Page 5 of The Grump I Got Stuck With

I took a beat to riffle through my duffle bag, wriggling out of my damp clothes and into something dry and cozy. Then I walked toward the bed to turn down the comforter, yawning and more than ready to lie down. I touched the downy soft pillow. God, what a treat this was going to be! I couldn’t wait to crawl beneath the covers. A smile tugged at my lips. I’d wanted a bit of an adventure, and here I was getting it. This was going to make an awesome story to tell someday, all about the gorgeous, grumpy stranger who had come to my rescue in spite of himself.

Princess growled up at me.

“What?” I said, my cheeks warming. “I’m not thinking anything, okay?” Except maybe that grumpy and pissed looked annoyingly good on the man. Blah! Whatever. I’d only be here one night, and then I’d be gone, with miserable Alistair in the rearview and Emily on the phone to keep me company as I headed to my next adventure. Speaking of Emily…I grabbed my phone again. “Ha, yes, bars! Princess, we’re in business.”

I dashed off a text and promised to call with an update, then tucked my phone away, glancing down at Princess.

“Where do you think the bathroom is in this joint?”

Princess turned on the spot, her floofy little tail going a mile a minute as I scanned my door options. To my disappointment, the first door I tried led to a different hallway. I started to close it, but before I could, Princess shot out between my legs, darting down the hall.

“Where are you going?” I hissed after her. “I told you to do your business before we crawled through the doggy door!”

She pranced away, tail wagging.

I followed her. “Princess, no! Get back here. Are you trying to get us in trouble with Lord Crankypants?”

She yipped once, then disappeared around a corner. Craaaaaap!

I raced after her, keeping my eyes peeled for Lord Crankypants himself. I half expected him to be lurking around the corner, ready to blast me for wandering around, but there was no choice.

“Princess!” I whisper-yelled, turning around again. She’d already reached the far end of the hall. “Get. Back. Here.”

She barked once and dashed away.

I jogged the rest of the hall, passing stately portraits of lords in kilts standing before glistening lochs without sparing them more than a glance. I reached the end of the hall, following the sound of Princess’s little barks.

She was excited about something.

“Princess!” I called, turning the corner, frustrated to find her still out of sight. I whistled low. “C’mon, girl. Back to bed.”

Bark. Bark. Bark.

My eyes locked on a semi-opened door, and I darted inside, following the barking into a…child’s bedroom? There was a nightlight plugged into the wall, basking the room in a soft glow. I could make out the assortment of toys scattered across the floor, coloring books open on a tiny table, and a miniature Christmas tree set up in the corner, decorated with pink baubles.

And there, on the bed in the corner of the room, sat a little girl. She couldn’t have been more than four or five. Her hair was sleep mussed, but she was wide awake, giggling as Princess bounced in her lap, trying to lick her cheeks.

Oh, I thought. So this was what he was hiding in the west wing. Lord Crankypants was trying to keep me away from his kid. That…actually made his behavior a little more understandable. But just a little.

The little girl abruptly stopped giggling as she spotted me. “Hiya!” she said, eyes widening with excitement as Princess nuzzled into her arms. “I’m Kenna.”

“Hello,” I said, smiling at her. I’d always loved kids. “I’m Madison.”

“Did you come with Santa?” Kenna asked, tilting her head.

I grinned at the question, charmed by that innocence. Of course she’d think I came with Santa. It was Christmas Eve after all, and really, who else would be coming to visit this place? Alistair probably spent his days setting booby traps outside to keep people away. “No,” I told her. “I had some car trouble, so I’m spending the night.”

Kenna’s eyes lit up. “You’re staying here, with us?”

“Yep. And Princess too.”

Kenna curled her arms around Princess. “I love princesses.”

“Who doesn’t?”

She giggled at me. “Want to see my princess doll collection?”

Before I could answer, Lord Crankypants himself burst into the room, his face screwed up like a storm cloud. His gaze was intense as he caught my eyes, and a shiver zipped down my spine. He looked like he wanted to rip me a new one. And, honestly, I was a little worried the vein in his forehead was going to rupture.