Page 204 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

Nash glanced up from the document to catch a stern expression on the man’s weathered face. “If you take nothing else from the paperwork, remember one important thing." His eyes went dark, the lines above his brow growing more severe. "Donottalk about the people you encounter here at this ranch. Their business is none ofyourbusiness, but it sure as heck-fire ain't anybody else's business outside of this ranch. You hear?"

For the third time that day, Nash felt caught. He wondered if Fern, the woman in boots, and the man before him now had seen right past his pretenses and into that fan-crushing soul of his.

Nash gulped and cleared his throat. "Absolutely.” He nodded some more. “I understand." With that, he quickly skimmed over the contract, then signed on the dotted line.

"Very good. The bottom copy is yours to keep. I suggest you read over that on occasion so you don't step out of line during your time here."

Another gulp. "Will do."

"Okay then," Tucker said, extending his arm for a handshake that—for a man like Tucker—probably meant more than the paper contract.

"Well then, son, welcome to Wild Buck Ranch." The firmness in his grip said he planned to hold Nash to his word.

Nash's discomfort quickly gave way to that ever-present thrill. He’d just signed an NDA, and he was pretty sure why. Soon, he’d be horseback riding with a woman he’d dreamed about since he was old enough to dream about girls.

He sucked in a satisfied breath and covered a grin.

Looks like things are going to go my way.

CHAPTER 3

"Things arenotgoing my way," Nash admitted shamefully.

Twenty hours down, and he hadn’t seen or heard even a word about Ellie Blaire at the center. Each night that week he’d dreamed of coming face-to-face with her. Every morning, he’d met with disappointment instead.

He looked at the men seated around the table, his bonus brothers, Rem, Wes, and Thatcher.

Rem, the oldest of the bunch, nodded like the news came as no surprise. Of course, as the town’s deputy, he was always skeptical.

Wes, who was also quite the skeptic, wore a similar expression.

Only Thatcher looked disappointed. “That sucks, man. I was hoping you’d tell us otherwise.”

“I couldn’t have actually told you guys if shewasthere since I signed that NDA, but I think I’m free to tell you that I basically signed it for no reason.”

"Can’t say I’m surprised," Rem said, moving a toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other.

"Did you really think it would bethateasy to rub shoulders with a star like Ellie Blair?" Wes asked.

Nash narrowed his eyes at him. “You know, I thought marriage and fatherhood would lighten you up. When are you going to learn to dream a bit?”

Wes grinned. “Rosie dreams enough for the both of us at the moment,” he said of his recently adopted stepdaughter. “Currently, she’s dreaming the doctors will be wrong and that Taja will magically have a baby girl instead of a boy.”

Nash couldn’t help but chuckle. Rosie had sure livened things up in the Copeland family since she and her mom, Taja, came along. “That’s cute,” he said.

Thatcher set his elbows on the table and leaned low toward the center. "You want to know what I think?" He looked around the bar like the Secret Service wanted to know what he thought, too. "I think she's there, and they're just not telling you. They want to see if they can trust you first.”

"Yeah, well, I was there for the whole week. If they can't trust me now, I don't know what else I can do." He spun his mug in a circle, watching the condensation drip toward the base.

"At least you’ve been doing something worthwhile,” Wes said, “working with the foundation your Ma liked so much."

Yes, he had worked with Riding Free twice that week, and despite the fact that he hadn’t bumped into Ellie, the work had been nostalgic and rewarding. On the alternating days, Nash had led a group of troubled teens through a backwoods trail on horseback.

"Yeah, have you told Wyatt about that?" Thatcher asked.

Nash blanched at the hopeful expression on Thatcher's face. Thatcher never encouraged Nash to get closer to Wyatt, who was Nash’s only blood brother. Mainly because the guy acted like a jerk most of the time, but ever since Thatcher got married, Thatcher’s guilt had him looking for his replacement. Too badWyatt was in Texas with the final Copeland brother, Wade, where the two were training to be Navy SEALs.

Nash forced his mind back to Thatcher's question. "Nope. I haven't spoken to Wyatt in weeks."