A very grumpy billionair.., p.1
A Very Grumpy Billionaire, page 1
A VERY GRUMPY BILLIONAIRE
WOLF VALLEY: GRUMPS
BOOK 3
SHAW HART
CONTENTS
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
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About the Author
Series by Shaw Hart
Also by Shaw Hart
Copyright © 2023 by Shaw Hart
www.shawhart.com
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*
It was just supposed to be a business deal...
Vera
When my parents died and left me the wolf sanctuary in Wolf Valley, it was a dream come true for me.
Then I started looking at the finances and realized just how screwed I was.
The sanctuary is losing money, a lot of money, and I need to come up with some cash fast in order to save it.
When some hot-shot billionaire shows up in town, I'm not sure what to expect.
Our first meeting is magical. I've never felt that way about anyone before. It was just an instant connection.
Then I find out that he's here to buy the sanctuary.
My attraction to him is strong, but there's no way that I'm selling the land to him.
I just need to be strong and keep my distance from him.
Fisher
I've done a hundred business deals over the last few years, so this one should be easy.
Then I get to Wolf Valley and hit my first snag.
Vera Wright.
One look at her and I forget all about buying land and opening my new resort.
I don't care about business anymore. I just want her heart.
Too bad for me, Vera doesn't trust me.
Now I need to figure out a way to win my girl over and make her mine forever.
This is the most important deal I've ever done and I'm not about to mess it up.
ONE
Fisher
Wolf Valley seems like every other small town in America, and as I drive through it, I wonder why I thought opening my next resort here was such a good idea.
There’s no traffic as I cruise down Main Street and turn into the parking lot of the Wolf Valley Lodge. It’s the only motel in town, and I frown as I look around.
The motel is like most small town places I’ve seen over the years, and I smile. I know that having another option in town will be good for this place and for my business.
The motel building is a bit run down and not much to look at, but it will do for this trip. If I have to spend more time in this town, then maybe I’ll look at renting a house or buying a place.
I grab my duffle bag out of the backseat and head into the office to check in. I’m only supposed to be in town for the weekend, just long enough to check out a few locations before I head back to Miami.
I’m from a tiny town just half an hour from Wolf Valley, but I got out as soon as I could. I hated it there, where everyone knew me and saw me as a loser, just like my parents. My mom and dad were both lazy drunks. They tried to hide it, but in a small town, there weren’t really any secrets. I wanted to get out and make something of myself.
There wasn’t much there for me in Clearwater, besides my friend, Bishop, so I left. I stayed in touch with my friend and worked, scrimped, and saved for years to open my first hotel. It was a resort in Miami, and it took off. We were on a few best hotel lists, and I used the success and momentum from that hotel to open my next and then my next. A hotel in Los Angeles, one in New York, then a resort in Mexico, and another in Hawaii.
I’ve been all over the world in the last eight years, but I still haven’t found anywhere to settle down and call home.
I should go back to Clearwater and see Bishop while I’m in town. Who knows when the next time is that I’ll be so close, I think as I head into the motel office.
“Hi there! Welcome to Wolf Valley!” Says the chipper front desk clerk as soon as I walk in the door.
She’d be a good hire for the new resort, I think as I force myself to smile back at her.
“Hi. Checking in.”
“Awesome! You must be Mr. Collins.”
“Yep.”
She grabs some paperwork and a key from the counter, and I step forward to sign.
“You’ll be in room two hundred. It’s right down the walkway there and up the stairs. First door on the left.”
“Thanks.”
“Of course! Let me know if I can do anything else for you.”
She gives me a flirty smile, but I ignore the look and just nod before I grab my bag and head outside.
I take the stairs to the second floor and over to my room. I unlock the door and take a cursory glance around the small room as I walk in and kick the door shut behind me.
The place is sparsely furnished with just a queen size bed, end table, and a dresser with a TV on top of it. The closet and bathroom are on the left side of the room and I peek in, noting that it at least looks clean.
I wonder how many people have stayed here. I get the feeling that not many tourists have been here, or at least not many are checking in today. I mean, the girl downstairs knew who I was before I could even say much. It’s possible that she’s looked me up. I’ve been on a few most eligible bachelor or billionaire lists, but I didn’t get that feeling from her. I think I’m just the only guest staying here right now.
My phone rings and I smile as I see Bishop’s name on the screen.
