Page 62 of The Nanny and the Heartthrob

That’s the official definition of distraught—or it should be.

The second she’d wrapped her head around being married and abandoned, she’d wanted to reach out to Penny, Charlotte, and Libby.

But what was she supposed to say to them?

Hey, ladies, remember how I said I was going to a piano teacher conference? Welp, I lied. I thought I was trying out to be the internet’s next big thing, except it turned out to be a porno audition. And I saw Vance Vibe, punched a cardboard cutout of the man, conned my way into a ballerina-gladiator themed wedding, then married Landon Paige. Oops, I almost forgot. Babs is about to lose her house, and I can’t do anything to save it. So, what have you gals been up to?

No, that wouldn’t work.

And it got worse.

She was married to a man, and she didn’t even have his phone number or know where he’d been for the last week.

He’d completely cut and run.

He’d even taken her panties.

And that was the perfect segue into spitting-mad reason number four.

For a reckless, blissful, completely outrageous slip of time, she’d felt fearless with Landon by her side—like nothing could touch them. Like she and her pop prince were bulletproof and bound by more than a dare.

A euphoric elation had seeped into her soul.

And that was her biggest mistake.

She’d allowed herself to believe there was a chance that what they had was real. Her hopeless romantic heart had hijacked her brain. She’d done everything to keep her vulnerability hidden. She’d walled off her heart, boarded it up, and slapped a big old Keep Out sign on it, but that didn’t stop her from tearing down the defenses for the night.

This was why she’d sworn off dating musicians.

She hadn’t technically broken the rule.

They’d skipped dating, faked a thirty-minute engagement, then jumped right into matrimony.

But one glaring fact stood out. A fact she’d be wise to remember.

Aside from her girls and Babs, the people who she thought cared about her always left her.

A lump formed in her throat.

“Harper, have you spoken to your friends since you got back?” Babs asked, her tone softening like she’d read her mind.

Penn, Char, and Libbs had been texting and calling nearly nonstop. Luckily, thanks to their impressive careers and being caught up with cute kids and doting fiancés, they seemed to have just enough time to text but not enough time to pop over to the house, which had been a godsend.

She’d been able to keep them at bay with ridiculous replies like “So much to do, so little time.” And “damn, I forgot to charge my phone. Sorry I missed your call.”

“I’ve texted with them a few times, but I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

Her grandmother watched her for a beat. “Whatever’s on your mind, you don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You’ll figure out whatever you’re wrestling with. You’re a good girl, Harper Barbara.”

She was more like a dirty, dirty married girl, but she was not ready to divulge that whopper. She swallowed past the emotion in her throat. “You’re getting soft, old lady,” she teased, but there was no bite to her barb.

“Perhaps, I am,” her grandmother agreed. She chuckled, then schooled her features. “Now, what did your grandfather always say when an obstacle presented itself?”

Jesus, here they go.

Harper sighed, but she couldn’t stop a smile from pulling at the corner of her lips. “He said a lot of sappy things, Babs.”

“Yes, he did. Your grandfather was a true romantic, and that’s why I fell in love with him. He balanced out my bitchiness.”

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