Chapter 12 Isabella #2
They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the situation pressing down on them both.
Isabella thought about the house, about the home her grandmother had built and maintained for decades.
The place where Isabella had grown up, where she was now raising Maddy.
The only stability and security she’d ever really known.
And Todd thought he could just show up after twelve years and take it from her.
“Listen carefully to what he has to say this afternoon,” Charlie said, leaning forward with the intensity of someone who knew exactly how serious this was. “Don’t agree to anything. Don’t promise anything. Just listen and try to find out exactly what he wants.”
Isabella nodded, her mouth dry.
“Put your phone on the table and tell him you’re going to record this conversation,” Charlie continued. “Say it out loud so he knows you’re recording him.”
“But won’t that make him refuse to talk?” Isabella asked, confused.
“Probably,” Charlie admitted. “He probably won’t let you record openly.
But at least you’ve told him, you’ve been upfront about your intention.
He won’t know about the hidden microphone that Christopher’s going to set you up with.
That way Christopher and I can hear everything in real time and know you’re safe. ”
“The wire,” Isabella said, remembering what Christopher had mentioned last night.
“Christopher is picking up the recording equipment from an electronics shop this morning,” Charlie explained.
“It’s a small microphone that attaches under your clothing with adhesive.
The transmitter fits in your pocket. We’ll be able to hear everything, and if anything goes wrong, we can be there in under a minute. ”
Isabella felt tears prick at her eyes, overwhelmed by the care these people were showing her. “Thank you, Charlie. For everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you and Christopher helping me.”
Charlie’s expression softened, and she reached across the desk to squeeze Isabella’s hand.
“That’s what family does. And you’re family now, Isabella.
Anyone who makes Christopher look at them the way he looks at you is family.
” She smiled. “Besides, putting entitled ex-husbands in their place is one of my favorite things.”
Isabella laughed despite herself, feeling some of the tension ease from her shoulders.
She stood, feeling more confident than she had when she’d walked in.
She was still nervous, still dreading the confrontation to come, but she was no longer terrified.
She had a plan. She had people in her corner. She wasn’t alone this time.
As she stepped into the hallway, Maddy’s voice called out to her. “Mom!”
Isabella turned to see her daughter hurrying toward her with Jane and Trinity close behind. All three of them looked excited about something.
“Mom, can I go into St. Augustine with Jane and Trinity?” Maddy asked, her eyes bright with hope.
Isabella’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Okay, sure, if you’re not going to get in Jane’s way.”
“They’re nothing but helpful to me,” Jane assured her, and her tone was genuine. “I could use their energy and enthusiasm. We’re picking up some supplies for the ballroom and maybe stopping for ice cream.”
Relief flooded through Isabella. Having Maddy occupied and out of the way during the meeting with Todd was a blessing she hadn’t expected. “Then thank you, Jane.” She smiled at her, then turned to Maddy. “Be good, okay? I have an appointment in town at three, but I should be back before dinner.”
An idea occurred to her suddenly. “Mrs. Hurling is going to be doing dinner at the inn tonight, so I thought we’d invite Christopher, Trinity, Gabe, and...” She looked at Jane hopefully. “If you’d like to come for dinner at our house tonight?”
“Oh, that would be so awesome!” Maddy exclaimed, bouncing slightly on her toes. She turned to Jane with pleading eyes. “Please say yes!”
“Please, Jane!” Trinity added her voice to the chorus. “And I’ll ask Dad and Uncle Christopher if they can come!”
Jane’s expression softened in a way Isabella rarely saw, the walls coming down just slightly. “That sounds lovely. Thank you for including me.”
“Yay!” both girls cheered in unison.
Isabella watched them head toward the door, Jane already organizing their afternoon with the efficient competence she brought to everything.
Relief continued to wash over Isabella in waves.
At least Maddy would be far away from her father while Isabella faced him.
Safe in St. Augustine with Jane watching over her.
She turned back toward the kitchen, intending to start prep work for tonight’s dinner at the cottage, when Christopher surprised her by coming in through the back door. He was carrying a bag from what looked like an electronics shop, and he grinned when he saw her.
“I’ve got everything Charlie ordered,” he announced, holding up the bag.
Isabella’s heart did that skipping thing it had been doing a lot lately around Christopher. “That was fast.”
“Store opened at nine. I was there at nine oh one.” He set the bag on the kitchen counter and gestured for her to come closer. “Let’s go get you wired up. We’ve got about ninety minutes before you need to leave, so we have plenty of time to test everything and make sure it works properly.”
Isabella walked over to the counter, watching as Christopher carefully unpacked the equipment. He handled everything with the kind of competence that came from military training, his movements precise and purposeful.
He pulled out a small black box and opened it to reveal a tiny microphone no bigger than a button. “This goes here,” he said, his fingers brushing against her collarbone as he indicated where the microphone would attach.
The touch sent electricity through her entire body. Isabella tried to focus on what he was saying instead of the way his proximity made her pulse race.
“And the transmitter goes in your pocket,” Christopher continued, holding up a device about the size of a deck of cards. “Charlie and I will be parked within a hundred yards of the diner. We’ll hear everything in real time.”
His eyes met hers, and the intensity in his gaze made her breath catch. “He’s not going to hurt you, Isabella. I won’t let him. Do you understand?”
Isabella nodded, her throat tight with emotion. “I understand.”
But what she really understood, what was becoming crystal clear as Christopher carefully showed her the equipment and explained how everything worked, was that she wasn’t just falling for this man anymore.
She’d already fallen. Completely. Irrevocably.
And probably had done so the moment she’d laid eyes on him.
And the terrifying part wasn’t meeting her ex-husband in ninety minutes.
The terrifying part was realizing that for the first time in twelve years, she was letting someone in.
Really in. Past all the walls and defenses she’d built so carefully.
Christopher White could break her heart in ways Todd never had. Because this time, it would actually matter. This time, she was actually in love.
“Isabella?” Christopher’s voice pulled her back to the present. “You okay? You look a little pale.”
“I’m fine,” she managed, forcing a smile. “Just nervous about this afternoon.”
“That’s completely normal,” Christopher assured her.
He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the gesture tender and intimate.
“But you’re not doing this alone. Charlie and I will be right there.
You just have to get through the conversation and find out what he really wants. We’ll handle the rest.”
Isabella nodded again, not trusting her voice.
She could only handle one terrifying thing at a time. And right now, that was facing the man who had abandoned her and their daughter twelve years ago.
Romance and feelings and love could wait until after she’d survived this afternoon.
Then maybe, just maybe, she’d let herself examine what had grown between her and Christopher. What was still growing with every moment they spent together.
But first, she had to get through the next few hours without falling apart.
Christopher squeezed her hand gently. “Let’s practice putting the microphone on. We want to make sure you’re comfortable with it and that it doesn’t show under your clothes.”
Isabella took a deep breath and nodded. She could do this. With Christopher and Charlie backing her up, with people who actually cared about her in her corner for the first time in years, she could face Todd and whatever scheme he’d come up with.
She had to believe that.
Because the alternative was too terrifying to consider.