The establishment looked so pretty set against the white snow and the mountains. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten at an old-fashioned diner. It had to be over a decade ago, at the one back home in Miami. Her family had frequented the place when she was little. Eating there had always been an adventure.
On impulse, Isabelle drove into the lot and made her way to the entrance. Her stomach was grumbling fiercely. The nervousness she’d felt all morning had made eating breakfast impossible. Now she was starving. Nothing less would have prompted her to stop in at the establishment way before she considered herself ready to be in any social setting. Determined not to change her mind, she pushed open the door with extra force, her head held high. She heard a loud thump followed by a cry and a crashing sound. Within seconds she realized the door had hit someone.
She stood in the doorway, horror-struck at the sight that greeted her. A man was on the floor surrounded by a sticky substance that looked an awful lot like syrup amid broken pieces of ceramic. All eyes in the diner were focused on her and the unfortunate man.
Isabelle’s heart sank. Her instructions had been to blend into the fabric of Owl Creek without attracting any attention to herself. Yet her first foray into the heart of town had resulted in garnering way more attention than she wanted or needed. Although her very first instinct was to turn tail and run as far away from the Snowy Owl Diner as her legs would carry her, it was far too late to do so.
* * *
Connor North had frantically tried to save himself from falling, but once the syrup spilled, his heel slid on the sticky parquet floor and he’d landed with a thud on his backside. Pain sliced through him, and he let out a loud groan.
“Oh, no! I’m so sorry! Are you all right?”
He looked up at the sound of the soft, melodic voice inquiring about his well-being. The woman he was staring up at was definitely not a resident of Owl Creek. He would have noticed a woman this beautiful before now. Jet-black hair fell around her shoulders in soft waves. Her sweet brown eyes radiated compassion. Thick, soot-colored lashes framed them.
He wondered what she was doing in town. Perhaps another tourist eager to experience North Star Chocolates and a quaint village in Alaska.
Connor sprang to his feet, wincing at the sticky sensation on his hands. He brushed them against his sweater to clean them off.
“No need to worry. I’m fine. I’m Connor North. And you are?” he asked, holding out his hand so she could shake it.
She gazed at him with wide eyes. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She looked down at his hand with a blank stare. “I... I’m Ella. Ella Perez. I’m so very sorry for making such a mess.” He withdrew his hand when she didn’t shake it.
“You’re forgiven, Ella. Accidents happen,” Connor said with a nod, trying to put the stranger at ease. She was gazing at him with a look of trepidation. Had he done something to alarm her? Maybe she thought he was upset about the fall.
“Is everything all right over here?”
Connor swung his gaze toward Piper Miller, the owner of the Snowy Owl Diner. Piper was the town’s resident sweetheart, as well as his younger brother Braden’s fiancée.
“It’s fine, Piper,” Connor said, making a face and looking down at his soggy pants. “I just had a clumsy moment. Sorry about the mess.” He pointed toward the syrup and broken dish on the parquet floor.
“No worries,” Piper said. “We’re used to spills around here. I’ll have it cleaned up right away.”
“He’s being kind,” Ella interjected. “I swung the door too hard when I came inside and it crashed into him. I’m so sorry for the trouble.” Regret rang out in her voice. “It was entirely my fault.”
“You must be new in town if you think that’s trouble,” Piper responded. “I’m the owner of this place by the way. Piper Miller.”
“Ella Perez. I... I’ve just moved to Owl Creek,” she explained, running a shaky hand through her long dark tresses. Connor was trying not to stare, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. Ella Perez was without a doubt the prettiest woman who’d ever stepped foot in Owl Creek.
“Let me show you to a table.” Piper looked back and forth between them. “Unless the two of you are sitting together?”
“No! We’re not together,” Ella said in an emphatic tone that brooked no argument. “I just need a table for one.”
“That can be arranged,” Piper said. “Follow me and I’ll get you situated. Connor, why don’t you go over to the counter and grab some more syrup?”
“Nice to meet you,” Connor said with a nod as Piper led Ella to a table by the window. He grabbed another container of syrup from the counter and headed back to eat his breakfast.
His two best friends, Gabriel Lawson and Hank Crawford, were seated at their regular table waiting for him to bring the syrup back. When he reached the table he could see the two of them trying to stifle their laughter.
Connor placed the syrup down on the table with a bang. “As you saw, I took one for the team by going to get this.”
“And we’re mighty appreciative of your service,” Hank said with a smirk. He reached over and picked up the container, pouring the syrup liberally over his flapjacks.
Hank handed the syrup to Gabriel, who did the same. “Looks like you made a new friend.” Gabriel wiggled his eyebrows. Connor pretended not to notice. Anytime he was within a ten-mile radius of a single woman, his best friends couldn’t resist teasing him about his prolific dating history. Lately it had been bugging him.
Although Connor’s stomach was growling and he had a full breakfast plate sitting before him, something was bothering him. He knew he’d never met Ella before, but her name pricked at him. Why did it sound so familiar?
