Dillon leaned back in his chair. “Who is she?”
“Ashley Townsend.” Josh’s grin widened at his brother’s blank expression.
Ella gasped. “The Labor MP? The one who gets a hard time from the press? They nicknamed her Legs.”
“That’s the one.”
“She keeps her private life to herself.” Ella sipped her wine. “How will you play the fake- fiancé angle? Won’t everyone notice a fiancé popping out of the woodwork and ask nosey questions?”
“Frog has come up with a workable plan. He emailed me more details before I left home to come here. According to his story, I met Ashley through him, and because my job was sensitive, we kept our connection quiet. Now that I’ve retired from the army, we’re able to make our engagement public. Frog briefed his parents and older sister. They’ll confirm the story.”
“Won’t she get blowback for lying once the cops catch the stalker?” Dillon asked.
“I asked Frog the same thing.” Josh rubbed the back of his neck. Although he understood, he didn’t enjoy lying. “He thinks they can spin the situation to garner public sympathy, and meantime, the engagement will bring publicity for the Labor party. Hopefully, he’s right.”
Dillon’s brows rose, curiosity glinting in his eyes as he considered the situation. “What does a fake-fiancé do?”
Josh shrugged. “According to Frog, I attend political functions with his sister and stand at her side while watching for threats and keeping her safe. In my spare time, I try to work out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Old boyfriends. Upset constituents. Political rivals. That sort of thing.”
“You’ll need clothes,” Ella said. “You can’t wear your scruffy jeans and a leather jacket while standing next to Ashley Townsend. She’s a babe.”
Josh scowled and smoothed his hand over his unruly beard.
“That will have to go. I trimmed Dillon’s beard. I could—”
“No,” Dillon said, straightening. “He can find his own girl to trim his beard.”
Josh grinned and winked at Ella. “I’ll have a fiancé to look after me.”
Ella frowned at Dillon before turning back to Josh. “You will not play with her emotions and stop her from doing her job. This isn’t a game, Josh. Fooling around might have consequences for Ashley and wreck her career.”
Josh glowered at the accusation in his sister-in-law’s words. Yes, he flirted with women. Yes, people might accuse him of hurting women, but never on purpose. He was always upfront regarding his expectations. No long-term commitment. Nothing more than friendship. Enjoy each other and move on with no hard feelings. His job as a soldier had made his stance on romance easier since he’d never been in one place for long. Now, it was different. He still didn’t want to marry. He still wanted to have fun, but he required a new excuse.
“She’s a public figure.” Dillon paused with his glass mid-air. His brows drew together. “Why isn’t she receiving DPS aid?”
“What’s a DPS?” Ella asked.
“Diplomatic Protection Service. The Prime Minister and the Governor-General get a DPS, both in New Zealand and when they’re abroad. The ministers of the crown, members of parliament, the judiciary and the leader of the opposition only receive protection if the police think the risk warrants a DPS,” Dillon explained.
“Huh.” Ella sipped her wine. “I learn lots of new things these days.”
Dillon picked up Ella’s free hand and wove their fingers together. “You know what they say about curiosity.”
“I’ve heard mention of major trouble and maybe cats.” Ella grinned.
Dillon winked at her. “Exactly. Trouble. So, what’s Frog’s plan?”
Josh started with the easiest question first. “Frog indicated the cops considered the threat minimal. They’ve decided it’s a crank. Frog told me the stalker has frightened Ashley, and she’s not one who scares easily. He mentioned a milkshake assault?”
“Oh yeah!” Ella chortled with delight. “I remember that. A guy came at her with a milkshake, intending to tip it over the sexy red suit she was wearing. Ashley must’ve seen him coming. Witnesses swore she tripped, but the suit guy with the drink ended up with his milkshake over his clothes and face. The papers were full of it for an entire week. The cartoons were hysterical. That’s when they started with theLegsnickname.” She did air quotes to emphasize.
“I don’t get why you can’t just be security,” Dillon said.
“Because Ashley travels often, and as her fiancé, I’ll have full access to events while a security guard might raise questions. Ashley doesn’t want this to derail her campaign. Frog came up with this plan. Said he trusts me with her safety while he didn’t know dick about the men his parents wanted to hire.” Josh paused to drink. “Frog wants me to stay with her until the election ends. I act as bodyguard, fiancé, and a second set of eyes to catch this guy.”
“Could be a woman,” Ella piped up.
“Yes, but Frog is leaning toward a man,” Josh said.
