Page 13 of Hiding in Alaska (Home to Owl Creek 4)

“You need an employee ID with your picture on it,” Connor explained. A frown marred his brow. “It’s standard procedure for new employees. And we might use the same photo for our company newsletter down the road. We always like to give a nice introduction to our new employees.”

Fear gripped her. All of a sudden it felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She hadn’t anticipated this happening and she had no idea how to shut it down. What if having her picture taken placed her in a compromising position? Connor’s casual mention of a newsletter was alarming. There were always so many what-ifs running around in her brain. It was nearly impossible to turn off the worry. What if someone recognized her from the company’s newsletter? Just the idea of having her photo in the company’s database made her feel uneasy. How many times had Marshal Kramer reminded her to keep a low profile? Although the idea of Vincent Burke and his cohorts tracking her down in Owl Creek seemed far-fetched, it still didn’t stop the panic from rising up inside her. With Burke’s request for a new trial pending, there was even more reason for him to want her out of the way. She was still in real danger.

“No!” she said in a heated voice. “I’m sorry! I really don’t want to have my picture taken.”

* * *

The vehemence in Ella’s tone floored Connor. At first, he thought she was joking, but one look at the way her mouth was set in a thin, hard line convinced him otherwise. She was bristling with emotion. It radiated off her in waves. Some instinct warned him to tread lightly.

“Is there some reason you don’t want your picture taken?” he asked. He shouldn’t assume, but most women who looked like Ella were photogenic. He didn’t understand what the big deal was at all. Was he missing something?

She shook her head, and said, “I... I probably look a wreck. I don’t feel camera ready.” He watched as she smoothed her hair back. She had a light sheen of perspiration on her forehead.

“You look great, Ella. Trust me, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.” He was trying to put her at ease, but her body language didn’t relax. She still looked as if she wanted to be anywhere else but here. Although he felt bad for her discomfort, he still felt stumped as to why she was making a big deal out of it. In the scheme of things, it shouldn’t matter at all. Unless there was some reason why it mattered more than she was saying.

He prodded her. “Can I get a little smile? You’re going to need this ID for the foreseeable future. You don’t want to be frowning in the photo.”

The corners of her mouth lifted, but the emotion didn’t make it all the way to her eyes. It didn’t feel genuine. He snapped a few photos, then lowered the camera and studied the images. Just as he’d suspected, the camera had captured Ella’s beauty as well as her discomfort. “I’m sure one of these can work for your ID.”

She knit her brows together. “That’s good. So, you’re just using the photo for my ID? Nothing else?”

“I promise you, we’re not going to put it on the front page of the Owl Creek Gazette. And our newsletter is a mail out that is only sent out to people who work for us, so you’re not going to become famous.” His tone was teasing, but he wasn’t sure the situation was funny. Ella was clearly ruffled. Why was she acting so camera shy? All morning he’d been able to put aside his niggling doubts about Ella. Until now. Suddenly his mind was drifting to all the strange things he’d observed about her ever since they’d met. He continued to have so many questions about her.

Ella’s shoulders noticeably sagged with relief. “I should probably head back to the shop. Being here was a nice treat, but I don’t want to overstay my visit.”

“You’re welcome here anytime,” Connor said. And despite his doubts, he meant it. Ella was a breath of fresh air in Owl Creek and at the chocolate company. When a person grew up in a small Alaskan town they were part of a tight-knit community. Connor had always loved that aspect of his hometown. On the downside, you knew everyone, and in return, they knew everything about you. There weren’t too many opportunities to peel back the layers. Maybe that was what was really bothering him about the beautiful newcomer. She seemed to have a wall up, despite the sweet air she exuded.

“Let me walk you back to the entrance,” Connor said. “These hallways can be a bit tricky.”

Ella nodded and walked alongside him. Along the way, employees gave them hearty greetings and a few times she threw out questions about the

factory. She appeared to be genuinely interested in the workings of his family’s company.

Connor couldn’t help but notice the curious looks in Ella’s direction. As a newbie to the small town, Ella stood out from everyone else who’d been born and bred in Owl Creek. Folks were bound to be curious about her. He wasn’t sure what exact feelings he was battling against when a few male employees smiled extra long in her direction. Was he being overly protective or slightly annoyed at their interest in her?

“Thanks for everything. I talked to Rusty and it’s going to be a little bit longer to make the repairs.” Ella winced. “It seems I really did some damage in the accident. He had to order some special parts from Anchorage.”

“It’s not a problem. We’re neighbors. I’m available for as long as you need me.” Ella seemed beholden to him for the daily rides to town and back, but in reality she was doing him a favor. She was keeping him company and brightening up his day. He enjoyed hearing about her daily adventures at the chocolate shop and finding out about the new trends in customer purchases. It felt as if he was seeing things through a brand-new pair of eyes. He planned to be a creative force at North Star Chocolates for the remainder of his working life. One day he would take over the reins from Beulah, since his parents had already decided they didn’t wish to be at the helm. He planned to inject his own special brand of creativity and passion into the company. Until that time he was going to be a sponge and soak up all he could regarding the business.

“As long as it’s not an imposition. As soon as I get the truck back I plan to practice driving on the roads near my house just to get some experience.” Ella’s expression was sheepish. He sensed she was still beating herself up about the accident.

“Don’t stress yourself about it. You’ll get the hang of these Alaska roads in no time.”

“I sure hope so,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’m eager to explore Owl Creek during my off time. I’ve heard about the wonderful birds that inhabit this town and I’d love to see some of them.”

“This place has a lot to offer. It’s not flashy or grand in any way, but it has a lot of charm. Before you know it, Owl Creek will feel like home.”

A look of sadness crept over her face. As quickly as he’d noticed her expression it was gone, replaced by a serene look. “Thanks for the pep talk. See you later,” she said as she headed outside into the blustery morning.

He stood inside and watched as Ella walked down the steps and headed in the direction of Main Street. Even though he had back-to-back meetings scheduled and countless emails to catch up on, he felt an urge to push past the doors and take a walk with Ella to the chocolate shop. Along the way he could point out interesting landmarks, specialty shops and tell her a little bit about the town’s history. Maybe he could get her to laugh by telling her about the prank he, Hank and Gabriel had played on the townsfolk one Christmas. It had involved a Nativity scene, six roosters and a Cabbage Patch doll. Even though they’d gotten in trouble for it, the Three Amigos still chuckled about it to this day.

There was something about Ella that made him feel the need to be carefree and seize the moment. She had the type of beauty that wasn’t just on the surface. It seemed to come from deep inside of her. His grandmother certainly seemed drawn to her, judging by the expression stamped on Beulah’s face. That had to mean something about Ella’s character, he told himself. His grandmother didn’t suffer fools gladly, and she had a knack for sniffing out insincerity. So was Ella the real deal after all?

Connor shook off the notion of leaving the factory and catching up to Ella. Regardless of how she made him feel, he knew there was way more to her than met the eye. Every instinct was warning him to tread lightly. He wasn’t a man who took chances. And something told him that Ella Perez was a risk he couldn’t afford to take.

Chapter Six

Once Isabelle made it back to Main Street, she found herself slowing down as she passed by Tea Time. The elegant shop beckoned her to go in and treat herself to oolong tea and a plate of cucumber sandwiches and scones. It would be such an amazing indulgence. If she hadn’t already spent hours at the factory, she would have gone inside and basked in the lovely surroundings of the tea emporium. As it was, she really needed to scoot.

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