Page 123 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

“Definitely,” Jeanie agreed with a laugh.

Kat stepped over to the sink, lowered a hand into the suds, and hollered over her shoulder. “I’m going to load these dishes real quick. I’ll meet you ladies on the couch in a sec.”

Secretly, she was hoping to catch sight of Zander through the back window. He was out there somewhere, walking among the trees with Duke, Craig, Sawyer and James at his heels.

She looked forward to seeing what they’d come up with for the kids’ treasure hunt. She’d been surprised that they’d offered to do it, in truth. Kat assumed that would be something the ladies would put their heads together for.

She spied traces of the hunt among the wooded area surrounding the cabin. Shiny green shamrocks, only half hidden, had been taped to the tree trunks. Splashes of gold caught her eye next—coins, she decided. They were scattered along the riverside, balanced on rocks, and even tucked into tree branches.

Kat finished up the dishes and dried her hands on the dishcloth. She couldn’t help but note the absence of the wedding ring each time. Shortly after their last live production, she’d returned that ring to Duke, but she looked forward to the day she could replace it.

Just as Kat stepped away from the sink, the cabin’s doorbell chimed. The kids, who’d been filling the space with exuberant cheers while playing the tossing game, quieted at once.

Kat spun to look over her shoulder.

“Who would that be?” Betzy asked while coming to her feet.

“I’ve got it,” Grandma Lo hollered from the front room. It was then that the back door opened as well. The men piled in one by one. Kat tipped her head to see around the group, and grinned as Zander finally appeared at the back of the pack.

“It’s a treasure hunt!” a small voice cried from the front. “We get to go look for treasure!”

More little cheers came.

Zander dodged the dining room table, then the island bar as he made his way to Kat, eyes pasted directly on her.

Oh, how he managed to get her heart racing. She bit at her bottom lip as he wrapped a warm hand around her back. “Princess,” he said, voice husky and low.

“Zander,” she purred next to his ear in reply. It turned out, he preferred she call him that over anything else.

“This is addressed to Kat and her little helpers,” Michael called from the front room.

Kat glanced over to see that everyone had filtered into the front entry of the cabin. “What?”

Zander gave her hip a squeeze. “We better go see what he means.”

Link, Lilly, and Ben rushed in as they headed toward the group.

“We’re going on a treasure hunt with Kat,” Link exclaimed, rushing alongside Zander to take his hand.

“You don’t say?” Zander replied, mussing the kid’s hair a bit.

“What’s going on?” Kat asked. “Why is it for the kids and me?”

When Zander didn’t answer, Kat turned her gaze to the others in the room. Dad held Noah on his hip while Claudia spoke to him excitedly. Mom was already heading out front with Lorraine and the married couples.

“Guess we better go find out,” Zander said.

Duke filtered past them toward the kitchen, lifted his nose in the air, and sniffed. “Smells good,” he said. “I better not get stuck at the kids table for dinner tonight,” he mumbled.

“I did overhear Michael threatening the kids,” Zander razzed. “He said if they were really naughty he’d put Uncle Duke at their table. They’ve been pretty good today, though, so you’ve got a fighting chance.”

“Very funny,” Duke mumbled as he followed them outside.

Crisp scents of fresh redwood and pine filled the sunlit air as they stepped onto the porch.

“Look,” Ben hollered. “It’s the first clue!”

Lilly squealed before grabbing Ben’s hand and tugging him toward the nearby trees. Kat spotted it too—a bright green shamrock, much bigger than the ones she’d seen out back, hung from a green, beaded necklace. The words Clue #1 were written on the front.