Page 264 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

"How about you two go stay at the lake house for a while, have a bit of R&R after all that you have been through."

"I think that's a great idea,” Jackie said, “so long as you mind your manners, Nash."

Nash grinned. "I'll mind my manners." He shot Ellie a wink. “At least ninety-five percent of them."

Ellie looked elated. "That's so generous of you guys, thank you! I’ve been looking forward to seeing the place. Nash showed me from the other side of Feather Lake. It looks beautiful.”

"Oh, it's glorious, dear. You'll just love it," Jackie assured her.

"Well, if you know Jackie,” Uncle Lloyd said, “you know she has big plans to celebrate y’all with a homecoming, but she's agreed to rein in her excitement and let you two have some time to recoup."

"Oh, don't let him fool you,” Jackie said. “I’mthe one who toldhimyou two would need some time. But as soon as you're ready, we've got an exciting new project to start."

Nash wasn’t surprised. He wondered what it would be this time. A family as large as his had no shortage of big ideas.

Ellie grinned as she nuzzled into Nash's side. "What is it?"

"We've decided to do a spook alley corn maze with the Emersons this year. The Bagleys are donating their cornfield, and whoever would like to join us, no pressure, mind you, will be donating their time and resources to create activities, adventure, and a little spooky fun, too. It'll be for the whole town, free of charge; however, we will be accepting donations for Convoy of Hope.”

"Well, that sounds like an absolute honor,” Ellie said. "I'd love to be part of that." The emotion in her voice put warmth in Nash’s heart.

“Then stay tuned for details. And don’t worry about stopping to get food if you don’t feel like it. There are plenty of fillets, steaks, and frozen meals to choose from. Oh, and Nash?” she added.

“Yeah?”

“Thatcher and Cash drove your truck out there for you,” Jackie said.

Nash was touched by the thoughtful gesture. “Good thinking. I’ll have to thank them.”

“Oh,” Lloyd added. “Thatcher said you owe him money. Something about a bet. Do you know anything about that?”

Nash glanced over at Ellie. Good thing he’d already told her about his reason for volunteering at Wild Buck’s. A smile pulled at his lips before he answered. “I might.”

“This might be the most peaceful place on this side of heaven," Ellie said as she shuffled out of the patio door, holding a bundle of pillows pinned against her chest with her arms.

The lake looked magical tonight, its dark purple surface seeming to capture the sky and all its starlit glory. When they’dfirst arrived, Ellie had been able to take in the splendor of autumn colors in its surrounding trees. Most striking were the shocks of red among the array of copper, gold, and chestnut brown. The colors, Nash told her, may have been what gave the lake its name.‘See how that red reflection sort of shapes the outskirts of the lake? It gives it that feather-like appearance.’It had, and it was glorious.

The temperature was just chilly enough for sweats, and the pair Nash’s family had left for her fit just right. Turns out they’d delivered more than just Nash’s truck. In fact, Nash and Ellie might not have been met by a welcome committee, as Lloyd had implied, but they’d been welcomed back all the same.

A large, colorful poster hung just inside the entryway of the cabin. The wordswelcome home, Ellie and Nash,were painted in purple lettering. His family had used that banner as a card of sorts, each signing it with a message of encouragement and gratitude for their safe return.

The sentiments had brought Ellie to tears and triggered Nash’s darned allergies, he’d claimed, since his eyes had started to water too.

In addition, they'd placed a few peach pies in the freezer. Jackie jotted the cooking instructions on a scratch pad on the counter. Rosie left her mark on the notepad as well, having scribbled a cute little axolotl in the corner, one amphibian hand raised in a friendly wave.

There were plenty of frozen meals to choose from, as Jackie had said, but Nash indulged Ellie’s fascination for frozen pizza, seeing that she’d never in her life had one.

“Lucky for you,”he’d said,“this is a decent brand. Some are a lot better than others.”He’d gone on to say that he wondered when they’d run out of experiences that were new to her but common to most.“So long as it lasts,”he’d added,“I plan to enjoy it. Starting with a night on the patio under the stars.”

Ellie made her way to the outdoor sofas Nash had scooted together to make one giant bed and dropped the load of bedding on top. Nash had finished blowing up the king-sized mattress and covered it with sheets and bedding while Ellie rounded up pillows from a few of the rooms.

“There,” he said, rubbing his hands together as he used the pillows to create a makeshift headboard. “We’re just missing one little thing…” He pulled out his phone, queued a song, and connected it to the outdoor speaker.

Ellie listened up, wondering if he was about to play something romantic when the jubilant twang of a fiddle picked up instead. She grinned, knowing it was a familiar song but not sure which one it was. Yet just as John Denver began singing about Grandma’s feather bed, she grinned wider.

“Is this how you imagined it?” she asked Nash, who’d begun playing an air fiddle.

He nodded, lip-syncing as he danced closer to her, and gave her a daring look while extending one hand.