Chapter One
Isabelle Sanchez shivered as the cold Arctic wind whipped against her cheeks. This type of weather would certainly take some getting used to, she thought as she wrapped her arms around her middle. She didn’t feel at all like herself in the navy blue parka with the fur-trimmed hood. A wool hat was perched on her head, covering her ears from the frigid temperatures. It was the first time in her life she’d ever owned a thick winter coat and it felt cumbersome and unnatural. She was far more used to wearing shorts, shades and sundresses. Bathing suits rather than boots. There was no point in dwelling on it. She had agreed to come live in this Alaskan hamlet, and there was no going back.
A sigh slipped past her lips. Her entire life had changed in an instant, and it still felt surreal. The sign by the side of the road said it best: Welcome to Owl Creek, Alaska. The harsh reality of her situation caused her to suck in a steadying breath. She would need to call on every ounce of strength she had in order to rebuild her life. There was no doubt in her mind it would be the hardest thing she’d ever do.
She wasn’t Isabelle Sanchez from Miami, Florida, anymore. Now, as part of the Witness Protection Program, she was Ella Perez from Flagstaff, Arizona. She felt a sudden chill pass over her that had nothing to do with the frigid weather. WITSEC—the United States Federal Witness Protection Program—had provided her with a new identity and placed her in Owl Creek, a remote Alaskan town she’d never heard of until a few weeks ago. It appeared to be a charming and picturesque village, unlike anything she’d ever known. She was a Floridian, born and bred. Sandy beaches, sunny skies, and the hustle and bustle of city life were the norm for her. The sight of white-capped mountains looming in the distance served as a breathtaking reminder that she wasn’t in the Sunshine State any longer. She no longer had a home, and it made her heartsick just thinking about it.
Her life had been forever altered by the events of a few months ago. Even though she was trying to be strong, Isabelle was afraid. She’d never wanted to be so far away from her loved ones. She had left everything she held dear back in Miami—family, friends and a job she enjoyed. It was the first time in her life she’d ever felt all alone. She didn’t know the slightest thing about life in a small Alaskan town. But she didn’t have a choice in the matter. Isabelle had to make it work here in Owl Creek. Her very life hung in the balance.
“The truck is over there in the lot. It’s time we headed over to your new home.” The deep voice interrupted her thoughts, and she swung her gaze in the direction of the tall, ginger-haired man who had accompanied her all the way from Miami. Despite his gruff demeanor, U.S. Marshal Jonah Kramer had a streak of kindness that meant the world to Isabelle. It’s what she needed most at this moment as she faced an uncertain future. Over the past few weeks he’d tried to reassure Isabelle at every step in the process. She felt a tad guilty about taking him away from his wife and family in Homer, but she knew it was simply part of his job to help her relocate.
Once they were sitting in the hunter green truck with Jonah in the driver’s seat, he turned toward her. “You’ll be safe here, Ella. Just try to blend in with the townsfolk. I know it’s hard to wrap your head around it, but you can’t contact anyone from your former life under any circumstances. We’ve drilled that into your head, but it bears repeating. It’s crucial to make a clean break from everything and everyone. If you slip up, it could be catastrophic.”
Isabelle nodded. She knew the drill. It was the most heartbreaking aspect of her joining WITSEC. Just the thought of never seeing her family again caused tears to well up in her eyes.
Ella. She would have to get adjusted to her new name. Although she’d been allowed to assume a first name that wasn’t too far off from her own, it would still take some getting used to, since no one had ever called her Ella. Her nickname had always been Izzy. Her head was spinning with all the things she had to get acclimated to in her new surroundings.
The situation she found herself in was far from ideal, but after witnessing the brutal slaying of her boss, Saul Martino, in a turf war, her world had spiraled out of control. By God’s grace she had been spared. Because the killer, Vincent Burke, had locked eyes with her before she fled the club, he had known her identity when she’d reported him to the police. Threats and attempts to silence her had ensued, turning her mundane life into a chaos-filled existence. And even after she’d provided testimony in his trial that had put him in prison, she had still been in jeopardy from his criminal enterprise. There had been numerous attempts on her life that left her feeling terrorized and vulnerable. She would never again be safe in her former life. Those extreme circumstances had led her straight to the quaint town of Owl Creek.
The wintry Alaskan scenery passed by in a blur as Jonah drove them to her new residence. When they pulled up to 10 Kodiak Lane, a sigh escaped Isabelle’s lips. She was instantly charmed by the log cabin–style house. It radiated a cozy vibe. Snow-covered bushes surrounded a wraparound porch. Two sturdy Adirondack chairs sat on the front porch. Although she had never fantasized about living in Alaska, this picture-perfect house was the stuff of dreams.
Once the car was in Park, Isabelle got out of the vehicle and walked up to the porch, bags in hand. Isabelle knew she would have to make a few trips back and forth to collect all of her things from the truck, but she felt an urgent need to go inside and get settled. Jonah walked behind her, juggling a few bags before placing them on the landing and handing her a key to the house. Her hands were shaking as she reached for it. Jonah gave her an encouraging nod. When she turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open, the smell of freshly baked cookies rose to her nostrils. She stepped inside and looked around, feeling grateful for the warm atmosphere and all the beautiful little touches. A vase of baby’s breath mixed with dried berries sat on the kitchen counter. A plate of chocolate chip cookies had been placed on the table with a welcome note from Beulah North, her new employer. When she pulled open the fridge, it was fully stocked with all of her favorite food and drinks. She wandered from room to room, soaking in all the details. Jonah didn’t follow after her but remained in the kitchen, presumably to give her some space.
