Page 17 of The Grump I Got Stuck With

“Can you give me an example of some of the activities you would engage in with my daughter?”

“Most children that age already know their way around a tablet.”

I could feel a headache coming on. I tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. “Studies have shown that excessive screen time for children Kenna’s age can delay both cognitive and language development as well as contribute to attention issues and sleep disruption.” The woman gave me a blank stare. “Your resumé indicated that you had a background in early childhood education. Surely, you have a list of appropriate activities.” Please!

The woman rattled off a few things, and every one included something that was sure to cause sensory overload and would require minimal effort on her part. I ended the interview, dropping my head into my hands. Fucking hell! Why was every option complete rubbish? I needed to go back to Alfie and have him sort out another batch of interviews immediately. I didn’t have a second to waste with Weston and Lena leaving so soon.

I fired off an email to him, then got up to check on Kenna. As I drew closer to her room, I overheard Madison in the library and paused. She was on the phone, and it sounded like she was talking to Lyle about her vehicle. Did that mean he was coming to tow her out?

“When I hit the ditch, all this smoke started billowing out of the front,” Madison explained. “Then I couldn’t get it to start.” Her tone shifted. “Mm-hmm…Oh.”

From her tone, it didn’t sound like he had good news for her.

“A few days?”

Gah, no! Days of her and Princess underfoot? But…on the other hand, days of her there to keep an eye on Kenna while I kept working the nanny problem. Maybe this could work out for both of us.

“Sounds good. Thanks, Lyle. Bye.”

It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was definitely a solution. I turned into the room. She gave me a flat look from her spot on the couch.

“Lyle said he’ll try to get the tow truck up here when the roads are a little clearer, but judging by what I told him, he figures it’ll take him a few days to fix the van. More if he doesn’t have the parts on hand.” Her lips stretched into a thin line. “But anyway, he doesn’t think it’ll be more than a day or two before I can get a lift into town. At that point, I can get out of your hair and stay somewhere else until the repairs are complete.”

“No need for that,” I stated. “If you’re sticking around the area anyway, you’ll stay here and be my temporary nanny.”

6

MADISON

“Excuse me?” I said, rising to my feet and shaking my head. “Sorry, Lord Crankypants, I must have heard you incorrectly. Did you order me to be your nanny?” If he thought he could just lay down the law, then he was in for a big shock. There was no way I was going to be bossed around like this.

Alistair huffed out a harsh breath, looking tired and stressed. “Fine, then. Would you be my nanny? There…is that better?”

“No!” I said, crossing my arms, getting more and more offended. “Who the hell are you to tell me what I’ll be doing? You’re practically a stranger!”

He rolled his eyes. “Do you always feel the need to have a deep, meaningful relationship with your boss?”

Ugh, the nerve of this man! “I feel the need to have a choice about which jobs I accept and which I refuse. And I’m definitely refusing this one. I didn’t come here begging for a job. I crawled into your kitchen because I didn’t want to freeze to death. I didn’t want anything more from you than shelter.”

“And I very kindly provided it,” he said, a dark eyebrow crawling up his forehead.

I pursed my lips, wondering what reality he was living in. “Um, yeah, ‘kindly’ might be a stretch.”

He paced back and forth in front of me. “The way I see it, you’re stuck here until your vehicle is repaired. I’m in urgent need of childcare. Instead of paying to stay at the inn, you can stay here for free and earn a salary at the same time. You may not like me, but you do like Kenna, and she’s the one you’ll be spending your time with. Is it such an outrageous offer?” he said. “Besides, it’s only until I’m able to source someone fulltime. It’s not like I suggested immortal servitude.”

Bah! Dealing with him in any capacity was sucking years off my life.

“Thanks for that lovely offer,” I quipped. “But it’s a hard pass from me.” The fact that I liked Kenna was even more reason to say no. The more time I spent with her, the more likely I’d get attached. I always got invested too fast; it was the story of my life and the downfall of every one of my romantic relationships. If I got too invested in Kenna, then leaving was going to suck. Why would I set myself up to get hurt?

“Why would you even want me to be your nanny?” I said before he could say anything else. “You clearly don’t like me, and it’s not like I have any professional qualifications. I’m not some fancy Mary Poppins who’s swooped in here to save the day.”

“I don’t think Mary Poppins ever entered through the dog door.”

I rolled my eyes. “Exactly. Also, on a side note, will you stop listening to my personal conversations?”

“The conversations you’re having out in the open in the middle of my house?” he clarified.

“I wasn’t standing in the middle of anything. I’m tucked away in the library.”