Read Blondie's Hero (Heart of Teufel Hundens Book 1) Online
Authors: Lily-Ann Johnson
Blondie's Hero (Heart of Teufel Hundens Book 1)
Blondie’s Hero
The Heart of Teufel Hundens Book 1
By Lily-Ann Johnson
This book is a work of fiction. Any Names, Characters, Places and Incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons –living or dead- events
, organizations, or locales is coincidental. This book contains content that is not suitable for readers 17 and under.
Copyright © 2014 by Lily-Ann Johnson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations
for critical articles and reviews. ebooks are not transferable. This book may not be sold or given away. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Purchase only authorized editions.
Cover Artist
: A.D Roland
Editor
: Nicole Garcia
To my wonderful husband, Mike, you humor me in anything I do and constantly support my crazy dreams. I love you more than words can express. Thank you for being my hero, best friend and love of my life.
I also want to thank the following people who gave me encouragement to write
and follow my dreams. The talented A.D Roland for my beautiful cover, Ashley seriously Thank you for your great work.
Nicole Garcia
thank you for helping me so very much, you’re a lifesaver seriously. Krystal Shannan and the wonderful J.M Madden for telling me I should go for it and all the awesome advice you have given me.
Jane Smolen
, for being a great friend and travel companion. Maria Pregler, my favorite librarian and one of my best friends. Martina Dewey, fellow Marine wife and friend from MCAS Beaufort.
Lastly m
y Mom, I love you so very much, even though we fight sometimes you always told me to keep trying and that you would always love me.
"Dammit," Mary-Alice Roberts, Blondie to those who knew her cursed, as the bottle of Gray Goose hit the floor. Inventory day was always a
challenge especially after receiving a large order. Standing five feet four inches tall in heels Blondie normally knocked over or dropped at least one bottle while restocking and organizing the storage room at Teufel Hundens Bar & Grill. Good thing she was the owner of the busiest Marine bar on Topsail Island or she would have fired herself a long time ago.
"I really hate being short", she mumbled to herself as she picked up the broken glass and went to find a mop.
Big Al, her father's best friend from the Corps and the Cook, shook his head as she grabbed the mop from the Kitchen. "Dropping things again Lil Mary", he asked with a laugh.
"Hush Big Al, when do I not drop things", she responded. He was the only person who could call her Li
l Mary and get away with it. As her godfather, Big Al had always been in her life and she loved him for stepping in to help when her father died.
After cleaning up the mess Blondie went to her office which was situated in the back of the bar
. It still amazed her that even after five years she could still smell her father’s pipe smoke. A Marine to the core, her father opened the doors of Teufel Hundens fifteen years ago after he retired from the Marine Corps. Five years ago cancer took her father just like it took her mother. In her heart Blondie knew they were together. Now at the age of twenty-eight she was the sole owner of Teufel Hundens Bar & Grill.
It was days like today that she really missed her father’s no bullshit ways. Dropping the Gray Goose was just one of the things that happened today, her boyfriend of two years James dumped her v
ia text message for not being “classy” enough.
Blondie couldn’t get over that bullshit excuse, shaking he
r head she thought to herself,
really James, not classy enough what an asshole
.
Sure she is 5’4
” but she figures it was just good genes that blessed her with 36D cup breasts to go with her blonde hair and blue eyes. She was fit at one hundred and forty-five pound of lean muscle she had a curvy ass and trim waist. It wasn’t her fault she was more Marilynn that Jackie. To top off her shitty day her best friend Nikki and main bartender was on a cruise for another two weeks. Leaving her with nobody to vent to besides Big Al and she didn’t need him kicking James’ ass… that would leave her without a cook.
Taking
a deep breath she imagined her father telling her to suck it up, get the sand out of her clit and truck on.
You have responsibilities Blondie, girl
, he would say
. Don’t let some asshole that isn’t worth your time get you down.
“Damn Straight
!” Blondie said to herself with conviction…“He isn’t worth my time.”
T
aking another breath she sat up straight in her chair, time to get to business. She had a possible new hire coming in for an interview in thirty minutes. With Nikki on vacation and business picking up due to spring break she needed an experienced bartender yesterday. Hopefully the person coming in for the interview was experienced and could start today, that would be the best thing to happen to Blondie today.
