Chapter Four
Catherine
––––––––
I BUSIED MYSELF WITH the tile work in the master bathroom for my own house. Tile work was not my favorite, but I couldn’t afford to pay anyone. I had watched enough of the subcontractors do it to figure it out on my own. I spread the mortar and began to place the tile, putting in the spacers and laying another piece. It was satisfying to see it all come together.
My phone rang, pulling me from my project. I glanced over and saw it was Henry. I had sent my bid yesterday and heard nothing. I thought maybe he’d decided it was too much. I cleared my throat and prepared to sound professional.
“This is Catherine,” I answered.
“Catherine, it’s Henry.”
“Hi.” I smiled, trying to sound cool. I was nervous. If he rejected my bid, it could actually damage my reputation. I was honored to be one of the preferred contractors. If I kept getting rejected, that wasn’t going to bode well for my future.
“I was just calling to let you know I’ve reviewed your bid and I like what I see. I’d like to take you out to lunch and we can go over the details.”
I hesitated. I had a feeling this was going to be an issue. When I was at his house the other day, he did give me some flirty vibes. It wasn’t unheard for me to be hit on, but usually it was by the contractors.
“I’m sorry, but that’s not something I normally do,” I said. “I can have my subcontractors out there tomorrow. They’re ready for the job.”
He chuckled. “All right, I can accept your rejection this one time.”
“I’m a professional, Henry,” I told him again. “I look forward to working with you. I’ll send over the contracts, and we’ll get started.”
After I ended the call, I couldn’t help but celebrate just a little. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the place. After a little happy dance, I washed my hands and headed back downstairs to make the phone calls to the subcontractors and put together the contract for the project. I sent it off to him and then headed back upstairs to finish the tile.
I tried to focus on the task at hand, but the memory of Paisley’s phone call kept intruding upon my thoughts. I wanted to butt in, to intervene in the situation with Regina and Timothy. It pained me to see them both hurting, and I hated that Regina was causing Timothy so much distress. But would he be angry if he found out I had tried to help? I couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty that gnawed at me.
I finished the tile work and decided to call Amber and give her the good news.
When she answered, my excitement bubbled over. “I got it!”
“You got what?” she asked.
“The renovation!”
“No way!” she squealed. “Seriously?”
“Yep. We’re starting tomorrow.”
“Good job. I wasn’t worried. After Timothy’s job, you have proven yourself. I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks,” I said, letting myself have a few moments of joy.
“How are things going with Timothy?” she asked.
“Good. Really good. Except...”
“Except you’re both still feeling guilty about Paisley,” she said.
“Yes. I just don’t know how to shake it off. I don’t know how to help Timothy. Part of me feels like he might ultimately end up resenting me. He might blame me for Regina taking Paisley.”
“How could it possibly be your fault?”
“If I hadn’t gone to the gala, she would have gotten what she wanted. Timothy said she was planning on going back to Germany the next day. She would have left Paisley. But I showed up, and he left with me. It embarrassed Regina, and she got back at him by doing what she did.”
Amber was silent for a while. I knew she was thinking about what to say. She had talked me into going to the gala. Not that I blamed her. I was a big girl, and I made my own decisions.
“You can’t let that bother you,” she finally said. “Guilty feelings are hard to just dismiss. But remember, you’re not responsible for Paisley’s happiness or unhappiness. You didn’t do anything wrong. You shouldn’t have to try and make decisions about what makes you happy based on what makes Regina unhappy.”
“But I still feel like I’ve done something wrong...”
“You’ve done nothing wrong,” she insisted. “It’s that woman. She’s done this. I know you guys are trying your hardest to get that girl back, but just remember you have a life to live as well.”
“I know.”
“How is Timothy?”
“He’s not taking it well at all,” I said. “I think partly because he’s so used to being in control. This is grating on his nerves. Plus, he truly loves Paisley. He knows he’s a better option for her.”
“I have faith it will work out,” Amber said.
We talked a bit longer before we hung up. I looked around the house, seeing all the things I needed to get done but finding I didn’t have the energy to do it. With the new project, I was going to be busy for weeks. It was a good time to check in with my dad.
I grabbed my purse and headed to his shop, hoping to find some distraction from my swirling thoughts. And I wanted to share the good news. When I got to the shop, I found my dad hunched over his workbench.
“Hey.” He smiled when he saw me. “What brings you by? More material?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I was just stopping by to tell you I heard back from Henry, the owner of the house.”
“And?”
I grinned. “I got it.”
He chuckled. “Of course you did. When do you start?”
“I’m sending the contractors over tomorrow. I want to get started as soon as possible.”
“Are you feeling any better about the guy?”
I shrugged. “He’s all right. Flirty, but I’m not going to worry about it.”
“If you weren’t so beautiful, you wouldn’t have to worry about these things,” he teased.
