Chapter 29
“U ncle Harrison, you’re finally here,” Lola exclaims when we enter the indoor skating rink.
She’s decked out in glittery pink leggings, a rainbow tutu, and a blue hockey jersey with her name written across the front.
“Happy birthday, ladybug,” Harrison says.
He scoops her in his arms, and spins her around, her laughter filling the air.
Lola cups his face with her tiny hands, making sure she has his full attention. “Are you going to play hockey with me and my friends?”
“You bet. I came all the way from New York just to make sure you have the best birthday ever.”
“Really?” She beams.
“I couldn’t let my favorite girl down, now, could I?” he says ruffling her hair.
She vigorously shakes her head. “Uncle Harrison, is that your girlfriend?” Lola asks loudly, pointing at me.
The rink falls silent as heads turn toward us. I duck my head, hoping no one notices the heat rising in my cheeks. I’m not embarrassed by her question, but Harrison and I haven’t had the talk yet, and I’d prefer to have that conversation in private when we do.
“This is Fallon.” Harrison motions toward me. “She brought you a gift.’’ I should have guessed Harrison would be a master deflector.
Lola’s face lights up as he sets her down, and she rushes toward me the second her feet touch the ground.
“Hi, Fallon, I’m Lola, what did you get me?” she asks, dancing on the balls of her feet.
God, she’s adorable.
A woman’s voice grabs my attention. “Lolabug, remember, it’s not polite to ask for gifts. We should be glad Fallon came whether she brought you something or not, isn’t that right?”
I recognize Marlow from her videos on social media. She posts the coolest tutorials for her art, and they’re fun to watch. We also met when I catered Cash and Everly’s wedding celebration, but I didn’t have a chance to talk to her that night.
She’s wearing floral overalls paired with a red long-sleeve shirt and silver sneakers. Her golden-blonde hair falls in waves to her waist, framing her distinct, mismatched eyes—one blue, the other green.
Lola scrunches her nose and sighs. “Thanks for coming to my party, Fallon.”
She tugs on my pant leg and crooks her finger. I crouch down so I’m on her level.
She leans in and whispers, “You did bring me a present right?”
Marlow looks at me, mouthing, “I’m sorry.”
I give her a subtle shake of my head, reassuring her that Lola’s question doesn’t bother me. It’s refreshing to be around someone who isn’t afraid to speak their mind, especially when there’s a present at stake.
Lola’s gaze follows my movements as I take a small rainbow gift bag from my purse. “This is for you,” I say, handing it to her.
“Mom, can I open it now, pretty please?” She flashes her best puppy dog eyes.
“Sure, Lolabug, but just this one gift. Then it’s time to skate, okay?”
“Yay.” Lola grins, eagerly yanking out the tissue paper to reveal the charm bracelet I picked out for her at the local toy shop, complete with a hockey stick, a dog, a rainbow, and a unicorn. “It’s so pretty,” she says, holding out her arm. “Can you put it on me please?”
“Of course, sweetie,” I reply, fastening it around her wrist. “And there’s one more gift in there.” I motion to the bag. “Harrison told me you were a fan of candy.”
Her eyes light up as she takes out the last of the tissue paper, squealing when she spots the chocolate bars wrapped in unicorn parchment paper. “These are for me too?” she asks, clutching them to her chest.
I nod. “I made them just for you, but you might want to hold off on eating one until you get home. I’m afraid there isn’t enough to share with all your friends.”
She’s quick to stuff them back into the bag. “I don’t want to share with anyone.”
Marlow laughs. “Your dad might have something to say about that when he finds out they’re homemade.”
“If you promise not to tell, I’ll share with you.” Lola smirks, sounding like a seasoned negotiator.
Marlow does her best to suppress a grin. “We’ll talk about it later. Your friends are waiting for you.” She motions to the bench area, where a group of kids around Lola’s age are putting their skates on, excited chatter filling the air.
“One second,” Lola says, turning back to me and throwing her arms around my neck. “Thanks for the bracelet and chocolate, Fallon. I think Harrison should keep you.”
My heart fills with warmth as I hug her back.
I steal a glance at Harrison, our eyes meeting with a silent recognition passing between us. After seeing him sick and in the hospital, it puts things in perspective. And now, watching how he interacts with his family makes my heart swell. It’s made me realize how much I want a future with him.
