Chapter Twenty-One
Timothy
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I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR , knowing Catherine wasn’t home but wanting to alert John I was coming in. I opened the door. “John? It’s Timothy.”
“In here,” I heard him call out.
I walked into the house and saw he was seated on the couch with his feet up on an ottoman. “Hey, John. I see you’ve been promoted to the couch.”
“The warden said I was a good boy,” he muttered.
“She’s taking good care of you,” I reminded him.
He opened his mouth and was about to say something when he stopped. “What do I smell?”
“I checked the fat content and everything else,” I said.
“Checked the fat content on what?”
“I brought you some lunch,” I said, keeping my voice low just in case Catherine had the place bugged.
“What is it?”
“It’s a grilled chicken sandwich, sweet potato fries, and a Diet Coke,” I said.
“Bless you, my child,” he sighed.
I handed him the bag and soda and took a seat in one of the chairs. I looked around the living room, appreciating the progress Catherine had made on the place. The goal was to get it into move-in condition for John. At least, that had been the goal. I wasn’t sure what was going on now. With his health, it was going to be hard to leave him alone. I understood that.
I pulled out my own chicken sandwich and leaned back in the chair. John was tearing through his like he hadn’t eaten in a month.
“You know, John,” I began, breaking the comfortable silence between us, “I’ve been thinking a lot lately.”
John glanced up from his sandwich, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. “Oh? What about?”
I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. This was a conversation I had been rehearsing in my mind for days, and now that the moment was finally here, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of nervousness.
“I want to marry Catherine,” I blurted out, my words tumbling out in a rush. “I know she doesn’t need anyone to take care of her, but I want to be with her, John. I want the honor of calling her my wife. I want to take care of her. I love her. She’s the only woman I want to be with. I’d like to have your permission.”
John’s expression softened at my words. He put his sandwich down, giving me his full attention. “Well, Timothy, why on earth do you need my permission to marry my daughter? Last I checked, she’s a grown woman capable of making her own decisions. This is not the Dark Ages. I don’t expect you to give me a couple of goats for her. I don’t think I’ve had a say in what Catherine does in fifteen years.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at John’s response. Leave it to him to cut straight to the heart of the matter. But I knew there was more to his question than just a simple refusal to give consent.
“I know, John,” I said earnestly, meeting his gaze. “But you mean a lot to Catherine, and your opinion matters to her. I want you to be a part of this decision, to know that I respect and value your relationship with her. I know you and I have had our differences. “
“Because I didn’t think you were in it for the long run,” he said. “I didn’t want her to be jerked around or your weekend friend. She’s better than that.”
“I agree.” I nodded. “I don’t want that either. I truly do love her.”
“I can’t deny that you’re a good man, and Catherine seems to think the world of you. I’m warming up to the idea of you and her.”
He was joking, which I appreciated. “I know I have to prove myself, but I know I will. I am confident I’m the man that will make her happy.”
“Because you’re wealthy?”
“She doesn’t give a shit about my money,” I said. “My house, on the other hand—”
He laughed and nodded. “That’s very true. I want her to be happy. If you’re the man that makes her happy, so be it. I won’t stand in your way, but if you hurt her, I will find a way to kick your ass. I’m old and apparently feeble, but I’ll find a way.”
“You won’t need to kick my ass,” I assured him.
“Then you have my blessing.”
“Thank you, John,” I said sincerely, grateful for his understanding. “That means a lot to me.”
“Is that why you brought me the sandwich?” he asked. “Were you buttering me up?”
“Not at all,” I said.
He looked at me.
“Maybe a little.” I grinned.
John leaned back, studying me for a moment before speaking again. “So when do you plan on popping the question?”
I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to broach the subject. “Well, that’s the thing. I want to do it soon, but I need your help.”
John arched an eyebrow in curiosity. “My help? What for? Shoot, kid, I’m not sure how they do things in your circles, but usually the parents don’t need to be involved in every step.”
I liked his good humor. “Not quite.”
“Then what did you have in mind?”
I took a deep breath. “I want you to be there when I propose,” I said, meeting his gaze squarely. “I want you to share in that moment with us.”
A flicker of surprise crossed John’s face, followed by a thoughtful expression. “Well, I suppose I could do that,” he said slowly, considering my request.
“I want to do it in the Hamptons,” I said, carefully broaching the subject. “I’ve already asked Catherine to go. She’s hesitant, but she wants to go.”
“Won’t she suspect something if I suddenly show up in the Hamptons?” he asked. “I’m not exactly the kind of guy that keeps a summer house.”
