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

As their eyes met, something shimmered and pulsed in the air between them. He reached out and clasped her hand in his, pulling her closer. What he saw glistening in her eyes reflected his own sentiments.

“Ella,” he murmured, dipping his head down toward her. Her eyes fluttered closed, and he knew she anticipated the kiss as he made his move. He pressed his lips against Ella’s. He thought he heard her let out a little sigh of appreciation. He took her face in his hands and tenderly moved his lips over hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

He’d never been one to talk about romantic moments, but this tender interlude was everything. Their first kiss had been a sweet exploration, whereas this one was filled with more emotion. He could feel her heart fluttering inside her chest. It matched the beats of his own. He thought it might burst straight out of his chest. Feeling these emotions was confusing, since he was determined to avoid any romantic entanglements with Ella. At the moment he knew he was playing with fire.

If it was at all possible, Connor would stay here with Ella until the diamond-like stars were erased from the sky. He cared about this woman way more than he wanted to. She’d managed to burrow her way into his heart when he wasn’t looking. And now all he wanted in this world was to be with her. Every second they shared was sacred to him because, as much as he wished a future with her was possible, it wasn’t when he still couldn’t be sure of what she was hiding.

Connor still wondered what she was running from. What could possibly be so awful that she was determined to keep it under wraps? He winced as his mind began whirling with awful possibilities. Try as he might, Connor couldn’t stop thinking about the terrible price his own family had paid at the hands of a woman who’d harbored devastating secrets. Jane Duncan had stolen his sister due to the fact that she’d been unable to have her own child. It was only on her deathbed that she’d confessed her sins to Sage. His family had never received a word of apology from her for her heinous act. Her actions had wounded all of them in the worst possible way.

There was no way in this world he could allow it to happen to his family again.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Ella became more entrenched in the vital community of Owl Creek. Joining the choir, making new friends at North Star Chocolates and spending time with Connor helped make her feel as if the small Alaskan town was becoming a home. While it had once been a hideaway, a safe place to live while she was rebuilding her life, now it was so much more. It was a place where she could imagine herself growing old. She was sure of that this morning when she had received an invitation to Piper and Braden’s wedding. She couldn’t stop gazing at the beautiful stationery and thinking how fortunate she was to be invited to the nuptials. Getting the special piece of mail made her grin from ear to ear.

When she gazed at the invitation for the hundredth time she found herself tracing the gold script that spelled out Ella Perez. Tears sprang to her eyes. Would she ever get used to this? Being someone other than her truest self? Sometimes she wanted to scream out that she was Isabelle Sanchez from Miami, Florida. But she couldn’t. Not if she wanted to stay out of Vincent Burke’s reach.

Ella Perez wasn’t real. Her story was a fabrication. Her own life had been erased. She needed to accept it.

Isabelle couldn’t get any closer to Connor with all these secrets lurking under the surface. What if one of Burke’s men did come looking for her in Alaska? Connor might be placed in jeopardy simply by his connection to her. She couldn’t let that happen.

She still had nightmares from time to time, but they were less frequent than they had been when she’d first arrived in town. Isabelle had taken some steps forward over the last few weeks—she no longer jumped at sudden noises or had flashbacks of the shooting. For the first time in a long time she didn’t have a tight sensation across her chest. She could breathe now.

The biggest thing weighing her down was the knowledge that she couldn’t tell Connor a single thing about her past. Sometimes she had the impression he suspected something. He would look at her strangely at random moments or ask probing questions. Perhaps she was just feeling funny about living a life that really wasn’t her own. Maybe she was projecting her worries onto him. Even if they could never be a couple, he’d proven himself to be a solid friend.

“You’re Ella Perez now,” she said out loud as she gazed into the mirror. Although she looked the same as she always had, Isabelle knew she was changing every single day. Pretty soon, Isabelle would be nothing more than a memory.

And it broke her heart into a million little pieces.

* * *

Connor parked his truck a block away from the Snowy Owl Diner and began walking down Main Street. He was in the mood for a little walk down the main thoroughfare. He forced himself to smile at the townsfolk he crossed paths with, engaging in light conversation before going on his way. It was a gorgeous February morning with freshly fallen snow glistening on the tree branches. Everyone seemed to be out and about, frequenting the shops, running errands or indulging in an aromatic cup of tea at Tea Time. Normally, he would feel upbeat on a day like this, but Connor’s mood was contemplative. He’d arisen this morning with more questions than answers. He didn’t enjoy feeling so unsettled. Was he making too much of an issue about Ella’s