Page 262 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

“Me too,” Geneva agreed. “But I didn’t think he’d get dragged into somethingthisdangerous.”

“What about Nash?” Ellie asked. “Did they leak his name or anything to the tabloids?”

Geneva puffed her chest. “You’ll be very interested to hear that the tabloids got their hands on a lead from a reliable source about the mystery boyfriend of Ellie Blaire. A wannabe country singer named Danny from Tennessee, where it’s said the happy couple plans to reside after production is through.”

Now it was Ellie’s turn to throw her arms around Geneva, as cramped as they were in the front seat.

Nash and his brothers had remained in quiet conversation, but at this, Nash spoke up to gain Ellie’s attention. “Idohappen to think I have a future as a country singer,” he said.

Ellie only shook her head. “Oh, you could have a future doing just about anything, but singing…” she said, recalling his horrible performance of the boy band song in his truck, “is not one of them.”

“Sounds like you know Nash better than I thought,” Wyatt said with a laugh.

“Once Pops thought we had to put one of the farm cats down,” Wade added. “Thought the thing was wailing out in pain. Turned out Nash had just gotten ahold of a microphone.”

Saying goodbye to Wyatt and Wade wasn’t easy, but it was good to know they’d be headed for home soon.

Since Bronson had already collected their bags, the next stop was a private airport where a jet waited to take them back to Montana.

Of course, they’d stopped to remove the tracking tags from her luggage. Now, if anyone traced them, they’d be led to a city dumpster. Or the landfill once it got dumped.

There were still unanswered questions, of course, but among the dozens that swam through Ellie's mind, the biggest quandary still remained: Just where was her father? And how long would it be before she heard from him?

Was he really okay, like Wolf suggested?

Ellie thought back on the moment they’d been rescued from the trainyard. Once she and Nash were safely escorted from the scene, she’d broken down, overcome to the point of tears, as she processed everything that had taken place.

Nash had held her in his arms, wiping tears of his own as he assured her that the worst of it was behind them. Still, amidst the flood of relief, they’d been desperate for news about Wyatt, Wade, and Ellie’s dad. Now they were down to one, and Ellie felt herself hovering between a space of peace and unrest. Of satisfaction and desperation.

It wasn't until they were entering that private jet that Ellie booted up her cell phone. She’d signed a release form allowing the station’s cyber team to pull her data and see if any of it might lead them to her father or the anonymous caller.

A man like Wolf would have used a burner phone, so there was no chance of them locating him with the call data, and Ellie found she was glad about that. It was thanks to him that Ellie and Nash escaped such an unthinkable fate.

But now, as they awaited takeoff, Ellie prepared herself for the messages she was about to scroll through. The device glowed to life and then buzzed, indicating the receipt of new data.

“Okay,” she said with a nod to her phone. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”

Nash remained quiet as she tapped her way to her texts, but he leaned in and brushed his arm against hers in a warm, reassuring gesture. She was not alone.

A portion of her nerves subsided, and, despite the jitters that remained, a trace of joy encircled her heart because, wow, she was so lucky to have a man like Nash by her side.

Ellie tapped on the texting app and saw she’d missed over twenty texts from Geneva. The woman really was like a mom to her. So much that she’d known what Ellie was going to say before she’d said it.

“You’re giving the role to Karla McKinney,”she’d said as they said their goodbyes.

“I am.”

Geneva had nodded, wiped tears, and said,“Well, I may not be managing your career anymore, but I’m still going to be your second mom.”

Ellie had grinned at that. “I hope so.”

Other missed texts were from the director after the explosion on set. Plans of how they intended to proceed. Geneva said she’d take care of things on that end, but Ellie would personally follow up with the director to express her apologies for passing on this one after all. But in her heart, Ellie knew Karla McKinney was sure to be a star and that this role would only be the beginning.

Ellie kept scrolling, looking for the last exchange she’d had with her dad. Once she found it, she winced. Nothing. Not since the day they left for the ranch

Dad: We’re here. Bronson is headed up to help with your luggage.

Of course, her recent message after the blast was there, but that remained unanswered even still.