Harlequin Love Inspired March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Patrice Lewis (best large ereader .txt) 📕

His grandfather chuckled. “I’m not just a bird-watcher, son. I’m a people watcher, too. I’ve only been in Ella’s presence a few times, but I came to the conclusion that she’s not as she appears to be.”

Connor let out a brittle laugh. “You’re way smarter than I am. It took me months to confirm it.”

Jennings narrowed his gaze as he looked at him. “And what exactly did you deduce about Ella?”

“That she’s not a truthful person. I have no use for people I can’t trust.” He hated speaking badly about Ella, but he needed to be honest with his grandfather.

“Hmm. That’s not what I observed.”

“Don’t leave me hanging. I’d love to know your thoughts,” Connor said, folding his arms across his chest.

“I saw the pain beneath her beautiful exterior, along with a trace of fear. She tried to hide those things, but I recognized them. When I first met your grandmother, she radiated those same emotions. But, with time and patience, I broke through her tough exterior and found a sparkling diamond underneath.”

Connor couldn’t imagine two people being more different. His grandmother was as tough as an Alaskan winter on the tundra, while Ella reminded him of forget-me-nots—beautiful yet delicate. He didn’t quite see the resemblance.

“Why was grandmother in pain?” he asked.

“People come to us as they are. Beulah’s childhood was miserable. It’s one of the reasons she was so happy to join the North fold. She didn’t just emerge from the womb as the magnificent woman she is today. She grew and evolved over time. Imagine if I’d written her off back then?” Jennings had a contemplative expression on his face. “I would have missed out on so many wonderful moments.”

“You wouldn’t have lived out your amazing love story,” Connor said. “And I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Jennings nodded his head. “Amen. Connor, I’d like to ask you a question. Do you love her?”

The question was thrown at him like a curveball. All this time he’d been Ella’s friend. They’d never really moved past that stage. Did he love her? He’d never been in love before. Hadn’t even come close. He froze for a moment, overwhelmed by the reality of his situation. All of these emotions roiling around inside him added up to one thing. The realization hit him squarely in the chest. He was head over heels in love with Ella.

“Yes, I do. I love her more than I ever imagined I could love someone,” he confessed. Something told him that his grandfather already knew what he’d just admitted. He didn’t look at all surprised by Connor’s declaration.

“So what are you going to do about it?”

“What can I do? Loving her doesn’t negate the fact that she won’t open up to me about her past. How can I move forward without complete honesty? Not to mention I have no idea if she loves me.”

“You have to ask yourself what’s worse. Living a life with unanswered questions or living a life without the woman that you love. And if you truly love her, you need to start putting the pieces together. Why would she have come to a remote Alaskan town? Why is she so skittish? Add up everything you know about her. Fill in the blanks. Do some digging on your own.”

The words crashed over him with the force of a tsunami. They were powerful and heart-wrenching and moving. And it caused his brain to go into overdrive.

His grandfather put his arm around him. “Let’s go inside. Get some rest. You have a lot of thinking to do.”

He did. And even though he needed to get plenty of rest in preparation for Braden’s wedding festivities, something told him he wasn’t going to sleep a wink tonight. He was going to do a deep dive on the internet, checking in places like Arizona and Florida to see if he could unearth anything about any criminal cases. Perhaps she’d been a victim of an assault or a stalking. If there was even a shred of information, Connor was determined to find it.

* * *

Isabelle sat in her truck and looked out her window at the festively decorated church. Flowers had been artfully placed by the entrance along with pink ribbons and an elaborate wedding banner. She watched as guests streamed into the church. Most of them she recognized from around town.

Isabelle had thought about not attending the wedding, but after realizing it wouldn’t be right not to show up, she’d decided to honor her commitment. She looked in the rearview mirror, checking to make sure her hair and lipstick were in order. She knew there was a chance she might run into Connor. Her stomach was full of butterflies about how she should react to seeing him, especially now that she knew she was in love with him. Should she casually say hello or avoid him at all costs? It would be for the best if their paths didn’t cross. It would be easier for both of them.

A quick glance at her watch served as a warning to go inside the church before Piper made her grand entrance. Once inside, she made a point to sit toward the rear. She didn’t want to draw any attention to herself. She’d already had a few townsfolk question her about the rumors about her and Connor over the past week. It had been very awkward and uncomfortable. Somehow she’d managed to answer them tactfully.

From her vantage point she was able to see Connor standing right next to Braden at the altar. Even at this distance he caused a riot of emotions within her. Most of all, a yearning to be with him tugged at her. If only the situation was different.

When the wedding march played, three adorable toddlers teetered down the aisle—a pair of brown-skinned twins, Faith and Lizzie, who she knew belonged to Rachel and Gabe, along with Addie, Hank and Sage’s little girl. The little ones practically stole the show