Page 69 of Hearts of Wealth

“To my beautiful daughter Catherine and to Timothy,” he began, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. “May your hearts always be filled with love for each other. May you always find happiness in each other’s arms. And may your life together be full of joy, laughter, and many beautiful moments.”

Everyone raised their glasses as my father ended his toast. A chorus of “Cheers!” echoed through the crowd. The clinking of glasses filled the air as Timothy and I touched our glasses together, sharing a private smile before taking a sip of champagne.

As the night continued, more toasts were made, each one filled with heartfelt words and wishes for our future. My heart swelled with each passing moment, the reality seeping in deeper with every congratulatory hug and well-wish. I was engaged to the man I loved. I knew he was a catch. I was the lucky lady who’d managed to snare him.

Timothy held my hand throughout it all, his thumb gently rubbing over my knuckles in a comforting rhythm. His eyes never left mine. “I can’t believe we’re engaged,” he whispered into my ear.

“I know,” I answered.

“I can’t wait until we can be done with this party. I want to take you upstairs and celebrate in private.”

I smiled. “Me too.”

The party started to wind down with only a few people lingering. Timothy and I made our way into the house. We checked on Paisley, who was sound asleep in her room.

“The old people lasted longer than the teenager,” I giggled softly.

As we walked through the house, locking things up, we noticed my dad and Marcy sitting outside in the backyard, deep in conversation. I couldn’t help but smile. He needed a lady friend. I hoped they stayed in touch after we went home. I wanted my dad to be happy. He deserved to find a companion to live out the rest of his days with.

Amber and Luke had disappeared from the party about thirty minutes earlier. Bennet and Bella were in the living room watching a movie. After saying goodnight, we finally went to our room.