Billionaire Woman’s Faucet Leaked. The Poor Dad Who Fixed It Didn’t Know She’d Fall In Love
Dinner and Disclosures
The meeting dragged on for over three hours. When it finally ended, Winter checked her phone and found no messages from Isaac. She assumed he had finished the repair and left.
But when she arrived home, she was surprised to find both Isaac and Lily still there. The kitchen was spotless—not just repaired, but gleaming.
The floor had been mopped dry, the counters wiped down, and even the dishes she’d left in the sink that morning had been washed and put away. Isaac was sitting at her kitchen island helping Lily with what looked like homework.
They both looked up when she entered.
“I’m so sorry,” Isaac said, standing quickly. “The job was more complicated than I expected. The pipe damage extended further than I initially thought and I had to replace more sections. Then I wanted to make sure everything was properly cleaned up.”
“It looks amazing,” Winter said, glancing around in astonishment. “Did you actually clean my entire kitchen?”
Isaac shrugged, a slight blush coloring his cheeks.
“Water damage can be tricky. I wanted to make sure everything was thoroughly dried to prevent any mold issues later.”
“Dad says we should always leave places better than we found them,” Lily piped up, carefully printing letters on her worksheet.
“That’s a wonderful rule,” Winter said, setting down her briefcase. “Have you two eaten? It’s past dinner time.”
“We had snacks,” Isaac said. “We were just about to head out. I’ve left the invoice on the counter, but there’s no rush to pay it.”
Winter glanced at the single sheet of paper. The amount was reasonable, far less than she’d expected for an emergency call, replacement parts, and the evident care he’d taken with the cleanup.
“I insist on paying you now,” she said, reaching for her purse. “And actually, I was about to order dinner. Would you and Lily like to stay as a thank you for saving my kitchen and probably the floor below?”
Isaac hesitated, looking at his daughter.
“What do you think, Lilipad? Are you hungry for real food?”
The little girl nodded enthusiastically. “Can we stay, please? I want to see if Miss Zachariah has a princess bedroom.”
Isaac laughed, his face lighting up in a way that made Winter’s heart skip.
“I don’t think we should explore Miss Zachariah’s private rooms, honey.”
“Please call me Winter,” she said, surprising herself with the invitation to informality. “And I’ll have you know, Lily, that my bedroom is definitely not princess themed. It’s more cloud themed, I suppose.”
“Clouds?” Lily’s eyes widened. “Like sleeping in the sky?”
“Something like that,” Winter smiled. “Now what would you like for dinner? I have every restaurant in Manhattan on speed dial.”
They ended up ordering from a nearby Italian place, Isaac insisting on a family-style restaurant rather than the Michelin-starred establishment Winter had suggested.
As they ate pasta and garlic bread at her rarely used dining table, Winter found herself relaxing in a way she hadn’t in years.
Isaac, she learned, had been running his own repair business for five years, ever since his wife died of cancer and he needed a flexible schedule for Lily. Before that, he’d been a construction foreman, but the hours had been too demanding for a single parent.
“So you basically rebuilt your entire career around being there for her,” Winter said softly, watching as Lily carefully twirled spaghetti around her fork.
Isaac nodded.
“It wasn’t really a choice. She needed me and I needed to be there for her.”
“That’s admirable,” Winter said sincerely. “Most people wouldn’t have made that sacrifice.”
Isaac looked at her curiously. “What about you? Do you have family nearby?”
Winter shook her head.
“My parents are in California. They’re both professors—philosophy and physics respectively. They’ve never quite understood my fascination with the business world.”
What she didn’t say was that her fascination with the business world had resulted in a technology platform now valued at over $2 billion. Something held her back from mentioning that part.
After dinner, Lily began to yawn, her small face growing tired.
“We should get going,” Isaac said, helping his daughter pack up her crayons and worksheets. “It’s past someone’s bedtime.”
“Thank you again for the emergency rescue,” Winter said, walking them to the door. “And for staying for dinner. It was…”
She paused, realizing the truth of what she was about to say.
“It was the most enjoyable evening I’ve had in a long time.”
Isaac smiled, and Winter noticed a dimple in his left cheek that hadn’t been visible before.
“Thank you for being so understanding about Lily and for the dinner. It was our pleasure.”
As they stepped into the hallway, Winter had a sudden impulse.
“Would you—I mean, if you ever need a reference for your work, please feel free to use my name. You did an exceptional job.”
“That’s very kind,” Isaac replied. “Thank you.”
After they left, Winter walked slowly through her quiet penthouse. It felt emptier somehow, the silence more pronounced than usual.
She picked up Lily’s drawing from where she’d left it on the coffee table and smiled, deciding to pin it to her refrigerator—something she’d never done before.
Three days later, Winter found herself thinking about Isaac and Lily as she sat through another tedious meeting. She wondered how they were doing, whether Isaac had found more repair jobs, and whether Lily was enjoying school.
It was strange to be so preoccupied with people she’d only met once.
When her assistant brought in a package that afternoon, Winter was surprised to find a small, carefully wrapped gift inside. It contained a children’s book titled The Princess Who Lived in the Clouds and a handwritten note.
“Winter, Lily insisted we find this book for you after hearing about your cloud bedroom. Thank you again for your kindness. Isaac and Lily.”
Winter traced her fingers over the looping handwriting, smiling at the thoughtful gesture. On impulse, she picked up her phone and called the number on the invoice he’d left.
“Miracle Repairs. This is Isaac speaking.”
“Isaac, it’s Winter Zachariah. I got your package. That was incredibly sweet.”
“Oh,” he sounded genuinely pleased. “It was Lily’s idea. She saw it in the bookstore window and insisted it was meant for you.”
“Please thank her for me. It’s perfect.”
Winter paused, gathering her courage.
“Actually, I was wondering if the two of you might like to come to the Central Park Zoo this weekend? Lily mentioned she loves animals and I have some VIP passes that include a behind-the-scenes penguin encounter.”
There was a moment of silence, and Winter immediately regretted the invitation. Of course he wouldn’t want to spend his weekend with a client. It was inappropriate and presumptuous.
“That sounds wonderful,” Isaac said finally, his voice warm. “Lily would be thrilled. Are you sure we wouldn’t be imposing on your weekend?”
“Not at all,” Winter said, relief flooding through her. “I’d love the company. My Saturdays usually involve working from home or attending charity functions that I’d rather skip.”
They arranged to meet at the zoo entrance at 10:00 on Saturday morning.
After hanging up, Winter sat at her desk wondering what had possessed her to make such an invitation. She didn’t do casual social outings, especially not with men she barely knew and their young children.
