The Trustworthy Groom (Texas Titan Romance) Read online

  “Claire?”

  Hailey’s phone buzzed too. She pulled it out, grateful for an excuse to not think for a minute. “Daddy?”

  “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

  “Yeah. We’re at Disneyland.”

  “You’ll want to leave. Sam’s waiting to pick you up by the entrance.”

  Hailey tugged on Brady’s arm and pointed toward the main entrance. His jaw was clamped tight, and there was fire in his eyes. He nodded, obviously still listening to whatever his agent was telling him. Brady came around to her right side and guided her with his left hand on the small of her back. The park was still pretty quiet this time of morning.

  “What’s going on, Daddy?”

  He cursed. “I can’t pin it on him yet, but I think this is all from Fonnesbeck. My new cause in life is getting that man fired.”

  Hailey’s insides chilled. Had getting married to Brady just made the situation with William worse? Did this have anything to do with the teenager’s and the young lady’s comments?

  “The media is going nuts running stories on you and Brady. They claim an inside source has revealed that you’re expecting, I paid Brady to marry you, and the baby is not Brady’s. It’s all so ridiculous I can’t believe anyone with half a brain would believe it, but that’s the media for you. Bunch of idiots.”

  Hailey’s heart thumped quicker as panic shot through her. She glanced over at Brady. A muscle was working furiously in his jaw, but he still had his hand on her back, and his body overshadowed hers as if he could protect her from the media storm, the celebrity gossip, and all the people she imagined were staring at them.

  “The commissioner’s office has already called saying they’re looking into ‘illegal fund transfers.’ They won’t find anything. I’ve never slipped any of my players money under the table. Unless William is more resourceful than I am and can break into my bank accounts and plant dirty money.” He snorted then pushed out a long breath. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. This is a mess, and I’m getting bitter.”

  Hailey could hardly speak. Everything was backfiring on them. She tried to reassure her dad. “It’s okay. We’ll get back to the house and figure out where to go from there.”

  “It’s up to you two. You can lay low there, or I can have the jet ready for you to come home at anytime. You’re welcome to stay here, or Brady’s home has a decent level of security.”

  They exited the main gates and walked down the sidewalk until they saw the silver Escalade. Sam was waiting with a concerned look and ushered them into the backseat without saying a word.

  “We’ll get back to the house, look at the media coverage, and decide what to do.” Hailey snuck a glance at Brady. He was still on the phone, and he looked ticked. She’d hate to be the one he was mad at. Then it hit her. She might be. He wouldn’t be getting all this awful media coverage if she hadn’t claimed they were engaged and if they hadn’t rushed into this fake marriage. He wouldn’t believe she was pregnant with some other man’s child, would he? Uneasiness blanketed her. She wanted Brady to believe her.

  “Okay, sweetheart. Call me and let me know. I will help however I can, and I’ll deal with the commissioner’s office. I’ve got Garrett working on suits for defamation of character and false accusations with the major media outlets that have run the story. It’ll all go away once they realize they don’t have a story. I’ve also got Rennen Bradley and Ace’s little sister, Ariana, doing a sparring rematch. Hopefully, that will give the media something exciting to spout about.”

  “Thanks. I love you.” Her dad was a great man to have in her corner.

  “Love you too, sweetheart.”

  Hailey hung up the phone and clung to it. Brady was still on the phone, listening to whatever his agent was saying. He glanced over at her and gave her a smile that looked more like a grimace. Hailey focused outside at the streets and early morning traffic sliding by. Her stomach dropped harder than it had on Space Mountain. What lengths would William go to defame and belittle her? Did he think he could break up her marriage and be able to blackmail her into dating him? Fear lodged in her throat at the thought of William touching her. At least, she was out of his clutches now, and Brady was by her side.

  Brady ended the call and squeezed her hand. Hailey looked at him.

  “It’ll be okay,” he said. “They think they’ve got some sensational story, but there’s no truth to it. It’ll die down quick.”

