Page 12 of Hearts of Wealth

I had to stay calm. This was the anxious homeowner. It was the same scenario on almost every project we did.

“I understand your concern, Henry,” I said firmly, meeting his gaze head-on. “But for now, I’m just overseeing the project. I’ll be doing some of the complicated restorations during the finish work phase, but until then, I need to make sure everything is running smoothly. These are the best contractors in the business. Most of these people worked on the Gloriana Manor project. I’ve worked with them on countless projects. We all work well together. I trust them. You hired me because you trust me, so please, try not to worry.”

He didn’t seem satisfied with my explanation, his expression still filled with irritation as he crossed his arms over his chest. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, knowing that it wouldn’t do me any favors in this situation. He was a wealthy man, much like Timothy. Like Timothy, he was probably used to getting his own way. If I came on too strong, he would fire us.

“I’m going to need to research all these people,” he said. “I don’t know who they are. I want license numbers. I need to know if they are bonded. Insured.”

He was purposely being obstinate. I took a deep breath, debating how badly I wanted the job. The verbal abuse was not something I’d signed up for. Just then, I spotted Luke sauntering up to the house.

“I’ll start by introducing you to the electrician who I brought on to upgrade the panel,” I said. “We talked about redoing some of the wiring and replacing the outlets, right?”

I waved at Luke and gestured for him to come over. “Luke, I’d like to introduce you to the homeowner, Henry.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Henry,” Luke said and shook his hand.

Henry’s demeanor didn’t improve when he met Luke; in fact, he was downright rude to him right away.

“Credentials,” he demanded, crossing his arms and looking at Luke with an icy gaze that would have chilled anyone to the bone. But Luke, having seen his fair share of unpleasantness in his time, didn’t flinch.

“Of course,” he said coolly, pulling out his wallet and showing his license to Henry. “I’ve been an electrician for over ten years. I assure you, sir, I know what I’m doing.”

Henry squinted at the card as if expecting it to be counterfeit before handing it back and giving me a hard look. “I want to see everyone’s credentials. And their insurance details too.”

It was a difficult ask, yet not unreasonable. I nodded. “Understood. I’ll gather all the necessary documents for you.”

Henry didn’t look satisfied, but he reluctantly nodded. “Good. And I want regular updates on the project’s progress.”

“Of course,” I agreed. “I will keep you informed every step of the way.”

He grunted an answer and stomped off back toward his car, parked in the rubble-strewn driveway. Watching him go, I sighed before turning to Luke, who was watching the whole scene with a bemused smile.

“Fun guy,” he commented.

“Oh, he’s a real charmer,” I agreed.

I couldn’t hide my disappointment at his behavior, feeling a sense of frustration and indignation bubbling within me. When I brought these people onto a job, I was their boss. As their boss, I needed to protect them from Henry’s bad attitude.

“Don’t worry about it,” Luke said. “We’ve all dealt with assholes like him. It’s part of the job.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll show you inside.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I can find my way around. You don’t need to deal with that guy anymore. Guys like him get off on pushing ladies around. I was nice to him, and I will always be professional, but I don’t think he’s going to mess with me. It’s cool.”

“Okay.” I nodded. “I’ll be back later today. I need to get a few things.”

“I’ll keep an eye on things while you’re gone.”

I climbed into my truck and took a few minutes to catch my breath. Henry was a jerk. His attitude had left a sour taste in my mouth. I couldn’t help but wonder if I had made a mistake in taking on this project. My first meeting with him should have been a sign.

I drove away, going back to my house to pull the information on all the contractors. I was going to print everything out and hand it over to Henry. I was tempted to pull some of the reviews as well, just to prove my point that they were the best.

While at home, a sudden urge came over me. I was tired of people like Regina and Henry.

I took a moment to collect myself before pulling out my phone and dialing Regina’s number. I needed to talk to her, to see if there was any way we could resolve the situation with Timothy and Paisley.

“Hello,” Regina’s voice rang out.

“Regina, hi, it’s Catherine.”

“What do you want, Catherine?” she snapped, her voice laced with irritation.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation ahead. “I just wanted to see if we could talk about Timothy and Paisley,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

Regina scoffed, dismissing my concern. “Why should I talk to you about them?” she retorted. “It’s none of your business.”

I felt a surge of frustration at her response, but I refused to back down. “I just want to help,” I insisted, my voice tinged with desperation. “I care about Timothy and Paisley. They aren’t happy. I would like to try and work something out that will make everyone happy.”

Regina was silent for a moment. “Fine,” she said with disgust. “We can talk about it in person. I’ll be in New York next week.”

With that, she hung up, leaving me feeling more conflicted than ever. Should I tell Timothy about Regina’s upcoming visit? Part of me wanted to spare him the pain of seeing her again, but another part knew that he deserved to know the truth.

Before I could make a decision, my phone rang again. It was Luke, saying there was an issue at Henry’s house. With a sigh, I steeled myself for yet another challenge. I collected the information for the contractors and left the house once again.