I want to be his person.
His confidant.
His lover.
His.
What we share has been years in the making, and while it might be frightening as hell, I want to take that leap of faith and see where this leads.
Lola pulls back and runs over to where Harrison is standing.
“Let’s go, Uncle Harrison.” She practically drags him toward her friends.
“Sure thing, ladybug.” He glances over at me. “Will you be okay here?”
“Fallon can hang out with me. I could use some help setting up the snack table,” Marlow says, flashing me a smile. “Have fun, you two.” She waves as Harrison and Lola head to the benches.
I follow her over to a corner where several tables and chairs have been set up. She brings several boxes over and unpacks tablecloths, paper plates, cups, and other party essentials.
I brought along a few gluten-free snacks that I prepared for Harrison so he could eat with everyone else. Fortunately, all the kitchenware at the cabin is brand new, so I didn’t have to worry about cross-contamination.
“Please don’t judge me when you see what food I brought,” Marlow warns, taking out a box of Cheez-Its, a bowl of fruit skewers, and a tray full of cupcakes. “Cooking isn’t my forte and Lola was adamant we serve her favorite snacks.”
“I would never,” I assure her, taking one of the tablecloths and draping it over a table. “I may be a private chef, but I survive on Diet Coke, popcorn, and leftovers. And who doesn’t love Cheez-Its? They’re elite.”
Marlow sets a pack next to each plate she’s set out. “I know, right? They’re my favorite. Lola’s too.”
“Has she always been a fan of hockey?”
“Dylan and I took her to a Mavericks game a couple of months ago. Harrison had her out on the ice afterward showing her how to skate, and she’s been obsessed ever since,” Marlow says as she sets out juice boxes. “He’s such a good teacher, and when he’s out on the ice, it’s obvious that he loves the game.”
“Yeah, he does,” I agree. “I got to watch him play in a charity game and he’s incredible.”
I glance over at the rink to find the kids clustered around Harrison. They hang on every word as he speaks. He demonstrates how to hold their sticks properly and uses an encouraging tone, giving every kid a thumbs up when they get it right. He waves them forward as he moves across the ice and they follow him like ducklings, some teetering on their skates as they get used to them.
He’s an incredible uncle to Lola, and an image pops into my head of him with his own kids, holding his hand as he teaches them to skate. I’ve never thought about starting a family in the past. Since graduating from culinary school, my life has centered around my career. Now, the idea of a mini- Harrison running around has me thinking about what it might be like to have a family of my own.
“So, are you two officially an item?” Marlow questions with a curious smile.
I want to be.
But that’s something I want to discuss with Harrison first, before anyone else.
When I don’t answer, Marlow adds, “Sorry if I’m being nosy. The Staffords have no boundaries, and I think it’s rubbed off on me.”
“You’re not, I promise.” I take the fruit skewers and put one on each plate that Marlow has set out on all the tables. “Do you spend a lot of time with Johanna and Mike?”
She nods. “We go over several times a week, and Johanna watches Lola often. Some might find it overwhelming, but I’m so grateful for it. As an only child who’s not close to my parents, being part of a family that supports each other is something I never imagined I’d ever have the chance to experience.”
We share a similar background, though my parents couldn’t be here, whereas hers chose not to be. That must be a heavy burden to carry. She’s lucky to have the Staffords, and from what I know about Johanna, I’m sure she’s embraced Marlow as one of her own.
“I can relate. My parents passed away when I was twelve, and I had to live with my grandmother. To say there’s no love lost between us is an understatement,” I explain.
She covers her mouth with her hand. “Oh, Fallon, I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“I appreciate it,” I say. “It’s nice to chat with someone who can relate.”
“Same.” She puts her hands on her hips, scanning the setup to make sure we didn’t miss anything before setting the boxes off to the side. “Whatever happens between you and Harrison, consider me a friend. For what it’s worth, it’s obvious Harrison is smitten with you.” She lets out a nervous laugh. “There I go again overstepping.”
“No, it’s okay. I’d like to know why you say that.”
Marlow nods to where Harrison is standing on the ice, helping Lola hit the puck with her hockey stick. “For starters, he can’t go ten seconds without looking this way.”
Sure enough, a few seconds later, he glances in our direction, and when our eyes meet, he waves. I give him a broad smile in return.
