Page 104 of The Grump I Married
“Oh no,” I groaned, turning just in time to see Bonnie race around the corner of the house.
“A pony!” Aisling cried excitedly. “You have a pony!”
“That’s Bonnie,” Weston said. “Probably coming to say hi to you.”
As Bonnie trotted over, Milo welcomed her with a bark. Aisling pulled free of my hand to greet the pony, patting her mane and laughing as Bonnie nuzzled her, fighting Milo for Aisling’s attention.
I shook my head as the giggles started all over again. “I can’t believe the demon pony has already won her over,” I whispered.
Weston laughed. “Maybe Aisling will turn out to be a horse whisperer and get Bonnie to finally behave.”
“God, I hope so,” I teased. “Or we’re seriously going to need to consider obedience training.”
Weston laughed.
But as I watched the scene play out before us, I couldn’t help thinking just how perfect everything felt. It may not be what I’d always envisioned when I’d imagined my future, but it was so much better than anything I could have ever hoped for.
33
WESTON
“If I knew you were going to put me to work,” Locke said, carrying one side of the wooden bench down the gravel path toward the firepit, “I would have worn different trousers.”
I snorted, lifting the other end of the bench that I’d had specially engraved as a memorial to Grandad. It had only just arrived, and I wanted to be the one to place it instead of letting the team of laborers take it down. The cherry on top was watching the cuffs of Locke’s designer jeans drag through the mud. Grandad would have had a good laugh. “What did you think ‘come by and help us get the camp set up’ meant?”
“I don’t know,” Locke said, laughing. “I thought we’d be cutting a ribbon or something.”
“That’s next week. And anyway, I offered you wellies. You declined.” When I’d turned to Lena one evening and told her I wanted to restart Grandad’s Highland Adventure Camp, there’d been no hesitation in her answer. She’d grabbed my hand, squeezed with a big smile on her face, and said, “Aisling is going to make so many friends.”
And just like that, we were really doing it.
It had been a race against time to get the estate sorted before summer holidays began and kids started showing up. With the help of a local contracting team, I’d managed to get the new cabins built for the overnight camps and had put together a brand-new activity center. Lena had turned her focus to hiring management, activity planners, support staff, and the necessary counselors, employing many of the local teens for the summer. Now we were a week away from launching the camp, and Locke and Alistair had turned up to check out the property ahead of opening day.
“Why do these things keep getting heavier?” Locke grunted, hiking up his end of the bench.
“Maybe you’re getting weaker in your old age,” I teased. “Pretty sure we used to move more than this around when we were kids.”
“Hiya, Weston!” Aisling raced past us in a pair of dungarees and boots, her blonde hair pulled back in two matching braids.
“Have you perfected your braids, or is that Lena’s handiwork?” Locke asked, staring after her.
“I’m still trying to master the ponytail,” I said, watching Milo bound after Aisling, barking excitedly. Bonnie whinnied, pulling up the rear as they raced through the wildflowers.
“I suppose we can’t all be magicians with hair like Alistair.”
“Hey, he’s had way more practice. And I’m getting better.” Truth be told, my hair-styling capabilities were pish, but I’d been informed I was the best bedtime storyteller, and I was still lording that one over Lena.
Locke stopped abruptly as Bonnie cut in close, neighing loudly to let us know we had almost gotten in her way. “Quite a trio those three are,” he noted, chuckling at the sight.
I couldn’t help agreeing. I hadn’t realized this was missing from my life, but now that I had it—the giggles and that pure, unadulterated joy—I didn’t ever want to be without it again. Lochbrae would be far too quiet and empty without Aisling’s energy filling the space.
We continued down the muddy trail, coming upon the brand-new firepit area Callum had directed the contractor in digging. It was surrounded by a series of wooden benches and old yew logs from around the estate.
“I think you should get the contractor to fill the rest of this space in with gravel,” Alistair said as we reached him. “That should keep things from getting too muddy when it rains.”
“Agreed,” I said as Locke and I dropped the bench with a thud. Locke’s hands fell to his hips as he sucked in a ragged breath.
“A little too heavy for you?” Alistair teased.
