” He smiled, turned, then left her.

  * * * *

  “That box has the cotton for snow.” Margaret walked along the narrow aisle in the vast attic, examining the various plastic bins stacked neatly against the edges of the roof. Dim afternoon sunlight filtered in through the dormers. Margaret shined a flashlight on the clear plastic, examining the interiors and reading the dates.

  Evidently, Mrs. Grimwood would purchase new decorations every year, wanting to go with a new theme. She would store the old decorations away, saying she planned to give them to her children and grandchildren. Elisa had a feeling the boxes had all but been forgotten.

  “Here is the silver bells themed box.”

  Elisa hurried to her side to help her lift it down. Then she pushed the bin down the narrow stairs where Sam waited to carry the box to the main floor. After an hour of searching, Margaret declared that she’d located all the decorations Dunc wanted.

  Elisa wondered how many people in Mr. Grimwood’s life actually got away with calling him, Dunc. She didn’t think it would be wise to try him out.

  By the time they reached the main floor, the hearty smell of soup filled the kitchen. Duncan, wearing an apron over his cobalt sweater and black slacks, removed a pan of rolls from the oven. “Just in time, the turkey vegetable soup is all done and so are the rolls.”

  It smelled heavenly. “You cook?” Elisa asked with astonishment. That didn’t fit the billionaire bachelor model, did it?

  Duncan held up a large card with writing on both sides. “I simply followed Margaret’s recipe, not that hard, really.”

  To her surprise, he didn’t seem as sullen as he’d been during their last encounter. She wanted to ask him if he was okay, but his steely gazed stopped her.

  “Go drop off that box then wash up,” he said, “so we can eat.”

  “Right.” Elisa took the box she was carrying to the foyer, then found the guest bathroom to wash up and make sure she wiped the dust from her shirt and pants.

  By the time she returned, the table was set and everyone was waiting for her. She took the same seat as yesterday. Duncan held out his hands to her and Margaret and bowed his head. “I’ll pray today.”

  Elisa bowed her head as Duncan asked for a blessing on the food, then gave thanks for the help the Lord had brought to him. His words were heartfelt and somber. She wasn’t sure what to make of his current temperament. Was he angry over their discussion in the gym? He did seem like the private sort. Yet, it had been his idea to show her his work last night, to share in brainstorming new ideas.

  She only had another couple of days left here. Monday would come and by then the roads would be cleared and people would return to their work at the Manor.

  Unless another storm hit.

  Dare she hope?

  That would be silly. Except that she really wished to have more time with this perplexing man. Was he the sullen beastly type she’d first assumed, or was there a vast treasure waiting for someone to discover? What if he didn’t wish to be discovered? Maybe he preferred to be left alone to create his jewelry.

  “Amen,” everyone said around the table. Once again, Duncan gave her hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.

  The table discussion centered around the decorations they’d found. Margaret chattered on about all she’d seen up there, remembering past Christmases and reminiscing about Duncan and his sibling's exploits in trying to figure out what the gifts under the tree were before Christmas morning.

  “Suzette was always the best guesser.” Duncan’s smile was tight. “We usually gave our gifts to her to figure out. She could do it without loosening one bit of tape.”

  Elisa wished she could see into his mind and figure out what thoughts had him so distracted.

  Turning to her, Duncan said, “I think we’ll start on the tree, first. You know what I have in mind, have you worked out what changes we need to make?”

  She had made a few sketches, but nothing solid, sure that he’d take charge of what needed to be fixed. “I do, but thought you—”

  He shook his head. “You are the interior decorator. I want you to go with your gut instinct. Not what you think people expect of you. All I ask is that we keep to a winter theme. What you do with that is completely up to you.”

  Her breath hitched, but she nodded. “I’ll need to get my laptop and then have another look around.”

  Duncan held out his hands, palms up. “We are at your service, Ms. Lucken. Simply tell us what to do and your wish is our command.” His smile nearly broke her heart. It said that he trusted her and honestly wanted to give her this chance to prove herself.

  Scooting from the table, she took her empty bowl and excused herself. “I’ll meet you all in the living room shortly.”

  Hurrying upstairs, Elisa unplugged her computer. It was the kind that turned into a tablet by removing the keyboard. She tucked it under her arm and reached for her phone, realizing that she’d missed another call from her sister. When she tried to call her back, it went straight to voicemail.

  “Hey, Lindy. It’s me. Call me back, I promise to keep my phone in my pocket for the rest of the day. Sorry I missed you. Love you.”

  By the time she made it back downstairs, everyone was gathered around the tree in the foyer.

  “It is lovely, Dunc. Very colorful and merry,” Margaret was saying. Sam worked on organizing the tubs according to what was inside each one.

  Duncan was sitting on what looked like a piano bench, his arm propped on his cane and his bad leg stretched out straight before him. Was it bothering him again?

  “I never said it wasn’t nice,” Duncan defended. “I said—”

  “Actually, you said it looked like something from a second-hand store,” Elisa interjected, smiling. She didn’t blame him, too much. Kelly should have either turned down the job or did more research instead of assuming he wouldn’t care what she did.

