Chapter Three
Timothy
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C LOSING MY LAPTOP, I leaned back in my chair, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. The situation with Paisley had me twisted up. If it wasn’t for Catherine, I wasn’t sure how I would be getting through this. When I told her I would happily take Paisley to a faraway island, I wasn’t really joking. I was desperate. I would do just about anything for Paisley. She was miserable. There had to be something I could do to help her. Regina wanted money. Maybe I could offer her more. Hell, I’d give her ten million if that’s what it took.
The door to my office swung open. I looked up to see Bennet. “Yes?”
“I brought your schedule,” he replied. “You weren’t answering your phone.”
“I needed time to think.”
“About?”
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation that was about to happen. It had been something I’d been thinking about for a while, but now it felt like it was time. Time to make a decision. “I’m seriously considering retiring,” I admitted, watching as Bennet’s eyes widened in shock.
“Retiring?” he echoed, disbelief evident in his tone. “But why? You’re still in your forties, Timothy. You have your whole career ahead of you.”
I shrugged, struggling to put into words the restless feeling that had been gnawing at me for months. Deep down, I’d known this was the plan. I’d renovated the house with the intention of living in it and enjoying small-town living. “I have other priorities now,” I explained, my voice tinged with uncertainty. “I’m tired of constantly driving back and forth between Sleepy Hollow and New York. I don’t want to spend all my time working. I want to settle down here and actually live my life.”
Bennet regarded me with a mixture of skepticism and understanding. “That explains why you put so much time and money into fixing the place up.”
“Yes.” I nodded. “I’m just done with the corporate world. I’m going to have the board elect a new CEO. I’ll still remain a part of the company, but I don’t want to deal with the daily stuff. I don’t want to be the one making all the decisions. It’s time to take a step back.”
“I’m surprised, but not really,” he said. “I had a feeling this was coming.”
“Obviously, I would still like to keep you as my assistant,” I told him. “You’ll just be working a lot less. You’ll have a chance to live your life. Are you still seeing that woman in town?”
He smiled. “I am.”
“Then you’ll be staying,” I said.
“Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it,” he answered.
I chuckled. “Because you don’t think I’ll do it.”
“I think you’ve been under a lot of pressure and you might need a break.” He shrugged.
“I do need a break, but if I do manage to get Paisley back, I need to be here. I can’t be going back and forth. She’s going to need a parent at home.”
“I understand.” He nodded.
We went over a few things before he left my office and ultimately the house. Retirement was a scary prospect, but my priorities had changed. I didn’t care if I kicked ass in the boardroom. I didn’t want to put on a suit and tie and focus on making more money. I wanted to hang out in my garden out back. I wanted to learn how to make breakfast for Paisley. And of course, I wanted to spend time with Catherine. I’d done the corporate thing. I’d made money, and now I wanted to enjoy the fruits of my labors.
My absolute top priority was getting Regina to give up Paisley. I needed to find a way to convince her that she could live her life doing whatever she wanted if Paisley lived with me. It was good to know Catherine would be around to help. And Paisley liked Catherine. I could give her the home she needed to be healthy and happy.
I looked at my watch. Catherine should be here any minute. I couldn’t wait to share the news of my decision with her. I assumed she was going to be happy. We talked about our future a little, and it did make me think she wanted to spend more time with me.
I heard her truck pull up and went to the front door to greet her. She walked toward me with an expression on her face that didn’t quite match my excitement at seeing her.
“What’s wrong?” I asked softly, reaching out to gently touch her arm. “Did the meeting go badly?”
She walked inside. I took her bag and left it at the foot of the stairs.
“Come with me,” I said and led her into the sitting room right off the foyer. “What’s wrong?”
Catherine sighed, her shoulders slumping as she met my gaze. “I just spoke to Paisley on the phone,” she said with sadness in her voice. “She thinks you sent her away.”
My heart plummeted at her words, a surge of anger and frustration coursing through me. Regina was not only keeping Paisley from me but poisoning her mind with lies as well. I cursed and rubbed my face. Regina was infuriating.
“She’s not supposed to have a phone right now,” I replied, my jaw clenched with frustration. “Regina told me that’s why I couldn’t talk to her.”
“She’s a teenage girl,” Catherine said. “It would take a force of nature to keep her from a phone.”
“True,” I muttered.
“You haven’t spoken to Paisley since Regina took her?” Catherine asked. “At all?”
I shook my head, my stomach churning with guilt at the realization of how much I had failed Paisley. “No,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I thought she would call me. I have asked Regina several times to let me talk to her, but she always has a reason why she can’t.”
