Page 62 of Hearts of Wealth

“Nice to meet you, Catherine.” Margot extended her hand with a warm smile. I smiled back and shook her hand while Charles nodded at me with a polite smile of his own.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“We can’t wait for the party tomorrow,” Margo said. “You always throw the best parties.”

Timothy chuckled. “I’m glad you like them. I think you guys might remember my daughter, Paisley. And this is John, Catherine’s father.”

We exchanged polite small talk before they found their own table.

I couldn’t explain the thrill I felt at being introduced as Timothy’s girlfriend. It made me proud.

It seemed like everyone knew him. Every single person stopped by the table to talk to him and mention the party. That part was a little intimidating. We ate dinner and talked about our trip to the beach earlier in the day. My dad had a little color in his cheeks, but I could see he was tired.

When we got back to the mansion, the atmosphere was buzzing with activity. Workers were setting up large tents and stringing lights.

“How long are they going to work?” I asked.

“I’m sure they’ll be leaving soon, but they’ll be back here first thing in the morning,” Timothy answered.

When we walked into the house, the first thing I noticed was the noise, including a laugh I recognized. I looked at Timothy. “Is there someone here?”

“Bennet must have shown up.”

We walked into one of the huge sitting rooms and discovered it wasn’t just Bennet. “Amber!” I exclaimed.

“Hey!” she smiled and rushed toward me. “Surprise!”

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I came with Luke.”

“Luke?” I asked.

Just then Luke and Bennet walked into the room from the patio. Another woman was there as well. I recognized her. She worked at the bank.

“Who’s that?” I whispered to Amber.

“That’s Bella,” Amber whispered back. “She and Bennet have been seeing each other for a couple of months now.”

I raised an eyebrow in surprise, watching as Bella happily chatted with Bennet. I was glad to see him taken by the vivacious brunette. I had always had a soft spot for Bennet and was happy to see him smiling.

“I didn’t know Bennet was seeing anyone,” I admitted.

“He likes to keep things private.” Timothy shrugged. “But she’s good for him. And it makes him want to stay in town.”

“And you and Luke seem to be hitting it off,” I said.

“Hey, when you get thrown off the horse, you have to get right back in the saddle.”

Amber had recently broken up with her boyfriend, and it seemed she wasn’t wasting any time. I was happy for them. Luke was a good guy.

“Dad, I’ll walk you to your room,” I said.

“I’d love to hang out with you kids, but I’m afraid my doting daughter is right,” he said. “I’m wiped out.”

“I’m going upstairs,” Paisley said.

I helped get my dad into bed and then rejoined the others. Timothy looked so relaxed. He was so different than the man I had met that first day.

“What are you thinking?” Timothy asked.

“I was thinking that next year we could spend some time here,” I said. “I think this place is good for the soul.”

His eyes lit up at the idea, and he nodded eagerly. “I would like that,” he said.

I leaned into him. “But you don’t have to throw a party every time.”

“I hope not,” he groaned.

“Good,” I chuckled, snuggling myself into the crook of his arm. “I don’t think I could survive another one so soon.”

Luke and Amber were playing a round of poker with Bella and Bennet. It was turning out to be a very nice weekend. A sudden surge of happiness washed over me as I realized how at home I felt with Timothy. It didn’t matter that I was in a mansion. Timothy was all I needed.