Chapter Twenty-Four
Timothy
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T HE PARTY WAS IN FULL swing, and I found myself enjoying the lively atmosphere. Usually, I hated these things. I hated the pretentious nature and all the schmoozing, but it was actually nice. The weather was perfect. It couldn’t have been better. Laughter and conversation filled the air as guests mingled and enjoyed the festivities.
I wondered if it was Regina who had made everything so bad. I’d thought I hated parties, but maybe not. I hated the way she made me feel when we were at parties. She was always so obnoxious, dragging me from one group of people to the next. She was the socialite. I was the unwilling partner dragged to every party she received an invitation to.
But now she was out of the picture, and I was here with people who were mostly good. Bennet was smiling more. The usually brooding man was no longer brooding but rather enthusiastically dancing with Bella.
I glanced over at Catherine. She was talking with Amber and appeared to be enjoying herself. I knew she had been a little nervous, but she was settling in. So far, everyone seemed to be very accepting of her.
I found myself drawn to Catherine once again. “Hi.” She smiled.
“Hi, yourself.”
“Everything okay?” she asked with her hand automatically reaching for mine.
“Yes. I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“I’m going to find Luke,” Amber declared.
I ran my hand up Catherine’s arm. “What do you think of your first party in the Hamptons?” I asked.
“I think it’s much more enjoyable than I’d anticipated,” she replied with a grin. “Though I believe it’s your company that makes it better.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” I told her. “You make everything better, Catherine.”
She blushed prettily. “I’m just glad everyone seems to be having a good time.”
“Everyone except for your dad,” I said. “He’s been brooding in the living room.”
“I know,” she sighed. “I’ve talked to him a couple of times, but he says he’s fine. I think he just feels out of place.”
I heard laughter and turned to see where it was coming from. I immediately spotted Marcy. She was one of the women who lived out here full-time. She was a kind and gracious widow who was very popular in the neighborhood. Despite never having had children of her own, Marcy had played a significant role in Paisley’s life when she was younger.
“I’d like to introduce you to someone,” I said.
I offered my arm to Catherine and led her over to where Marcy was standing, laughing with a few other women. As we approached, Marcy’s gaze landed on us.
Her face lit up. “Well, if it isn’t Timothy!” she exclaimed. “I thought you were going to hide all night.”
“Not tonight, Marcy.”
“And who is this lovely lady you have with you?” Marcy asked.
“Marcy, I’d like you to meet Catherine.”
“Catherine.” Marcy’s eyes sparkled as she shook Catherine’s hand. “It’s a true pleasure to meet you, dear.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Catherine smiled.
“You make a very handsome couple,” Marcy said. “What are your plans for the future?”
Catherine laughed nervously. “I don’t know.”
“You two will have beautiful children,” Marcy said.
I almost choked on my tongue. “I think we might be getting ahead of ourselves there, Marcy,” I managed to respond with a strained laugh. Catherine’s face was a pretty shade of pink.
Marcy gave a hearty laugh, patting my arm affectionately. “Oh, Timothy. Always so cautious. You don’t need to be shy about your feelings, dear. I was young once.”
“Marcy,” I began, trying to divert the conversation away from the topic of children. I wasn’t sure Catherine was ready for such a leap in our relationship, which was still fairly new.
Luckily, Marcy seemed to catch on to my discomfort. “All right, I’ll leave it alone. But when the time comes, I can’t wait to see your beautiful babies.”
We moved on from Marcy and her cackling ladies. “We should introduce her to my dad,” Catherine said. “She’s a very kind, funny woman with spunk. That’s what my dad needs.”
“I agree,” I said. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“Catherine!” Amber called out.
“Go,” I said when she looked back at me. “I’ll find you in a bit.”
I decided to go check on John. He had managed to move out to one of the couches on the covered patio. I was determined to coax him out of his funk. He was grumpy, but I could tell it was more about his stubborn refusal to relax and enjoy himself than any physical discomfort. I felt bad for the guy. He was used to moving around without restrictions. Catherine had made it clear he was to avoid alcohol and some of the food. That was a party killer.
“Hey, John,” I said and sat at the opposite end of the couch. “Enjoying yourself?”
“Hardly,” he grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. “Everyone’s so damn chipper.”
I chuckled, leaning back against the plush cushions of the couch. “Well, it is a party. People are supposed to be happy.”
John sighed heavily, ruffling his graying hair with one hand. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Suddenly, Catherine appeared from within the throng of guests, her eyes sparkling with merriment. A slice of lemon cake was balanced on a plate in her hands as she made her way toward us.
“Dad,” she said brightly, offering him the treat. “Try some of this cake.”
“Am I allowed?” he muttered.
“Yes. You’ve been doing so good all week. I’ll get you some milk to wash it down with.”
John grumbled, but a spark of excitement was evident in his eyes as he accepted the plate. He hadn’t indulged his sweet tooth for weeks now, and the thought of lemon cake was clearly enticing. “Don’t forget the fork, Catherine.”
She promptly handed him a fork and then disappeared back into the crowd. A moment later, she emerged with a glass of milk.
“Thanks,” he said.
“Did you like the beach?” I asked him.
“I did,” he admitted. “I wish I could spend a little more time out there. You know, they don’t tell you that even though you get old, your brain is still young. I feel like I’m thirty. When I look in the mirror and see this old face, I don’t get it.”
