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

I’m still getting settled in.” She tried to inject positivity into her tone, even though the reality of her situation had just crashed over her with full force. Nothing would ever be the same.

“Enjoy the rest of your day. Before you know it, you’ll be able to navigate Owl Creek like a pro.”

With a lame wave, Isabelle turned toward her new vehicle and slid into the driver’s seat. She turned the car on and let the engine warm up a little before she headed away from Main Street and toward the northern part of town. Although she felt the urge to turn back and get one last look at Connor, she knew it wouldn’t be wise to take her gaze away from the snow-packed road. She wasn’t used to driving in these conditions, and she needed to focus all of her attention on the road.

With his dark hair, blue eyes and rugged frame, Connor North was gorgeous. He radiated an air of confidence. At the moment she could use a dose of it to bolster her frame of mind. Even in syrup-stained pants, he’d walked around the diner as if he owned it. There was no harm in looking at an attractive man, she reminded herself. Though anything more was out of the question. How could she ever start a relationship knowing her entire life was a lie? The rules of WITSEC forbade her from ever telling a romantic partner the truth about her existence.

She refused to go down that road. It was hard enough making everyone in Owl Creek think she was someone she wasn’t. Adding in romance would be disastrous.

* * *

Connor watched as Ella headed off in the direction of her new digs. A strange feeling had settled over him during his conversation with North Star Chocolate’s newest hire. He couldn’t fathom why he felt it so intensely, but Connor knew instinctively she wasn’t as she appeared to be. This beautiful newcomer to town was running from something. He had no idea what it was—a divorce, a bad relationship, a fractured family? Perhaps she was a criminal. The possibilities were endless. As they’d spoken, there had been something radiating from her that didn’t ring true. Just now she’d mentioned Florida, then corrected herself to say Flagstaff. And she hadn’t responded when he’d called out her name. He didn’t think he was imagining things either. Connor knew he was more jaded than most people, but he trusted his instincts. He’d grown up in a household that had never recovered from the trauma of his baby sister’s abduction at three months old. As a result, Connor had been mistrustful of people, particularly tourists and newcomers to Owl Creek.

Ella Perez was raising all of his hackles. Her stunning looks hadn’t rendered him incapable of picking up on certain cues she’d emitted. She’d acted nervous, as if she was on edge about something. What if she was up to no good here in town? He let himself into his vehicle, chiding himself for not asking more probing questions.

The newcomer seemed out of place in a town like Owl Creek. Why had a woman like Ella come all the way to Alaska for a job at his family’s company? Alaska was at times a harsh and unforgiving land. For a man who considered himself to be pragmatic, it didn’t make a lot of sense.

Connor let out a sigh and rested his head against the steering wheel. His paranoia was rising to the surface and threatening to choke him. He tended to believe the worst of people based on his family’s past trauma. Although he tried to control his suspicious nature, Connor didn’t trust strangers. He always felt as if he was waiting for them to peel back the mask and reveal their true selves.

In all likelihood, Ella was a sweet young woman who was merely nervous about starting a brand-new job in a world completely unfamiliar to her. Guilt sliced through him. He wasn’t being fair to her or himself. He needed to let go of the past and accept people at face value. Being so cynical wasn’t a good quality. As a man of faith, he knew it wasn’t right to judge others so harshly. But he still couldn’t quiet the voice inside him warning him against accepting Ella at face value.

By the time he reached the chocolate factory, Connor was ready to focus on something other than the mysterious new resident of Owl Creek. He enjoyed working at his family’s company. As an executive in charge of distribution and product development, he had helped the company grow and expand its reach in key markets over the last five years. He also oversaw the operation of the Owl Creek factory and served as the CEO’s right-hand man. Thankfully, Beulah was the CEO, and he adored collaborating with her.

The aroma of chocolate permeated the air as he walked inside. Every morning before he made his way to his office Connor enjoyed strolling through the factory where the chocolate was being made. He liked talking with the employees and even helping out on the conveyer belt. When they were kids, he and Braden had gotten a thrill out of plucking chocolate confections from the assembly line and popping them into their mouths. More times than not it had resulted in a competition between them. Trying to consume chocolate the fastest had always led to bellyaches and admonishments from Beulah.

“Chocolate is to be savored, not devoured.” Just the thought of his grandmother uttering those words to the pint-size version of himself made him chuckle out loud. Beulah had always been a fountain of wisdom. Nothing much had changed in that regard. His grandmother was still a unique woman who continued to fascinate him.

The factory had been his and Braden’s stomping grounds—they’d learned the business as they played and explored in the chocolate factory. Despite the tragedy involving the abduction of their sister, there had been an abundance of joy in their lives. Of course