Hiding in Alaska

by Belle Calhoune

  “I do recall hearing the news story, but I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time. I can’t believe that was Sage.”

  “The woman who stole her from us actually ended up raising Sage,” Connor explained. Although he didn’t mind telling Ella about his family’s tragic past, it still hurt to discuss it. Jane Duncan, the kidnapper, had passed away last year, but he still harbored anger toward the woman who had perpetrated such a heinous act.

  “I imagine something like that would devastate your whole family,” Isabelle said. “For the life of me I can’t imagine how my own family would have weathered such a storm. A stolen baby must’ve led to such unimaginable loss and uncertainty.”

  “It did. The tragedy was never far from us,” he acknowledged. “We could be enjoying a wonderful Christmas celebration when it would rear up and bring us all crashing down to reality. Even as a small child I felt it. There was a void in our family that could never be filled until Lily returned.”

  Isabelle frowned. “Lily?”

  “That’s what my parents named Sage at birth. By the time she came back to us, she wasn’t Lily anymore. The woman who stole her ended up raising her as Sage.”

  Isabelle made a tutting sound. “The name change must have been a painful reminder of the abduction, although Sage’s return is an incredible blessing.”

  Connor nodded, then bowed his head. “We all prayed for years for her return. I don’t think my folks ever gave up hope. God brought her back to Owl Creek so we could make our family complete. Now we can’t imagine how we made it through all those years without her being with us. It just feels so natural.”

  “I’m feeling a bit ashamed of myself,” Ella admitted.

  “For what?” he asked. He froze for a moment, wondering if she was about to confess something about her past.

  “Ever since I met your sister, I’ve been viewing her as this perfect woman living a storybook existence.” She let out a hollow laugh. “In reality she was an abducted child who was separated from her real family for decades. I can’t begin to wrap my head around what that knowledge did to her.”

  “Sage has been through a lot,” he acknowledged. “There’s no way you could have known about the burdens she’s carried. She walks through life radiating positivity. We like to think that God was with her for every step of her journey. He gave her the strength to seek out her family.” He shook his head. It still stunned him to reflect on Sage’s courage and tenacity.

  “She’s way more incredible than I realized. And your family is, too. To endure such a devastating loss, then come together the way you’ve all done is awe-inspiring.”

  “I’m fortunate to have a really strong family. It took a little convincing to make me accept Sage 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 dipped his head down a few inches his lips would be on Ella’s. He was tempted to kiss her. He imagined her lips would be soft and inviting. They might just taste like the hot cocoa she’d been drinking. Instead of doing so, he sucked in a deep breath. It was too soon to kiss Ella, despite how badly he wanted to do it. He was still trying to decide if she was hiding something or if he was jumping to conclusions about her.

  She was pretty amazing with her compassionate insight into his family’s devastation and trauma. And she was opening up more and more. She didn’t feel like such a stranger anymore. She’d told him about her family dog even though it had clearly been a painful topic. Maybe he just needed to be more patient.

  He didn’t know if kissing her would give him clarity, but he was willing to give it a try. Just go for it, he told himself. He inched closer and leaned down toward her.

  “Connor!”

  The sound of his name being called had him instinctively moving away from Ella. He wanted to protect her privacy as well as his own. He didn’t have a single doubt in his mind about the town gossip that would ensue if he was spotted kissing Ella. The abrupt interruption made him feel as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over him. The mood had been ruined.

  Much to his surprise, his grandparents were standing a few feet away in the clearing.

  “Beg our pardons for the interruption.” Beulah sent a pointed look in her husband’s direction. “I daresay we have bad timing.”

  “I’ll say,” Connor mumbled under his breath. Disappointment washed over him now that the moment had slipped through his fingers.

  He darted a glance at Ella. Her cheeks were flushed. Instinct told him it had nothing to do with the frosty temperature. The almost kiss hung in the air between them. He was trying to pay attention to the conversation with his grandparents, but his thoughts kept veering to Ella’s kissable pink lips. “We wanted to pass along a message to Ella,” Jennings said sheepishly. “Sorry about the intrusion.”

  “No worries,” Connor said, placing his hand on his grandfather’s shoulder. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but Jennings looked so much more vital these days. He had been a virtual shut-in after the kidnapping of his grandchild. Only recently had he begun to venture out into the world. Connor felt gratified that he had rebounded so well.

  “Ella, the young lady who drove you over here tonight had a medical emergency,” Beulah explained. “She was covered in hives.”

  “Oh, no,” Ella said, her face crumpling. “What happened?”

  “It seems Lissa had an allergic reaction to something she ate,” Jennings explained. “She had to leave so she could get an EpiPen shot at the clinic.”

  Ella raised a hand to her throat. “That’s so scary. She brings one in to work with her every day. Is she going to be all right?”

  Beulah patted her on the shoulder. “She’s in good hands. One of the town’s most eligible bachelors stepped in and drove her to the clinic after Rachel Lawson looked her over. I’m wondering if God is trying to push those two together.” Beulah’s wide grin threatened to take over her entire face. Connor arched an eyebrow in her direction. Sometimes his grandmother’s matchmaking goals were a bit over-the-top.

  “Grandmother, let’s focus on Lissa’s health rather than her social life,” Connor said.