He stroked his jaw. “I can’t put my finger on it, but I feel like I know her name for some reason. Ella Perez. Does it sound familiar to either one of you?” he asked, trying to recall why the woman’s name lurked in the back of his mind.
Gabriel and Hank exchanged a pointed glance. Both of them began to chuckle as if they were sharing an inside joke.
Connor let out a sigh. “What are you guys laughing at now?”
“It’s just that you make it a point to know every pretty woman in Owl Creek, even the tourists,” Gabriel explained.
“Neither her name nor her face ring a bell with me,” Hank added, still chuckling. “But then again, I’m a happily married man.”
The laughter erupting from their mouths threatened to drown out all of his thoughts. Couldn’t he even talk to a woman without people assuming he was interested in her? Sure, Ella was stunning, but it didn’t mean he wanted to date her.
Normally, Connor didn’t mind being teased about his love life, but lately it had rankled him every time Hank and Gabriel joked about his status as Owl Creek’s most popular bachelor. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much as of late, but it was beginning to get old. He wasn’t the same man he’d been a year ago. Connor had grown and matured.
So much had changed in the last year with the return of his long-lost sister, Sage. She had been kidnapped as a baby from their family home in Owl Creek, only to return to the fold twenty-five years later. The reunion had also brought his brother, Braden, back to town, making the family unit complete. Although he should have been on solid ground, he’d been feeling unsettled. His best friends were both newlyweds—Hank had married Sage, while Gabriel had reunited with his first love, Rachel. Even Braden had fallen in love with Piper, his best friend since childhood.
Everyone seemed to be moving forward in their lives, except him.
“Hey! We’re just having a little fun,” Hank said, clapping him on the shoulder. “What’s troubling you?”
Connor stabbed his fork on the plate and picked up several pieces of pancake. He shrugged as he stuffed the forkful in his mouth, then swallowed. “I don’t know, guys. I’m just feelin
g a bit out of sorts these days. Things have been pretty intense lately. I think it’s all beginning to catch up with me.”
“They really have been,” Gabriel agreed. “Personally speaking, the past few months have been a whirlwind. Rachel and I are married now and raising twin toddlers.” He grinned. “God blessed me when I least expected it.”
“You deserve every ounce of happiness,” Connor said, raising his glass of orange juice in Gabe’s direction.
“We’re here for you, Connor. You know that. The Three Amigos for life.” Hank held up his hand and bumped fists with him.
Connor grinned. Having his two closest friends in his corner always made him feel as if he could conquer the world. And since Braden had recently decided to forgo working at the family business, the North Star Chocolate Company, he would need all that confidence and determination to ensure the company’s success. Not that he held it against his younger brother. He admired Braden’s desire to live life on his own terms. He had the type of courage Connor wasn’t sure he himself had.
For the next half hour Connor and his friends ate and talked, focusing on local matters in Owl Creek. As town sheriff, Hank always had his ear to the ground. A few times Connor found himself looking across the diner at Ella as she ate her meal. He was curious as to what she was doing here in town.
She’d casually mentioned being a new resident in their small village, but he wondered if she had family or friends here. Had she relocated for a romantic connection? In these parts it was entirely possible. Or perhaps she’d come here for an employment opportunity.
A job! His family’s chocolate emporium. That’s why her name sounded so familiar. Ella Perez was the new manager at the North Star Chocolate Shop right down the street. He’d seen her résumé and offer letter just the other day on his grandmother Beulah’s desk.
When he glanced back over in Ella’s direction, she was sailing out the front door.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out some bills, then plunked them down on the table. “Spending time with you guys was a pleasure, but I have to settle some work-related business,” he said, standing up and pulling on his parka. “Breakfast is on me.”
Before Gabe or Hank could say a word, Connor hustled toward the exit. If he moved really quickly, perhaps he could catch up to Ella and introduce himself as a member of the North family and welcome her to town.
He immediately spotted her heading toward the parking lot. “Ella!” he called out in a raised voice. When she didn’t turn around, Connor called her name in an even louder voice. When she didn’t respond, he picked up the pace, closing the distance between them in a few quick strides. Although he continued to call out her name, she didn’t turn around.
In a last ditch effort to get her attention, he tapped her on the shoulder. Ella whipped around to face him, a look of pure terror etched on her face. Her entire body had stiffened up.
“Hey. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, immediately regretting touching her. He didn’t think he’d crossed a boundary, but perhaps he had unknowingly done so.
“You didn’t,” she said, her voice trembling. “You just caught me off guard.”
“Sorry about that, but I had to catch up to you before you left. When we met I couldn’t help but think you seemed familiar to me. And I know exactly who you are, Ella Perez.”
Copyright © 2021 by Sandra Calhoune
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ISBN-13: 9780369703194
Rocky Mountain Dreams & Family on the Range
Copyright © 2021 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Rocky Mountain Dreams
First published in 2014. This edition published in 2021.
Copyright © 2014 by Danica Favorite
Family on the Range
First published in 2014. This edition published in 2021.
Copyright © 2014 by Jessica Nelson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of
brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Rocky Mountain Dreams & Family on the Range Page 49