S
taff Sargent Jake Peterson was going to be early according to civilian time, in the Corps if you are on time you are late if you are early you are on time. He didn’t actually need the job at Teufel Hundens as he just inherited his father’s fortune three months ago and is now a seventy percent majority shareholder in the resort company his family owned. Jake’s father was the President of the company until his death when to the shock of many he left his shares to Jake.
Jake was supposed to take over as President of Peterson Resorts however after having a meeting
with the Board and it was decided that his Uncle Pete would take over as President. Jake would stay on as a board member and he would receive weekly updates and take part in special projects when needed. If the board or his uncle needed him they knew to call.
Jake was more than glad to hand the company over to his Uncle
Pete to run, as he didn’t know anything about business. His uncle was a good man and an even better business man.
It s
till surprises Jake that the man who belittled his son’s choice of serving in the Marine Corps over graduating from Georgetown with his business degree would leave everything to him upon his death. The truth of the matter is that twelve years in the Marine Corps taught him more about the value of hard work and changed him in ways that Georgetown never would have. Jake knew he was a better man due to the Marine Corps.
After
two tours in Iraq and three in Afghanistan, Jake was done. Done with war and watching his friends get injured or never come home. He was one of the lucky ones he came home, a little broken on the inside with his brains a bit scrambled and some shrapnel scars. Jake didn’t even notice that he rubbed his hand down his side where scars peppered his side, hip and lower back.
The d
octor had diagnosed him with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and a Mild TBI (traumatic brain injury) that was what surviving a Humvee explosion due to an IED (improvised explosive device) gave him. Dickerson, Shelby, and Rodgers had all died during the explosion. Rich “Ham” Hamilton was the only other one to survive the Humvee explosion; he is now missing part of his right leg from having his leg smashed to bits, and is at the Wounded Warrior Battalion on Camp Lejeune. Besides being the only other survivor he was Jake’s best-friend since boot camp.
Living on Tops
ail Island would allow him to be close enough so he could still make his appointments in Jacksonville and be there for Hamilton. He was sort of glad that he had the inheritance because it allowed him to purchase a large beach house he wouldn’t have been able to afford on a military salary.
Jake knew he would enjoy the serenity
of the beach and ocean and if he got the job at Teufel Hundens it would be close to his new home. That was what he was hoping for. Getting out of his red Jeep Wrangler he was ready. As he walked up to the main entrance, he was hopeful he would go back home tonight with new job. After all he was now officially a Former Marine.
“Hey L
il Mary, there is a Marine out here for the bartending job” Big Al yelled. “Want me to send him back to ya?”
“Go ahead Al,” Blondie yelled back. He’s
early, Blondie thought to herself, that’s a good sign.
Blondie loo
ked up when she heard the knock. Standing there in the doorway was one of the sexiest men she ever saw in her life. He stood about six feet two inches tall. His brown hair sporting a fresh high and tight that screamed Marine. He wore a black t-shirt that clung to his body showing off his muscles which was tucked into a pair of faded blue jeans. As sexy as that was, his eyes were what caught her attention. They were an amazing shade of emerald green with flecks of gold in them.
Holy hell
! She thought this might turn out to be a good day after all.
“Come in, don’t just stand there in th
e hall,” she said with a smile. “Take a seat and let’s gets this interview started. First off, my name is Mary-Alice however you may call me Blondie. What’s your name Marine?”
Jake
looked at her with a bit of shock on his face. He was used to being the one in charge not the other way around. He then gave her half a smile as he sat down in front of her desk. “Well, Ms. Blondie, my name is Jake Peterson and I am gonna be your new bartender.”
Blondie
laughed at his response. “What makes you qualified to work as a bartender at Teufel Hundens? You look more like a bouncer to me, and we have two of those.”
“Well, besides living within walking distance
; I know how to pour drinks. I also know how to keep customers and the ladies happy” Jake said with a wink. “I also tend to be pretty damn squared away and I will always show up on time.”
Well,
damn he got her there; she did need a dependable bartender with Nikki away and Jane only worked days.