My focus shifts to the main entrance where Johanna and Mike are walking in, carrying a stack of presents wrapped in rainbow paper.
“Hello, sweetheart,” she says, pulling Marlow in for a hug. “Sorry we’re late. We didn’t have any birthday wrapping paper left, so we had to stop by Brush & Palette on the way here. Quinn was so sweet and let me wrap Lola’s gifts in the back.”
“I’m glad she was able to help,” Marlow says.
Johanna turns her attention to me. “I’m so happy you made it.” She comes over to give me a hug too. “How is Harrison feeling today?” There’s a tinge of worry in her voice. “He never called me this morning like I asked him to.”
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from grinning, not wanting to draw attention to it. Harrison was a tad preoccupied with me on the kitchen counter to check in with anyone.
“He’s doing much better,” I say, keeping light on the details.
“Oh, good, I’m so glad he had you to look after him.” She grins before turning to Marlow. “Sweetheart, I have one last gift in the car for Lola. Would you mind helping me get it?”
“Of course.”
As they head out the front door, Mike comes to stand next to me, his hands shoved in his pockets. “My wife tends to come on strong, but she has a heart of gold, and there’s nothing she loves more than her kids.” He watches Lola squealing as she makes a goal, Harrison and Dylan cheering her on. “Harrison has been taking care of his family since he was a kid. When Dylan was twelve, he broke Johanna’s favorite glass vase, and Harrison took the blame, knowing that Dylan had plans with his friends that night and didn’t want him to miss out.” Mike pushes his glasses up higher on his nose. “When I had a heart attack, during his only season as a pro hockey player, he retired so he could help me run the company.”
“He’s a good man,” I whisper.
“Damn right he is,” Mike states with conviction. “Unlike my wife, I prefer not to get involved in my kids’ love lives. I just wanted to tell you something about my son.” He glances toward the entrance before glancing back at me. “He’s a workaholic because of me. As the oldest, he has a sense of responsibility to his siblings, and I should have done more to make him feel like he had more options when it came to taking over the family business.”
A lump catches in my throat, making it difficult to swallow. Now that I understand Harrison better, it’s clear why he’d do everything in his power to protect his siblings, even if it meant shouldering the burden alone. It must have been difficult giving up the sport he loved and throwing himself into the family business instead. From what he’s told me, he spent years learning the ins and outs of the company, preparing for when he took over when his dad retired.
Harrison has turned Stafford Holdings into a billion-dollar empire and somehow makes it look easy. Even with all the stress he carries, it’s clear that he takes pride in his work, and that level of commitment only comes when you care deeply about what you do.
“You’re too hard on yourself, Mr. Stafford. Harrison is the man he is today because of you, and I know he enjoys the work he’s doing.”
“I can see why he cares about you.” Mike observes.
“I care about him too,” I admit, looking out at the rink to catch a glimpse of the man in question.
Until now, I’ve been careful to vocalize my feelings, but this seems like a safe space to admit that what Harrison and I have is real and far more than just a fling.
Mike chuckles. “Funny. I had a similar reaction when I met my wife. Now, here we are, with four wonderful kids, an energetic granddaughter with hopefully more on the way soon, and a lifetime of happiness.” He pauses, putting his hands in his pockets. “The only complaint I have is the heart-healthy diet Johanna has me sticking to. No more bacon for breakfast—just oatmeal and fruit. It’s the worst,” he grumbles.
I cover my mouth to keep from giggling. “Sounds like you and Harrison are both dealing with diet restrictions, which isn’t always easy.”
“We’re lucky to have women who know what’s best for us.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” I agree.
“Going back to my earlier point about a lifetime of happiness? Do you see that in your future?” he presses gently.
“Now you’re starting to sound like your wife,” I tease.
“She’s a wise woman.”
He’s right about that. Johanna saw what was between Harrison and me while we were still too consumed by resentment and anger to recognize our mutual attraction. But somehow, Johanna did, and I’ll always be thankful that she helped us find our way back to each other when we were too stubborn to see what we could have.
Spending time with the Staffords makes me feel like part of a real family. They genuinely want to get to know me and offer a sense of belonging I’ve been missing. I can’t help but think my parents played a part in leading me to this moment and guiding me to where I’m meant to be.