Sterling
"Are you excited?" I asked Isabelle as she sat with me in the back seat of the car.
I could see the nerves she was trying to hide. This is a big deal for her.
"Yeah." She shot me a small smile. "I'm excited."
We looked out of the window together at the crowd that had formed outside of the bakery. Some of these people were here because they were thrilled about another bakery opening up here, others were here because they're well aware that this is a Tipton investment. Things that involve our name tend to get high coverage with the media.
"They're waiting on you Sweetheart." I spoke gently as I gave her hand a firm squeeze. "Do you need another minute or are you ready to do this?"
Drawing in a deep breath, she let it out. "Let's do this."
I opened the door and got out of the car first, causing the crowd to give a cheer. Then, I gave Isabelle my hand and helped her out. I continued to hold her hand in mine as I shut the car door and we began to walk to the front doors of the bakery where the rest of my family were already present.
Isabelle and I turned around and as I looked over the crowd they fell silent. I decided to take this opportunity to say a few words, then it would be Isabelle's turn.
"Thank you all for coming out today." I made sure my voice was loud enough that everyone would be able to hear me. "Tipton Enterprises is thrilled to be investing in a local business. We know how much the community has missed the bakery that once stood here, I have my faith that Sweet Escapes will be quite a success here."
The crowd gave a small clap in response. Then, it was time to turn it over to Isabelle. I glanced over at her and gave her nod to gauge if she was ready. She nodded in response and I took a small step back.
"Thank you all for taking the time to join us here." She pushed whatever nerves she had away, letting her confidence push through. "Baking has always been something I've been passionate about. I'm thrilled that I get to finally share it with the world and I hope you all enjoy this place just as much as I do."
The crowd gave another clap and Isabelle took a step back to join my side. I watched as her throat bobbed from swallowing down her nerves. Her eyes remained on the crowd and she forced a small smile as some pictures had been snapped.
Then, I grabbed her hand and led the way over to the ribbon tied to the handles on the doors of the bakery. My father passed me a pair of silver scissors and I looked at her, raising a brow.
"This is it Sweetheart." I spoke lowly as I passed the scissors over to her. "This is your moment."
She grabbed the scissors in her hands and took a deep breath. As she released it, she cut the ribbon from the doors. Then, a smile spread across her lips as she looked back at me while the crowd began to cheer loudly.
"Sweet Escapes is officially opened." I could hear the excitement in her words. Now there wasn't an ounce of nerves and anxiety within her.
"Well, why don't we step inside?" I suggested. "Let's give the people a taste of what they've been missing."
Isabelle opened the door and we stepped inside, followed by my family. Then the media came inside and the rest of the crowd came in last. They all seemed to be impressed by the atmosphere of the place and I could even see a few of their eyes light up as they noticed the desserts inside of the glass display.
Quickly, the staff and a few servers I had hired for the occasion came out of the kitchen with trays in their hands. On each one there was a different sample of something that Isabelle had whipped up over the last few days.
I stood by her side as people came over to compliment her work. The more the opening had gone on, the more I could tell she was getting comfortable. Hell, she even looked like she was starting to enjoy all of the attention that was focused on her.
After a few hours, one of her staff members came out and asked for Isabelle's help in the kitchen. She excused herself and quickly hurried off to see what needed her attention. While I waited, I took a step over to my father who was watching Kaydence socialize with some of the guests.
"Looks like the opening has been a success." He spoke as I joined him. "Isabelle looks really happy, son."
"Yeah she does." I agreed.
He glanced at me. "By far, this has been one of my best decisions."
"Your decision?" I raised a brow. "I asked for your advice, but this wasn't your decision."
"I'm not talking about the bakery." A slight smirk twitched onto his lips. "I'm talking about bringing Isabelle back."
As much as I'd like to tell him he's wrong, I can't. He's the one who brought back the love of my life and without her, I wouldn't have made the needed changes over the last few months.
"You're right." He seemed a little surprised that I agreed with his statement. "When you first brought her back, I thought you were just attempting to punish me for my relationship with Elise. Now that I've seen how much of an impact it's had, I want to thank you. Without that move, I'd possibly still be miserable with Elise. Instead, I get to be happy and grow with the person I've always known I was meant to be with."
He placed his hand on my shoulder. "All I want is for each of my children to be happy and successful."
Before the conversation could turn too sappy, Isabelle returned from the kitchen and I joined her side once again. She continued talking to the guests and I could see that they were all falling in love with this place, just as I had wanted.
Finally, things were calming down and all the guests had left. Isabelle excused the staff which meant we were now all alone in the building. She finished cleaning up a few minor things and looked over at me.
"I feel like it went well." Her gray eyes met mine. "Did it go well?"
"Yes." I closed the gap between us and wrapped an arm around her waist. "It went amazing."
She gently placed a kiss on my lips. "Thank you."
"For?"
"For everything." She wrapped her arms around my neck. "I love you, so much."
A smiled quirked onto my lips. "I love you too."