Was she really going to make a new life for herself in this small Alaskan hamlet? Isabelle still felt as if she might be dreaming as she began the process of unpacking all her bags and sorting through her belongings.
Jonah stayed until late evening to help her get settled, then he left to stay the night at a bed-and-breakfast in town called Miss Trudy’s. He reminded her that he was scheduled to fly back to Homer the next morning. Fear seized her by the throat as she settled in for the night. Although she knew Jonah wouldn’t be too far away in the event of an emergency, it still felt as if she was on her own.
Sometimes when she was all alone and things were quiet, Isabelle’s mind flashed back to that terrible night at Club Oasis. Isabelle had worked nights at the popular dance club as its manager. When the shots rang out in the club on that particular evening, Isabelle had just locked up her office for the night. Seeing Saul’s body riddled with bullets had been terrifying and surreal. Witnessing Burke standing over Saul’s body with a gun in his hand had been traumatic. He was one of the most powerful men in Miami, one who’d always been tied to organized crime. Although she’d been frozen with fear, Isabelle’s survival instincts had kicked in. She’d fled out the back entrance and evaded Burke’s deadly aim. In the aftermath, Isabelle hadn’t even had time to deal with Saul’s death or her own trauma. Her entire life had imploded once she had told the police about what she’d witnessed.
“You’re safe in Owl Creek now,” she whispered to herself as her eyelids grew heavier and she drifted into slumber.
The next morning Isabelle drove with Jonah to the airstrip so he could catch his flight back home. On the ride over, Isabelle had the opportunity to ask him a few last-minute questions, hoping with each answer she would gain strength.
“This is where I leave you,” Jonah said as he pulled up in front of the hangar and parked the truck. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out. You’ll be fine.”
Before she could even say an adequate goodbye, Jonah had grabbed his bag from the back seat and was walking toward the seaplane. She swallowed an instinct to call out to him and beg the U.S. Marshal to stay a little bit longer. But she knew it wasn’t possible. For all intents and purposes, she was on her own. Isabelle was like a newborn baby trying to get acclimated to life outside the womb. Everything would be brand-new to her.
This entire situation was unfair. She hadn’t been involved in any criminal enterprises. Isabelle had always been a law-abiding citizen. She’d simply been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. No matter how many times she went over it in her head, it still seemed surreal. How could her life be turned upside down in an instant? Although her testimony had placed a criminal in prison, he still had the ability to get to her from the inside. And because he’d appealed his sentence, she might be forced to testify again. Would her life always be in limbo?
Isabelle scooted over and settled herself behind the driver’s seat as she watched Marshal Kramer walk toward the seaplane. A heavy feeling settled on her chest. “Lord, please give me the strength to go through with this,” she uttered in the stillness of the vehicle. Ever since the shooting, Isabelle had been leaning on faith to sustain her.
How would she ever get used to the quiet in this town? She was accustomed to the loud voices of her family members, the hustle and bustle of a pulsing city and the rhythms of salsa music emanating from her mother’s dance studio. Owl Creek, Alaska, seemed so tame in comparison to the world she inhabited. But wasn’t that the whole point? To get away from the dangers she would be facing by continuing to live in Miami. She’d had enough drama and excitement to last her a lifetime.
It was breaking her heart to come to terms with the finality of it all. Never seeing her loved ones again would hurt worse than any pain she’d ever endured in her twenty-seven years on this earth. But she would have to suffer the agony and push through it.
“Just put one foot in front of the other,” she told herself, breathing in deeply through her nose as she listened to the GPS instructions to Kodiak Lane and slowly maneuvered the truck along snow-packed roads. As she drove through the downtown area, she smiled at the sight of numerous Christmas decorations still on full display. Although the holiday season had been over for several weeks, the town had clearly decided to keep the celebration going. Isabelle felt a smile twitching at both sides of her lips. There was something so endearing about the sentimentality of prolonging the celebratory season. She loved Christmas. She had chosen to postpone her relocation so she could have one last holiday with her family. It had been beautiful and heartwarming and achingly sad at the same time. But she wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. She would hold on to those memories for the rest of her life.
She slowed down as a gold and cream sign caught her attention. North Star Chocolate Shop. It was her new place of employment. The company, North Star Chocolate, was a well-known chocolatier and famous for creating exceptional chocolates. Although she couldn’t see inside the place, the exterior was inviting. In the storefront window sat a display of confections that tempted her sweet tooth. Brightly colored teapots accompanied them. She was really going to have to resist the temptation to sample every morsel of chocolate in the shop. As she continued driving down Main Street, a fantastic aroma began to filter into the truck. Suddenly a pink neon sign came into view that explained the smell. The Snowy Owl Diner.
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 sa
nk. 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.