Page 207 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

“If you hurry and get in your swimsuit,” Geneva said, “you can join me for water aerobics in the hot tub.”

Ellie shuffled toward the sliding glass door, slid it open enough to lean in the doorway, and let out a pitiful groan.

"You're a terrible host,” Geneva accused, “has anyone ever told you that?"

Ellie chuckled. “Host? Is that what a prisoner becomes when they have visitors—a host?”

Geneva lifted her arms high over her head and swayed them gently as the water dripped down her skin. "Oh, stop it. So dramatic. You like having me here, and you know it.”

Yes, she did; Geneva always had a way of making Ellie’s abnormal life feel normal somehow. She was more like a mom to her than her own mom, and she’d treated Ellie a lot like a daughter over the years.

"We're meeting with your caseworker on Friday,” Geneva said as she lifted a leg impressively high out of the water. "I'dliketo report that you’ve been cooperative, but you haven’t. Iwantto say you’ve been participating in the activities here at the ranch, but that’s not true either. If you insist on sitting around foranother week, the judge will probably make you fulfill the full 60 days here instead of allowing you to fly out to Dallas for filming.”

That was true, but Ellie wasn’t sure which was worse. She didn’t want to stay thereorfly out to Dallas for production. But she also didn’t want to let everyone down. As it was, they’d already shifted the production dates—a catastrophic, not to mention costly, inconvenience in the industry—and if Ellie forced them to go with her understudy instead of showing up now, they’d have done it for nothing. Ellie might be a lot of things right now—resentful, entitled, confused—but she wasn’t inconsiderate. A whole lot of people had put their faith in her. Besides, in less than two years, she’d be free to do as she wished.

She sucked in a breath and nodded, forcing herself to accept the facts: if she ever wanted to get out of here, she'd have to step outside of the private cabin and get involved. “Fine,” she said, “I’ll meet with the rehab guy, like you said. I’ll do it tomorrow.”

“Not just that,” Geneva said. “You need to try some of the fun stuff too.”

“Fun stuff? Like what? Charades around the campfire with pork and beans on a tin plate?”

Geneva morphed into a swan pose. “Very funny. They have tons of stuff. Everything from dancing to crafts, live music beside the bonfire, horse time.”

“Horse time?”

“You can meet them, interact with them, ride along a scenic trail. I’m doing that one. I can’t wait. And I saw the horse guy, by the way. He was…veryattractive for a man your age.”

“Is that his official title? The horse guy?”

“No. He had a country-sounding name. And he was a volunteer. Said he used to come with his parents until they died. Years later, he’s returning to the ranch to give back.”

A spot of warmth stirred in Ellie’s heart. “Really?”

“That’s what he said. They were giving him the third degree up front. Accusing him of volunteering as some lame attempt to meet you. Well, they didn’t say your name, but they referred to a certain somebody, which I knew to be you.”

Ellie considered that. “You said the media didn’t know where I was.”

“They don’t. I mean, one small-timer said this is where you were headed, but everyone else thinks you’re at that place in Maui.”

Ellie sighed, wishing shewasin Maui. And as if on cue, her mind drifted back to the conversation she’d had with her dad. She couldn’t get away from it for more than minutes at a time. She tried to focus on the legalities—ways she could get out of the contract—and leave the terrifying tidbits—like Wolf’s inappropriate involvement in her career—in the dark, forgotten corners of her mind.

But that didn’t stop the fear from fanning through her. “Isn’t it Sunday?” she asked, wondering if it was too late to catch a service. “I need some Jesus.”

“Honey,everyoneneeds Jesus. I've been worshiping since I got here," she added. “With a view like this, it’s hard not to.”

Ellie swept her gaze over the dying trees, failing to see the beauty. "I never knew you were so into nature."

"Me neither, but it turns out that I am. And whileyoudip your toes into the goings-on this week,Iplan to dive in and taste itall."

Ellie shook her head, surprised by Geneva's reaction to the ranch. As long as she'd known the woman, her one true passion—outside of her job, that was—was fashion. Even if that meant showing up to the Montana ranch in a pink pair of Western boots with diamond-studded jeans.

“I’ll dip more than my toes in,” she said. “I’ll get wild, go all the way to my ankles.”

"Okay,” Geneva said, “but promise me something, will you, hon?"

Ellie pulled in a breath and held it, her chest growing achy and tight. She was tired of making promises.

"Don't do it just to say you did. Don’t go about your time here like it’s a check list. Try to really let yourself unplug and sink into another world. I think it could be good for you. Things aren’t as bad as they seem.”