I nodded understandingly. “Age is just a number, right? It’s how you feel that counts.”
He managed a small smile at my words. “Except I think I should feel good but my body says otherwise. I’m weak as a kitten.”
“You had a heart attack,” I reminded him. “It’s a miracle you’re alive at all.”
“That’s true,” he replied, taking a bite of his cake. His face immediately broke into a grin. “This is damn good,” he remarked.
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his enthusiasm. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
I was watching Catherine move through the crowd. She was a natural at the mingling thing, but unlike Regina, she wasn’t trying to dominate the party. She was talking, laughing, and being a good hostess. I noticed her talking to Marcy at one point. I didn’t think anything of it until Marcy approached us.
“Who’s your friend?” Marcy asked.
“Marcy, this is John, Catherine’s father. John, this is Marcy. She’s a local around here.”
Marcy sat down in one of the chairs. “What are you two doing sitting over here? The party is out there, boys.”
“John was just taking a little breather,” I said.
Marcy cocked her head to the side. “Are you feeling okay, John?”
“I’m fine. Just a little under the weather.”
“John had some heart problems recently,” I said as tactfully as I could. “Dancing isn’t really on the menu for him tonight.”
“Oh my,” Marcy said with concern. “Should you be eating cake?”
“It’s about the only thing besides cardboard that I’ve been allowed to eat,” John replied.
Marcy chuckled. “Oh no, you’re on the low sodium diet?”
“Yes,” John sighed. “I love salt, you know—sprinkled generously over chips, seasoning a juicy steak. Now all I get is tasteless mash and boiled vegetables.”
Marcy gave a sympathetic nod. “You poor thing. My late husband had to go on that diet too after his bypass surgery. He hated it.”
John chuckled lowly, taking another bite of his cake. I couldn’t help but find the whole exchange amusing.
“I know a few tricks to get around that low salt thing,” Marcy said. “You sit tight, hon.”
She got up and disappeared into the house. I looked at John and grinned. “Sounds like someone likes you.”
“Shoot,” John said. “When you get to be my age, you get excited to find someone that can still form sentences and hopefully walk.”
“I have a feeling it’s more than that,” I told him.
Marcy returned with a plate of appetizers. I almost told him not to touch them, but Marcy started talking about how healthy they were.
The two of them got into a conversation about music and how the music at my party was too new for them. I quietly excused myself and left the two of them to talk. John was enjoying himself.
I hoped her caring presence would help lift John’s spirits. I found Catherine talking with Amber. “Did you do that?” I asked her.
“Do what?”
“Your dad and Marcy,” I said. “They seem to be hitting it off.”
Her face lit up. “Good! I just told her that was my dad. I didn’t put her up to anything.”
“She’s doting on him,” I said.
“Maybe it’s just what he needs,” Catherine suggested. “No doctor or nurse, just someone who knows what he’s going through and isn’t treating him like a patient.” She looked over at her father, and there was tender concern etched in her eyes. “I think he’s tired of feeling like he’s different. He doesn’t want me to be the one taking care of him. But maybe if it attracts a lady, he’ll be okay with someone fussing over him.”
“You’re a good daughter, Catherine. He’s lucky to have you.”
“I hope he knows that,” she laughed. “I like Marcy.”
“She’s a good lady. She practically claimed Paisley the moment she met her. Marcy never cared for Regina and vice versa. Marcy’s money came from her late husband, who had busted his butt to earn it. She grew up poor in West Virginia. She’s not like a lot of the other wealthy people around here. She’s very down to earth.”
“Yes, I noticed that,” Catherine said, watching her father talking animatedly with Marcy. “She’s refreshingly genuine. That is something my dad is going to be drawn to.”
“Doesn’t hurt she’s easy on the eyes,” I added.
We both stood there in silence for a little while, watching the party progress before us. Couples were swaying on the portable dance floor. Eventually, Catherine was pulled away once again. Paisley found me a bit later. “Hey,” she said with excitement in her eyes. “Everything is ready.”
“Good job,” I said and put up my hand for a high-five.
“Are you ready?” she asked. “Are you going to chicken out?”
“I’m not going to chicken out,” I said. “This ring has been burning a hole in my pocket all night.”
“And the plan is still on?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
She gave me a gentle push. “Then what are you waiting for?”
“I’m not going to back out,” I assured her. “You’ll tell everyone to be ready?”
“Yep.” She nodded.
I took a deep breath. “Then I’m going to find Catherine. Make sure we have a little privacy.”
“I know, I know.” she nodded.
I walked away, feeling my heart kick up a notch. I scanned the crowd for Catherine. Of course, the one time I needed to find her, she was nowhere to be found. I had planned the proposal right down to the last detail. Paisley had really done most of the planning. The girl had watched way too many romantic movies. If she had her way, there would have been fireworks, a skywriting plane, and a jumbotron. I had insisted on something a little less dramatic.
Finally, I spotted Catherine. She was tucked away in a corner of the garden, bathed in the soft glow of the fairy lights and talking to an elderly couple from the neighborhood. I didn’t want to interrupt their conversation, so I waited nearby and tried to calm my racing heart.
I waited until she noticed me watching her. She quietly excused herself and made her way to me.
It was showtime.