Hailey didn’t get much rest after Brady left, and she was groggy and irritable the next morning when her alarm went off at five thirty. She showered quickly since she’d already showered and washed her hair the night before after being in the ocean, pool, and hot tub. Brady was already waiting for her in the kitchen when she arrived. The caterers showed up with breakfast, and he ate without saying much while she picked at a few bites of eggs and toast, not daring to eat much.

Yesterday had been so much fun. Today was looking like a big fat bummer, and she had no one to blame but herself for pushing Brady away last night. She’d never had someone comfort her after a nightmare, and she didn’t think she’d reacted well at all. It was so sweet of him to want to comfort her, to sing to her like he had. She loved the way his deep voice tenderly sang lullabies, but when his lips had touched her cheek, longings she’d only felt for him had surged through her. She had to be much more careful around him, or she’d end up falling for her husband, and that couldn’t happen. Not with a strong football player.

They got to Disneyland half an hour later and hurried to the major rides that would have big lines later in the day. Neither of them said anything, but they turned together toward Tomorrowland and then walked to Space Mountain.

“Is this one of your favorite rides?” Brady asked.

Hailey looked at him as they walked along the ramps to the loading area. “I just wanted to hear you scream like a little girl again.”

“Hey!” He lifted his hands up. “This ride is terrifying. How do you know you aren’t going to crash into something?”

“Even if we were, I wouldn’t be screeching aah, at the top of my lungs.” She winked at him.

He chuckled, and the tension between them eased a little bit. “You can’t prove anything.”

She pulled out her phone. “I’m recording today, so you’d better clamp that mouth shut.”

“I’ll try, but if a scream eeks out you could post it on Instagram and make millions. My teammates will never respect me again.” He winked.

Hailey loved that they were teasing each other again.

They came upon a short line. There was a family with two older children and a group of teenage boys waiting in line behind the family. The teenagers glanced at them then did a double-take. They started poking each other and talking in undertones.

Brady smiled at the young men, clearly used to the attention.

The family loaded into the spaceship, and Hailey wished the teenagers would be gone too. Yesterday, she and Brady had gotten plenty of attention, but these boys were looking at them like they’d done something wrong. Their stares were starting to make her uncomfortable.

“Is it true, man?” One of them directed the question to Brady.

“What’s that?” Brady asked, confident and smiling.

The young men’s cart came, and they loaded up, but the kid yelled back at Brady and Hailey. “Can’t believe you got paid to marry her. She’s hot!”

Their cart whooshed away, and Hailey blinked up at Brady. “What did he say?”

Brady chuckled, but it was uneasy. “He said you’re hot. Smart kid.”

Their spaceship came, and they climbed in. Hailey tried to concentrate on the ride as the cart started climbing the first hill, but her brain puzzled over what the kid had said. Brady paid to marry her? Where would he have heard that? Maybe some sleazy media had claimed that because it was such a quick marriage and her dad was Brady’s new boss. She tried to shake it off. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, but she couldn’t get to it.

They made it to the top of the slope and screamed down the other side. Hailey whooped and pushed the odd comments and stares aside.

As they exited the ride a couple minutes later, she stuttered a step. Brady was quick to wrap his broad arm around her waist. “Dizzy?” he asked.

“Yeah, but also kind of confused by what that kid said.”

His lips tightened. “Don’t let it bug you. People say all kinds of weird things.”

She nodded. She knew this, but something felt off. They walked out of the ride and toward Star Tours, and a young couple approached them. “Can I get an autograph?” the twenty-something man asked.

“Sure.” Brady released his hold on Hailey and signed the guy’s admission slip to the park.

The girl looked at Hailey with something like derision in her eyes. “When’s your baby due?” she asked.

“Excuse me?” Hailey fell back a step. She looked down at her abdomen and then back up at the girl. What was she talking about? What rumor had been started now?

Brady was quick to pull Hailey against his side. “We’re not expecting,” he said shortly.

“Hmm.” The girl eyed him like he was Godiva chocolate. “The articles I read this morning said she is.”

The couple walked away, but Hailey couldn’t move. Brady’s phone buzzed, and she felt it against her hip. He took it out with his left hand while still holding onto her with his right. “Do you care if I answer this? It’s my agent.”

“Sure.”

They walked toward the wall and pressed into the alcove for the Buzz Lightyear ride.

“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 can 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.