  Hailey nodded, not sure what to say, but so grateful he didn’t even seem to question if the story was false. His faith in her calmed her in a way nothing else could. “I told my daddy we’d look through what they’re saying, figure things out, and call him.”

  “Okay.” He squeezed her hand again then released it and clicked Safari on his phone. Hailey did the same, googling both of their names together. She clicked on the top link, featuring a shot of her and Brady on their wedding day. Had she even told him how devastatingly handsome he looked? She’d been too afraid that he would force himself on her, but he’d been nothing but a gentleman.

  Her palms were sweating. All she wanted was for the media to leave them alone, but she had to tell him how great he was. She angled the phone and picture toward Brady. “I don’t think I ever told you, but you rocked that tux on our wedding day.”

  Brady rewarded her with a huge grin, relief written on his features. “I think I already told you, but you were the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  “Thanks.” Hailey blushed and looked down. Clicking the back arrow, she scrolled to the next story and tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach from Brady’s sweet words.

  “Titans’ owner bribes Brady Giles to marry pregnant daughter.” Hailey’s stomach twisted, and all flirtatiousness disappeared. She couldn’t imagine anyone but William wanting to make them look bad. He was such a snake. The article claimed to have an inside source that revealed Hailey had rejected the father of her baby because he had no money or fame. They explained that because Brady had recently transferred to the Titans he didn’t know how to say no to his new boss and he was forced to marry Hailey to retain his position and had received a huge bonus to seal the deal. Brady looked like a money-grubber while Hailey and her daddy looked like pathetic saps with no morals.

  They pulled up to the beach house, and Sam rolled down Hailey’s window. She punched in the code automatically and set her phone back in her lap. Anger and frustration raced through her. Their plan to marry and get William off their backs appeared to have flopped. Now, they had the whole world thinking she was a bratty slut and Brady was a loser. To top it off, the commissioner’s office was investigating the Titans’ allocation of money. Salary cap violations were huge in the NFL, and this could reflect badly not just on Brady and her dad, but also on the entire team. Hailey was certain she was going to be sick.

  Sam got Hailey’s door, and she mumbled thanks to him. Brady hurried around and told their driver, “We might need you in a little while. Is that okay?”

  “Of course, sir. You have my number.” He gave them a slight bow and walked back to the car.

  Hailey pushed in the code by the front door, and they walked into the house. Unable to even appreciate the gorgeous view, Hailey walked shakily to the nearest couch and sank into the plush cushion. What were they going to do? Them getting married had made everything worse. What a mess!

  Brady sat next to her, surprising her when he took one of her hands in both of his.

  “I’m sorry.” She forced the words out, focusing on their joined hands.

  “You’re sorry? Are you the ‘inside source?’”

  Hailey’s eyes jerked up to meet his dark gaze. “Of course not.”

  “Then you have nothing to be sorry for.” His eyes were soft, and he gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

  “If you wouldn’t have gone through with the fake marriage, you wouldn’t be in this mess.”

  Brady shook his head. “The press gets crazy information all the time. We c
an fix this.”

  Hailey loved how relaxed he was about everything, and she loved his reassurance.

  “Besides, the marriage was for me as much as for you. Just wait until we get home and you get the mail for the first time.”

  Something warm burst inside of her as he said “we get home.” He wasn’t planning on ditching her. He didn’t blame her for this disaster. To know he trusted her and not the media meant a lot to her. More than a lot, it meant the world. She’d grown up dealing with the media and their skewed version of reality, but Brady hadn’t. He was a total stud to deal with this like a champion.

  “If we hadn’t gotten married, I wouldn’t have had the best day of my life yesterday at Disneyland and the beach.”

  Hailey shook her head at him. “You’re crazy. That can’t be the best day of your life.”

  “I am a little crazy, a few too many shots to the head.” He winked. “But yes, that was definitely the best day of my life, followed closely by our wedding day.” His voice lowered. “Because then I got to see you in your wedding dress.” His voice turned even huskier. “And kiss you.”

