Harlequin Love Inspired March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Patrice Lewis (i read book txt) 📖

raising two lovely daughters in Connecticut. A dog lover, she has one mini poodle and a black Lab. Writing for the Love Inspired line is a dream come true. Working at home in her pajamas is one of the best perks of the job. Belle enjoys summers in Cape Cod, traveling and reading.

Books by Belle Calhoune

Love Inspired

Home to Owl Creek

Her Secret Alaskan Family

Alaskan Christmas Redemption

An Alaskan Twin Surprise

Hiding in Alaska

Alaskan Grooms

An Alaskan Wedding

Alaskan Reunion

A Match Made in Alaska

Reunited at Christmas

His Secret Alaskan Heiress

An Alaskan Christmas

Her Alaskan Cowboy

Reunited with the Sheriff

Forever Her Hero

Heart of a Soldier

Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com.

Hiding in Alaska

Belle Calhoune

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

—Psalms 147:3–4

To my beloved neighbor, Rosalie “Rose” Healey (1926–2019).

One of the kindest, loveliest people I’ve ever known. A wonderful friend. Missing you.

CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Epilogue

Dear Reader

CHAPTER ONE

Isabelle Sanchez shivered as the cold Arctic wind whipped against her cheeks. This type of weather would certainly take some getting used to, she thought as she wrapped her arms around her middle. She didn’t feel at all like herself in the navy blue parka with the fur-trimmed hood. A wool hat was perched on her head, covering her ears from the frigid temperatures. It was the first time in her life she’d ever owned a thick winter coat and it felt cumbersome and unnatural. She was far more used to wearing shorts, shades and sundresses. Bathing suits rather than boots. There was no point in dwelling on it. She had agreed to come live in this Alaskan hamlet, and there was no going back.

A sigh slipped past her lips. Her entire life had changed in an instant, and it still felt surreal. The sign by the side of the road said it best: Welcome to Owl Creek, Alaska. The harsh reality of her situation caused her to suck in a steadying breath. She would need to call on every ounce of strength she had in order to rebuild her life. There was no doubt in her mind it would be the hardest thing she’d ever do.

She wasn’t Isabelle Sanchez from Miami, Florida, anymore. Now, as part of the Witness Protection Program, she was Ella Perez from Flagstaff, Arizona. She felt a sudden chill pass over her that had nothing to do with the frigid weather. WITSEC—the United States Federal Witness Protection Program—had provided her with a new identity and placed her in Owl Creek, a remote Alaskan town she’d never heard of until a few weeks ago. It appeared to be a charming and picturesque village, unlike anything she’d ever known. She was a Floridian, born and bred. Sandy beaches, sunny skies, and the hustle and bustle of city life were the norm for her. The sight of white-capped mountains looming in the distance served as a breathtaking reminder that she wasn’t in the Sunshine State any longer. She no longer had a home, and it made her heartsick just thinking about it.

Her life had been forever altered by the events of a few months ago. Even though she was trying to be strong, Isabelle was afraid. She’d never wanted to be so far away from her loved ones. She had left everything she held dear back in Miami—family, friends and a job she enjoyed. It was the first time in her life she’d ever felt all alone. She didn’t know the slightest thing about life in a small Alaskan town. But she didn’t have a choice in the matter. Isabelle had to make it work here in Owl Creek. Her very life hung in the balance.

“The truck is over there in the lot. It’s time we headed over to your new home.” The deep voice interrupted her thoughts, and she swung her gaze in the direction of the tall, ginger-haired man who had accompanied her all the way from Miami. Despite his gruff demeanor, U.S. Marshal Jonah Kramer had a streak of kindness that meant the world to Isabelle. It’s what she needed most at this moment as she faced an uncertain future. Over the past few weeks he’d tried to reassure Isabelle at every step in the process. She felt a tad guilty about taking him away from his wife and family in Homer, but she knew it was simply part of his job to help her relocate.

Once they were sitting in the hunter green truck with Jonah in the driver’s seat, he turned toward her. “You’ll be safe here, Ella. Just try to blend in with the townsfolk. I know it’s hard to wrap your head around it, but you can’t contact anyone from your former life under any circumstances. We’ve drilled that into your head, but it bears repeating. It’s crucial to make a clean break from everything and everyone. If you slip up, it could be catastrophic.”

Isabelle nodded. She knew the drill. It was the most heartbreaking aspect of her joining WITSEC. Just the thought of never seeing her family again caused tears to well up in her eyes.

Ella. She would have to get adjusted to her new name. Although she’d been allowed to assume a first name that wasn’t too far off from her own, it would still take some getting used to, since no one had ever called her Ella. Her nickname had always been Izzy. Her head was spinning with all the things she had to get acclimated to in her new surroundings.

The situation she found herself in was far from ideal, but after witnessing the brutal slaying of her boss, Saul Martino, in a turf war, her world had spiraled out of control. By God’s grace she had been spared. Because the killer, Vincent Burke, had locked eyes with her before she fled the club, he had known her identity when