Isabelle looked at the printout of the newspaper article. It was all there in black and white. She wiped away tears with the back of her hand. The rules of the WITSEC program didn’t stipulate what to do if the person you were madly in love with came to you with decisive proof about your former identity. He was holding the evidence in his hands. She’d done her very best to protect herself and to uphold the standards of the program. But this was an extraordinary development in her story.
Her heart began to thunder in her chest. Because Connor had stumbled upon the truth, her status in WITSEC could be compromised. She might be relocated from Owl Creek to another location. She might have to say goodbye to Connor. The very thought of it caused a twisting sensation in her gut. Words were stuck in her throat.
“I’m sorry for not being gentler with you. I let my pride and my past get the better of me. I’m ashamed of how I acted. I’m asking you to forgive me, but I understand if you can’t.” He reached out and took her hand. “I want to move forward with you. I know your life is complicated and fraught with danger, but I’m prepared to never divulge a word of this to a single person.”
“What are you saying, Connor?” She was practically holding her breath waiting for him to spell it out. Hope was within her grasp and she wanted so badly to grab ahold of it. If there was any chance that they could work through her being in WITSEC, she wouldn’t hesitate to do whatever she could to make it happen. She believed in Connor. He would be worth it.
“I thought that I needed to know everything about you in order to forge a relationship with you, but I already know all the things that matter or will ever matter. I know how it makes me feel when you smile at me. I know you would never hurt anyone. You radiate kindness and empathy. I know someone hurt you and made you fearful. And that makes me angrier than I can ever express in words, but I also know it’s made you strong and resilient.” He took a deep, steadying breath. “I don’t want to spend another day apart from you. My life is richer with you in it. I’ve been so consumed with your past I forgot to focus on the present and the future. Our future. For so long there was a big hole inside me that needed to be filled up. You’ve done that, Ella. And I don’t want to live a life without you in it.”
Tears were streaming down her face. She let out a sob. “Are you sure? My life is a bit complicated, and there are lots of dos and don’ts involved. And there’s no guarantee that danger might not present itself, not only for myself, but to you as well. And the Marshals might decide to relocate me to another town. That’s a distinct possibility now.”
“Ella, I’m more certain about us than I’ve been of anything in my life.” Connor reached out and ran his thumb against her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Connor. So very much,” she whispered.
She stood on her tippy-toes and placed a kiss on his lips. In this one moment she was happier than she’d ever imagined. Connor loved her! He’d put the pieces together, and she didn’t have to worry about hiding the truth from him because he already knew it. She’d have to convince Jonah that she be allowed to stay now that Connor knew about her past. There were still obstacles to face. But for now she wanted to revel in this moment.
“There’s one thing I’d like you to do,” she said as their embrace ended.
“Anything.”
“Now that you know my real name, please call me Isabelle just this once.” She grinned up at him, buoyed by the love she saw radiating from his eyes. Her emotions threatened to burst out of her chest. She was deliriously happy.
“Isabelle,” he murmured. “I like the sound of that.”
Hearing her real name rolling off his lips was such a simple thing, yet it filled her with unimaginable bliss.
Epilogue
A light snow gently fell from the sky as Isabelle and Connor burst through the wooden doors of the church followed by a crowd of well-wishers. Happiness hung in the air as the newly married couple was bombarded with forget-me-not flower petals and shouts of congratulations.
Connor reached for his wife’s hand and pressed it to his lips. “I love you, Mrs. North.”
She was no longer keeping any secrets from her husband. Jonah had met with her and Connor. He’d given her the green light to discuss her participation in WITSEC with Connor since he’d already uncovered the truth online. Connor had reassured Jonah that he would never divulge Isabelle’s secrets or put her in harm’s way. Thankfully, the marshal hadn’t found it necessary to relocate her from Owl Creek. Everything had come full circle for them. Truths had been brought out into the light. Joy shone brightly in the aftermath.
“And I love you, my husband.” Tears of contentment pooled in her eyes. She’d never dared to dream of such a wonderful happy ending for herself and Connor. It had seemed so out of reach until Connor put his faith in their relationship before his doubts. His belief in her and their love had been a powerful force. Thankfully, Connor had deduced her involvement in WITSEC, then proposed to her a few weeks later. It had taken all of the pressure off Isabelle, who no longer had to hide things from Connor. As her husband, he was privy to all of her truths.
“Husband. I like the ring of that,” Connor said as he dipped his head down and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Isabelle kissed him back with equal measure, all the while rejoicing in the blessings they’d received. She was so very thankful.
“I couldn’t be happier,” she gushed as the embrace ended. “God has been so good to us.”
“I won’t argue with you on that. He brought you all the way to Owl Creek...and to me. I’ll always be thankful for it, even though I know you came to Alaska out of necessity, not choice.”
“I can’t imagine being anywhere but here. Right by your side. Every step along the way led me right to you.” She smiled up at him, joy shimmering in her eyes. Connor was her happy ending. Her rainbow after the storm. “You and me and a lifetime of happiness.”