  Hailey pulled her hand free. Her heart thumped quicker as she remembered how it had felt to kiss him. But she couldn’t go there again. Ever. “So what should we do?”

  Brady arched an eyebrow. “About kissing?”

  “No.” Her neck got hot, and she had to drag in a long breath before saying, “About this media mess.”

  He smiled, but it looked a little sad. “I don’t know that there’s a lot we can do. Your dad, Garrett, and Claire are all over it. If you’re okay with it, Claire said she’d like to setup a press conference with you and me. She will only invite select press, but it would give us a chance to tell our side of the story.”

  “Which is?” Hailey swallowed. She wasn’t ready to lie more.

  “You’re madly in love with me, we’re thrilled to be married, but sadly you aren’t having my baby … yet.” Brady winked.

  Hailey leaned back against the cushions to give herself a little more distance from him. He was good to her, and he made her smile, but she still had her boundaries. She had to keep those boundaries in place. She didn’t know if she could ever handle being intimate again, especially with someone as physically irresistible as Brady. “So we fly back to Texas, give our press conference, and then hibernate somewhere until the media dies down?”

  He nodded. “Are you okay with moving into my house? There’s plenty of room, and I’ve got a great exercise facility and a pool. We can continue workouts until we’re ready to brave going back to workouts with the team.” He pretended a shudder. “I’m a little nervous with all of the guys wanting to rip my head off.”

  Hailey couldn’t help but giggle. “Just a few of them, I’m sure. They think I’m their little sister.”

  “Yeah.” Brady drawled out the word and lifted an eyebrow. “That’s why they’re so protective of you.”

  She pushed at his very solid bicep. “They’re all very familiar with the policy of me not dating football players.”

  “It’s a crappy policy. I think you should change it.”

  Hailey shook her head, liking him teasing her but nowhere close to prepared to tell him why she could never date him. “I figured out why you married me.”

  “Because you’re hot.” He smiled as he copied the teenage boy from this morning.

  “You wanted your own athletic trainer.”

  “That’s right. I plan on being ultra fit.” His voice deepened, and he stared at her with a sultry gaze that had her blushing. “Think how fun the workouts will be.”

  Hailey jumped to her feet. “I’ll go pack. Do you mind calling Sam? I’ll let my dad know to get the jet and staff ready.”

  Brady nodded, but there was a look in his eyes that scared her—like she was a challenge he was going to win. Sadly, this was no game, and she could never be won.

  Chapter Eleven

  They flew back into Dallas, went straight to her dad’s office, and got primped and dressed up for the press release. Hailey wore a red wrap-around dress and Brady a dark blue suit with a red floral tie.

  Brady’s agent was professional, but pretty chummy with him. Hailey didn’t love the longing looks the stunning dark-haired agent kept giving him.

  Overall, Hailey thought the press conference went well. Thankfully, the reporters were hand-picked and asked all the right questions as Hailey’s hands were sweating so badly she could barely hold onto Brady’s lean fingers. Brady did great. He was confident and funny and looked fantastic on camera. She’d married well at least.

  One of the reporters teased them about the improbability of both of the Knight sisters marrying football players from their dad’s team. Brady gave Hailey a wink and an intimate look that had a few reporters tittering. He said, “Hey, don’t be jealous that I married the most beautiful woman in the world. Having my boss as my father-in-law just makes it all the more fun.”

  Everyone laughed, and the next question was about their future plans.

  “Well, first, I’m going to whip his rear into shape for the season,” Hailey said.

  The reporters loved that, chortling and flashing pictures.

  “Then we’ll focus on winning a championship.” She continued.

  Brady pressed a tender kiss to her forehead that had tremors running through her body. “See? I’m the luckiest guy I know,” he said. “My wife loves football, and she’s not only gorgeous, she’s got impressive training skills. I don’t know that any trainer has been able to whip my rear into shape.”

  Everyone laughed again.

