“What?” he asked.
“Maximillian wasn’t alone.” Lines formed above the bridge of her nose. “There was another dog following him. A smaller yellow one.”
She didn’t know what she was talking about. Gill rocked back on his heels. “Maximillian is the only dog who lives here.”
Sophie beamed. “Unless Maximillian made a doggy friend.”
A wry grin formed on Kat’s face. “Or if he found himself a doggy girlfriend.”
“No.” The word shot from Gill’s mouth like a bullet. “You’re tired from traveling, and your eyes are playing tricks on you.”
“Maybe,” Kat admitted. “But if Maximillian did befriend another dog, that would explain why he disappears for chunks of time.”
“What you’re suggesting implies a dog, most likely a stray since no one else lives out here, arrived at the castle gate and asked the guard to be let in.” Gill shook his head. “Not possible.”
“There’s no other way inside the grounds?” she asked.
“None.” He stared down his nose at her. “The grounds are walled. There is only one entrance.”
“Then maybe I did imagine it.” She didn’t sound angry, only a little tired. “Which is too bad because they looked like they were having fun.”
“You most certainly are imagining it then.” Sophie winked at Kat. “I forgot to tell you that having fun is forbidden at the castle. Or rather, it will be once my brother is in charge. He’s so proper and strict about following rules. Way more so than our mother.”
Women were nothing but trouble whether they were relations or not.
“How long before your wedding day, so I’ll finally be able to live in peace?” he asked his sister.
Sophie grinned. “Not soon enough for you or for me. But after I leave for my honeymoon on the twenty-fourth, you’ll still have Kat here to keep you company on Christmas day.”
Gill was afraid his sister would say that.
He couldn’t wait for the new year to arrive.
*
That evening, Katcouldn’t wait to crawl between the sheets. Exploring the castle with Sophie had been fun. Laughing with her tonight even better, but jet lag had finally defeated Kat.
Breathe, yawn, repeat.
She wanted to stop the pattern. That meant no more putting off sleep.
The bed beckoned like a lighthouse.
She was dressed in a new pair of warm and comfy flannel pajamas. Her bare feet sank into the plush carpet. Liv had turned down the sheets and left a chocolate on her pillow and a glass of water on the nightstand.
Kat appreciated the gestures. She hadn’t been here long, but felt totally pampered as if she were a princess. Weird and enjoyable at the same time.
A dog barked. The sound came from outside her room.
Kat stared longingly at her bed. Yes, she was tired, but sleep could wait another minute or two.
The bark had to belong to the missing Maximillian. Unless he’d snuck his partner in crime inside the castle.
She hadn’t imagined that other dog, but she’d relented. Getting into an argument with Gill in front of Sophie would have stressed out the bride. Kat didn’t need her bridesmaid book to tell her that was the last thing she wanted to do.
Kat opened the door.
A dog stood in the hallway.
