Page 50 of Hearts of Wealth

“You always know how to make me feel better,” I murmured, leaning into his side as we walked.

As we wandered the streets, Timothy pointed out various landmarks and buildings. He listened intently while I gave him the history that I knew of.

“Would you like to go to the house for a bit?” he asked, his tone gentle. “Paisley’s sleeping over at a friend’s house tonight, so it’s just us.”

I hesitated for a moment, torn between the desire to spend more time with Timothy and the lingering worry about my dad.

“I don’t know.”

“Luke is there. He’s competent. If anything happens, he’ll call.”

He was right. I knew I didn’t need to go home and watch my father sleep. “Okay,” I agreed, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “I’d like that.”

Timothy’s face lit up with a smile as he led me back to his car. It was nice to be back at his house. I had actually missed the place.

“I’m glad you came,” Timothy said softly, his gaze meeting mine. “I know things have been tough lately, but I want you to know that I’m here for you, Catherine. Always.”

“That means a lot to me, thank you.”

“Should we watch a movie?” he asked.

“Sure.”

We went to the media room and settled in. The dim lighting and plush seating helped me to unwind. The tension from the past few week slowly melted away.

As the movie began to play, we fell into an easy conversation, discussing Timothy’s upcoming trip to the Hamptons.

“I wish you could come with me,” Timothy said, his gaze fixed on the screen. “It’s going to be a long weekend, and I’d love to have you there by my side.”

“I thought you didn’t like the Hamptons?”

“It’s not that I don’t like going there; it’s just a little pretentious.”

“Why are you going?” I asked.

“Because I got myself locked into hosting the end of the year party,” he sighed. “I can’t back out.”

The idea of spending a weekend away with him sounded like a dream. But then reality intruded, reminding me of the responsibilities I had at home.

“It sounds nice, but I can’t leave my dad alone for a while weekend.”

“Bring him,” he said. “It would be good for him as well. The beach is healing.”

“I want to go,” I admitted, my voice tinged with uncertainty. “But I don’t know if he will be up for it. He’s still recovering from the surgery, and I don’t want to leave him alone.”

Timothy reached out to take my hand, his touch grounding me. “Catherine, your dad is a grown man,” he reminded me gently. “He can make his own decisions. And besides, I’m sure he’d want you to go and enjoy yourself. If you going depends on him going, I bet you he will go. He wants you to have fun.”

I sighed, feeling torn between my desire to spend time with Timothy and my sense of duty to my dad. “I just wish he would take better care of himself,” I admitted, my voice tinged with frustration. “Then I wouldn’t have to worry about him so much.”

Timothy squeezed my hand reassuringly, his gaze meeting mine. “I understand,” he said softly. “But you can’t let your worries consume you. You deserve to have some time for yourself, Catherine. And if going to the Hamptons with me is what you want, then we’ll find a way to make it work.”

Timothy wasn’t trying to force or coax me; he simply wanted me to have some time for myself, and that was a comforting thought. I took a deep breath and nodded softly. “We’ll talk to him tomorrow,” I agreed, squeezing his hand in return. “Thank you, Timothy.”

His smile was warm and comforting as he nodded once. “Always, Catherine. There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh no,” I laughed. “I can only imagine what my father put you up to.”

“Why do you think it’s your dad that put me up to something?”