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

no doubt he would enjoy tracking down her whereabouts in Owl Creek and doing the same to her.

After Connor’s assurances last night, she was beginning to feel secure in this quaint Alaskan town. As if it was her haven from the ugliness of bullets and violence. For the first time since her arrival, Isabelle could envision living out the rest of her days in Owl Creek. She knew instinctively it had a lot to do with her friendship with Connor.

In the cold light of day, she regretted having kissed him, but her feelings were a bit all over the place. Iris had made it clear to her that Connor was an expert at playing the field. Was she just another conquest? On the other hand, the kiss had given her comfort and a sense of security at a time when she’d badly needed it. And it had offered her hope. Maybe she didn’t have to be alone for the rest of her days. But Jonah’s announcement brought her squarely back to earth.

After an hour or so of chatting, Jonah announced that he needed to get going. Isabelle no longer felt surprised by the covert actions of Marshal Kramer. Although his visit had been short, she deeply appreciated the face-to-face drop-in to tell her about the witness’s murder. Isabelle stood by the door and waved as Jonah drove away in a dark sedan. He was gone just as mysteriously as he’d arrived. She couldn’t explain it, but she had the feeling this was the last time she would ever see the U.S. Marshal. Today she felt stronger than she had a few days ago. It was a God moment. All this time she’d been praying for strength, and she finally was feeling empowered.

Even though Jonah had delivered some alarming news it hadn’t shattered her. She was still standing. She was committed to living her life without constantly looking over her shoulder. Although it was a sobering reality that her life would always be in danger, she was finally coming to terms with it. She now knew she could face fear head-on and come out the other side. She could make a life for herself in Alaska. It might not be like the one she’d left behind, but it could be a good existence nevertheless.

Hope. In order to make this work, didn’t she need to have faith in rebuilding her life?

After she closed the door and came inside from the cold, Isabelle went upstairs to get ready for the late morning service. She had so much to be thankful for, and she wanted to worship with the townsfolk in God’s house. Would Connor be in attendance? She was a bit nervous to see him again after the tender kiss they’d shared last night. Isabelle prayed things wouldn’t be awkward between them. After all, they were both adults, right? Surely they could both see that the kiss had been ill-advised and a result of the nerve-racking situation she’d found herself in.

Nothing had changed between them, despite the kiss. It didn’t matter how deeply she yearned to push past friendship with Connor. It simply wasn’t possible.

CHAPTER TWELVE

On Sunday, Connor didn’t have much time to dwell on the situation with Ella. Running into Ella after church service had put things into perspective about his relationship with her. Just because he wasn’t able to pursue a romance with Ella didn’t mean he couldn’t be a good friend and ally. She was a stranger in an unfamiliar town that was full of interesting places to explore. He’d invited Ella to go sightseeing with him, offering himself as her Owl Creek tour guide.

A few hours later he was with Ella, staring up at a sky full of stars set against a velvety backdrop. He knew she’d been wanting to get a glimpse of the town’s legendary owls, so here they were at their final destination after hours of exploring various locations in town.

He was sitting on a snowbank, shoulder to shoulder with Ella. “See that right there?” he asked, pointing up at the inky sky.

Ella let out a gasp. “What is it? I’ve never spotted anything like it before.”

Connor dragged his eyes away from Ella and looked up at the crimson-colored moon. “They call it a super blood wolf moon. It doesn’t come around very often, but when it does, it’s spectacular.”

“It’s stunning. I never even knew it existed.”

Connor turned toward her. “Stick around, kid. Alaska has a lot of hidden treasures. You just have to be open to it.”

Ella nodded her head vigorously. Her enthusiasm was effusive. She almost resembled a wide-eyed kid with her excitement. Her brown eyes shone with wonder.

“It’s funny how the things that are truly wonderful always seem to come out of the blue. Like a double rainbow or a shooting star. Or in this case, a super blood wolf moon.” Her tinkling laughter filled the air. He wanted to hear more of it. The smiles. The joy. The happiness. It only served to enhance her natural beauty.

“Wait till you see the northern lights. Every time I witness them, it makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning,” Connor said.

“Well then, I hope to catch a glimpse one of these days.”

“Oh, you’ll need more than a peek. Hopefully it won’t just be a flash. The best sightings are the ones that stick around for a while.”

They sat for a few moments in companionable silence. It was nice that neither one of them needed to fill up the silence. He could sit like this for hours just gazing up at the heavens. Even the frigid temperatures weren’t a problem right now. All was right in his world.

“Look. It’s a snowy owl!” she cried out, pointing at the bird gracefully flying through the air. “It’s so beautiful.”

“Alaska is really showing off for you tonight. A blood moon and a snowy owl. You’re really getting a show.”

She shook her head, her long strands of hair whirling around her shoulders. “I’m glad you brought me