  Beulah sent him a surprised look. “I apologize if I sounded insensitive, but I have a very good feeling about those two.”

  Jennings reached out and clasped his wife’s hands in his own. “You always do, my dear. You always do.”

  Beulah had a habit of matchmaking, but her attempts at bringing couples together had a dismal success rate. Not a single one of her matches had even come close to being a successful couple. And yet she persisted.

  “Your heart is in the right place, Beulah,” Ella said. Connor could tell Ella’s comment pleased his grandmother. She was practically beaming from the praise.

  “Let me take you home, Ella,” Connor offered. “I think the event is winding down.”

  Ella finally glanced over at him. She’d been studiously avoiding his gaze ever since his grandparents had shown up. “Thanks. I’d appreciate it. I’m going to call Lissa later to make sure she’s all right,” Ella added.

  “How kind of you,” Beulah said. “Please keep us posted.”

  “I will,” Ella said. “She’s a real sweetheart.”

  As they walked as a foursome out into the main area of the town green, Connor noted that the crowd had thinned considerably. Although he’d wanted to catch up with his old friend Ace, a general scan of the area indicated he may have already departed.

  Connor, along with Ella, said good-night to his grandparents and swiftly made his way over to his truck. He’d parked it on the street right by the Sheriff’s office. Once they were both inside the vehicle, Connor turned on the radio in the hopes of erasing the tension that hung in the air.

  Ella hadn’t said two words to him in the last ten minutes. He wondered whether she was simply worried about Lissa or pondering the fact that he’d almost kissed her. If it was the latter, Connor had no way of knowing whether his kiss would have been well received. For all he knew she might not have been receptive to it. Maybe his grandparents had rescued him from embarrassment.

  Perhaps not kissing Ella had been for the best, considering his reservations about her. It wouldn’t be wise to go down a romantic road with all these questions about her that continued to crop up. He kept telling himself that he wanted something steady in his personal life. It wouldn’t be wise to go down that road with someone whom he wasn’t sure he could trust.

  Secrets had a way of coming out from the shadows into the light. His own life had taught him that valuable lesson, and it wasn’t likely he would forget it anytime soon.

  Chapter Nine

  Isabelle gazed out of the window as the Alaskan scenery flitted by her car window. A brilliant moon still hung in the sky, surrounded by dozens of twinkling stars. A graceful snowy owl swooped over the branches of a tree, causing Isabelle to let out a gasp of wonder. She had never seen one in person before, and it was a majestic sight. There were so many things she was experiencing in Alaska that she hadn’t been exposed to before now. With each passing day, Isabelle was falling more and more in love with the little town of Owl Creek. Although she had never imagined ever calling it home, it now felt like one. It was a bittersweet realization, since she still yearned for Miami and the people she had left behind.

  For the most part, the car ride home with Connor had been filled with awkward silences. Was Connor thinking about the fact that they’d almost shared a kiss? Probably not. Most likely it had been an impulsive act on his part, soon to be forgotten. Men didn’t tend to analyze things the way women did.

  A smile twitched at her lips at the memory of Beulah and Jennings when they’d interrupted them. Both had appeared sheepish, stunned and incredibly embarrassed. If she hadn’t felt so awkward in the moment, Isabelle might have laughed out loud.

  As Connor pulled into her driveway, Isabelle took a moment to drink in the coziness of her new abode. A single light shone from inside, lending the house an inviting warmth. There was another light by her front porch that served as a welcoming beacon. It gave her an added sense of security.

  She turned toward Connor. “Thank you for bringing me home. Rusty is dropping off my truck in the morning, so I won’t need a ride to work anymore.” She looked up at him, suddenly feeling a bit bashful. More than ever, she now had an awareness of him as a man. A ruggedly
handsome one at that. “I appreciate your kindness. It made things a lot easier for me.”

  “You’re welcome,” Connor said. “But I should be thanking you. Driving you made my days more interesting by far. I enjoyed all of our chats.” The way he grinned at her made her limbs tremble. She took a slow, steadying breath. The more time she spent in his presence, the more she was tempted to toss her vow of staying away from him out of the window. Who wouldn’t want to spend time with him? What woman wouldn’t want to be kissed by Connor North?

  “That’s sweet of you to say, but I’m still grateful. Good night, Connor,” she said, quickly opening the door and stepping down before he could come around and open it for her. She heard Connor’s voice bidding her good-night, and she turned around to wave before making her way across her snowy walkway to the front door. Once she was inside, she peeked out the window to see Connor slowly driving away. Clearly he’d waited until she was safely in her home before taking off. A true gentleman.

  She let out a sigh. Being around him was like sneaking a chocolate from a candy box that she knew she wasn’t supposed to eat. In the world of confections, Connor was a truffle—unique, bold and memorable. If only things were different. If only she could be Isabelle rather than Ella.

  Tonight they had almost shared a kiss. If Beulah and Jennings hadn’t interrupted them, she was certain it would have happened, even if it would have been too soon.

  A part of her had been relieved that they hadn’t kissed, while another piece of her yearned to share a tender moment with him. Although she had never had a shortage of boyfriends, Isabelle couldn’t ever remember feeling this way before. Excited. Nervous. She cared about him way more than she ever wanted to admit. Sharing even brief snatches of time in his presence lifted her up.