Page 65 of Faking It with my Small Town Billionaire

“Speaking of Ellie and Martha,” she said. “Which one ratted me out?”

I sucked in air through my teeth. “Ooh, I don’t know if I can spill the beans on that one. They’re going to be my sisters-in-law. I might need them to back me up one day.”

“No chance,” Lily laughed. “They’ll take my side every time.”

“Clearly not,” I said, gesturing to the fact that I was sitting beside her.

We stayed at the cabin that night, kissing each other goodnight before we headed off to our separate rooms. The following morning, we headed back to what I have continued to call our home.

As we walk through the grand entrance of my family home, Lily’s eyes are like saucers once again. The last time she was here, everything was so rushed, and this time, we take our time moving through the huge house.

Mom and Dad meet us in one of the drawing rooms.

“Oh, at last,” Mom says, hurrying over to Lily. “I have been waiting so long to meet you.”

It’s my mother’s usual drawl, and had she been in the country, she might have met Lily much sooner, but I let it go. I don’t want any domestic drama with Lily here.

While Mom kisses Lily on both cheeks, Dad strolls over to me and shakes my hand. “Good to see you, son.”

“Dad,” I say. “How was your flight?”

Apart from the business, Dad and I rarely have much to talk about. He was never there when I was young, and he’s never made the effort to really get to know me. That’s okay, though. I had strong foundations in my friend Jake.

Dad starts on about what a pleasure it is to fly in the private jet, and while I pretend to listen, I watch Lily and Mom. Lily is holding her own, which comes as no surprise. She’s a very eloquent woman and one who knows her own mind.

Pops arrives in the drawing room about five minutes later.

“Ah, the birthday boy,” he declares, like I’m ten years old. “Come here.”

I walk over to him, and to my surprise, he throws his arms around me. “You have no idea how happy I am that you’ve made it to this milestone, son,” he murmurs in my ear. “It certainly had little to do with your father’s parenting skills.”

His words surprise me even further. He’s not usually one for sentiment.

“Right. Drinks while we wait for the others,” Pops says.

Of course, he doesn’t actually get the drinks. He has staff to do that, and when we all have glasses in hand, Pops says, “I propose a toast. To Orson Donovan, the new CEO of Donovan Enterprises.”

Everyone lifts their glasses towards me and says, “To Orson,” in unison.

I nod my head. “Thank you. You are all too kind.” I move towards Lily, and slipping my arm around her waist, I tenderly kiss her on the cheek. “You don’t know how delighted I am that you’re here with me for this.”

She gazes up at me and with a sly smile, she murmurs, “You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for me. There’s no way I was going to miss it.”

I chuckle and shake my head. She has a wicked sense of humor, and I love it. In fact, I love everything about her, and as I drink her in, I can’t wait to spend all the remaining days I have left on Earth by her side.

Slowly but surely, more guests arrive, and what I thought was going to be an intimate family dinner ends up incorporating all the board members and their wives. I suppose, given the fact that the contract is going to be handed over, that they need to be present. It’s something I know little about, though not for long. Once I’m Chief Executive Officer, there are a lot of things I’ll need to learn.

Dinner is a rowdy affair, with many conversations going on all at once. The four courses are, as always, delicious, because my family has some of the best cooks working in their kitchen. If I recall, I’m certain one of them was once a three-star Michelin chef. It wouldn’t surprise me. Pops has always demanded the best of everything.

After dinner, the women retire to the drawing room while Pops leads me and the rest of the board members—which, of course, includes Dad—into the conference room.

On the top of the table, Pops has a contract laid out, and one by one, each of the board members signs it. Robert Lowe is also a lawyer, and thus, he is there to ensure that everything is done legally.

And then it’s finally my turn.

It’s a huge moment, and I can feel my heart thumping in my chest as I wield the pen.

“Just there,” Robert says, pointing to a dotted line.

---