Page 35 of Hiding in Alaska (Home to Owl Creek 4)

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Connor parked his truck a block away from the Snowy Owl Diner and began walking down Main Street. He was in the mood for a little walk down the main thoroughfare. He forced himself to smile at the townsfolk he crossed paths with, engaging in light conversation before going on his way. It was a gorgeous February morning with freshly fallen snow glistening on the tree branches. Everyone seemed to be out and about, frequenting the shops, running errands or indulging in an aromatic cup of tea at Tea Time. Normally, he would feel upbeat on a day like this, but Connor’s mood was contemplative. He’d arisen this morning with more questions than answers. He didn’t enjoy feeling so unsettled. Was he making too much of an issue about Ella’s mysterious past? It was still weighing on him.

He didn’t have to know everything about Ella’s history in order to know he was falling in love with the beautiful newcomer. Maybe that’s what he should focus on. The hope that one day they could turn their friendship into something more.

“Morning, Trudy,” he said as he spotted the lovable innkeeper.

Trudy Miller greeted him warmly. “Hey there, Connor. Nice to see you. I think your two sidekicks are waiting for you at the diner.”

“I’m on my way,” he said, pausing to plant a kiss on her cheek as he breezed by.

Trudy grinned and waved him down the street.

A few steps later he almost collided with Maya Roberts, the town’s veterinarian.

“Woops. Sorry, Maya. I wasn’t paying attention,” he apologized.

Maya smiled. “No worries. I just sent you a postcard. It’s time Bear came in for his shots.”

“Thanks for the reminder. I’ll bring him in ASAP,” he said before continuing on toward the diner. Things had been so hectic lately. He’d completely forgotten about Bear’s annual shots.

Connor bounded up the diner stairs and held the door open as his friend, Otis Cummings, exited the establishment with his lady friend, Birdie McCuller. Otis frequented the diner for breakfast several times a week. The older man was dipping his toe into the relationship pool after losing his wife a year ago. It was nice to see Otis so happy with Birdie.

“Hey there, Connor,” Otis said, tipping his hat at him.

“You’re such a sweetheart,” Birdie crowed as she sailed through the door. “And a true blue gentleman.”

“Have a great day, you two,” Connor said as he stepped inside. The smell of pancakes and eggs hovered in the air, causing his stomach to grumble in appreciation. He’d woken up to a hearty appetite and he was eager to dig in to one of the diner’s breakfast specials.

He spotted Gabe and Hank at their usual table at the back of the restaurant. As soon as he sat down in the booth, his friends greeted him.

“Well, look who’s gracing us with his presence,” Hank drawled. “A sight for sore eyes.”

“I barely recognize him,” Gabe said, giving Connor the once-over.

“Give it a rest, guys. It hasn’t been that long.” Connor forced himself to smile. The last thing he needed was for his two best friends to pounce on him. They were both pretty intuitive about Connor’s state of mind. He knew it was only a matter of time before one of them brought up Ella.

Rosie, one of the new waitresses, brought over a carafe of orange juice and began filling their glasses before taking their orders.

“So where’ve you been?” Hank inquired once Rosie left. “Rumor has it you’ve been seen around town with a certain dark-haired beauty.”

“Yeah. We’ve been spending time together. Just as friends, though. It’s not exactly front-page news,” Connor said. He wasn’t at all surprised that his name had been linked with Ella’s. Connor felt a stab of disappointment that the townsfolk had gotten it all wrong. His relationship with Ella had never developed into a romantic one. He was partly to blame for it, due to his overly suspicious nature.

Gabe chuckled. “You clearly don’t know the people in this town. They live for this kind of stuff. Next thing you know they’ll be marrying the two of you off.”

Connor rolled his eyes. He loved how people went from zero to a hundred in the span of a few weeks. He hoped Ella didn’t catch wind of any of the rumors. Connor knew Ella didn’t want a romantic relationship. He would hate for her to feel any awkwardness about being the focus of town gossip.

Connor needed to make sure his best friends understood. “She’s pretty amazing, although we’re just friends.”

“Are you sure? That look on your face suggests otherwise,” Gabe remarked.

He shook his head. “Yeah, I am. We were getting close, but honestly, I have so many doubts about her past. So we’re just buddies.”

Hank leaned across the table. “Are you saying you’d like to be more than friends in the future?”

Connor quirked his mouth. “I’d like to, but it’s not possible. She’s not interested in me that way.”

“It’s nice she had a visitor,” Gabe said, taking a huge sip of his juice. “It’s never easy starting over in a new town.”

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