Chapter 20
"Wow, five, six, seven covers. Eight, actually.”
Ellie watched Nash scroll through his phone while reading his family’s text thread aloud. Sitting across from her at the breakfast bar, he turned the screen so it faced her, eyes wide with shock. “That was fast! I mean, the photos are from two days ago."
Ellie eyed the tabloid covers as Nash scrolled down with his thumb for her to see. Yes, they were from just two days ago, taken by a drone, most likely, while she and Nash role-played on the rooftop. The headings on each magazine varied in title, yet all stuck to one common theme:
Look Who's Gone Country!
Ellie, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys!
A little Bit of Country, and a Whole Lot of Cowboy Stud.
And her least favorite, Save a Horse…
Each image featured Nash in all his cowboy glory, broad shoulders, weathered jeans, and his cowboy hat and boots.
"How’d they all get such similar pictures?” he asked. “And was someone flying overhead in a helicopter, and we didn't even hear it?"
"Drones,” Ellie said, sure he was familiar with them.
Nash tipped his head back. "Of course."
"It was probably someone hired by Geneva,” she explained. “You’ve got to get the perfect shot for that big reveal. And then, of course, you’ve got to make sure it,” she put up finger quotes, “gets leaked to the media."
Nash scrolled some more. "Holy crap! It's on the front of People? Wait… That's not us. I wonder why Grandma sent that one.”
Ellie motioned for him to turn the screen back toward her. "Oh, yeah, they just mentioned it in the upcoming features. See?” She pointed to the line where it read, ‘Ellie Blaire and Her New Country Flair. Find out how she's going country in more ways than one.’
“I have a feature coming up with them next month," she explained. "They'll come to the set to interview me, do a photo shoot, that type of thing."
She watched his expression shift as he took that in, feeling oddly vulnerable. He hadn’t seen this side of things yet, the side that separated her from most of the world’s population, and she didn’t want it to scare him away.
"Man,” he said, “it's like, I kind of forget that you’re famous."
"Yeah,” Ellie said wryly. “I wish I could." She hoped that last comment wouldn't provoke the topic she'd been dodging since they left Wyatt and Wade’s place. Nash had managed to bring it up briefly the following morning at this very breakfast bar. ‘When Wade asked you about the crazy fans thing,’ he’d said, ‘you seemed…affected. If you were dealing with something like that, you’d tell me, wouldn’t you?’
Ellie had played it off easily enough, saying he must have just noticed her increasing concern about being prepared for production.
But the fact was, over the last few days, Ellie had started to see the whole thing from a different light.
Nothing horrible had happened. So she found out that Wolf was the one sending the roses this whole time instead of her mom—big deal.
It was disconcerting, yes, but that didn't mean the situation was dangerous.
The flower thing was creepy, and Wolf had been creepy when she met him, but he hadn’t hurt Ellie or even threatened to do so. And though he could have rightfully retaliated against her dad, he hadn't done that either.
Of course, she did still worry about her public posts in response to the bouquets.
Ellie had snapped a photo of them each time and acknowledged the sender in an intimate way, thinking all along that it was her mom.
That added to her discomfort, too, but chances were, guys like Wolf weren’t even on social media.
"I don't know," Nash said. “This is all just starting to feel real, I guess."
Ellie closed her lips around a question that threatened to escape—a question that had come to her so instinctively, she had to wonder why.
Perhaps she should let it loose and see what Nash's answer might be. "You’re kind of regretting this, aren’t you?" The instant the words were out, a rash of fear rumbled through her.
Nash furrowed his brow. “Regretting what?"
"The contract," she said, but the fact that he had to ask made her add another possibility to it. "Or getting involved with me at all. This could really change your life, and not for the better."
The truth of that statement hit her hard. Perhaps it wasn’t right of her to get him involved in her life, as public as it was. Whether there was real danger behind the situation with Wolf or not, Nash and his family would be affected.
In fact, at this very moment, media reporters were digging deep, trying to find anything and everything they could about the cowboy on the roof with Ellie Blaire.
Chances were, whoever leaked the images would also be “leaking” information in the days to come.
That’s always how it went. The new boyfriend started out as a mystery, and the hungry media couldn’t wait to unravel it.
It’d be a race to see who could scout the most details and release them first.
