Chapter 35
The morning air was crisp when Mitch stepped out onto the cabin’s small porch, scanning the quiet woods. The humidity was already climbing for the day, but everything looked untouched. Secure. Just as he’d left it during the last sweep.
Inside, the scent of coffee filled the small kitchen. Izzy stood by the sink, re-dressed in jeans and a soft plum sweater, her damp curls pulled back. She looked calm on the surface, but Mitch knew that look in her eye, steely, stubborn, determined.
“I’m going in today,” she said without preamble.
Mitch paused mid-step. “Izzy, we’re close to catching this guy. It’s not the time to make yourself visible.”
Her chin lifted. “Exactly why I need to go in. I’ve been hiding long enough, Mitch.
My customers are starting to lose faith, and so was I.
But I’m done with that. The longer I stay away, the more power I give him.
It's time I pull up my big girl panties and take this situation by storm.
I've done nothing wrong. My father didn't either.
He built a beautiful business, and I'm letting him down. I'm not doing that anymore.”
Mitch crossed to her slowly, his hand resting on the back of a chair. “You’re not giving him anything. You’re being smart. Strategic.”
“I’m being buried,” she said quietly. “I need to show my face. Get back to my life. Or what’s left of it.”
He exhaled, watching her. This wasn’t recklessness, it was resilience. And that made it harder to argue.
“I’ll go with you,” he said after a long pause. “Stay with you the entire time. I’ll bring my laptop and work from the shop. No negotiations.”
She gave a small nod. “Deal.” The smile she bestowed on him made his heart jump. She was a beautiful woman. Not just outside. She had the spunk he admired and the business sense, too. Responsibility was strong in her, and he admired the hell out of that, too. She was the full package.
By late morning, they pulled up to Petal Pushers. The boarded window still stood as a reminder of the chaos, but the fresh flowers out front brought a softness that made Mitch glance at Izzy. She stood straighter just seeing it again.
"I'm going to call today to get the window repaired. I have to make this place look like it's open, not falling apart."
He grinned as he watched her straight posture and the determination rolling off of her. "Okay."
Inside, she moved through the space like a woman reclaiming what was hers. Wiping counters. Flipping the sign to OPEN. Reorganizing the display in the front window.
Mitch set up on the side table with his laptop, keeping the shop’s front door in his peripheral vision at all times. But he could also see the back door if he gave it a side eye. If he felt Noah was too close, he'd have Jayson join him for the day, right here.
Traffic was light for the first couple of hours.
A few loyal customers came in, offering cautious smiles and carefully worded encouragement.
Mitch scanned every face, every vehicle that passed the shop.
They were genuinely concerned for Izzy and only offered their best. Plus, they left with flowers in their hands and smiles on their faces.
Then, just after lunch, the door jingled again.
Noah strode right in like he hadn't just spent the night running from police.
He wore a clean shirt with an old company logo again, Clearway Supply, but Mitch recognized the man immediately. Pale. Eyes too wide. A strange, eerie calm settled over him as he approached the counter with a medium-sized brown box.
Izzy froze beside the register. Mitch rose silently and moved to her side, between her and Noah.
“Got a delivery for Ms. Payton,” Noah said, placing the box on the counter with exaggerated care. “Time-sensitive.”
“No deliveries were scheduled,” Mitch said evenly.
Noah’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Guess someone wanted it to be a surprise.”
Izzy didn’t speak. Her grip on the counter was white-knuckled. He could hear her breathing coming in spurts.
Mitch stepped forward. “You can leave it. We’ll handle it.”
But Noah’s smile widened. “You might want to open it now. Wouldn’t want it to go off at the wrong time.”
Silence dropped like a bomb.
Mitch moved faster than he thought. He grabbed Noah’s arm and shoved him back against the counter with one firm motion, his voice low and sharp. “What’s in the box?”
“Easy, man,” Noah said, too calmly. “Just a warning. Izzy and I need to talk. Alone. If she doesn’t, well... accidents happen.”
Izzy backed away as Mitch pulled his phone, one hand still gripping Noah. “Fielding,” he snapped into the receiver. “I have Grady. He brought a suspicious package. Threatened the shop.”
Noah didn’t resist. He just smiled at Izzy, like they were having a private moment. “You know it’s always been you,” he murmured. “I’ve been patient. But this time, you’re coming with me.”
Mitch shoved him into the corner. “You’re done, Noah.”
Outside, sirens wailed in the distance, faster than Mitch had hoped. Jayson must have already been nearby.
“Back room,” Mitch said to Izzy. “Go now.”
She moved, stunned but steady, and Mitch held Noah there until Fielding and two officers burst through the front door with guns drawn.
Within seconds, Noah was cuffed and being read his rights.
Mitch stepped over to Izzy, finding her in the back, one hand pressed to her chest, the other holding the pepper spray he’d given her.
She looked up at him. “You said he wouldn’t get the chance.”
“He didn’t.” He cupped her face gently. “You held your ground. We both did.”
Chief Fielding eased over to where they stood. "I have to ask you two to leave the building. We have a bomb squad coming in from Tampa to take care of the package. We don't want anyone close by in case he has a timer on it."
"Does he have a remote?" Mitch asked.
"We checked his pockets; he didn't have anything except his phone. We're analyzing that right now for a timer or anything that could set off whatever he has inside that box."
Mitch looked into Izzy's eyes. "It's okay. We trust them. We have to."
Her eyes welled with tears, but they didn't fall. Then she took in a deep breath and held it for a moment before letting it out in a whoosh. "Okay. It's the first step to getting all of this behind us."
Inside Petal Pushers, Izzy Payton was standing tall in her own shop, even as the sirens removing Noah from the premises faded.
Mitch finally believed this might be the beginning of the end.