Page 42 of The Grump I Got Stuck With

“And we saw some big snowmen,” Kenna continued, drawing pictures in the condensation on the window. There’d been an ice sculpture contest as part of the festival. “Princess peed on one.”

“Christ,” I muttered. Madison laughed harder.

“Then her feet got cold,” Kenna said.

Madison stroked Princess where she’d curled up in her lap. “I don’t know why I haven’t thought of little boots before.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as we headed up the road to Dunhope. “Because dogs do not need bedazzled shoes.”

“Every girl needs a little sparkle in her life,” Madison argued.

“You’re giving Princess a superiority complex.” The dog barked at the sound of her name. “Now she expects to be treated like a queen.”

Kenna yawned loudly from the backseat. I glanced in the rearview mirror in time to see her eyelids drooping.

“Hey, Ken,” I said. “We’re not that far. Can you stay awake for me?”

“Yep,” she said.

Madison glanced over her shoulder. “Three. Two. And…she’s out.” She turned around, smirking in my direction. “Well, she tried for a whole thirteen seconds.”

“She’ll be snoring by the time we get home,” I said, speaking from experience. It didn’t even take that long, though. Once we reached the bend at the end of the road, Kenna’s mouth dropped open and a little gurgle escaped.

“That’s adorable,” Madison whispered.

“The trick is going to be getting her into bed without fully waking her up,” I said as I turned up the long, winding driveway toward the house. Once I’d parked, Madison hopped out, collecting Princess and her gift bag. I retrieved Kenna from her seat, carrying her inside.

Together, we got her upstairs and into her pajamas. That roused her somewhat, and I used the moment to coax her into the bathroom, seating her on the counter to quickly brush her teeth while Madison turned down the bed and prepped the noise machine and nightlight.

I carried Kenna to bed to find that Princess had already jumped up and made herself comfortable. I glared at the dog, as I did every night—and she ignored me, as she did every night. We’d been forced to come to a silent understanding recently. I either let the dog sleep in her bed, or at some point during the night, Kenna would get up and go looking for her. Then I’d have the two of them prancing up and down the halls at three in the morning, which was far worse.

I tucked Kenna in beside Princess. Her eyes fluttered open, and I waited to see if she would ask for a story. She didn’t, instead rolling over to cuddle Princess.

Horrible.

I shook my head at the adoring look on Madison’s face, then followed her out into the hall. She lingered as I pulled the door, leaving it open a crack. “Interested in a nightcap?” I asked her.

“You got a bar cart around here?” she asked, the corner of her mouth twitching.

“I do, actually.”

“Well, in that case…” she said, sauntering past me with a bit of a swagger. “I’ll have a whiskey,” she said. “Though you should know, I only drink the good stuff.”

“This is Scotland. I only buy the good stuff,” I assured her as I led her down the hall to the library.

“I knew you weren’t all about these books,” she said as I crossed the room, pulling open a secret cabinet in the massive shelving unit. “It’s all a front for your secret bar.”

“I do quite fancy reading actually,” I told her. “I have since I was a boy.”

“I’m trying to imagine a studious little Alistair,” Madison said, grinning as I wheeled the bar cart closer to the couch. She sank down while I prepared her drink.

“I wasn’t actually that studious—I wasn’t reading for my lessons. When I was a boy, I loved fantasy.”

“Did you?” she said as I passed her a glass. “Thank you.”

“It was something I could share with my mum. She used to read to me when I was little. Then, when I got a little older, I’d read to her. She was always frail by the end, she was mostly confined to her bed, but she’d love it when I pulled up a chair and cracked open one of her favorite books.” I smiled a little at the memory.

“When did she pass?” Madison asked softly.