“Hey, man. How’s it going?” I ask as I answer.
“Good, busy,” he grunts. “I was calling to see if you had a timeframe for when you’d need us.”
Bishop is a contractor. He owns his own company up in Clearwater and I had called him a few days ago about helping me open the resort here in town since it’s so close.
“Not yet. I’m here in Wolf Valley now to look at some locations. I should know more in a few days.”
“Got it. Why don’t you come up here soon? We can grab dinner and a beer.”
“I’ll try.”
The truth is that I hate going back to Clearwater. There’s nothing but bad memories there. Luckily for me, Bishop knows that and rarely pushes.
I hear a girl's voice in the background and my eyebrows raise. Bishop has as much interest in women as I do, but I don’t hear any construction sounds in the background so that means that he’s at home right now. And there’s a girl there.
Interesting.
“Who is that?” I ask and he clears his throat.
“Alba. She’s my new housekeeper.”
“You don’t have a housekeeper. You hate people,” I remind him and he grunts again.
“Yeah, well, I do now.”
“Is your new housekeeper single.”
“Shut it, Fisher.”
“So that’s a yes.”
“No, she’s not. Not anymore.”
“Uh huh, and does she know that?” I ask.
I can picture him blushing right now.
“Not yet, but she will soon,” he promises and I grin.
“Good luck with that.”
He sighs and I smile. Bishop has been my best friend forever and I know him better than he knows himself sometimes. I’ve never seen Bishop into someone before though.
“I’ll let you get back to work,” he tells me and I laugh.
“I’m here if you need any advice.”
“What advice could you give me? You’ve been single just as long as I have,” he whisper hisses at me and I know that this Alba must be close by.
“I know things,” I tell him and he barks out a laugh.
“Liar.”
I grin and I know that he’s doing the same. I’ve missed this. I should call him more often.
Maybe I will go up to Clearwater to see him.
“I’ll talk to you later,” he says and then he hangs up.
I laugh, tossing my phone onto the bed and wandering over to the window to look out at the town.
For a moment, I have doubts about opening a resort here. If there’s no one coming through, then it’s possible that this next resort of mine will be a flop.
Doubt and something akin to fear settles in my gut, but I push it aside. I’m good at what I do. I’m successful and smart. I won’t fail.
Studies show that this town is poised to be one of the next big tourist destinations. There are a ton of hiking trails, fishing spots, and lakes nearby, along with scenic views and drives. The thing that really drew me to this place is the wolf sanctuary that this town was named fo
Now I just need to find the perfect spot for my resort.
I set my bags down on the bed and stretch.
Time to get to work.
TWO
Vera
“Mila! I swear to God!” I yell as the young wolf takes off, running away from me.
I could swear that she’s laughing at me as she goes, and I chuckle, shaking my head. I head back towards the four-wheeler, grabbing the rest of the wolves’ food and heading to the feeding area.
The rest of the wolves are already eating, and I head a few feet away from them to spread out the rest of their food. All of the wolves here have been brought to this place because they wouldn’t survive in the wild by themselves. Most have been injured in some way or were born with defects, and we took them in.
I check the area, making sure that everything looks right as I feed the wolves. This whole thing is so routine that I think I could do it in my sleep. I grew up here at the Wolf Valley Wolf Sanctuary. My parents inherited it from their parents, who inherited it from their parents, and so on and so on.
I inherited it six months ago when my parents passed away. My mom went first. She died of breast cancer. It seemed to happen so fast, and I was still reeling from losing her when my dad had a heart attack. I came back to find him on the kitchen floor. He was already gone.
As if that wasn’t enough of a gut punch, I started looking through the books after the funeral and was shocked to see just how broke we were. The sanctuary relies on donations and a few grants, but those have been drying up over the last decade. I needed to figure out a new way to keep this place running. I’ve tried social media, and it’s brought in a few donations and some attention, but it hasn’t really helped. I need more money, but it seems like the only way to get it is to sell this place.
I’ve gotten a few offers to sell the sanctuary, but I’ll never take them up on it. Or I thought I wouldn’t…
Times have gotten harder and I’m desperate. I need to come up with a plan and fast.
The stress of running this place is probably going to kill me, but watching the wolves calms me. They’ve always had that effect on me, even when I was a little girl. They’re so smart and loyal.
“Alright, be good. I need to run into town and grab food for myself now,” I tell the pack.