  Duncan pinched the bridge of his nose. “I did say that, didn’t I? My apologies, dear lady. You really had caught me on a bad day.”

  Elisa patted his shoulder. “No hard feelings. We’re going to fix it, and you’re going to love it. Promise.”

  He looked up appreciatively at her, then took her hand in his. “I have no doubts about your abilities, Elisa Lucken. Tell us what you would like to have done. I won't be able to climb but give me a task and I’ll do it.”

  “Okay,” her hand tingled at his touch. She pretended to need it to look at her screen, but there wasn’t much she’d planned out. Not in detail. “Why don’t you and Sam take the dining room. We talked about a winter woodland theme in there.” She looked around and began assigning where each box needed to go. “Margaret, why don’t you help me with the tree?”

  Elisa enjoyed working with Margaret who liked to fill the silence with her happy chatter and bits of wisdom.

  Someone had turned on Christmas music that played all throughout the house. Soon, they were all singing, even the men who could be heard from where they worked in the dining room.

  The Nutcracker ornaments and soldiers were taken to the family room and set beside th
e large fireplace. There was a smaller tree in there that the men tackled next. Duncan didn’t seem to mind the brighter colors in here. Martha suggested that they keep this room slightly shut off for those who wished for a quiet place to come away from the main party.

  He took her suggestions seriously, asking her to make a note that he’d give to his assistant when she returned next week from her vacation.

  The day flew by fast.

  As the sky outside darkened, the lights inside shined brighter. Duncan turned off all the overhead lamps, letting only the trees and mechanical deer shine.

  Duncan sat on his bench admiring the effect with a pleased smile. Then his gaze turned to her, and his smirk deepened. “Knew you could turn this into something spectacular. You truly have a good eye, dear Elisa.”

  Heat filled her face and began traveling down to her chest. “Are you honestly pleased?” She loved the transformation, too. The tree looked like it had been pulled from the backyard. White glittered bulbs hung from the branches along with crystal icicles, and sparkling snowflakes mingled amongst the white fairy lights.

  Below the tree, they’d spread out a carpet of cotton batting and added some glitter. A path wound around the tree. Beside the walls of the stairs, she’d hung larger snowflakes and added smaller pine trees they’d found in one of the boxes from many years ago. They were rustic and charming with wooden stars attached to the tops.

  It would probably take the cleaning crew months to get up all the glitter they’d managed to use. Evidently, Mrs. Grimwood had loved the stuff, as well, and had a whole box dedicated to craft items she’d collected. On the side, she’d written, for the grandchildren.

  Margaret had nearly burst into tears when she came across it.

  Elisa didn’t blame here, knowing if Duncan did decide to sell the wonderful old house, those items might never be used. Which was why she had no problem gathering all the large glitter bottles inside and carrying them downstairs.

  Duncan stood and moved toward her. “I’m beyond pleased. Honest.” He took her elbow and turned her toward him so she had to look into his sincere blue eyes. Oh, but those eyes! “I can’t thank you enough. For everything.”

  He was so close, she could feel his warm breath brush over her hair. “Well, you’ve had to put up with me interrupting your holiday. I know you’d hoped for a quiet time.”

  “I think I needed interrupting.” His hand trailed down her arm.

  “There’s still a few things left to do. I should—”

  “Leave them until tomorrow. Okay? We’ve had a long day as it is.” He took her hand. “Walk with me upstairs. I told Margaret and Sam to take the evening off to recuperate from all we accomplished today.”

  “Oh, I hope I didn’t push them too hard.”

  “Don’t fret, Elisa, acts of service is their love language. They were never able to have their own children. I think they’ve been lonely since my brothers and sister moved away. Margaret really doesn’t mind doting on us.”

  She walked with him up the stairs, making sure his steps were steady. He seemed to be getting about better, even if he still favored his injured leg.

  “What is your love language?” she asked, surprised he knew about such things.

  He seemed to consider her question for a long moment as they slowly made their way upward. “You’re probably not going to believe me, so don’t laugh too loud. But I believe mine is quality time and physical touch.”

  She thought about what he said and held in her the urge to laugh. The quality time was out of the blue, and not what she would have thought. But touch seemed reasonable enough. She glanced down at their entwined hands.

  He chuckled. “I actually enjoy being with people, honestly. It’s only…well, between losing my father and then the accident, I’ve not believed that I deserve to be around people. I feel somewhat responsible for the accident.”

  “You didn’t make him run that run light,” Elisa stated.

  Duncan shook his head. “The moment I climbed on my bike and agreed to race, I was part of the problem.” He stopped at the top landing. Once again, he changed the subject. “What about you? What’s yours?”

  “Oh, I don’t know.”

  His grip on her hand tightened a little. “Yes, you do. Spill.”

  “Acts of service, I think. And…” she blushed. “I love gifts. There, I admitted it. I love getting and giving gifts. It’s why Christmas is my favorite time of year.”