  When they finally exited the Titan’s building after the press conference and meeting with her dad and Garrett on lawsuit issues from the media scandal, Hailey was exhausted. She hadn’t slept last night after having the nightmare, but that was more a result of how amazing it had felt to be held by Brady than the familiar nightmare itself.

  “Where to, sir?” their driver asked.

  “Home, please.” Brady rattled off his address and then turned to Hailey. “Your dad said Izzy and your mama packed up your clothes and personal items from your condo and put them away in one of my extra bedrooms. I hope that’s okay.”

  She nodded. “That’s great. Thank you.”

  Brady wrapped his hand around hers like they were newlyweds, and he couldn’t stand to not touch her. “You did amazing at the press conference, and I love this dress on you.” His eyes swept over her like a caress.

  Hailey swallowed, unable to respond to the compliment. “You’re the natural. They loved you.”

  “What’s not to love?” He lifted one shoulder and she had to admit to herself that she absolutely loved him in a suit.

  Hailey smiled. She was inclined to agree with him. If only she could let herself love him. She shook her head and turned to stare out the window. It was good to be back to the sultry, overwhelming heat of Texas. No ocean breezes or fun amusement parks. She loved her home state, but reality wasn’t going to be fun. Maybe they should’ve just hidden out in California for a week or a month.

  The driver took them into an exclusive gated community, The Reserves. Hailey had been trying to ignore Brady the entire drive, simply because she didn’t know how to sort out her annoying attraction to him. It wasn’t just his physical beauty. It was also his laidback, fun personality and how great he’d been about this entire predicament that drew her in. He’d never once questioned if any of the ugly allegations were true, and she sort of loved him for it.

  Now, seeing that he lived in The Reserves made her irrationally happy. “Did you know my sister and X live in this subdivision?”

  Brady grinned and nodded. “When I got transferred to the Titans, I asked one of the guys at practice where a good area to buy a house was. He said all the big-time stars lived in The Reserves—X, Kade, and Anthony Kincaid. I didn’t think much of it, but when my realtor showed me a house for sale here that I loved, I kind of thought it must be fate. Even better now, since you’re
going to whip my rear into shape, I’ll finally be a big-time star.”

  “Stop.” She pushed at his arm, but quickly removed her hands when the familiar warmth rushed through her. Man, she adored those striated biceps that she could feel even through his suitcoat. “You’re already a big-time star.”

  Knowing X and Izzy would be her neighbors, even though the driver was already half a mile past their house, made Hailey feel more at home. Her sister could come visit anytime, and they wouldn’t have to leave the gated community and deal with the press or any stalkers or anything. Hailey could also escape if Brady changed his mode of operation and tried to push her into intimacy. She bit at her cheek. Would she ever be able to trust him? Living in his house was a huge step above staying in her parent’s vacation home. Brady might get more comfortable than she wanted, and it was a small reassurance that Izzy and X were close by if that happened.

  They pulled into a half-moon shaped circle drive, and Hailey got her first glimpse of Brady’s home. It was a three-story Colonial-style mansion. She loved the pillars and wide porch and the thick, tan HardiePlank exterior with black shutters on all the windows. “It’s gorgeous,” she said.

  “Thanks.”

  The driver got their suitcases, and Brady gave her a tour of the formal front rooms and the huge open great room overlooking the wide expanse of grass and the Olympic-size pool. She was most excited about the large exercise room on the second floor next to her bedroom and the other guest rooms. Brady’s suites made up the entire third floor, and it was really cool with windows front and back and great views of all the trees and houses around them. Hailey’s suite was directly below his. She wished it was farther away so he wouldn’t hear her if she screamed out in the night again. She didn’t know if she screamed every time she had the nightmare or not. She’d lived alone for so long, and when she stayed at her parent’s house, she was far enough away from their rooms that they’d never mentioned anything. She’d thought the nightmares had stopped, but when William tried to force her to go farther than she wanted, and then started threatening and trying to coerce her into sleeping with him, the dreams started all over again. If only she would’ve stood up to William at the start, but she couldn’t have done that to her players or her father.