“I’m sorry,” Catherine said. “It’s such a mess.”
Regina’s manipulation knew no bounds. I couldn’t bear the thought of Paisley suffering because of it. She must hate me. I hated that she thought I sent her away. “I should have known,” I said.
“She asked me to talk to you,” Catherine said. “She promised to be good.”
I groaned and actually bent forward in physical pain. “I hate that woman. I cannot fathom how I ever thought I loved her. Why in the hell did I marry her?”
“I’m sure she was different when she was trying to reel you in.”
“She was,” I agreed. “I should have known.”
“But you did get to be in Paisley’s life,” she reminded me.
“I guess that made it worth it.” I gave her a kiss. “The chef made dinner. We should eat it while it’s hot. Have a seat and I’ll go get it.”
“I can help.”
“No. Sit. I’m sure he’s dished everything up. I’ll be back.”
As expected, the chef had prepared two plates and left them in the warming oven for us. I grabbed them and carried them to the dining room. Catherine was at the bar in the corner, pulling a bottle of wine from the wine fridge. “Red?” she asked.
“Perfect.” I nodded.
We sat down to dinner, but I couldn’t shake the thoughts of Paisley believing I sent her away. I had to find a way to get a message to her. Maybe I could fly over there and talk to her. That might be the only option.
I didn’t want to bring Catherine down. She had already been patient enough. “How was the house?” I asked her.
Catherine gave a soft sigh, running a hand through her golden hair. “It’s beautiful. Rather, it will be beautiful. The owner wanted to gut it. He’s upset that the Historical Society has forbidden such things.”
“He didn’t know that when he bought it?” I asked.
“Apparently not,” she laughed. “I think I’ve talked him off the ledge. I’m going to put a bid together for him. It certainly needs some work.”
“But of course you’re the woman for the job,” I teased.
She chuckled, her eyes sparkling at the compliment. “Well, I certainly hope so.”
I was glad she seemed to be enjoying the challenge of the house, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Paisley. “Do you think you’ll get the job?”
“I’m not sure.” She shrugged. “The man is a little different.”
“Different?”
“He seems like he doesn’t want the house,” Catherine said. “It’s a beautiful house in a gorgeous neighborhood. The kitchen is a little dark and very outdated, but it can be fixed up. He just doesn’t see the potential. He seemed upset I don’t have one of those fancy programs that produces real images. I have a feeling he’s going to be a difficult client. He’s going to try and push the limits. I hope he knows I’m not going to go against the Historical Society rules.”
“He sounds... interesting,” I commented, trying to hide the hint of jealousy that simmered beneath the surface.
Catherine chuckled softly, a playful gleam dancing in her eyes as she met my gaze. “Jealous, are we?” she teased, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips.
I laughed, appreciating her teasing. “Well, I hate to break it to you, but I’m the best you’re going to get.”
Catherine laughed. For a moment, it felt as if we were back to our old selves, bantering and teasing as if nothing had changed. Like there wasn’t a huge weight on my shoulders.
“I guess I’ll just have to settle,” Catherine joked.
After dinner, we retreated to the media room on the second floor and scrolled through a selection of movies. She looked so right in my house. I wanted her to stay forever. She looked over at me and smiled. “So? Kill them all or a happily ever after?”
“Let’s go with happily ever after,” I replied, my gaze meeting hers. She looked at me for a moment longer, her smile deepening.
“I thought so. We could use a little cheesiness in our lives.”
We settled in on the plush leather couch, her legs draped over mine as she nestled against my side. Her body felt so right snuggled against mine.
“Are you happy, Catherine?” I asked, unable to keep the uncertainty out of my voice.
She turned to look at me with some concern in her eyes. “Of course I am,” she replied.
In that moment, I couldn’t help but imagine a future with her in it, a future where she was by my side through thick and thin. Someone who wanted me for me, not for my wealth or social standing or lineage. Just me.
“Are you happy?” she asked.
“When you’re with me like this, yes.” I nodded.
“It’s going to be okay,” she said with a smile. “Stay positive. Don’t let Regina win. If you’re stressed out and miserable, she wins.
She was right. Regina had done enough damage; it was time to reclaim my happiness. Two hours later, as Catherine snoozed lightly against my chest, I couldn’t help but smile. She never seemed to make it through a whole movie. I wasn’t sure why she bothered to spend so much time picking one when we both knew she wasn’t going to see the ending. But I didn’t mind.
“Hey,” I whispered as the credits rolled. “Let’s go to bed.”
She murmured something, sat up, and looked around. “Did I fall asleep?”
I laughed. “You did.”
“Dangit.”
“Come on, let’s go to bed.”