Page 206 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

“Agreed,” Thatcher added.

All eyes went to Rem, who scoffed. “You’re talking to a man of the law. I’m more practiced in this department than any of you.”

“She’s totally going to be there,” Thatcher said, that contagious smile on his face.

Nash would be lying if he said he didn’t like Thatcher’s confidence. He wanted Ellie to be there more than anything. He also liked the stipulation; it was an added incentive for him tokeep his word, which was already proving to be harder than he thought it would.

"If Ellie happens to be there,” Nash said, “Thatcher’s going to make out quite nicely."

“Yeah," Thatcher said, a wry grin pulling at one side of his mouth. "But if that’s the case,youmight be making out nicely, too."

Oohs and aahs sounded around the table, fanning Nash’s hope to a dangerous degree. Hope in something that would probably never be.

“So, do we have a deal?” Thatcher prodded.

Nash looked at Rem, who was confident Ellie wasn't there, then at Thatcher, who seemed positive that she was. His gaze veered to where Wes sat, contemplation on his face. He looked as conflicted as Nash felt.

But really, there wasn't much to consider.

He picked up his mug and gave the boys a subtle nod. “Sure,” he said. “Why not? We’ve got a deal.”

CHAPTER 4

Ellie scrolled down the long list of Hollywood attorneys who specialized in parent-child legalities. She recognized a few of them, like the guy behind Cora Brinker’s emancipation case and the woman who helped Devin Marquis gain emancipation when he was just sixteen.

Since Geneva showed up at Wild Buck’s Ranch, bless her, she’d given Ellie forbidden access to the internet, and Ellie had gotten more acquainted with the legalities surrounding contracts, money allocation, plus the outcome of several parental/child disputes. Sure, Ellie was an adult now, but if she wanted to get out of her current contract, she might have to prove fault with the prior agreements her father had signed on her behalf.

"You know what?" hollered Geneva from the patio hot tub.

Ellie glanced over her shoulder, where the sliding door was cracked open. "Yes?"

"I think I'd like to move out here."

Ellie couldn't bite back the laugh that sprang up her throat. "Yeah, right. You wouldn’t last a day in a place like this."

"You forget, dear, I've already lasted an entire week. I thought I was made for eternal summers, but it turns out I might actually enjoy all four seasons.”

True, Genevahadbeen there a week, but she’d spent that week knowing she could go back to the city anytime she wanted. If that woman sold her penthouse and moved to Montana, she’d go stir-crazy before the first day was through.

“You’re missing out,” Geneva continued. “The leaves are changing colors out here; it’s spectacular.”

"I've looked out the window,” Ellie said.

"Why don't you step away from that laptop and try to enjoy yourself? You're viewing this getaway all wrong. It's not a work trip. It's supposed to be a relaxing retreat. A luxurious getaway from your day-to-day. I thought you wanted that."

Ellie shook her head. “According to the court order, it’ssupposedto be a time of reflection, repentance, and recommitment to being my best self.”

“Yes,” Geneva agreed, “and in case you get out in time to play the role of Melody, you should be getting reacquainted with the script. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve forgotten most of it by now.”

Ellie groaned.

“Hey,” Geneva said, “why do you think I came out here? I said I’d make this more like a luxurious getaway, and you’re turning it into some prison sentence, staying inside all day, scrolling obsessively on that laptop. I could get into trouble for giving you so much internet time, you know. You’re supposed to unplug.”

“Umm, hmm,” Ellie said, closing out the court case tabs and typing her name into the search bar. Photos of her arrest popped onto the screen. She hurried and closed that tab, too, but it didn’t stop the burning that spread through her like fire in a windstorm.

She shut the laptop and slipped off the barstool. Ellie didn’t care about what critics thought of her, but shedidcare what her fans thought. And she especially cared about the way young, impressionable children viewed her. She’d tried to be a better example than that in her life, but she’d failed big time. She’d gotten swallowed into the world of distraction with her friends, and for a while there, it felt nice.

Still, she could admit that it wasn’t the proper way to cope. Heck, she’d done enough movies to memorize the morals behind them. Everyone had their breaking point, and Ellie had hit hers long ago. She was lucky her rock bottom hadn’t sunk any lower than it had.