Nash got out of his seat and circled the breakfast bar. "Ellie, no, I’m not regretting it. Never!" He cupped her shoulder and fixed his gaze on hers, his warm, hazel eyes wide and pleading. "Never think that. The best thing that's ever happened in my life is you."
Ellie grinned as a wave of warmth rushed over her. "Thank you. I feel the same way about you." She reached in and pressed a kiss to his lips, wishing they didn’t have to leave the hotel today. Wishing she’d already crossed this production off the list.
"There is just one thing I regret," Nash added.
"And what's that?" Ellie asked, noting the playful smirk on his lips.
"I regret not auditioning for Trigger’s part." He cupped a hand and rammed his other fist into it. “Freaking James Marsh.”
"Don't worry,” she said, “James isn’t nearly as good a kisser as you are."
Nash’s expression fell flat a moment before he raised a questioning brow.
"Fake This," Ellie said, reminding him of the movie they’d starred in together.
His expression turned perplexed. “Wait, there were other people in that movie? Because I only remember you."
"Well, trust me,” Ellie assured, “no matter what the kissing scenes are like with Trigger, I'll only remember you, too."
Soon, they were on the set, which was a mere twenty minutes away from the hotel.
The producers had secured a historical farmhouse; the interior had cleverly been divided into several indoor locations, the largest part representing Trigger’s home.
A portion of the basement was designed to look like a music studio, and the back wing portrayed the humble trailer where a struggling Melody lived.
Since the property featured farmland, barns, and stables complete with livestock, the space was equipped for ninety percent of the scenes they'd shoot for this movie.
"This place is amazing," Nash said as he toured the grounds with her, meeting random co-stars of hers along the way. "I never knew people in the business were so…efficient."
"They have to be," Ellie said. "They’re working with the most valuable asset of all—time."
The comment caused Nash to slow.
Ellie glanced over her shoulder. "What's wrong?"
Nash only shook his head and stepped back in stride with her. "Nothing, I just haven’t heard anyone put it that way before. About time being the most valuable asset."
Ellie shrugged. "Well, isn't it?"
"It definitely is." He gave her hand a squeeze, pulling her into him and brushing a kiss over her lips.
They made their way through a wide field, passing several crew members with cameras, lights, and props. Ellie kept an eye out for her dad. So far, he was nowhere to be found.
"Well,” she said, the set putting her mind in work mode. “I'm going to have to go sit down for wardrobe and makeup, and you don’t want to be there for that.”
“Yeah, yeah, Wyatt and Wade are waiting for me anyway. We’re going to play some baseball.”
She eyed him from the cowboy hat on his head to the weathered boots on his feet. “And is this the getup you plan to wear for said sport?” she asked.
Nash shook his head and grinned. “Nope. They’ll have stuff I can change into.”
Ellie pictured Nash suited up in a uniform, a ballcap shading his hazel eyes while he reared up the bat. A blush rose to her cheeks. “Have them get pictures of you, will you?”
“I will not,” he said with a laugh. “Guys don’t do that.”
She chuckled, her pace slowing as the trailer drew near. “Well, while you turn from cowboy to shortstop,” she said, proving she knew her positions, “the makeup gods will turn me into Melody on the outside, and I’ll be transforming on the inside.”
“What does that look like for you?” Nash asked.
“Well, I’ll get right into her head. I concentrate on what she wants and what’s holding her back; I put myself in her shoes and just sit with the emotions it brings.
Then, I try not to let anything distract me as I make my way to the set.
Once I’ve got it in my head, I imagine that that’s exactly who I am.
In this case, a country singer with a rough upbringing and a sky-high dream. ”
She grinned at Nash and gave his hand a squeeze. “How about you come see my trailer before you leave?” At the suggestion, Ellie imagined the purple flowers she was used to seeing on the set. Would they be there today?
“Sounds good to me,” Nash agreed.
“Hi, Ellie!” came a sweet-sounding voice from behind.
Ellie spun around to see a pretty blonde standing there. She glanced at the lanyard around the girl’s neck, hoping it would help identify her. Would she be Ellie’s assistant today?
“I’m Karla McKinney, your understudy?” the girl said, her cheeks going red.
“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you,” Ellie said, pulling the girl in for a warm hug. Oh, how she remembered being the hopeful understudy once for an actress who—like Ellie—had gone through a season of unpredictability where the studio was concerned.
“I got the role for Trigger’s sister,” she said, “so since you’re here, I’ll be playing that.”