They ignore me, but I still smile as I head back to the four-wheeler and take off back towards the house. It’s quite a drive. The Sanctuary is close to a thousand acres, and my house is situated on the western side, closest to town.
I park the four-wheeler and climb off, picking up the empty food buckets and carrying them over to the barn. I stow everything there and rinse off in the sink in the barn before I head out to my car.
The drive into town isn’t long, and I park outside of the market. I grab my wallet and phone and head inside, pulling up my grocery list as I go. I guess that’s why I don’t notice the giant man as I run right into him.
“Whoa,” he says, his deep voice washing over me. My head jerks up and I look into a pair of dark green eyes.
We stare at each other for a moment, and I realize that I’m staring, but I can’t seem to look away. This man makes me feel… so many things.
Interest, attraction, and curiosity flare inside of me. All things that I’ve never felt for a man before.
I step back, trying to get myself under control.
“Hey,” the man says, and I shiver at his deep voice.
“Hi,” I answer lamely.
I should be asking him questions, trying to flirt with him or something. I’m not very good at any of this, and suddenly, I regret spending most of my time around wolves instead of people.
“Sorry about running into you,” I finally say, and he nods.
“It’s not a problem. Truly,” he insists, and I smile slightly.
“Are you visiting or a local?” He asks me, stepping out of the way of the grocery store doors.
“I’m a local. You must be a tourist though.”
“I must be?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, I’ve never seen you around before.”
He nods, opening his mouth to say something else when someone calls my name.
“Vera!”
I turn and smile as Cameron jogs my way.
“Hey, Cameron. How’s it going?”
“Good. Are you headed in?” She asks, pointing to the market, and I nod.
She pauses and her eyes finally dart over to the man standing next to me. Her mouth opens slightly, and I see her blush as she realizes that she interrupted us.
‘Sorry!’ She mouths at me, and I smile, trying to reassure her.
“Uh, maybe I’ll see you around,” I say to the man as I turn back to him.
“You will,” he promises, and my body heats with a blush.
“Maybe,” I whisper, trying to play hard to get.
“Have dinner with me tonight,” he says, stopping me before I can leave.
“Alright.”
So much for playing hard to get…
“Do you know a place in town?” He asks, and I chew on my bottom lip.
“There’s a burger place just down the street. It’s next to the bar. Or there’s an Italian place around the corner, over on First Street,” I say, pointing in that direction.
“Which would you prefer?”
“Burger,” I say, and he grins.
“Burgers it is. What’s your address? I’ll pick you up at six.”
“How about I meet you there? I need to run some errands this afternoon.”
He looks like he wants to argue, but he doesn’t; just nods.
“I’ll see you tonight then, Vera.”
I love the way he says my name. I nod, and he smiles as he heads over to his car. I head into the market, and it isn’t until I’ve caught up to Cameron that I realize that I never caught his name.
“He was cute,” she says, and I grin.
“He is. You better hope that no one heard that though.”
“Why?” She asks.
“Because if your boss finds out, he’s going to flip.”
“Ford?” She asks, and I laugh.
“Yeah, Ford. Your boss. The man who has been in love with you since like birth.”
She rolls her eyes at me, but it’s true. Everyone can see it. Everyone but her, that is.
“I think that man is a total hottie!” She says loudly, rolling her eyes as she does.
“What man?” Ford asks from right behind her, and her eyes widen in shock.
I stifle a giggle, and she glares at me.
“Hmm?” She asks, turning to face him.
“Nice to see you both again, but I need to get going,” I say.
“Traitor!” She hisses at me, and I grin as I head off down the first aisle.
I grab everything on my list, and head for the checkout. The whole way home, all I can think about is my upcoming date. Once I get home and put everything away though, I realize that I have a problem.
“What the heck am I going to wear?
THREE
Fisher
I can’t stop thinking about that girl.
Vera.
God, even her name is sexy.
My cock strains in my jeans as I remember the way her clothes were molded to her sweet curves. When we bumped into each other, I had been kind of annoyed. Then I had looked up and seen the literal angel in front of me, and after that, all I felt was lust or maybe even love.
No, that can’t be right. I’ve talked to the girl for all of five minutes. I don’t believe in love at first sight, I’m way too cynical for that, but I might just make an exception for Vera and me.
I can’t wait for our date tonight. I need to learn more about her and explore my feelings for her.
