Page 24 of Hearts of Wealth

Catherine

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I WAS ANXIOUS TO SEE Paisley. Timothy had picked her up at the airport this morning. I had planned to leave them alone and give them time to settle in. But Timothy called and invited me to have dinner with them. I hesitated, but he insisted.

And I could admit I was excited to see Paisley again. Timothy and I had gone grocery shopping yesterday, which was pretty funny. He had never gone shopping before. Watching him marvel at the selection of food was entertaining. He shopped like a man with no budget. I ended up having to get a second cart. He wanted to make sure Paisley had every snack known to mankind. My mind was blown with the total. It was more than I spent on groceries in two months.

I parked the truck and grabbed the bag with the gift I bought for Paisley. It was a simple bracelet, but I hoped it would make her feel special and wanted after her mother had tried to insinuate that Timothy had sent her away. I wasn’t sure what else Regina might have told Paisley. There was a good chance she’d said that I had something to do with her being sent away.

Before I could even reach the front door, Paisley threw it open and rushed toward me. I had no time to react as she burst out of the house and leaped into my arms. I couldn’t help but laugh as I wrapped my arms around her, feeling a surge of warmth at the sight of her bright smile.

“Hey there, kiddo,” I greeted her, my voice filled with affection. “I missed you.”

Paisley grinned up at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I missed you too, Catherine!” she exclaimed, her enthusiasm contagious.

“I got you a gift,” I told her, handing her the bag I had set on the ground. Instantly, her eyes lit up like Christmas had come early.

“Really?” she asked, bouncing on her toes as she took it. The eagerness in her actions made my heart swell with happiness.

Inside was a beautiful silver bracelet, nestled gently among layers of soft tissue paper. The engraving of her name in delicate script adorned its surface, while her birthstone glimmered in the sunlight. Paisley’s face lit up as she gently lifted the bracelet out of the bag.

“It’s gorgeous!” she gasped, her eyes wide with wonder. “Can you put it on for me?”

“Of course,” I replied, taking the bracelet from her. As I fastened it around her wrist, I couldn’t help but smile at how excited she was to see me. I hoped that meant Regina hadn’t poisoned her against me.

“There,” I said, stepping back to let her admire it. “Does it fit okay?”

Paisley held out her arm, turning it this way and that as she admired the gift. The smile on her face was worth more than any amount of money. “It’s perfect,” she announced, throwing her arms around me again for a tight hug. I returned the embrace, a warmth spreading through me.

“Let’s not keep your dad waiting.” I ruffled her hair gently as we broke away. As we stepped inside, Timothy emerged from the kitchen, his face splitting into a wide grin at the sight of us.

“Dad, look!” She thrust her wrist forward to show him the bracelet. “Look what Catherine got me!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. Timothy looked at the bracelet and then turned to me, his eyes twinkling with gratitude and something else I couldn’t quite place.

“That’s beautiful, Paisley,” he said.

I shrugged lightly, trying to keep the situation casual. “I wanted to get her something nice.” I smiled. “Are you getting settled in?”

“I still need to finish unpacking. What time is dinner?”

“Probably about an hour,” Timothy replied.

“I’ll be back,” she said and dashed upstairs.

Timothy immediately walked to me, pulling me into his arms. “That was really nice of you,” he said. “Thank you for making her feel welcome.”

“I wasn’t sure if she was going to want to see me.”

“Trust me, she was very eager to see you,” he chuckled. “That’s all I heard about on the way home. Regina gave her an earful about how obnoxious you are and how you think you’re a better mother than she is. Basically, Regina hoped to turn Paisley against you, but all it did was make her love you more. She knows you’re the one who talked to Regina. She’s very, very grateful.”

“That’s good to hear,” I responded, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. “I was worried Regina’s words had done some damage.”

He shook his head. “Paisley is smart, and she knows who truly cares about her.” There was a pause as he studied my face. “And she’s not the only one,” he added softly.

“How did it go with the pickup?” I asked.

Timothy’s expression softened as he looked at me, his eyes shining with pride. “It went well,” he replied, his voice tinged with relief. “I talked to her about what happened, and she understands that I had nothing to do with her leaving in the first place. She said she kind of figured it out when her mom was going off on me sending in my—well, she had some choice words about you.”

I laughed. “That’s one good thing about Regina, she says what she’s feeling right to your face. I have no illusions about what she might think of me. It’s very clear where we stand.”