Million-Dollar Consequences

Her prayers that Max and Kendall would be mid-nookie by the time she arrived at their house had gone unanswered.

Isaac had followed Meghan so that she could drop off Kendall’s car and then return to his apartment with him. Their plan had been solid, but it hadn’t worked out. Rather than slip in and pack a suitcase, and then slip out undetected, she was packing said suitcase with Kendall standing sentinel.

“Mom’s shipping me clothes. Can you bring them to Isaac’s place when they arrive?” It was a desperate attempt to deflect from the obvious topic, but worth a shot.

“It’s not a good idea, Meg,” her sister said for the third time.

“We’re engaged, Ken.” She wiggled her bejeweled ring finger for effect. “And before you warn me, I know this is for funsies, not real life. This has to look legit. How long do you think it’ll be before Mom calls?”

Lying to her parents about the relationship-turned-engagement was another part Meghan wasn’t looking forward to. At least she could do it over the phone instead of in person.

“You’d better call her before she calls you.” Kendall leaned one slender hip against the bureau. She’d moved here from California, but still dressed the part. High-end fashion from head to toe, she wore brand-name blue jeans and a slouchy sweater. Her hair was twisted into a glamorous but meant to look sloppy topknot. She shook her head, sending wide gold hoop earrings waggling. “Why wasn’t dating him enough?”

Meghan supposed she could blame Isaac for springing an engagement on her, but she’d had enough of Kendall treating her like a daughter instead of a sister.

“Isaac and I are engaged, and we are moving in together. End of the story.” Despite the clipped statement, Meghan delivered the news gently, not wanting to hurt her older sister’s feelings. Isaac had said she’d miss it if Kendall didn’t hover, and since Quinton wasn’t around to hover, Meghan knew that was true. “It’d be nice if you were supportive instead of judgmental. I am an adult.”

Kendall’s lips pursed and Meghan could guess what was going through her sister’s head. An adult who rarely plans ahead, barely has enough money to rent a house and is lost in a fantasy with an actor she’s been in love with since she was a tween.

“Okay,” Kendall said instead of any of that.

“Okay?”

Kendall came out of her lean and stuffed her hands in her pockets. She shrugged one shoulder. “I’ll stop lecturing you. But you have to promise to let me know if you need me. I’ve been through this once—pretending to be in a relationship that wasn’t real. With the same man you’re pretending with, I might add.”

“Yes, but you were also afraid you’d lost Max. I don’t have the love of my life on the line. Well, only a fake one.”

There would be no happily-ever-after ending for Meghan and Isaac, not that she wouldn’t be “happy” when this was over. She would appreciate the time they’d spent together. Plus, she’d be too busy with her wildly successful podcast to foster a long-distance relationship if they did have second thoughts about breaking up.

She had big plans after leaving Dunn. She was going to be flush with sponsorships and famous guests and ad money. She’d probably have to hire a staff to help her edit or handle her online marketing. And, oh! Don’t forget advertising. Yes, she’d have her hands full once this fake-fiancée business had concluded.

She snapped out of her musings to notice she was halfway between the dresser and bed, her hands full of underwear.

“I need to invest in sexier undergarments.” She shook a handful of Hanes cotton. “These are boring.”

“So, you are planning on sleeping with him.”

“Yes. Again.”

“Again?”

“Again.”She waggled her eyebrows.

“Well...” Kendall tipped her head to one side, her mouth shifting into a conspiratorial tilt. “He is cute.”

“No.” Meghan stuffed the rest of her clothes into her suitcase. “Kittens are cute. Isaac is hot.”

How long did it take to pack a bag?

Isaac glanced at the top of the stairs, but there wasn’t a sign of Meghan yet. When they’d walked through the front door, she had announced she wasn’t going to be staying here any longer before saying hello. Kendall’s mouth had flattened, her accusing glare on Isaac, before following Meghan upstairs. Protective-older-sister mode was dialed up to ten.

Max and Isaac had cracked open a couple of beers and settled in at the kitchen table, where they still sat. Max’s beer was empty, Isaac’s warming in front of him with only one sip missing. Max hadn’t spoken in a long while. Finally, he did, and said not a single word Isaac had been expecting.

“You can trust her. Meghan.”

“I know.”

Blue eyes matching his own swept to him. “Can she trust you?”

Max, the consummate older brother, was back to bossing Isaac around like he didn’t have two brain cells to rub together. They were the same damn age, separated by mere seconds. Frustrated, Isaac opted for sarcasm.

“Nope. She can’t trust me. I’m going to break up with her publicly, ruining her hard-won reputation and mine and then lurk around my evil castle on the hilltop where I’ll live out my remaining days in dark solitude.”

“Don’t be a smart-ass.”

“Don’t treat me like I can’t function without you.” Isaac reclaimed his beer, catching Max’s expression. A dab of hurt seeped in before vanishing altogether. “Meghan can function on her own, too.”

When they were kids, Isaac had felt like he hadn’t been able to function without Max. Conversely, Max had had no problem functioning without Isaac. It hurt, to need Max more than Max needed him. For a long while, Max hadn’t needed anyone. For the first time, Isaac was independent from his brother but not miserable about it. He could thank Meghan for that. Being intertwined with her was helping him not to feel so alone.

“Our world of make-believe is new to her. She is a massive fan of the show. Of us. She made a career out of talking about Brooks Knows Best. Now you’re sliding a ring on her finger and proposing. She’s moving in with you. How sure are you that she understands what’s real and what’s not? You’re an actor. You know how to separate fact from fiction.”

Isaac hadn’t thought of it in that exact way, but he and Meghan had talked a lot about fact and fiction. She was excited about this. Sure, the engagement had been a surprise, but she’d rolled with it. “Meghan can handle a little pretending.”

“You sleep with her yet?”

“None of your business.”

“A physical relationship is a fact, brother,” Max’s do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do speech continued. “If she is comfortable in your bed and kissing you in public and telling the press how over the moon you are for each other, how can you be sure she doesn’t have the wrong idea?”

“Believe it or not, Max, this is well-traveled territory. She and I have the same goals. To boost our careers and enjoy the time we spend together. We have a plan. We don’t need your input. As I recall, you never asked for mine when Kendall ended up snowed in here with you, or when you impersonated me in that watch commercial.”

Max’s mouth flattened. His expression didn’t quite reach abashed, but he didn’t say any more on the topic, either. His was the ultimate pot-calling-the-kettle-black situation. Kendall and Max had stirred up plenty of trouble and had involved Isaac when he’d been minding his own business on his private island.

“Ready!” Meghan called, jogging down the stairs with packed bags.

Finally.He wondered if she was as ready to escape Kendall’s scrutiny as he was Max’s.