“Oh?” That was the first I heard about any issues with her family. “Was it about the girls?”
“No, about her will. But it’s all good now.”
I wasn’t about to pry and ask more. I could tell by his tone that the conversation regarding her was over. I still wondered why he hadn’t returned home though. Maybe the will had been the reason.
“Any news on when you think you’ll be returning? I wanted to ask you about the gift for the twins.”
A chipper voice called out Nate’s name from the background and said he was needed for an organizational change meeting. I had no idea what that meant, but it sounded important.
“Hey, I need to go. I’ll call you tonight, okay? Wear that tank top I like.”
He loved when I wore just a white camisole with no bra underneath. The man was obsessed with my breasts.
“Sure. Just text me a time. Oh!” I cried out as I locked eyes with my pièce de résistance. “Nate, look.” Quickly, I turned around the phone and showed him the curved display with gold trim and etched glass. It was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen. It was the cake display of my dreams.
“That’s perfect for your shop, Alex. I’m so happy for you. I’ll talk to you tonight.”
Nate ended the call shortly after, and I flagged down one of the workers. The shop was one step closer to opening, and all I needed was the confidence to flip the switch on the Open sign.
My truck purred as I drove her down the main street of Ashfield with my new display case strapped into the bed. I texted my dad and Andrew when I left the antique shop, hoping they could lend a hand and help me carry it into the shop. I made sure it worked while I was still in the store, and they’d been extremely helpful in getting it loaded into the back of my truck.
Sitting on the bench outside my store, Andrew and my dad sat with ice cream cones in their hands. They waved as I pulled up and parked in front of the shop.
“Wow, she’s a beaut, Alex,” Dad said as he came around the truck to greet me, ice cream melting down his fingers.
“Thanks. I can’t wait to plug her in. I’m so excited.”
I was beyond glad to share this moment with my dad. My mom and sisters were going to stop by later to check on the progress. But Andrew surprised me the most. He made time every day to come help with whatever I needed.
It was all coming together.
Now, all I needed was Nate, Molly, and Eloise to come back.
Chapter Twenty-Four – Alex
It was about ten degrees too warm in my apartment. The gorgeous windows let in so much sunlight that the air conditioner couldn’t compete. That’s what happened in mid-August in Tennessee.
I knew it would only be a matter of time before one of my sisters came by to check in on me. The twins’ birthday had come and gone, and with each day that passed, I pushed farther and farther away from my family. My calls with the girls only happened occasionally now, and the ones with Nate were even rarer. They missed the first day of school in Ashfield, but Nate enrolled them in a private school while they were still in California. He seemed happy with the choice, but I could tell the girls were less than thrilled. They spoke about how Miss Franny would have been the best and most fun teacher.
In the local paper, there was an article about Nate and his AI agriculture robot. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who noticed his absence. It said his newest patent sold for far more than he and his company anticipated.
The overseas purchase required him to travel all over the world to sign contracts and meet with the companies. The twins were staying with their old nanny. I’d spoken to her a few times. She was nice but a bit stricter than I had ever been. But they all seemed happy. With every day that fell off the calendar, any hope of their return diminished.
I learned yesterday that Nate’s company ended the agreement for the land they leased from my father. They still paid my parents handsomely, but that commitment was over. Nate kept the land he purchased for a home. I’d taken one of the B&B’s UTVs over that way when I was missing the Sullivans. It sat in the same condition it had before, which only made my heart miss them more.
Whenever I asked Nate what was going on, he’d steer the conversation back to my shop, or the girls would interrupt. It was growing harder to remain optimistic.
The only thing that kept me going was that my shop's grand opening was happening soon.
After deliberation with my family, and some serious talks with my therapist about taking the leap, I chose the third Saturday in August as my grand opening. Quite a few weeks earlier than I had originally planned.
On August 19th, the doors to Show-Stopping Sweets would open to the public. Aspen set me up with some ads on social media and the local newspapers within a hundred-mile radius of the shop. Colton also plugged the shop on his social media accounts, posting pictures of my cakes and their flavors. So many people commented they were hoping to check it out. I was still trying to come to terms with it all.
In one week, I was going to live my dream. I thought Nate would have been a part of the grand opening with me. He’d done so much to help when I was getting it off the ground that I thought he deserved to see the final product. I sent him pictures of all the new appliances and the redone eating area. He and the girls loved it all. They especially loved all their artwork on the walls.
It was bittersweet sitting here in my apartment, staring at the birthday gifts I wrapped for each of the girls. Could I have mailed them to them? Probably. But I was hesitant. It felt like a final goodbye if I did. This was like a part of them I was able to hang on to.
A knock sounded on my door, just like I expected. I wondered which sister was sent to check on me this time. Rory was in school, so I doubted it was her. Aspen was probably helping Dad on the farm. Corn harvest started in September, so they were busy prepping for that.
