Page 91 of If You Give a CEO a Chance

Her tongue darts out before a slow smile spreads across her lips. “Okay, but only if he’s fine with it. I don’t want him to feel pressured.”

“He’s not” I assure her.

“Are we going to see your family while we’re there?” she asks.

“Only if you want to. I have a place outside of town so we can avoid them if you’d rather not spend time with them yet.”

Even when just a few of us are together, things can get intense, and I don’t want to overwhelm her during our first visit together.

She raises a brow. “Do you think your mom would let us skip out on stopping by if she found out we were in Aspen Grove?”

I laugh. “Good point. We’ll just have to keep it a secret.” Which could be challenging since she knows most everyone in town. “She’d probably call a search party if I don’t stop by for my niece’s birthday tomorrow. Lola is obsessed with hockey as of late and wanted me to teach her and her friends how to play. But I can always stop alone for a couple of hours, if you’d prefer to stay at my cabin.”

“I’d love to celebrate with Lola at her birthday party,” Fallon smiles.

“Great, it’s settled then,” I say enthusiastically, kissing her before taking our plates to the sink. “We’ll leave this afternoon, but I’d prefer to wait until tomorrow to let my parents know we’re in town. I have something special planned.”

Fallon tilts her head, her gaze locked on mine. “What is it?”

“It’s a surprise.” I come around to her side of the counter and kiss her on the forehead.

“I’m not a big fan of surprises,” she mumbles.

“Says the queen of pranks.”

“Correction. I don’t like surprises when it comes tome.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll like this one,” I promise.

Icrouch beside Cat, surprised when he lets me scratch behind his good ear. “I’m going to miss you, little troublemaker.”

“We’ll only be gone for two days. He’ll be fine,” Harrison says, rolling our suitcases to the front door.

I shoot him a playful scowl. “You’re just jealous Cat still won’t let you touch him.”

Cat’s finally warming up to me, but still gives Harrison the cold shoulder. The best part is Harrison pretends he doesn’t care, even though I’ve caught him sneaking treats to win Cat over—with zero success so far.

“Right, because gaining the approval of a moody feline is the pinnacle of my life’s achievements,” Harrison mumbles.

“Cat’s not moody, he just has standards.” I pat Harrison’s shoulder with a grin. “Don’t worry, keep bribing him and he’ll come around eventually.” I grab my coat from the closet and put it on.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His tone is defensive.

“The variety of gourmet snacks stashed in the pantry say otherwise,” I counter.

The deliveries of fancy cat treats haven’t gone unnoticed, but none of them have won Cat over. It’s clear he prefers my home-cooked meals to those expensive snacks.

Before Harrison can answer, Walter comes out of the kitchen with a bowl of tuna and zucchini mash. “Don’t worry, MissFallon, I’ll take good care of Cat while you’re away.” His eyes crinkle with warmth.

He has the day off and was kind enough to stop by before we left to get instructions on taking care of Cat while we’re away.

Harrison’s jaw drops when Cat trots over to Walter, rubbing against his leg, and meows insistently until he places the bowl down.

“Seriously?” Harrison mutters.

“It’s not a reflection on you, Mr. Stafford,” Walter explains. “The staff at the animal shelter call me the cat whisperer. Even the most stubborn ones warm up to me quickly.” He scratches Cat behind the ear before pushing himself to his feet.

“You never told me you volunteered at the shelter,” I say.

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