Page 109 of Rags to Royals

Scarlett finally relinquishes the red panda back to the keeper and gets up, brushing her hands over her ass.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I say, watching her approach.

I’m not surprised that Fiona has noticed the way I look at and talk to Scarlett. It’s different than the way I’ve behaved around anyone in my entire life.

“Ha,” Fiona says. “With the way you’re looking at her? And the fact that she shows up here at the same time you do after you’ve been gone for a week?”

Scarlett stops in front of us. “Who are you looking at?”

“You,” Fiona says.

Scarlett frowns. “Oh?”

“You’re his Cinderella, right?”

Scarlett freezes. Then her eyes get wide. “W–what?”

I sigh. Dammit. My sister knows mefartoo well.

“You’re the girl he’s been looking for all this time. The one he went to Ohio to find,” Fiona says. She looksverysmug.

I narrow my eyes. “And if she’snot, you just made this very awkward.”

Fiona laughs and points at Scarlett. “I noticed her bracelet in the bar.”

I look at the elephant bracelet that’s wrapped around Scarlett’s left wrist. I groan. That didn’t even occur to me.

Scarlett quickly covers the bracelet with her right hand. “Oh, I…this…” She blows out a breath and looks at me, then back to Fiona. “You know about the bracelet?”

“He carried it around like a glass slipper for two years. And got a tattoo to match it,” Fiona says with a laugh.

Scarlett moves to take it off, but Fiona stops her. “I’ve already seen it. So has anyone else who’s going to notice. Like Ellie. But none of the other bodyguards are here and I don’t think anyone else is paying close attention. They’ve all got their little ones running around distracting them.”

I look around with a grin, watching friends chase toddlers, help little ones feed alpacas, and pet goats and rabbits. All of these people have become more than friends. The way our bodyguards have become family over the years has always been very special to the O’Gradys, and it was amazing to come to Autre and find out that the Landry family functions the same way. Friends become family very quickly and seeing these friends all as mothers and fathers as they’ve all settled down one by one has been a lot of fun to watch.

Scarlett sighs and looks at my sister. “We didn’t want to tell you who I was because we didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

“My hopes up about what?” Fiona asks.

“About us being together,” Scarlett says.

“Well, my hopes are already up.” Fiona looks at me. “I assume you’re going to pull a Torin, and marry her before Grandfather makes you marry Astrid?”

I lift a shoulder. “That was the reason I went to Ohio to find her.”

“So what’s the problem?” Fiona asks.

“Scarlett thought it was a little fast. We’re getting to know each other right now.”

Scarlett steps closer and leans her shoulder against mine. I take that as a thank you as well as a sign of solidarity. I shift to wrap a hand around her waist. Now that the cat’s out of the bag, there’s no reason I can’t touch her.

“Does Astrid know?” Fiona asks.

“Kind of,” I admit.

“Great,” Fiona smiles at me, then Scarlett. “Astrid will be fine.”

Scarlett looks up at me with a frown. “Wait…Astrid?”

---