“That’s all I want, baby. For us to walk through life together. You’ve been through so much, and you’ve shown nothing but bravery and pluck.”
“You were with me, Connor, and because you believed in me...in us, we’re standing here right now as man and wife. You stepped out on a limb of faith, even though I gave you every reason to doubt me. You did the work to bring us together.”
“You were worth fighting for, Isabelle. You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known. What you went through back in Miami would have destroyed most people, yet you tapped into your inner strength and persevered.”
“There were times I didn’t think I would make it through, but I’m so glad I did. Because of you, Connor. And what the future holds for us.”
“What we have is everything I’ve ever wanted in this world.” He took her hand and pressed a kiss on her knuckles.
Isabelle smiled as Connor’s family members joined the throng of well-wishers. Her new Owl Creek family. Beulah. Jennings. Willa and Nate. Sage. Hank. Rachel. Gabe. Piper and Braden. She was now a part of this amazing tribe of people. Although her parents, grandmother and sister couldn’t be present at the ceremony due to WITSEC rules, Jonah had worked out something special to reunite them for a brief visit in another locale in a few weeks. It was way more than Isabelle had ever imagined being possible.
It was bigger than she’d dared to dream for herself. She and Connor had emerged from their struggles, stronger and more faithful. And she no longer had to look over her shoulder because she knew she was sheltered in her new Owl Creek haven. She would never be completely free from danger, but she wasn’t going to be living in fear. For now and always, she would be safe in Connor’s loving embrace.
* * *
If you enjoyed this book,
look for these other books set in Owl Creek:
Her Secret Alaskan Family
Alaskan Twin Surprise
Alaskan Christmas Redemption
Keep reading for an excerpt from A
Brother’s Promise by Mindy Obenhaus.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for joining me on this trip to Owl Creek. Isabelle and Connor’s love story was fun to write. I hope you enjoyed it. This book challenged me in so many ways. I tried to put myself in Isabelle’s shoes and found it daunting. It would take courage to rebuild your life and say goodbye to your loved ones.
Connor is a charming and caring man, whose life was shaped by the abduction of his sister. This traumatic incident left him with lingering feelings of mistrust, which complicates his relationship with Ella. I have a lot of compassion for Connor because his childhood was affected by the hole in his family, which was the result of one person’s act of evil.
Ultimately, the thing that brings Isabelle and Connor together is their yearning for love. Both are suffering from loneliness and a desire to establish something meaningful with a romantic partner. Hope is a thread that runs throughout the story.
I love writing inspirational romance for the Love Inspired line. I’m blessed to do what I love. You can find me on my Author Belle Calhoune Facebook page, as well as on my website bellecalhoune.com.
Blessings,
Belle
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A Brother’s Promise
by Mindy Obenhaus
Chapter One
Christa Slocum had to expand her hardware store before Crane’s Building Supply infiltrated the area. And this might be the ticket.
A cold rain fell outside as she stood near the paint counter Wednesday afternoon, contemplating the brick wall Bliss Hardware shared with the vacant building next door. Not even a gust of wintry January air someone ushered in could jar her from her thoughts.
Bliss Hardware was a fixture in the small Texas town and under her ownership, the once sleepy little business was now bursting at the seams. But if she could take out those bricks to create an opening, the two spaces would be joined, nearly doubling her space and allowing her to add the home improvement section people had been wanting.
Giddiness bubbled inside of her. This was the best option she’d come up with so far and it was so simple she wondered why she hadn’t thought of it before.
Eager to contact her real estate agent, she turned and nearly ran into Mick Ashford, local rancher and good ole country boy. Except he wasn’t a boy. He was a grown man, maybe a year or two older than Christa’s forty-three years, with gorgeous light green eyes and the kind of rugged good looks that had many of the town’s single women acting like fools whenever they were anywhere near the cowboy.
As far as Christa was concerned, though, he was simply her neighbor. Well, he lived in the house nearest to hers, anyway. A cabin tucked in the woods, far beyond the old farmhouse that had once belonged to his family. Until he and his sister, who lived near Austin, sold it to her.
At the moment, though, he stood in front of her wearing a Carhartt jacket and mud-spattered Wranglers, his chocolate-colored felt cowboy hat in one hand while the other fisted a color chip he must have snagged from the adjacent paint display. Deep lines she wasn’t used to seeing creased his brow, suggesting something had him troubled. Which might explain why he hadn’t razzed her yet.
“What can I help you with, Mick?”
“I need a gallon of this.” He held out the paint swatch.
One glance and her brow shot up. “Mick Ashford, what could you possibly want with Pepto-Bismol-pink paint?”
“It’s not for me.” His tone was more serious than she was used to. “It’s for Sadie. I’m hoping it’ll make her feel more at home.”
