Free Famously Engaged by Robyn Thomas Page A

but I’m not sure what prompted it.”
    Brad gave a snort of contempt. “I hate to tell you this, buddy, but you’ll die waiting for Beth to turn into a starstruck groupie.
    Her opinion of long-haired musicians is right up there with dirty politicians and used-car salesmen. It’s a wonder she recognized you.”
    “She didn’t.”
    Brad had turned away and taken several steps, but he stopped short and took forever to do an about-face. “Say again?”
    “She didn’t recognize me. I had to introduce myself.” Brad’s silence was an invitation to elaborate, but spilling his innermost thoughts was difficult. “Being famous is a curse as often as it’s a blessing because it never shuts off. Beth sees past it and I find that—”
    “Irresistible?”
    “Completely.”
    The curse Brad uttered was potent, but it summed up the situation in a few words. “A freaking rock star,” he said after a long pause. “She has the worst taste in men.”
    The eruption of acid in Jake’s stomach wouldn’t allow him to keep quiet. “She certainly didn’t marry well.”
    “What?”
    The air in the room became oppressive. He caught sight of a sign saying back off and went the other way. “If she was my wife, I would never have let her go.”
    Brad approached him and stood too close for comfort. “She’ll never be your wife so it won’t be an issue. I’ve never met a woman with a longer wish list when it comes to finding a husband, and you don’t tick any of the important boxes.” A massive frown drew his brows down, all six-foot-four of him tensing as if he’d had a horrible epiphany. “The engagement story is fake, so why are you here? Where are your PR people?” He looked around. “How are you planning to handle it, because a denial isn’t going to cut it if you’re living in Beth’s house.”
    “We’ll have to allow the press to speculate for a day or two, until my team arrive to take control of the story.” Jake palmed his face as frustration and lack of sleep met head-on. “Being embroiled in this isn’t the worst thing for Beth. She can use the distraction.”
    “A puppy or a kitten would distract her. Without any risk.”
    Heading for the kitchen was the only thing that made any sense. “I can’t have this discussion on an empty stomach. Beth vouched for you, and it sounds as if Skyla vouched for me.
    Maybe we should accept their judgments for now and pool our resources?”
    Brad followed him into the hall. “You sent Skyla on a business trip a week before her wedding, so she’s not your biggest fan at the moment.”
    The news hit like a knockout punch. Skyla and Beth were both worse off because he’d interfered in their lives. The mess he’d created with this marriage lottery was going to be hell to fix, and he’d cut the two women off from each other before he’d understood how their support system worked.
    Brad bumped into him, shoved his shoulder, and stepped past him. “I don’t trust you, but Beth must see something I don’t.” He scowled. “Skyla too. So I’ll tell you what I have in mind. I can smuggle Beth out of here in the van. That’s what I came to do, but I didn’t count on you being here.”
    Beth’s laughter lightened the moment. “You don’t think a
    kazillion reporters would notice if you put a bag over my head,
    bundled me into the back of a van, and sped off?”
    She was laughing. For Brad. Resisting the urge to haul her
    into his arms for a bone-crushing hug, Jake chuckled at the picture she’d painted. “The bag might not be the best solution, but you should take your chance to leave. Get as far away as you can.”
    She glared at him, the deep red of her seventies-style dress making her freshly scrubbed skin glow with vitality. “Please don’t offer money or a vacation on a private island. It’s quite insulting that you expect me to jump at it.” She turned to Brad. “Don’t ask. We’ll discuss it some other time.”
    “Tell me