Page 209 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

“Eleanor, this is Wild Buck’s volunteer for the month, Nash Copeland, who’d typically be very happy to accommodate you. Unfortunately, it sounds like we've caught him at a bad?—”

“No, no, no, it's fine,” Nash stammered with the wave of his arms. His hand smacked the shovel’s handle and sent it flying straight into the pile of muck. Nash gave it no more than a glance and made his way out of the stall. “Give me a minute to step out of these boots, and I'll introduce you to Buttercup.”

Ellie could not count on all ten fingers and all ten toes the roles she'd played in her lifetime. It was rare, however, that her actual life felt like it was something right out of a movie. In retrospect, the moment of her arrest was pretty dramatic, as was the moment her dad told her about the severity of his gambling debt and the direct impact it had on her life.

But never had she recognized a movie moment like she did right then. The gorgeous cowboy tipped his hat in her direction, stooped to grab a pair of abandoned boots, and excused himself before disappearing through an open doorway around the back of the barn.

“He is usually more congenial,” Tucker said wryly.

Ellie had enjoyed her time with Tucker this morning. She'd expected the addiction counselor to look more, well, stuffy, if she were honest. Maybe wearing a collared shirt with a sweater vest? What she got was a weathered cowboy with a fascinating past. Sure, they'd only spent an hour getting acquainted, but already, she knew quite a bit about him.

After becoming an addict in his youth, Tucker battled with addiction into his early 30s. Upon meeting his wife, which happened only after he got sober, Tucker became a mentor here at Wild Buck’s Ranch with his late wife at his side. And though they hadn't gotten too deep into Ellie's reason for being there, Tucker had already opened the door—and laid out the welcome mat by opening up about his own past problems.

That thought was yanked from her mind as the handsome cowboy strode back through the walkway like a western man on a serious mission. He locked eyes with her, and all the butterflies she’d pretended to feel while filming moments like these flapped wildly in her tummy. She could have used a moment like this in her studies, all the times the producer set the stage:‘You just saw the guy you have a crush on in school.’Or‘The guy you like just looked at you and smiled.’

Ellie had developed crushes on boys over the years, but she'd never been taken off guard the way she had been in the presence of this intriguing cowboy at Wild Buck’s Ranch. She’d gotten used to seeing people in their staged environment. Like the actor Zach White, who played a billionaire boss working in a high rise. And when Danny Jennings played the role of a firefighting hero, the most appealing thing about him was the façade; she wouldn’t mind falling in love with a small-town firefighter with a Dalmatian named Fred. The actor himself, however, left something to be desired.

But this guy? Nash—such a fitting name—was a real-life Montana cowboy. And there was something very appealingabout that, even if hewasticked off about having to introduce her to Buttercup.

Ellie covered a grin as she replayed what he'd said—that she and the horse could pucker up and tell him goodbye for the day. This cowboy had an attitude, and for some reason she didn't mind that one bit.

He'd changed his tune, of course, as soon as he noted his company, but she enjoyed getting a glimpse of that raw reaction.

"Looks like Nash is suddenly feeling more agreeable," Tucker mumbled, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Let me know if he gives you any trouble."

Ellie grinned, keeping her eyes set on the cowboy. Nash, she reminded herself. “I sure will.”

Tucker sauntered off as Nash got closer. The butterflies in her tummy must have invited their friends.

Ellie sensed his lingering chagrin in the occasional duck of his head as he strode back down the wide corridor; she couldn't help but enjoy this reformed version of him. Still, she also sensed a level of confidence in the lifted span of his broad shoulders and muscled chest. Muscles gained from long, hard days on the field, not four o'clock mornings in the gym.Why was that so appealing?

Men in Hollywood would kill for that jawline, strong and distinct. He didn’t have a beard, per se, but his dark, trimmed facial hair was more than a mere five o’clock shadow.

He extended his arm to her. "Let's try this again. Hi, Ellie, I'm Nash."

Her cheeks filled with a wonderful wave of warmth as his gaze met hers. His eyes were caught between gold and brown, with hints of sage green along the edge. She cleared her throat and shook his hand. "Hi, Nash. Nice to meet you.”

"Likewise.” He grabbed the rim of his cowboy hat and nodded in a rather old-fashioned, country-boy type of way. “Buttercup is in the field with the other horses. Follow me."

He led her through a gate and onto a field where several beautiful horses grazed. He went straight for the only blonde horse, swiftly gathered the reins, and nodded back toward the gate. "We’re going to separate her from the others.”

Ellie followed him around the back of the barn, her gaze dropping to the abandoned boots just outside the structure. Nash had already hosed them down, as evident in their clean appearance and the water pooled on the cement pad beneath them.

A dozen questions rushed to the surface of her mind. People were so intriguing. Ellie’s favorite thing about acting was the glimpse she’d get into someone else’s life. Her character profiles came with a lot of interesting details, many of which were never talked about in the work itself; it’s just what made the person who they were.

She wouldn’t mind having a similar writeup on Nash. What was his home life like? Did he live very far from the ranch? And why had he volunteered to work here?

"Atta girl," came the cowboy’s deep, coaxing voice as he guided Buttercup into a shady spot beneath a large tree. A bucket of water rested beside the trunk.

Ellie trailed after them, intrigued by the way the horse walked so close to him. The animal trusted him, she realized, and for whatever reason, she liked that too. She also liked the gentle sounds of his coaxing as he led the animal into the shade.

"Good girl," he murmured. "Good girl. You ready to meet a new friend?" he asked as Ellie neared.

She expected him to tie the animal to a post or something, but he didn’t. Instead, he stepped back a couple of feet and stood in front of it.

"Come stand by my side and let her get a good look at you,” he said, which made Ellie notice she’d stopped walking. Probably because he had, but as she set her gaze on the horse, a note of fear crept in. Up close and personal, Buttercup looked a whole lot bigger than she had from a distance.

Ellie took a few cautious steps until she was standing beside Nash. Was that aftershave she smelled?