Sadie? Christa wasn’t aware that Mick was dating anyone, or that he’d gotten married. Like Christa, he’d always been comfortable being single. But if he wanted to make someone feel at home, that could only mean someone else had moved in with him.
If so, it must have been a whirlwind romance. She could only hope it wasn’t some woman he’d met online then proposed to after only a few dates. Because while Christa may not be interested in Mick, she considered him a friend and didn’t want to see him hurt by someone with less-than-honorable motives.
“I guess you haven’t heard.” He watched her curiously.
“No.” Which, given how small Bliss was and the fact that she owned a business many of the townsfolk frequented, was rather unusual. “I haven’t seen much of you since Christmas.” They shared a driveway, so she usually saw him in passing at least once a day. But he’d disappeared right after Christmas. Even had someone else checking on his cattle.
“I reckon I should have let you know I was leaving, but it was pretty sudden.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a calloused hand. “And these last few weeks have been a blur.”
Christa hoped he wasn’t planning to tell her some long tale about his love life. “The holidays can do that to us.”
His green eyes were filled with sorrow as they met hers. “My sister and her husband were killed in a helicopter crash in Colorado right after Christmas.”
Remorse mingled with grief to squeeze Christa’s heart. “Oh, Mick, I’m so sorry.”
Clearing his throat, he simply nodded. She could only imagine how raw his emotions were. “Sadie is my niece. Jennifer and Kyle left her in my care.”
And she thought he’d gotten married. Now her heart went out to the man who was obviously struggling. Mourning the loss of his sister while being thrust into the role of caretaker for a child.
She rubbed her suddenly chilled sweatshirt-clad arms. “How old is Sadie?”
“Five. She’ll be six in March.”
Christa froze. The same age she’d been when her mother died.
For a moment she found herself battling back her own tears. Oh, how she ached for this poor child. At least Christa had still had her father. Sadie lost both of her parents in one fell swoop.
“She’s at school right now,” Mick added. “Started Monday. She’s in kindergarten, so I thought it best we work on getting a routine in place.”
“Yes. Definitely. Kids need routine.” Didn’t mean things were going to be easy, though. For either Sadie or Mick.
“I want to make her feel at home, so I thought I’d surprise her by painting her room.”
“Of course, you want her to feel welcome.” She looked at the horrid color still in her hand, recalling the wintergreen flavor of the elixir her father had given her every time she had an upset stomach. “But I’m still not going to sell you this color of paint.”
“Why not?” He stiffened. “You’ve seen my place. It’s nothing but brown and green. You know, like the outdoors. But Sadie’s a little girl, and little girls love pink, don’t they?”
“Sometimes. But not necessarily this shade.” She held it up so he could get a good look. “Besides, they also like blush, periwinkle and aquamarine.”
Shifting from one booted foot to the other, he ran a hand through his light brown hair. “Oh, boy.”
“What is it?” She waved at one of the local contractors as he grabbed two cans of stain from a nearby shelf.
Mick acknowledged the man with a nod before turning back to Christa. “I have no idea what any of those colors are.”
Of course he didn’t. He was a guy. A man’s man, at that. In his world, pink was pink and that’s all there was to it.
Moving a few steps toward the paint display, she grabbed swatches of the colors she’d mentioned and set them on the counter in front of him. “Blush, periwinkle and aquamarine.” She pointed to each one.
“Looks like pink, purple and blue to me.”
She couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out.
The lo
ng, tall stretch of cowboy stared down at her, looking more like a brokenhearted little boy. “I can’t bring back Sadie’s parents, but I want to do everything I can to give her the best life possible. Jen trusted me enough to leave Sadie in my care, and I want to do right by her.” The determined edge in his voice was hard to miss.
Christa respected him for that. And while she probably didn’t know much more about kids than Mick did, she had once been a little girl and knew what it was like to lose a parent. Enough to nudge her out of her comfort zone and do whatever she could to help Mick create a space little Sadie would love.
“Tell you what. Why don’t I drop by this evening with some paint swatches for Sadie to look at? Maybe she and I can talk so I can get a better feel for what she likes. Whether she’s into princesses or horses. Then I can help you come up with a plan for her bedroom. Wall color, bedding, pictures—”
He gripped his hat tighter. “You’d do that for me? I mean, you and me don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things.”
“That’s because you’re stubborn.”
His face turned red. “Well now, ain’t that the pot calling the kettle black. Who was it I found stuck up on a ladder last spring, trying to trim some tree branches because she was too stubborn to wait until I could get over there with my pole saw?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I am not stubborn.” Strong-willed, perhaps. Determined. “Do you want my help or not? I mean, it’s obvious you need it.” In more ways than one. “You’re out of your comfort zone when it comes to decorating for Sadie and, well, I am a girl.” She softened her expression. “I’m happy to help.” Besides, now that the renovations on her house were complete, she welcomed another challenge. One that would tide her over until she could get her hands on the building next door.
Mick’s smile almost erased those lines in his forehead. “I don’t know how to thank you, Christa.”
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