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

the rescue, even if there was something about this woman that made him feel things he wasn’t used to feeling.

“Why don’t I swing by in the morning at eight?” he suggested. “I can drop you off at the shop, then head over to the factory.”

Ella crossed her hands. “I’m so grateful, Connor. I’d hate to mess things up my first week on the job.”

“No need to worry about that. Judging by the way my grandmother was singing your praises earlier today, you don’t have anything to worry about.” Beulah had talked nonstop about Ella and how she’d hired the perfect person for the position. His grandmother was a tough customer, so praise from her was rare.

“Would you like a cup of tea or some water?” she asked.

He held up his hand. “No, thanks. I need to head home so I can feed my pup.”

“You have a puppy?” she asked. A look of surprise was etched on her face.

“Well, he’s not actually a puppy. Bear is three and he’s a Siberian husky.” He let out a throaty chuckle. “He really enjoys dinnertime.”

“I’m sure he does. Those are fairly large dogs.” Ella giggled. The tinkling sound of it surprised him. It was light and airy. Laughter looked good on her. Her eyes lit up and there were little crinkles around her mouth. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Well, good night. I’ll see you bright and early,” Connor said, beating a fast path to the door. He felt as if he needed to get some air so he could think straight. More and more, Ella was growing on him, and he didn’t know what to do to stop it. He felt helpless. Attraction was humming and pulsing in the air around them. He wondered if she felt it, too.

Connor resisted the impulse to turn around to see her one last time as she stood in the doorway. Only when he heard the door shut was he able to let out a sigh of relief.

On the way home Connor couldn’t stop his thoughts from veering toward Ella. There was a reason he didn’t want to feel anything romantic for her. Something about her just wasn’t sitting right with him. Although her house was decorated stylishly and it exuded a cozy vibe, there were no pictures of family or friends. Not a single one. Where were the family photos? Mom and dad? A sibling or two? A group of friends? Connor couldn’t figure it out. Surely Ella had people in her life she was close to. Loved ones. Moments she wanted to highlight in her new home. The absence of those personal touches confounded him. Something was missing.

Who was Ella Perez? Other than being a transplant in Owl Creek and a newly hired manager for North Star Chocolates, she was an empty slate. He knew the weight of the past hung around his neck, but he was convinced Ella was hiding something. The fact that she was easy on the eyes wasn’t going to distract him from the warning signs he was observing.

One way or the other, Connor was going to keep a watchful eye on Ella. Perhaps he was imagining things, but if he wasn’t, he needed to be on alert. In the past his family had been victimized by a kidnapper and preyed on by people who sought to exploit their pain for profit.

He wasn’t going to allow anyone else to hurt his family ever again.

CHAPTER FIVE

Isabelle woke up bright and early, determined not to make Connor wait for her. He’d been picking her up every morning for the past three days and dropping her off at the chocolate shop.

It was very sweet of him to do her a favor and she didn’t want to push it by not being ready on time. Normally, Isabelle wasn’t a morning person, but waking up at this hour allowed her to glimpse a glorious Alaskan sunrise—vibrant shades of orange and yellow bursting into view over the horizon.

Connor was proving to be a very kind person, even though she’d caught him staring at her on several occasions as if she was a puzzle he wanted to solve. She’d slipped up a few times in his presence regarding her backstory. She wasn’t sure if he’d picked up on it, but most likely she was being paranoid. He seemed like a very direct person, who would ask her if he thought her résumé wasn’t on the up-and-up. Sometimes it felt as if she was walking around with a huge neon sign around her neck that declared her status as a WITSEC participant. It was hard not to wonder if she’d messed up big-time and inadvertently blown her cover. Up until her relocation to Owl Creek, Isabelle had no secrets to speak of. Now she was hiding almost everything about herself.

It wasn’t smart of her to be around someone like Connor. His easy manner and charm tempted her to put down her guard and let him into her world. There was something about him that drew her in. As a result, it was a struggle to maintain an emotional distance from him. But there weren’t many other people she knew here in town. Even though it would be tricky, she needed to forge friendships. She had to make a life for herself in Owl Creek, and without connections, she would be miserable.

Isabelle felt a burst of hope rising up inside of her. Beulah had invited her for a tour of the chocolate factory this morning. Ever since she was a kid, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory had been her favorite movie. The prospect of getting a behind-the-scenes view of the North Star Chocolate Company’s factory was thrilling.

She took a long sip of her cappuccino and let out a sigh of appreciation. What she loved most about her new house was her ability to enjoy breakfast and a wonderful view of the mountains while sitting at her kitchen table. Despite the intense feelings of homesickness she was battling,