Page 42 of Grim

“No.” Jud shook his head and sighed. “But we’re still working at it, and one day, she’ll get her life back.”

Grim must’ve sensed my unease because he leaned over to me and softly said, “Stacie was attacked a few months back. We’re still not sure who was behind it, and that’s making it harder for her to get back on her feet.”

“That’s awful. I can’t imagine how hard that’s been for her.”

“It’s been rough, but she’s gettin’ stronger every day.”

“So, you think she’d be up for watching Luna?”

“Yeah, I think it’d do her good,” Jud answered confidently. “How old’s the kid?”

"Almost four,” I answered. “She’s very well-behaved and won’t cause Stacie any trouble.”

“Yeah, I think that could work.” He looked back at me as he asked, “When can you start?”

“Anytime,” I answered excitedly.

“Alright then. Be back here tonight at seven, and we’ll see if you can keep up.”

“Great! I’ll see you then.”

We said our goodbyes, and I felt like I was walking on cloud nine as we made our way back to the parking lot. I had a real chance to make good money—the kind of money that could make a real difference in our lives. And I owed it all to Grim. He’d been so wonderful to me and to Luna. It was hard not to have feelings for him—strong feelings. We’d only known him for a short time, but he’d already made such an impact on our lives.

And I couldn’t help but wonder if we’d had a similar impact on his.

Grim

"How's she doing?"

Jud glanced over his shoulder and watched as Jenna took another order. “It’s only been a couple of days, but she’s catching on.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Don’t get me wrong.” Jud tugged his long, silver beard. “She’s got a lot to learn when it comes to making drinks, but she seems eager to learn and folks seem to really like her.”

“So, you think this is gonna work out?”

“I don’t see why not.” His eyes drifted back over to Jenna as she served a group of rowdy guys at the other end of the bar. “She’s got potential if she just sticks with it.”

“And Luna?”

“Cute kid.” Jud smiled. “I think having her around is gonna do wonders for Stacie.”

I was just about to respond when Jenna came up behind Jud and smiled. A sexy smirk crossed her lips as she asked, “Are you checking up on me?”

“Just stopped by for a beer.”

“Um-hmm.” Damn, she looked good. Her hair was pulled up, and she was wearing a pair of slim-fit jeans that hugged her ass in all the right places. And when she smiled that smile, it nearly knocked me out of my boots. She placed her hand on my shoulder and eased up on her tiptoes, whispering in my ear, “Don’t worry. I won’t embarrass you.”

“Never thought you would.” I admired her smile for a moment, then asked, “So, you’re making it okay?”

“I’ve been better than okay. The people are nice, and Jud has been so patient and nice.” Jenna motioned her head towards the stairs in the back. “And Luna absolutely adores Stacie. She made her mac-and-cheese for dinner, and that earned her some major brownie points.”

“Glad to hear it.”

“Well, I better get back to it.” She gave my shoulder a pat. “Wouldn’t want to upset the boss man.”

“You don’t gotta worry about that,” Jud replied with a wink.

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