Page 244 of The Nanny and the Heartthrob

“I felt every word. I lived for every note. Your song touched my heart,” Harper gushed.

He patted his niece’s shoulder and ignored the vexing agitation.

This was not the night to fall prey to those wretchedly familiar ruminations.

“Take a bow, Aria. You’re a star,” he said and instantly remembered when Donna had spoken the exact words about Harper after the first challenge.

Get out of your head, man.

Aria beamed as she stood next to the piano. She bowed and blew kisses, hamming it up, when the grandfather clock in the corner of the room chimed nine times.

The little girl stared out the French doors, observed the night sky, then bolted to his side. “Uncle Landy, it’s about to start. You better get Aunt Harper to the mushy gushy spot.”

The kid was right.

“What’s about to start, and what kind of spot is mushy-gushy?” Harper asked.

“You’ll see,” Aria teased. “I helped set it up when you were in the bathtub. I acted super-secret like Phoebe does when she pretends to be a spy.”

Harper raised an eyebrow. “This sounds pretty fancy.”

“And fluffy,” the kid remarked.

Tomás picked up a small pastry box and handed it to him. “Don’t forget your bonbon dessert.”

“And have fun, my dears,” Bess added. “We’ll help Aria get ready for bed after the—”

“Don’t say it, Lala. It’s the surprise,” Aria chirped, then wrapped her little arms around his waist. “I love you, Uncle Landy. Love you, Aunt Harper,” the kid continued, embracing her aunt.

Harper tapped Aria’s nose. “We love you, too.”

“Love is in the air,” Tomás remarked.

Yes, it was.

He took Harper’s hand and led her past the pool and down the stone steps. The moon slipped behind the clouds as they followed the winding path cloaked in a blanket of darkness. The lap of the lake kissing the shore set a peaceful soundscape, but his pulse had kicked up despite the calming surroundings.

He’d never done what he was about to do.

“Aria’s song was amazing,” Harper said, emotion coating her words. “She’s a gifted artist.”

“She’s so much like Trey and Leighton.”

“And you, Landon. Your niece is a lot like you.”

The muscles in his chest tightened. “I don’t know if that’s such a good thing.”

“Of course, it’s a good thing,” she countered.

He nodded. Better to agree with her. The last thing he wanted to do was bring up his learning issues.

A chilly breeze rolled in off the lake, and Harper pulled her shawl around her shoulders. “Are you sure a backless dress is appropriate for this mushy-gushy outing?” she pressed as they continued down the path.

He was grateful for the topic shift.

“A backless dress is exactly what this outing calls for, but this will help for now.” He slipped off his sports coat and draped it over her shoulders.

“You know, heartthrob, I’m not wearing underwear either.”

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