Blondie looked at Jake. “
Ok Marine, here’s the deal… My regular bartender is on vacation for another two weeks, and I need a full time bartender starting tonight. I can pay ten dollars an hour and you split the tips with whoever is working behind the bar with you. Schedule is 4 PM to 2 AM Tuesday through Saturday. Sunday and Monday we’re closed. If you need a day off let me know at least twenty-four hours ahead of time unless it’s an emergency. If you do have an emergency, call ASAP.”
“
I will be working the bar with you until Nikki gets back, and before you ask, I don’t want half your tips, you can keep them. When Nikki returns then you have to share them with her. So what do you say Marine? You wanna fill out the paperwork and start working tonight?”
Jake, didn’t know what hit him, this pint sized sass machine just broke it down barney style and left him wanting more.
“Well, Ms. Blondie,” Jake said extending his hand, “I think you got yourself a new bartender.”
Blondie gave his hand a shake noticing how big his hands were, wondering how the rough texture of them would feel as he slid them up her body.
She gave herself a mental shake. “Here is your paperwork, go home, fill them out, and bring them with you when you come back later this afternoon. What you’re wearing is more than fine. We don’t have a dress code at Tuefel Hundens. Marine t-shirts are always welcome, just nothing too graphic as we don’t want to scare away the tourists. If you’re hungry ask Big Al for something to eat, we feed our own here. See ya at 1600 Jake. Welcome to the family.”
Jake stood up and left Bl
ondie’s Office shaking his head. That was easier than he thought. He couldn’t wait to tell Hamilton about his new job and the pint sized beauty who was going to be his boss.
How was he going to get though two weeks of working with her, not only is she his boss but more than likel
y she had someone to go home to. He didn’t see a ring but that doesn’t mean she is available.
Looking at his watch, Jake saw he
had enough time to get to Lejeune and check on Hamilton. Hopefully he would be able to convince him to move in with him, then fill out the paper work for Blondie, and get back in time for work.
“Hey Marin
e,” Big Al yelled at him, “Did ya eat yet?”
“Yes
, before I came for my interview” Jake told him. “Ms. Blondie said I could get something but I’m good.”
“
Well, if you starve it’s your own fault, what’s your name by the way? Al asked.
“I’m Jake Peterson, Sir,” Jake replied.
“Ain’t no Sir’s at Teufel Hundens, boy just hard working Marines, I’m Big Al by the way,” Al said with a huge smile.
“Nice to meet you Big Al, I will see you 1600 got so
me running to do before work”.
“
See ya then. Semper Fi Marine,” Big Al replied as he got back to cooking.
Blondie could hear Al and Jake talking in the kitchen as she sat at her
desk trying to do paper work. Needless to say her mind kept wandering back to a certain Marine with emerald green eyes. What the hell was she thinking? How was she going to work next to that man for the next two weeks without jumping him?
Sure she just got dumped by the James the asshole, she should
have known something was up with him as they hadn’t had sex in six months. He canceled multiple dates due to late meetings and out of town business trips. It was a good thing she didn’t agree to live with him.
She should
have listened to Nikki and Lady Jane when they told her he was a scumbag but no, Little Mary-Alice thought a nice business man would be safer on her heart than any Military guy would have been.
The sad part of it all was
James had been a constant in her life even though the spark wasn’t there; she was more pissed then heartbroken that he broke up with her via text then in person. That was it, Blondie thought; lack of sex was messing with her head.
It was time for her to go take a shower and get dressed for
work. Thankfully the beach house where she lived was right next door to Teufel Hundens.
“Hey Al,
” Blondie called out as she stopped by the kitchen. “I’m going home to shower and get ready for tonight, just letting you know.
“No problem Li
l Mary, I got it handled. You go get ready. I was gonna make chicken salad sandwiches and fresh kettle chips for dinner. You want some?”
“That sounds great Uncle
Al; if you have any of that blueberry cheese cake left over can I have a piece too?”
“You know I always save you a piece
honey. See ya in a few,” Al said as he got back to prepping food for the night.
Blondie
walked next door. She unlocked the front door and took the stairs to the third floor. There was an elevator in the hallway which led to each floor, but she figured the stairs gave her a little bit of exercise.
Blondie always thought it was
convenient that her place was located next door to Teufel Hundens. She sold her parents’ home a few years after her father died and bought the house next to Teufel Hundens which was originally set up for apartments.