Rogue Beast (The Rourkes #12) - Kylie Gilmore Page 0,28

look with my mom. Mrs. Bianchi is our next-door neighbor.

“She’s looking out for us,” my mom says diplomatically.

“Right,” my dad says.

There was a feud. For as long as I can remember growing up, Mom and Mrs. Bianchi were stone-cold furious at each other. Family legend says it all started with a missing serving spoon at a neighborhood potluck dinner at the Bianchis’. This was before I was born, but I heard whispers. Mom returned home and realized she didn’t have her spoon, so she went next door to get it. Mrs. Bianchi claimed she’d never seen it. My mom swore that Mrs. Bianchi had seen it since she’d complimented the pattern. Anyway, Mom returned home, furious, and said Mrs. Bianchi was a thief. Things went downhill fast when the Bianchis got a dog, who constantly escaped through their broken fence to take a crap in our tiny yard. From there, it was all-out war between Mom and Mrs. Bianchi, with the two husbands running interference over one grievance or another. But that’s all over now, ever since Mrs. Bianchi’s daughter, Ariana, married my oldest brother, Dylan. Everyone is friends again. Friendly.

My dad turns to me. “It’s a strange thing to be a public figure. Your private life is not your own. You must always keep up appearances and never say a bad word against anyone. It will stick with you.”

“I didn’t say anything bad.”

He inclines his head. “I’m just sharing what I know after growing up in the spotlight. Never mistake a reporter’s friendliness for actual friendship. You must keep your thoughts and feelings close to the chest. That’s not for public consumption. What a reporter wants most is to catch you in a vulnerable moment, to hear an admission of something that they can spin a story out of.”

I nod.

His brows knit together, seeming deep in thought. “It’s hard for a public figure to know who to trust. Too many people hope to gain from the connection. Everyone wants a piece of you for what you can do for them.”

And there goes my righteous indignation. He’s speaking about himself, but I instantly see the truth of it for Harper. She’s being defensive because she has to be, especially with a guy. Men are a problem for her—stalkers, cheaters, users. It’s a wonder she’s willing to date at all. Of course, she is young and beautiful. It would be a shame for that to go to waste. Too bad she can’t enjoy it like a regular nonfamous person.

My dad continues. “As long as you plan on spending time with Harper, you need to be careful. Smile for the cameras, that’s fine. But give them nothing else. We don’t want any dirt associated with the Rourke name.”

Shit. I hadn’t even thought of that. It’s only recently that our family was welcomed back to the kingdom. It means a lot to my dad after his banishment. This press stuff is not just about me, it’s about my family.

“I’ll be careful,” I say.

He smiles. “I’m sure she has PR people that keep her on message. Let them do their thing.”

“Honey, he’s not spending time with her anymore,” my mom calls from the kitchen. “There’s a new story with Garrett saying they parted as friends. Are you okay, teddy bear?”

“I’m fine,” I say through my teeth. Not like it was a real relationship. I was a stand-in to make her look good. There’s that righteous feeling. Harper was in the wrong, not me.

My dad wags his finger. “That’s the kind of thing you shouldn’t share with the press. Now you’ve given them more grist for the mill.”

I tense. “I thought that would shut down speculation.”

He shakes his head. “Fuel on the fire. Any new piece of information keeps it alive. Just say ‘no comment’ from here on out.”

This is bad. First the story was about Harper being cheated on, then on our new relationship, and now on our breakup. Is she going to invent another fake relationship to counter our breakup? Show off some new guy her publicist vetted for her at the Rourke fundraiser next Saturday? I bet there’s plenty of guys she could choose from among the Hollywood elite. My gut churns at the thought.

“Garrett, are you listening to me?”

I focus on my dad. “Yeah, I get it. Keep my mouth shut.”

“You can say things that highlight what you really want them to report on. Like how much you support a cause, or you can talk about the good work you and