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

as being Lily, but she won me over. I think a big part of me didn’t want to be crushed if it turned out she wasn’t my sister.” He let out a brittle laugh. “Every Christmas when I was a kid I used to insist on hanging up a stocking for my baby sister. At first I think it made my parents uncomfortable, but over time it became something special we did to hold her close to our hearts during the holiday season. Not that she was ever far from us. My family always believed she would come home to us.”

“Faith,” she murmured. “They believed in something they couldn’t see or touch.”

“Yes,” he answered with a nod. “My folks never gave up on the notion that they would be with their Lily again. It taught me so much about holding fast to one’s beliefs.”

“Your family sounds incredible. I’d give anything to be with mine right now. Don’t get me wrong,” she quickly added, “I really value the opportunity to stretch my wings by working for your family’s company. I suppose I’m just a bit homesick.”

Connor heard the catch in Ella’s voice, and it threatened to knock him off his feet. There was so much yearning in her voice. It made him ache for her. She sounded vulnerable and a little bit lost.

He needed to take a step back from this woman, because with every moment they spent together she reeled him in more. And Connor wasn’t sure he had the wherewithal to put a stop to it. She’d gotten under his skin. All he could think about was getting closer to her when he knew he should be putting distance between them.

* * *

The words had slipped past her lips before she could stop herself. Talking about her family was off-limits. She was really talking up a storm tonight and letting things slip that she shouldn’t. She prayed Connor didn’t ask her any questions. She really didn’t want to have to fabricate a story. It was becoming increasingly difficult to justify her lies. It wasn’t making her feel any better by telling herself that the WITSEC program and the danger she was in mandated it.

“Invite them to visit. This town will roll out the red carpet for them. Visiting Alaska makes for a nice family getaway.” Connor sounded so excited about the possibility of her family visiting.

“That’s not possible,” she murmured. Their eyes met and Connor’s were full of questions. “They’re not in my life at the moment,” she admitted. The enormity of the situation came crashing over her. Despite being at an event crowded with people, Isabelle was achingly alone. There was no one who would wish her a happy birthday or bring her chicken noodle soup when she was sick.

Tears pooled in her eyes. Don’t cry, she told herself. Becoming emotional would only draw more questions from Connor. How could she ever explain herself? Isabelle felt moisture on her cheeks. Despite her best efforts, the tears were flowing. Before she knew it, he was whisking her away from the main area and toward a copse of trees, where they were almost hidden from the festivities.

“Oh, Ella. Please don’t cry. It’s going to be all right.” Connor quickly swallowed up the distance between them and placed his arms around her. She let out a muffled sob against his chest. She felt his hand moving in a circular motion on her back as he murmured soothing words. It was so comforting to be held by him. Isabelle breathed in the woodsy, masculine scent of him. Although she knew it wasn’t possible, she didn’t want this moment to end. It had been a long time since someone had made her feel safe and protected. For so long now she had been keeping a stiff upper lip and trying to protect herself and her family members from harm. It was nice to take shelter, if only for a little while, in Connor’s arms.

After a few moments, Isabelle pulled away from him. Embarrassment made her cheeks feel flushed. She’d been clinging to him as if he was a life preserver.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, dabbing at her eyes with the hem of her sleeve.

Compassion flared in the depths of his blue eyes. “There’s no need to apologize. Clearly you love your family. Don’t ever give up on making things right with the ones you care about.”

She shook her head. “It’s not likely to happen. We might never be a part of each other’s lives ever again.”

He narrowed his gaze as he looked at her. “You’re talking to someone who was reunited with his missing sister after twenty-five years. Don’t stop believing that you’ll reconcile with them. With God nothing’s impossible.”

Even though Connor didn’t understand her specific circumstances, his words were still powerful. Deep down in her heart, Isabelle believed she would see her family again, despite what she’d been told by law enforcement. At moments like this one, it was hard to keep believing. She prayed on it each and every day.

Connor was a man of faith, which was refreshing.

He reached out and smoothed his gloved hand across her cheek. “You can talk to me if you need someone to lean on. I’ve been told on occasion that I’m a good listener.”

How Isabelle wished she could confide in Connor. Would he understand what she’d been through after being a witness to a violent murder? Or would he be horrified by her involvement in WITSEC? Either way, she was forbidden from disclosing it to him.

He represented everything solid and upstanding. Connor made her want things she knew were out of her reach. But even though Isabelle understood that Connor didn’t factor into her plans, it didn’t make her yearning any less.

Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but the way he was looking at her made her believe he was seconds away from kissing her.

* * *

Their eyes locked and held. He felt something humming and pulsing in the air between them. Connor knew if he