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“I was thinking about what Kennedy said.”

“You mean about the rumors? It kind of goes with the territory.” Harlow shrugged. “You wouldn’t believe the garbageand lies floating around on the internet. Trash talk is big money.”

“I’m glad you’re not letting it get under your skin.” Her aunt glanced at her watch. “I’m going to head home and start prepping dinner. Bring your appetite.”

“That and my salad.” Harlow steered herself inside the empty house. She found a note from her father sitting on the counter, explaining he was out running an errand.

Mort, who had been napping in the hall, followed her into her bedroom, keeping a watchful eye on Harlow as she stripped off her sweaty workout clothes and navigated her way into the shower.

Her father, with a little resourceful rigging, had figured out a way to lower the sprayer’s nozzle, allowing Harlow to adjust it as needed.

While she scrubbed, she thought about what Kennedy had said. Clearly, whatever was circulating was bad enough for her to mention it. And bad enough for her to confiscate Harlow’s cell phone to keep her focused.

After finishing, she towel-dried her hair. Rummaging through her closet, Harlow found a fitted denim skirt trimmed in lace that went perfectly with a frilly white blouse. Red, white, and blue cowgirl boots completed her look.

Checking her reflection one last time, Harlow wheeled herself out of the bedroom. Clanging and banging echoed from the kitchen. She followed the noise and found her father filling a baking sheet with slice and bake cookies.

“Thanks for the grocery order. They dropped off so much food, I had a hard time figuring out where to put it all.” Davidwaved a spatula in the air. “You remembered white chocolate macadamia cookies were my favorite.”

“Of course. I hope I didn’t miss anything important.”

“Miss anything? I think you ordered one of everything,” he joked.

“I figured better safe than sorry. You never know what you might need.” Harlow squeezed past him and opened the fridge. “I promised Aunt Birdie I would bring a salad for dinner.”

“You don’t have to leave.”

“I know I don’t.” Harlow flicked her hair from her face. “I think she’s looking forward to hosting. Besides, it will give you a break from babysitting me.”

“I don’t need a break from you. In fact, I can’t bear the thought of you leaving again.” David quickly turned, but not before Harlow noticed the sad look in his eyes.

“But I won’t be gone for long,” she said softly. “I’ll be back after I finish filming.”

“And then what?” He slid the cookie sheet into the oven and turned the timer on. “You have your own home…homes.”

“None of which I’m particularly attached to. In fact, Robert is the one who picked them out.”

“All of them? You didn’t have a say in where you live?” her father asked incredulously.

“Of course I had a say. It’s just…” Harlow struggled to explain it in a way that didn’t make her sound like a complete idiot for letting her husband be the one to make the couple’s financial decisions. “I work a lot of long hours and am sometimes on location for months at a time. He has more flexibility to research and find the right properties for us.”

“I see.”

Harlow could tell from her father’s tone he wasn’t buying it and now that she stood back and thought about it, she realized Roberthadcontrolled a great deal of her life. In his defense, it had been easier for her to let him.

Something told her the dynamics of their marriage—if it survived—would need to change, regardless of what Robert thought.

Chapter 5

“I hope you don’t mind hamburgers and hotdogs.” Aunt Birdie carried the plate of meat down the steps and flipped open the lid on her gas grill. “I can’t remember the last time I grilled outdoors.”

“This is a pretty fancy piece of grilling equipment.” Eryn let out a low whistle. “You have all the creature comforts of a cozy home.”

“The RV guy was a slick salesman. He must’ve seen me coming from a mile away. And, as luck would have it, the RV store sold everything I needed to set up camp.”

“I bet Pops Wynn was surprised when you showed up on his doorstep.”

“More like shocked. I didn’t warn him, figuring he would try to stop me before I got here,” Birdie said. “But I think he’s coming around.”