“You’ll go with us,” I said. “We’ll say it’s so she can keep an eye on you.”
He rolled his eyes. “Why do I think I’m being played?”
“You’re not,” I assured him.
“Fine. I guess if you’re going to drag me to some lavish beach house, how can I say no?”
“I need your help keeping things quiet until the big moment. Can I count on you?”
John chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. “Yes, you can.”
With John’s support, I knew that my plans to propose to Catherine were one step closer to becoming a reality. And for that, I was grateful beyond words. John would grow to like me eventually. For him, actions spoke louder than words. I planned on spending every day of the rest of my life proving to him and Catherine that I loved her.
“I’d better get out of here,” I said. “I don’t want to get busted. I’ll take the evidence with me.”
I collected the trash and left the house. With John’s approval, it was time to talk to Paisley. Her opinion was just as important as John’s. I didn’t want her to think she was going to get pushed out after Catherine and I got married. If I was lucky, there would be kids. I didn’t want Paisley to feel like she wasn’t as important or as loved as my and Catherine’s children. Paisley needed to know I loved her like she was mine and she would always be important to me.
“Paisley?” I said, knocking on her door before stepping inside. She looked up from her book, a bright smile lighting up her face as she saw me.
“Hey, Dad!” she exclaimed, setting her book aside and sitting up eagerly. “What’s up?”
I loved that I was Dad again. I sat down on the edge of her bed. “I need to talk to you about something important,” I began, my voice more serious than usual.
Paisley’s expression fell. She shook her head. “No. Don’t you dare tell me I’m going back to boarding school.”
“Not that,” I assured her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
I offered her a reassuring smile, reaching out to take her hand in mine. “Nothing’s wrong, Paisley,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I wanted to talk to you about Catherine.”
Paisley’s eyes widened in surprise, and she leaned in closer, curiosity evident in her expression. “What about Catherine?” she asked eagerly.
I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts before continuing. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I’ve come to a decision. I want to ask Catherine to marry me.”
For a moment, Paisley just stared at me, her eyes wide with shock. Then slowly, a smile spread across her face, and she let out a delighted squeal, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug.
“Oh my gosh, that’s amazing!” she exclaimed, pulling back to look at me. “I’m so happy for you guys!”
Relief flooded through me at her reaction, and I couldn’t help but return her smile. “Thanks, Paisley,” I said, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. “I’m glad you’re happy about it.”
Paisley nodded eagerly, her eyes shining with excitement. “So when are you going to do it?” she asked, bouncing slightly on the bed.
“Well, that’s the thing,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. “I was hoping you could help me with that.”
Paisley’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “Of course!” she said, her voice brimming with excitement. “I’d love to help you with the proposal. What are you going to do? Skywriting? Lights?”
“Nothing quite so big,” I said. “I think Catherine would appreciate something more low-key.”
“Good point.” She nodded.
As we discussed ideas for the proposal, my thoughts drifted to Regina. I couldn’t help but wonder what she would think of all this, and if she would try to interfere in any way. Knowing Regina, she would. But maybe it would be the thing that made her realize we were never going to be together.
“Do you have a ring yet?” Paisley asked.
“No. Not yet. I was thinking you could help me pick something out.”
Her face lit up. “Really?”
“Yeah, you’re a girl. You should know what they like, right?”
She giggled. “What’s our budget?”
“Come on,” I said. “This is the ring I’m going to give the woman I love in order to convince her to marry me. The woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
Her face lit up. “So no budget.”
“Right, no budget,” I agreed, grinning at her excitement.
She hopped off the bed and grabbed her laptop. The next few hours flew by in a whirlwind. Paisley pulled up a website. “Are you thinking diamond? Or are you going to be different?”
“Different?”
“Rubies, sapphires, emeralds,” she said. “Something different from what you gave my mom.”
“Are you okay with this?” I asked her.
“Yes, I am. I know you love Catherine. She’s nothing like my mom. I think she’ll make you happy. I like her. I would be happy to have her as my stepmom.”
“Good, because I know she will be happy to be your stepmom.”
“Okay, I think you need to give her something subtle and elegant but not huge. That just wouldn’t look good on her.”
“I agree,” I said. “I want her to be able to wear it at work.”
“So everyone knows she’s taken,” she teased.
“Yes.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s so dated.”
“Whatever,” I laughed. “When it comes to your time to get engaged, trust me, you’re going to want a ring. I don’t care how dated the practice is.”