Cinder-Nanny

by Sariah Wilson

“Is saving damsels in distress part of your earl thing?” “Yes, but only if they’re in mild distress. Dropping a mobile, losing a shoe. There’s a special license required to slay a dragon.”

“So you’re saying that in some alternate dimension you might have fallen for me?” Uh, like a piano falling on a cartoon character’s head. “There’s a distinct possibility.” He grinned at me. “I hope alternate-reality me understands what a lucky sod he is.” “I’m sure alternate-reality me is making sure of it.”

He stayed put and I realized that my Things Men Should Do bar was so low that I was impressed by this small gesture.

“Perhaps you haven’t been doing it right. I happen to be an expert dater. I could show you.” “That’s not really a selling feature,” I told him.

And while I’d been willing to let go of Griffin for choices that I’d made, I wasn’t willing to lose him for something that wasn’t my fault.

I asked him what that title meant, being unfamiliar with the term. He explained that his grandfather had been the Earl of Strathorne and his wife the countess, but that when he died and Griffin’s father took the title, his grandma became known as the dowager countess since Griffin’s mom had become the current one.

“I understand that you’re protecting yourself. I may not understand all the reasons why, but I know that you have this rough exterior to safeguard your tender heart. A heart that’s been damaged. And I promise that I would be careful with it, should you choose to trust me with it.”

“A surprise then?” “Yes,” I told him. “One I’ll like?” “Are you unfamiliar with how surprises work?”

“We don’t have all the details. It’s not really fair to judge him because we don’t know him.” “But that’s when I do my best judging!” she protested.

If you really are a gold digger, you are very bad at it.” “Is it sad that that’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me?”