“Very funny. Did you eat your lunch?”
“Yes.”
“Da-a-d,” I warned. “You didn’t eat one of those salads I delivered, did you?”
He mumbled something that wasn’t a yes or no.
“Dad, I swear, I’m going to have to be here to make sure you eat the good stuff at every meal.”
“I’m not a rabbit,” he said. “I’m a man. I need more than lettuce.”
“There was ham and turkey,” I told him. “And boiled eggs. You like that stuff.”
“I like ham and turkey in a sandwich,” he corrected. “Bread. Mayo. Cheese.”
“You have to take care of yourself,” I said.
“I take care of myself just fine,” he retorted.
“Let’s go for a walk,” I suggested. “It’s a nice day. Hard telling how many more nice days we’ll have. I heard we’re supposed to have a rough winter.”
“They say that every year.”
“Come on, let’s walk.” I was going to do all I could to keep him healthy.
“What do you have up your sleeve?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
I wanted to talk to him about Timothy and Paisley, but I knew he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of me being with Timothy. He tolerated him, but I knew my dad expected Timothy to break my heart.
“All right,” he said. “Let’s go for a walk.”
We walked down the street.
“Do you have big plans for the house?” Dad asked.
“I do.” I nodded. “I have a feeling my client is going to push back a little. He likes the modern look. It’ll probably end up just being flipped.”
“But at least it’s protected by the historical guidelines,” he said.
“Yes. Thank goodness. I have a feeling he’s going to challenge me every step of the way.”
“What contractors did you bring on?”
I quickly gave him the rundown. “He did have an inspection report that gives us a better look at what we can’t see. I did get a look at the electric panel. That’s a nightmare.”
“Hire Luke,” he said. “He’s a good electrician. And he respects you. He’ll keep the other contractors in line.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his suggestion. “Eat that salad, and I’ll do it,” I replied, extending my hand for him to shake.
He rolled his eyes in mock exasperation before shaking my hand. “Fine,” he said. “But I’m putting ranch on it. That crap you gave me is nasty.”
“Fine, ranch, but you can’t drown the lettuce in it.”
He muttered under his breath.
“Dad, you know the rules,” I laughed, nudging him with my elbow.
“I know, I know,” he grumbled. “Fine print and all that.”
We continued our walk in comfortable silence while I mulled over my thoughts. Bringing Luke onto the jobsite wasn’t exactly an exciting prospect. He flirted with me as well. But he was respectful. And he was a nice guy.
“How’s work going on your house?” Dad asked.
“It’s going...slow,” I confessed, a sigh slipping past my lips. “I’ve spent so much time focusing on other projects that I’ve neglected my own place.”
“I could have told you that,” Dad countered, giving me a gentle nudge with his elbow. “Why don’t you hire some help? Isn’t that what you’re always suggesting to your clients?”
“Dad, it’s not that simple. It’s not just about having the personnel; it’s about having the time to manage them,” I said, frustration lingering in my tone. “And I want to do it on my own.”
He chuckled. “Of course you do. But you’re going to need some help.”
“Luke has offered, and I will be taking it from him when I get to that point.”
“Well, that’s wise of you,” he said, his eyes twinkling with approval. “Luke’s good people.”
“Yes, he is,” I agreed, pursing my lips in a tight smile. “But stop trying to play matchmaker. Luke and I are friends. Nothing more.”
“Don’t you worry that Timothy might just not be the right one?” he asked. “That man has one foot here and another foot in New York and another one with his ex.”
“He only has two feet,” I said dryly.
“And you know what I mean. You’re the type to settle down. He’s not ready for that. Not yet.”
“I know, Dad. I understand what you’re trying to say,” I sighed. “But Timothy and I... We’re just figuring things out. It’s complicated.”
“Love shouldn’t be so complicated,” he retorted. “Take it from an old man who knows a thing or two about love. When it’s right, it’s simple.”
“Things aren’t always black and white, Dad.”
He gave me a thoughtful look before patting my hand. “No, they aren’t, sweetheart. But sometimes, we create the gray areas because we don’t want to face the truth.”
I paused before answering, his words sinking in. “Maybe you’re right,” I said quietly. “But right now, the gray area is where I need to be.”
He nodded. “All right, just remember, even in the gray, you need to take care of yourself.”
“I will,” I assured him as we ended our walk and returned to the shop. “I’ll see you later. Eat that salad for dinner.”
“I will,” he said. “Thanks for looking out for me.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
I went home and returned to the bathroom to work on the tile. I hoped my dad would come around when it came to Timothy. It wasn’t that he didn’t like him, he was just a little leery. He was convinced Timothy was going to break my heart. Maybe he would, but that didn’t seem to deter me from wanting to enjoy the present. Maybe I only had him for a while. Maybe I would have him for the rest of my life. I wasn’t sure. That was half the fun.