Page 29 of Her Secret Alaskan Family (Home to Owl Creek 1)

“I don’t know exactly. But it’s what I felt at the time with Theresa. I think she sensed it too. Exploited it even. She knew I didn’t feel as if I deserved the happy ending.”

Sage stopped walking and simply stared at him for a few moments. Finally, she spoke.

“I’ve only known you for a short time, Hank, but I do know you’re so very deserving of love. You’re wonderful and kind. You’re generous to a fault. And I’ve seen the loving way you treat Addie, Trudy and Piper, not to mention the sweet nature of your relationship with Beulah. If you’re not worthy of romantic love, I don’t know who is. Any woman would be blessed to win your love and affection.”

Hank let out the huge breath he’d been holding. His chest swelled with emotion. No one except Trudy had ever said anything remotely like this to him. And that was a mother’s job, to build up her child. “Thank you, Sage. I appreciate the vote of confidence more than you’ll ever know.” It meant the world to him to hear such praise from Sage’s lips. He was blown away by her generosity of spirit.

“I only spoke the truth,” she said in a soft voice that tugged at a place deep inside him.

As they locked gazes something fluttered and pulsed in the air around them. The chemistry sparking between them was incredibly powerful. Overwhelmed by what he was feeling, Hank struggled to find a way back to mundane topics.

“So, what do you know about owls?” he asked, shifting the focus away from their unspoken connection.

“Very little, matter of fact,” Sage answered. “I know they’re nocturnal animals and I watched a documentary once where they were shown as hunters.”

“Right on both accounts. They hunt at night and their vision is pretty spectacular, as well as their hearing.”

“I imagine that helps them gather food in the darkness,” Sage noted. “And predators probably have a hard time seeing them at night.”

“Are you sure you haven’t studied owls before?” Hank teased, earning himself a giggle from Sage. He loved seeing her lighthearted moments. She was even more beautiful when she showed her joyful side.

“I promise you I haven’t,” she quipped, making a funny face that did nothing to diminish her beauty.

Hank stopped in his tracks and pointed at a nearby tree. “And right there are the most magnificent owls you’ll probably ever see. Snowy owls are known for their coloring and the fact that unlike most owls, they are active during the day. So they are at rest right now and you won’t see them flying around or looking for prey.”

“Wow! I’ve never seen one up close. They’re stunningly beautiful.” Sage’s voice was filled with awe.

“They truly are,” Hank said, thinking they weren’t nearly as stunning as she was. He wasn’t at all certain Sage knew her appeal. From where he was standing, she seemed humble and unassuming. She barely wore any makeup and she didn’t seem self-absorbed in the slightest. In so many ways she was a breath of fresh air.

For a moment Hank completely forgot everything he knew about snowy-white owls. Sage had the kind of eyes a person could get lost in. She was gazing at the owls with such a look of wonder on her face it made his heart swell. It felt as if he was experiencing it for the first time, even though he’d been around these creatures his whole life. So much for staying in the friend zone with her. He wasn’t sure it was possible.

He cleared his throat, willing himself not to think about such things.

“The town’s founding families named it Owl Creek once they realized it was inhabited by one of the largest populations of owls in the United States,” he explained.

“That’s pretty fascinating. What I know about owls wouldn’t fill a postage stamp, but they’re beautiful creatures. The sounds they make are really interesting.”

“Their hoots can be heard for miles. When I was a kid I used to go out in our backyard to try to track down owls because it sounded like they were right outside the door. Boy was I disappointed when Trudy explained that they could be miles away.”

Trudy had been a wonderful mother to him. She’d worked really hard to compensate for the fact that his father wasn’t around. In many ways the strength she’d shown as a single mother gave him inspiration on a daily basis with regard to bringing up Addie.

“What type of owl breed is that? I’ve seen it before.” She pointed up at a tree where two gray-and-white owls were sitting on a branch, their onyx-colored eyes blinking fast and furiously.

A tall man with sunken-in cheeks and brilliant blue eyes turned toward them and explained, “Those are barn owls. They’re easy to remember because of their heart-shaped faces. Those owls are the most common ones not just here in Owl Creek but around the world.”

“Sage, this brilliant man is none other than Jennings North, Beulah’s beloved husband and partner in crime. Jennings, this is Sage Duncan. She’s visiting Alaska for a few weeks,” Hank said, feeling delighted by the sight of Beulah’s husband. As of late it was a rare occasion when Jennings ventured out and about. Perhaps he was finally taking steps to move past the tragic events of twenty-five years ago.

Jennings tipped his hat in Sage’s direction. “Nice to make your acquaintance, Sage. Are you the young lady that Beulah showed around the factory the other day?”

“Yes, I am,” Sage said. “It was incredibly generous of her to invite me. She made me feel right at home.”

“She’s taken a shine to you. That’s for sure. She was as pleased as punch you decided to spend the day with her.” There was a slight tremor in his jaw. “It took her mind off a lot of unpleasant things.”

Hank thought he saw tears pooling in Sage’s deep brown eyes, but upon second glance he thought he might have imagined it. “I’m happy I could do that for her,” she murmured.

“Me too,” he said. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to join up with that group of middle schoolers over there. I know

they have a hundred or more questions about these owls. It seems they’re going to be tested on it at school tomorrow.”

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