Chapter 6
Izzy stood in Sadie’s kitchen, trying to focus on the list in front of her. Flower orders, delivery requests, invoices, things that had once felt like the rhythm of her life now felt distant and fragile, like petals about to fall.
She rubbed her temple, her heart thudding faster than it should. She’d only slept a few hours the night before, her dreams filled with smoke and shattering glass.
Sadie entered the room, a cup of coffee in each hand. She set one in front of Izzy and sat down opposite her. “You didn’t sleep, did you?”
“I tried,” Izzy said quietly. “Every time I closed my eyes, I was back in the greenhouse. Hearing the glass crack. Smelling the smoke.”
Sadie reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “You’re safe now.”
But Izzy wasn’t so sure. She didn’t feel safe. Not even close. She swallowed and took a deep breath. She took a sip of coffee, then looked toward the window. The yard beyond was quiet, but she caught a flicker of movement near the fence. She squinted, heart catching.
Nothing.
Or maybe something. Her shoulders tensed as she continued to stare outside.
“You okay?” Sadie asked, glancing out the same window.
“I thought I saw... I don’t know. Something by the fence.”
Sadie stood and peered out. “Probably a squirrel. Or Travis. He’s always coming and going.”
Izzy nodded slowly but didn’t feel reassured. She hadn’t seen Travis leave this morning, and his truck wasn’t in the driveway when she woke up.
"Where is Travis?"
Sadie shrugged. "He does odd jobs to help cover some of his expenses."
"Does he have a lot of them? Expenses, I mean?"
Sadie's shoulders dropped. "I'm finding out more and more. It seems he's been in legal trouble in the past, and he's paying off some of those debts."
Izzy stared into her friend's beautiful blue eyes. While they were always beautiful, today they looked sad.
"Are you alright? Are you happy?"
Sadie shrugged, and her eyes glistened slightly more than they had before. "It's alright." She jumped up and grabbed her keys. “I have to run to the hardware store. Do you want to come?”
“No. I think I need to clear my head. Maybe take a walk. Just around the block.”
Sadie frowned. “You sure?”
“Yeah.” Izzy forced a smile. “It’ll help. I need to do something normal. Waiting for people to call me back is like watching paint dry.”
Izzy stood and hugged her friend. "You know you can always tell me everything. Right?"
"I know. Thank you."
She watched Sadie nab her purse off the counter and shuffle to the door. After Sadie left, Izzy laced up her shoes and stepped outside. The morning sun was already hot on her face. She walked down the sidewalk, muscles tight, eyes scanning every corner and parked car.
It wasn’t paranoia. It was instinct.
She headed toward town without thinking about what she was doing.
She breathed in the heavy, moist air and fresh cut hay as she passed by the Canning Ranch driveway.
Though it was long and you couldn't see the house from First Street, the lovely smells of fresh hay and wildflowers they allowed to grow along the fence line were pleasant.
Passing by Carley's real estate office, she smiled as she remembered her wedding just a few months ago, which brought her right back around to the sadness at her circumstance now.
"Get a grip, girl. It could have been so much worse.
" She squared her shoulders and continued on until she rounded the corner by Main Street and stopped when she saw the front of Petal Pushers.
The damage was still roped off with yellow police tape, the windows blackened, the paint blistered. Her stomach twisted.
How many times had she unlocked that front door, arms full of peonies or roses? How many weddings had started with the blooms from that shop? She crossed her arms and tried to breathe through the rising ache in her chest.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
The deep voice came from behind her. She turned sharply and saw Mitch standing a few feet away, his arms crossed, eyes shadowed by concern.
Her lips curled into a smile. “You always sneak up on people?”
“You’re standing in front of a crime scene, looking like a target.” He took a step closer. “What if whoever did this came back to make sure it worked?”
“I just wanted to see it again.”
He nodded, glancing at the building. “I get it. But next time, bring me.”
She looked up at him. He was pale again, sweat starting to bead along his temple.
“You shouldn’t be out either,” she said. “You look like hell.”
“I’ve been worse.”
“You keep saying that.”
He gave a faint smile. “I keep meaning it.”
She laughed quietly, but the tension between them didn’t fade. “You find anything new?”
Mitch’s jaw tightened. “Maybe. A guy named Rayburn. Criminal history. Burglary, arson, theft. He’s been paid cash by Delilah Parker recently.”
Izzy’s brows rose. “Delilah? But why?”
“She has no credit. No loans. But she’s desperate. She’s been denied zoning to expand. Petal Pushers is in her way.”
“So you think she hired someone?”
“I think she’s hiding something. And Rayburn’s got the skills to make this look like an accident.”
Izzy folded her arms. “I knew she didn’t like me, but I never thought…”
“People don’t always do what you expect,” Mitch said. “Especially when money and resentment get involved.”
She nodded slowly, then turned her gaze back to the building. “I hate that someone did this over property. Over flowers.”
He looked at her, his voice softer now. “This isn’t just about flowers. It’s about what you built. That’s what makes you a threat.”
She swallowed hard, her eyes burning. “I just want my life back.”
He touched her arm gently. “We’re going to get it back. But I need you to be careful. Stay alert. And if you see anything, anything, you call me. Right away.”
She nodded. “I will.”
A breeze carried the faint scent of smoke still lingering in the air. It clung to the building like a scar.
They stood in silence, both watching it.
Somewhere behind them, a car door slammed.
Mitch turned instantly, hand near his hip.
But it was just a teenager cutting through the alley, earbuds in, oblivious.
Still, Izzy’s heart beat faster.
They weren’t done.
And neither was whoever had started this.