Hiding in Alaska by Belle Calhoune

Author:Belle Calhoune
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-11-26T13:49:49+00:00

* * *

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.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.