Page 93 of If You Give a CEO a Chance

He shuts the door, jogging around to the driver’s side, and gets in.

“You ready?” he asks.

“What about our luggage?”

“It’s in the trunk. The crew unloaded it before we got off the plane.”

I nod, the whole thing still feeling unreal. “Where are we headed? How far is your parents’ house from here?”

“A couple of miles, but we’re not going there tonight. I made other arrangements, and had Cabrina call ahead and make sure everything’s ready when we arrive. I’d rather stay under the radar like we talked about. If my mom finds out that we’re here, she’ll insist we come over and I’d like to have you to myself tonight.”

“I like the sound of that, but I am looking forward to spending time with your family too.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll have plenty of opportunities, I promise.”

I relax in my seat as Harrison starts the engine. “I can’t wait.”

He pulls out of the airfield gates, his tall frame at ease as he takes my hand in his, resting it on his lap, a small smile on his face.

I look out the window at the snow-covered landscape before closing my eyes. Harrison’s family dynamic is everything mine wasn’t—full of affection and love, while mine with my grandmother was cold and distant.

For the first time since my parents died, there’s a spark of hope that I could experience those feelings of warmth and connection again, and it makes me even more excited to spend more time with the Staffords.

“Fallon, are you okay?”

Harrison’s voice has my eyes fluttering open. When I look over, he’s watching me with a concerned expression.

“I was just thinking about my grandmother.” I decide that now is a good time to open up more. “When my parents died, I went to live with my her in London. She disowned my dad when he came to the States and married my mom, and my grandmother couldn’t stand that I was the spitting image of my mom.” I glance out the window at the snow falling. “She made sure I got a good education, but there was no love or kindness to soften the edges. Everything was a transaction with little thought for emotional support.”

I take a deep breath before continuing.

“She had a large social circle but kept me hidden, like a dirty little secret she was ashamed of. I don’t know if it was me or the fact that she didn’t want to admit her estranged son had married a poor girl from New Jersey, and had a kid.” My eyes drop to my lap. “The hardest part was not being able to talk about my parents after they died. They were gone, and all I had left were my memories.”

Harrison tightens his hand around mine, running his thumb along my skin in soothing strokes.

“I’m here to listen always. I’d love to hear more about them.” His offer has me nodding as I look up at him. “Do you have any other family? What about your mom’s parents?” he asks, briefly glancing over at me before turning his attention back to the road.

“Neither of my parents had siblings, and my mom lost both her parents the year she graduated high school. I used to dream of being part of a big family who would spend summer vacationstogether, have game nights filled with laugher and playful bickering, and be a safe space when I felt lost.”

Harrison brings my hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss to my wrist. “You have that now. Whether we become an official couple or not, you’ll always have the Staffords in your corner. My mom and Presley are already smitten with you, and the rest of my family will love you too. Whatever you need, we’ll be there.” Tears blur my vision as they roll down my cheeks, and I use my free hand to wipe them away. “Fallon, what’s the matter? Should I pull over?” Harrison’s voice is edged with unease.

I wave him off. “I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

I give him a reassuring smile. “I couldn’t be better.”

When I glance out the window, I notice a movie theater at the corner of Main Street with a red brick exterior and a marquee flickering with golden lights. A sign readsTonight’s Feature: Private Screening.The letters are slightly crooked, like they were arranged by hand.

We pull up in front and Harrison leans over to look at the marquee.

“Are we going to the movies?”

“Yes.”

“But it says it’s a…” I turn to him, giving him an incredulous stare. “Harrison, please tell me you didn’t rent an entire theater.”

He chuckles. “Okay, I won’t.” He drives around back to an empty parking lot. “I wanted us to have our privacy; plus, I’m pretty sureArachnophobiawould clear out any other moviegoers faster than a blizzard warning.”

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