  He nodded as if committing what she’d said to memory. “You do have a giving heart, Ms. Lucken.” He kissed the back of her hand, his eyes dancing with something mysterious. He checked his watch. “I’m going to turn in. My mind is bursting with ideas, but I’ve settled on a few pieces that I believe I’ll be able to finish before next weekend. I’m already working on two ideas.” He finally released her hand. Crazy how his touch affected her. “Good night, Elisa. Have a restful night. You’ve certainly earned it.”

  She bid him a good evening and headed toward her part of the house. “This is temporary,” she whispered as she reached her room. “Don’t get attached, silly.” It didn’t seem as if Duncan Grimwood had many friends. He had to be lonely. Yet something had changed. Over the past couple of days, he seemed to have woken up and come back alive.

  Still, once Monday came, they’d both be thrust back into their real lives. She lived three hours away by car in the city. She’d have to take a plane to her next job. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have trouble getting home so she could pack before she caught her flight.

  Her mind spun with everything there was to do. Most definitely, there’d be no time to worry about Mr. Grimwood and most likely, he’d forget about her, as well.

  A ring came from her phone tucked in the back pocket of her jeans. Finally, Belinda was calling her back. “Hey you, are we finally done playing phone tag?” Elisa answered.

  “Pardon me?” Kelly responded.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I was expecting my sister to call. How are you, Kelly? Did you enjoy—”

  “Confused. That’s what I am. I couldn’t get through on your phone. The reception there must be horrible.”

  That was true. Elisa’s connection went in and out, which was why she often left her phone in her room.

  “Yeah, it is. What’s up?”

  “That’s what I want to know. I ended up calling the number you gave me for your family’s cabin. Your mother said you never made it there. Where are you? I’ve never known you to miss spending a holiday with your family.”

  Uh, oh. Well, she’d have to admit the truth eventually anyway. They’d just finished changing nearly everything Kelly had originally planned for the Manor.

  “Well, I had a little accident.” She quickly went into explaining how she’d missed the storm announcement and what happened when Mr. Grimwood caught her still working.

  “He yelled at you? I heard he was rude and obnoxious. Poor thing.”

  “No, he’s not really.” She looked behind her, thankful that Duncan had returned to his room. She hurried to hers and closed the door behind her. Sitting on the sofa, she did her best to explain her misunderstanding. “He’s been kind, but there’s something I need to tell you.”

  “You always do try to see the best in people. So naive. What is it you need to tell me?”

  Taking a deep breath, she told Kelly about Duncan’s wish to change the decor. “There is an attic full of Christmas boxes from years past. We’ve spent all day working on changing the tree and—”

  “You changed the tree? Why?”

  “He didn’t like it, Kelly. Nothing personal, he simply wished for a different theme for his party.”

  “Well, he should have expressed his wishes to me. I own the company, not you.” She was starting to sound furious.

  “Of course, Kelly. Since I’m stuck here, we got to talking about what he really wanted and he decided we had time to make the changes. Since we’re snowed in.”

  “Snowed in, please. I’ve been watching the weather
reports so I’d know what to do on Monday. The highways are all clear now. He can call to have his private road cleared if he wished to. And I’m sure he already has. That conniving…I’d heard he was a scoundrel. The nerve to change my designs, as if he knows anything about—”

  “Please don’t be angry Kelly. It’s not like that. I swear. We discussed it and—”

  “We? When did you decide there was a WE in any of this? Stewart Decor is my business and I’m the only one who makes these types of decisions. Not you! I will not tolerate this kind of insubordination in my company Elisa Lucken, do you understand?”

  Elisa wanted to curl into a ball of humiliation. “Yes, ma’am. I truly am sorry. I think you’ll like what we’ve done. And Mr. Grimwood is happy. Aren’t you always saying that making our customers happy is a top priority?”

  “Not at the expense of ruining my reputation. You don’t understand how close-knit those power men are. If word gets out that Duncan Grimwood had to fix my work, I’ll be laughed out of—”

  “That’s not going to happen, Kelly. He’s not—”

  “I don’t want to hear another word, Elisa. You are on probation, understand? I have no room for careless employees. You shouldn’t even be there! You should have left with everyone else. I would have taken care of what wasn’t finished next week. We had plenty of time before his party.” She let out a frustrated yell. “I’ll not forget that you’ve done this. You have one more chance to prove yourself, Lucken. I want you ready to leave. Did you work out having your Jeep towed? Was it really that badly damaged? I was going to put you in charge of the Lancaster job, but I’m putting you under Lucy. You’ll answer to her, got me?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Elisa knew better than to argue with Kelly when she was in this kind of fury. Better to let her cool off. She’d try reasoning with her when she arrived Monday. “I understand.”

  “Ugh! The nerve, Elisa. I had such high hopes in you but after this fiasco, I simply don’t know. I have to go now. I’m going to have to get myself calmed down before the dinner party I am heading to. Oh, I’m so angry. I can’t go in like this. Driver, another trip around the block. Yes, pour me another drink, honey, make it a double.” Her voice grew louder as she spoke into the phone again. “Good evening, Elisa.”