Chapter Twenty-Seven
Timothy
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T HE SUN WAS WARM AGAINST my skin as I sat on the beach, the sound of the waves lulling me into a state of relaxation. John was beside me, his gaze fixed on the horizon as he soaked in the beauty of the ocean in the beach chair. It was a rare moment of tranquility for both of us, and I cherished it. It was peaceful. Most of the summer people had gone home, leaving the beach nice and empty.
The party had been a success. We were supposed to leave yesterday, but Catherine wanted to stay another day. John was enjoying himself, and the ocean air seemed to being doing wonders for him. It wasn’t like I had anything to do. If it helped John heal faster, I’d stay a week. A month. I was happy. Truly happy. The feeling was strange. I thought I had known happiness before, but this was different. This was true happiness.
As we sat in companionable silence, Catherine approached us, her smile radiant as she joined us on the sand. She spread out a blanket and stretched out with her sunglasses on.
“Dad, how come you didn’t tell me about the proposal?” she asked, half-joking.
“It’s called a surprise, Catherine,” John answered with exasperation.
“But you could have given me a hint.”
“Yes, I could have,” he replied. “But that would have ruined the surprise.”
“What else have the two of you talked about?” she asked.
“None of your business Miss Nosy,” I teased.
“She’s never been good at waiting for things,” John said. “You should see her on Christmas. I had to hide her gifts to keep her from ripping them open.”
“She doesn’t have a lot of patience, does she?” I asked with a smile.
Catherine lowered her sunglasses and looked at me. We both knew what I was talking about.
“I just think there are a lot of things that need to happen on any given day,” Catherine retorted. “No need to be waiting around.”
I listened as she and her father argued about not being in a rush. It warmed my heart to see them together, their bond stronger than ever. It was clear John was feeling more like his old self. That was a good sign. I knew it was a huge weight off Catherine’s shoulders as well.
“I’m glad you two have figured out how to get along,” Catherine said. “You are both a couple of grumpy old farts.”
“I’m not old,” I retorted.
“Older than me,” she countered.
I couldn’t help but smile, knowing that our relationship had come a long way since the early days of awkwardness and tension.
“Now that you have finally found the right guy, I have to stay healthy,” John said.
“What do you mean?” Catherine asked.
“I want to be around for my future grandchildren. I want to see Paisley graduate high school. Can’t do that if I’m six feet under.”
“Agreed,” Catherine said. “It’s not like I haven’t been telling you that for years.”
John grumbled at Catherine’s response, but there was a slight glint in his eyes, revealing the fatherly love he tried so hard to hide under his rough exterior. The banter between them was natural and filled with affection.
“What about your future husband?” John said.
My ears perked up. “What about me?”
“You’re not exactly a spring chicken,” John said. “She better get you on a diet now.”
I laughed and patted my flat stomach. “I’m good.”
“He eats a lot better than you, Dad,” Catherine chimed in. “And he runs.”
“I’m not exactly a couch potato,” John retorted.
“We can start running in the morning,” I offered.
“If we’re going to be living at the manor, you can use Timothy’s treadmill.”
“Oh, I see how it is. You two will gang up on me now,” John grumbled good-naturedly, his eyes twinkling with mirth.
“Of course, Dad,” Catherine replied. “It’s all out of love.”
As I listened to their conversation, I felt a sense of gratitude wash over me. I was grateful for the love and support of Catherine and her family and for the opportunity to build a future with the woman I loved.
“Hey, guys!” Paisley called out. “I made sandwiches and stuff. We can have a picnic before we go home.”
She carried a picnic basket in one hand, and a six pack of soda in the other.
“Great idea, Paisley!” John said.
It was wonderful how easily he had accepted Paisley into his family. We each grabbed a sandwich and sat for a while, eating and talking about everything from school to work to future plans.
Eventually, the conversation turned back to me and Catherine. “So when’s the wedding?” Paisley asked curiously, looking between the two of us.
Catherine laughed. “We’ve been engaged for five minutes. I don’t think I’ve even had a chance to register any of it yet.”
“We have time,” I said.
“What kind of wedding are you going to have?” Paisley pressed.
