His hand in Meghan’s, Isaac weaved through the set toward the hotel exit. He wanted to ask her about her brother but wasn’t sure the best way to bring it up.
“Press is thicker than last week,” he said instead. “We might be stopped today.”
“What should I do?” Her fingers tightened around his.
“Wave and smile. Don’t feel pressured to answer their questions. I’ll be asked about us during more formal interviews, so I can field the big stuff.”
He paused before they stepped outside. He needed to know the details of her past so he could support her through this fake relationship. He also needed to be sure he wasn’t blindsided by the press. If anyone other than Max had brought up her brother’s passing, they would have found it bizarre if Isaac didn’t know. That could have blown their cover wide open.
He faced her. “If there’s anything in your past or about your family I should know, you should tell me.”
He’d half expected her to avoid mentioning what he was fishing for, but she nodded matter-of-factly instead. “You mean Quinton.”
“Max mentioned you and Kendall had a brother.”
“He was twenty when he died.” She offered a sad smile. “I was eleven. Your show helped me through a rough, sad time in my life.”
“I’m sorry. You don’t have to go into details.” He hazarded a glance around the lobby, but no one was within earshot of them.
“Thank you. Losing him hurt, and probably always will. But I know he’s never far. I can feel him around.”
If Isaac lost Max, as in permanently, he’d dry up and crumble into a pile of dust. And yet Meghan, with her strength, beauty and resolve had walked through fire and come out the other side better for it.
“You’re remarkable, did you know that?”
She laughed as if amused. “I try to live in the present. Only this moment is real.”
Through the front door entered a slobbery Saint Bernard and her owner/handler. “All set!” the woman announced as she walked past them.
“Go.” Meghan nudged him. “I’ll be fine out there. If anyone jumps me on the way to the coffee shop, I’ll deflect with a joke and shoot them a dazzling smile.”
She shot Isaac one such dazzling smile. He clasped her waist and kissed her, too brief for his taste, but better than nothing. “If you’re sure.”
“I’ve got this, Dunn.” She blew him a kiss as she backed toward the lobby exit. He admired the cute skip in her step as much as her long legs in dark tights ending in tall shoes. Her chocolate brown dress and leather coat made her look like a star herself. He couldn’t have picked anyone better for their shared mission.
Whistling, he strode back to the set, encountering Ashley on the way. The director cocked her head, her expression curious. “Happy about something, Isaac?”
“About lots of things.”
Everything, in fact. How rare.
Meghan hefted the heavy box up the rest of the stairs, regretting telling Deli Dave (as she’d come to nickname the owner) that she didn’t need his help. Kendall was behind her, loaded down with a bag from the deli—a turkey and Swiss for her and a deluxe veggie for Meghan—as well as the shopping bags from their mini excursion today.
Inside Isaac’s apartment, Kendall set their lunch on the kitchen counter. “Wow. Nice place you got here.”
“You haven’t seen your boyfriend’s brother’s place yet?” Meghan dropped the box on the couch and tore the tape. “Then again, you rarely leave your sex nest.”
“You can’t be jealous of Max and me now that you’re bopping your teenage crush in a fancy mansion-like apartment.”
Kendall unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite as Meghan pawed through the clothes her mom sent.
“Oh God.” She held up one of the sparkly tops.
“What?” Kendall asked around a bite.
“Mom knows I’m having sex with Isaac.” She tossed the top aside and held up a formfitting black dress. “Look at this tight little number.”
“I didn’t tell her,” Kendall said. “Come and eat. I’ve finally stolen away from my, what did you call it, sex nest?”
“Do you prefer love cave?”
“Ew!” Kendall wrinkled her nose. “No, I do not.”
Halfway through their sandwiches, Meghan’s phone trilled, the sound signifying a new business email. She opened the app and gawped as she read.
Holy crap.
Kendall, who’d been watching her closely, put her sandwich down. “What is it?”
“Fawn Beauty wants to sponsor my podcast.”
“Impressive. Fawn Beauty is a big name.”
Huge.This was the miracle Meghan had been hoping for. She’d recently updated her rates for advertising on her podcast. Now Bethany at Fawn Beauty wanted a Tier 3 advertising package! Tier 3 was her most expensive tier, which was a blessing since Meghan had charged the last three months’ rent on her credit card. She was running out of time, and nearing her credit limit.
Kendall’s satisfied smile remained as she bit into her sandwich. Meghan pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
“Why aren’t you surprised?”
“I know how good your podcast is. Plus, you are engaged to Isaac Dunn, which was apt to draw some attention.”
“Kendall,”Meghan warned.
“Fine! I put feelers out. I wanted to help—”
“No! No helping!” Meghan’s shoulders sagged. She’d wanted to succeed on her own. Prove once and for all that she could handle her own problems. Her own life. “I’m not your client.”
“No, but you are my sister. I love you. And I have connections.” Kendall tapped her breastbone. “Use me.”
Meghan frowned at her lunch, her appetite gone. Fawn Beauty’s attention had come thanks to Kendall’s influence, not Meghan’s reputation.
“You practically begged me to introduce you to Max and Isaac so you could interview them and your podcast would gain more traction. What’s wrong with greasing the wheels a bit with the company owners I know?”
“What’s wrong is that the interview wasn’t about money. Not directly,” she added, because obviously having famous guests would mean bigger sponsors for her show.
“You are doing a long-running series on Brooks Knows Best. Isaac, my client, stands to gain from it, and he pays me to manage his career,” Kendall defended. “The lines are a little blurry.”
Okay, so her sister was making a teeny-weeny smidge of a point.
“All I did was suggest your podcast as a good fit for women ages twenty-one to forty-five. They did the rest.” Kendall held up her hands in don’t-shoot-the-messenger style.
“Thank you.” Meghan tried to stymie her begrudging tone but wasn’t totally successful. “Next time, ask me.”
“You would have said no.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Fine. I’ll ask next time.”
Satisfied, Meghan resumed eating. Kendall waited until Meghan’s mouth was full to add, “But you still would have said no.”