Page 21 of Smoldering Nights
When they pulled up to Petal Pushers, Jayson was already there.He leaned against his work van with a coffee in hand and a tool belt slung low on his hips.He was watching the town square across the street from Petal Pushers.
“Hey, boss,” Jayson called out.“Got everything we need right here.”
“Morning.”Mitch climbed out, moving slower than he liked.“Let’s make it quick.Cameras first, then sensors.Full perimeter.Inside and out.”
Izzy came to stand at Mitch's side."Izzy, this is Jayson.He's the man I told you about who can find minutiae in anything, including people.He’s also one of my installers and very good at his job."
Izzy's smile was brilliant."It's nice to meet you."She held her hand out to shake Jayson's.
Jayson grinned as he shook Izzy's hand."Nice to meet you, too.Mitch has mentioned you."
Izzy's head turned to his.Their eyes locked and her lips turned up in a beguiling smile."You have?"
Mitch shrugged."In passing."
Jayson chuckled.“I'll get to work.”
Inside the shop, Izzy immediately went to work.She started gathering debris and glass from the floor near the back door.The water had largely evaporated, but there were small puddles here and there.The humidity in the air was thick, though it wasn't much less humid outside.Mitch watched her for a moment.She moved like she needed the distraction, like stillness might swallow her whole.But she focused on her work, tossing the glass into a wastebasket and checking on the plants.She began moving them into sections within the building with purpose, and he admired how she cared for her plants and how she knew what needed to be done.
After admiring her for a moment, he set to work with Jayson, and together they began drilling, wiring, and mounting cameras.Each new angle covered blind spots Mitch had mentally mapped out the day he first walked through the shop.
The sweat dripped from his temples.While Izzy had the air-conditioning on in the building, the humidity clung to him.That and the occasional tug and pull in his ribs.Often it shot a sharp pain through him as he bent or twisted in the wrong way.His teeth clenched together more than once.
As they finished mounting the last interior camera, Mitch caught movement outside the shop window.A man stood across the street looking at this building.He had a ball cap pulled low over his eyes.His hands were in his pockets.He wore a black t-shirt and jeans.Black tennis shoes.That was an unusual color this time of year, and especially when it was so ungodly hot out.But the staring is what caught his attention.
His gut tensed.He glanced around to see where Izzy was in the shop.There wasn't any way that man could see in from that distance.
“Mitch?”Izzy’s voice was soft behind him.
He didn’t answer right away.He watched the man for a beat longer until the guy turned and walked off toward the post office.It could’ve been nothing.But his instincts screamed otherwise.
He turned to her.“Stay inside.Lock the front door.”
She frowned.“Why?Did you see something?”
“Maybe.Let's be cautious.”
Jayson reappeared from the back.“That’s it.Everything’s live.You’ll get alerts on the app.Same log-in we talked about this morning.”
“Good work,” Mitch said.“Grab the spare unit from the truck and wire the window sensors.I’ll finish up here.”
Jayson nodded and headed out.
Mitch turned back to Izzy, lowering his voice.“This isn’t just about covering ground anymore.It’s about closing in.He may be watching us, Izzy.”
Her breath caught."I still don't understand."
“I don’t either.But we’re going to find out.”
He stepped closer, lowering his voice further.“I need you to trust me.Completely.If I tell you to leave, you leave.If I say we stay low, we do.I don’t want anything happening to you because I underestimated this guy.”
She nodded once.“I trust you.”
The words sank into him deeper than he expected.That kind of trust was earned, not given.And she was offering it freely.
A moment passed between them, quiet, heavy with something unspoken.He enjoyed staring into her eyes.The color of fresh grass was his new favorite color.Her throat constricted as she swallowed.He wanted to lean in and kiss her.
Then the front door chimed.