I glanced over at Catherine and could see she was a little uncomfortable with the subject. “We haven’t talked about it,” I said.
“But we will,” Catherine added, giving Paisley a reassuring smile. “I promise.”
“Do you think it will be a big wedding?”
Clearly, Paisley wasn’t going to drop the subject.
“I honestly don’t know,” Catherine said.
John sat quietly eating his sandwich. I wondered if he felt obligated to pay for the wedding. I hoped not. That would just be silly considering my wealth.
“Paisley, did you pack yet?” I asked her.
“Already did it.” She shrugged.
After our picnic, it was time to go. I loaded up the car and helped John into Catherine’s truck. She followed me down the driveway, leaving the Hamptons behind. I knew it was going to be a special place for us. I hoped we would get to visit often.
I was looking forward to getting home. Catherine would soon be joining me at the house. I hoped it would be this week. I didn’t want to wait another day. I had just been giving her shit about not having patience, and now I was the one that couldn’t wait to get started with our lives together.
“I think she liked the ring,” Paisley said from beside me.
“I know she did.” I nodded. “You did good.”
“It wasn’t me,” she laughed. “You totally picked that one out on your own.”
“With your advice.”
“When are they going to move in?” she asked.
I glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing her in her truck behind me. “I’m not sure. I hope soon. John was a little hesitant, but I hope he’ll be ready to jump right in.”
“His room is ready.”
“I know, but I’m not sure his pride is,” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s just not feeling all that comfortable about staying with us,” I explained. “He’s an independent man and not used to taking help from anyone.”
“That’s silly,” she chided. “We’re family.”
“I know, but old habits die hard,” I said. “He’s always been the one to give, not take.”
Paisley was silent for a moment, her brow furrowed as she mulled over what I’d said. “Well, we’re just going to have to show him that family means being there for each other, no matter what,” she declared finally.
I chuckled at her determination, my heart swelling with love for this compassionate child. “You’re absolutely right, sweetheart,” I said with a nod.
As we drove along the picturesque coastal route, the sun began to set. Our perfect weekend was over. I hoped it would translate into perfect years ahead. When we got back to Sleepy Hollow, I honked once and waved as Catherine and her father drove on to her house while we turned to go up to ours.
“I can’t wait until we all get to go back to the same house,” Paisley said.
“Me too.”
When we got to the house, Paisley dragged her stuff upstairs. I knew I probably wouldn’t see her for the rest of the night. I meandered through the house, realizing it was way too big for me and Paisley. I truly hoped Catherine and John would join us soon. I wanted to hear laughter and conversation. I wanted the warmth that came with having people in the house.
I had just sat down on the couch when my phone rang. I smiled, assuming it was Catherine letting me know she got home.
But it wasn’t.
Regina.
“Yes, Regina,” I answered.
“You’re marrying the whore!”
I let out a long sigh. “Yes, I am. She’s not a whore. You need to quit talking about her like that. She’s a good woman, and Paisley likes her. Don’t you dare pull any of your shit.”
“But I—” Regina started, but I cut her off.
“No, Regina. This is where you listen. Catherine is a wonderful woman, and she’s going to be a great stepmother to Paisley. She doesn’t deserve your rudeness.”
There was silence on the other line. “Don’t expect me to like her.”
“You don’t have to like her,” I said firmly. “But for Paisley’s sake, you need to respect her. And please, don’t take out your jealousy and frustration on Paisley.”
I had no doubt someone at the party had called her to gossip about my engagement. I had expected as much.
“I was just calling to tell you I’m going to be traveling for a while,” she said in a haughty voice. “You can keep Paisley. My new boyfriend doesn’t want kids. We’re going to Prague and then Paris for a while. He owns an airline. He’s going to make me very happy.”
I rolled my eyes. He was going to make her bank account very happy. When she divorced him a couple years down the road, she was going to end up owning half of his airline.
Poor dude.
“Good,” I said. “Congratulations. Goodbye, Regina.”
I ended the call before she could say anything else. I hoped she would stay occupied with the new guy. That would be the best thing to happen to all of us.