Page 75 of The Grump I Got Stuck With

“Did you drop it?” Kenna said. “Daddy said glass can break really easy.”

“He’s right,” I said. “But no. I didn’t do very well because you have to be in a room that’s very hot. That’s how you keep the glass all melty so you can shape it. But it was way too hot for me.”

Kenna giggled. “And you got sweaty?”

“Yep. And my head started to feel kind of fuzzy, which means it’s not safe for me to do any more lessons.”

“Oh,” Kenna said, lips pursed in thought. “I have some glass. You can have it.” She popped up to her feet, rushing over to a tiny pink purse strung over the back of the door. She dug around in it for a moment, then brought me a handful of sand and stones.

“Did you go to the beach?” I asked, laughing as she dumped everything in my palms. Since when was the girl walking around with a bag full of sand?

“Yep,” she said. “With Lena and Aisling.”

“Yesterday before Daddy picked you up?” I asked. She nodded. Lena must have taken the girls down to the coastline. It was too cold to put even their feet in the water, but the view was still pretty, and Milo probably liked a good run on the beach.

“Lena says this is glass,” Kenna said, holding up what looked like a faded blue stone.

“You’re right,” I said, realizing that it wasn’t a stone at all. “It’s called sea glass, and if you get all the sand off and polish it up, it’ll be sparkly just like those jewels we saw in London.”

Kenna gasped, her eyes lighting up. “Then we can make jewelry from it?”

“You know what? We totally could! Maybe it’s time to introduce you to the art of wire wrapping.”

“Okay!” Kenna said, delighted even though I knew she had no idea what I was talking about.

“We could create a little charm bracelet from these smaller pieces,” I said, sifting through the sea glass. “Or maybe a necklace with a pendant from one of these bigger chunks.”

“And one for Princess?”

“Princess could definitely use another charm for her collar.”

Princess poked her head up from beneath Kenna’s tiny table, but when no treats were offered, she flopped back over. A bloom of excitement filled my chest as I envisioned another afternoon of jewelry making. Leave it to Kenna to find the perfect way to cheer me up. Warmth spread through me at the thought, and I stroked her cheek. “This is a great idea,” I told her. “You’re the best girl.”

She beamed. “You’re the best Madison,” she assured me.

I laughed, charmed by her, as always. “I’ll have to check if I have any wire in my own craft stuff in the van.”

“Let’s go now,” Kenna said, tugging on my arm.

Alistair walked into the room before I could get up, and I suddenly lost my breath, all thoughts of jewelry making forgotten. He was clad head to toe in what looked to be a perfectly tailored and very expensive suit. It wasn’t as fancy as the tux he’d worn to dinner in London, but it fit him just as well. I swallowed down a flash of desire, but I couldn’t stop my eyes from roaming.

“Hi, Daddy,” Kenna said. She took the sea glass from me and started sorting it on the floor.

“Hello, sweetheart,” he murmured.

My gaze finally landed on his face, and my stomach dropped. His jaw was tight, his lips set in a thin, determined line. He looked like he was about to go into battle. It was a little unnerving to see him look so…cold. Was this for a meeting? Maybe he had a video call with his solicitor this morning. But then why would he worry about his trousers?

He caught my eye.

“Everything okay?” I asked, a little uneasy when he didn’t soften the way he usually did. Any other day, he would have joined us for a few minutes, sneaking a kiss or two before starting his meetings. He hadn’t even lingered this morning, gone before I woke despite falling asleep next to me. “You look…incredible, but kind of formal for hanging around the house.”

His lips didn’t even twitch. “I’m heading into London for a few hours,” he announced.

“London?” I frowned. “For a meeting?”

His jaw tightened, but the rest of his face went deliberately blank, and my stomach dropped. “I’m going to Charing Cross police station.” His eyes flicked to Kenna. “J is being held there until charged.”

I got to my feet, inclining my head toward the hall before Kenna could hear too much. She started talking to Princess, who barked in return.