Northern Escape

“I hear ya,” Dalton said. “That’s why we printed a schedule. It keeps getting bigger every year so we figured it was easier this way.”

There were a whole lot of things going on over the next six days. Fireworks, ice fishing derby, dogsled races, cross-country skiing race, snowmobile races, a moose burger cook-off, arts and crafts show, Mr. Wilderness contest, and a Ms. Chrismoose pageant. Everything wrapped up with the Chrismoose parade and the dispensing of toys followed by a potluck dinner.

“At this point, our biggest problem is running out of places for people to stay. The B and B is full. I’m renting out the cabin next to mine to a couple from Anchorage. I know lots of people are staying with friends and family. When we get down to the other end of town, you’ll see all the motor homes and trailers. It’s hell on them getting here because those roads are rough.”

Nick made a mental note. This was the kind of information he needed in order to write a thorough piece. He’d booked his room at the B and B months ago. He guessed it was a good thing he had. The place only accommodated three guest rooms and then there was Merrilee’s private quarters. “Any plans to expand the B and B or build any rental cabins?”

“Merrilee or Bull would know more about that than I do. I do know a group from a big resort corporation came out last year. I flew them in from Anchorage.” Dalton shook his head. “They were a bunch of suits. They looked around and met with the town council on building a spa resort here. The council turned them down. We’re just not that kind of community.”

Dalton pointed across the street. “Curl’s place always raises a few eyebrows with the tourists.”

Nick read the sign across the front window and chuckled. Curl’s Taxidermy & Barber Shop & Beauty Salon & Mortuary. “That’s definitely different.”

“Yeah. He said he listed taxidermy first because that was his biggest draw.”

Snapping a photo, Nick grinned. “My readers will love this.”

“The rest is what you’d pretty much expect to find in any small town—Laundromat, dry goods store, hardware store, bank, engine repair shop, doctor’s office.” He canted his head to the left. “My fiancée, Skye, is the doc and I’d drop by and introduce you but I’ll do you the favor of not taking you in there. There’s a flu outbreak. Talk about some bad timing.”

“That’s what Merrilee said earlier.” Nick could see the packed waiting room through the big glass window. “Yeah, I’ll pass on going in there. I’ll meet Skye some other time before I leave. Are you originally from Alaska?”

Dalton shook his head. “No. Michigan. I quit the corporate gig, got my pilot’s license and moved here eight years ago.”

“You obviously like it here.”

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, especially now that I found Skye. There’s nothing quite like having the right woman in your life. I don’t know how to describe it except life’s just better. It’s like switching from a regular screen to high-definition television—everything’s just a little brighter, clearer.”

“That’s cool. Congratulations.” And he did think it was cool. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to settle down with someone, he’d just never met that someone. In his family everyone, his parents, his brother and both his sisters, swore they’d known within days they’d met the right one. He’d just never had that click. Hell, he hadn’t had a date in months. He was tired of the whole dating game. The image of the woman he’d caught a glimpse of earlier, Gus, came to mind.

“Thanks,” Dalton said. They continued walking until they reached a large wooden building across the street. “That’s our new community center.” To their left was an assortment of RV’s and travel trailers. A number of dogs were outside several of the vehicles, obviously there for the dogsled race. “That’s our softball field in the summer and our Chrismoose Festival parking lot in the winter.” He grinned. “And thus concludes your tour of Good Riddance, Alaska.”

“I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. Hey, unless you just like to eat alone or you’ve made alternate plans, why don’t you meet us for dinner at Gus’s tonight? It’ll have to be a little later than usual because Skye’s so swamped at work—probably around seven.”

“He should be here at any time now,” Teddy said, watching the door, fretting.

Gus considered it an exercise in supreme self-control that she refrained from strangling Teddy on the spot, although that would be inconvenient since they were serving dinner and Gus needed Teddy’s help. They were slammed with the extra Chrismoose visitors in town. Gus couldn’t run the kitchen, the bar, and the dining room alone. Otherwise …. Teddy’s ongoing chatter about Nick Hudson was dancing on Gus’s last nerve. The man could unwittingly pinpoint her for Troy. And maybe Teddy’s starry-eyed enthusiasm reminded her too closely of herself years ago.

“Just relax, Teddy, and listen for the trumpets to sound, heralding his arrival,” Gus said.

Teddy cut her eyes and looked sheepish. “Okay, I guess I have been going on about him, but we just don’t get celebrities here in podunk Good Riddance.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to point out writing for a newspaper did not make the man a celebrity, but then she dialed herself back. Teddy had no clue what Nick’s arrival meant to Gus and under different circumstances, Gus would’ve been excited about meeting him, too. But there was a whole lot of water under that particular bridge. Gus garnished the two plates and handed them off to Teddy with a forced smile. “No, we don’t get many celebrities here in Good Riddance.”

She wiped her hands on her apron and turned back to the stove. The soothing smells and sounds of the restaurant washed over her. Regardless of how harried she was, there was a comforting familiarity to the clink of silverware against dishes and the sound of conversation and laughter at the different tables all set to a backdrop of music.

Gus was stirring the sauce burbling on the back burner, when someone other than Teddy heralded her from the service counter. “Hey, Gus.”

Startled, Gus dropped her spoon, sending it clattering to the stove.

“Oops, sorry about that. I didn’t think I’d scare you,” Jenna, one of Good Riddance’s newest citizens, said.

“No worries. I was just zoned out.” Normally, it wouldn’t have startled Gus. Her kitchen was an open-to-the-dining-room design and she loved it that way but she was definitely on edge tonight. “How’s it going, Jenna?”

“Um, pretty good,” Jenna said, glancing over her shoulder toward the front door, obviously looking for someone.

“Are you meeting someone?” Gus asked.

“No. I’m not waiting on anyone in particular.”

Jenna had shown up with Merrilee’s husband, now ex-husband, Tad as his fiancée. Jenna had, despite her airheadedness seen Tad for the creep he was, not to mention the cradle robber had been twice her age. She’d elected to stay in Good Riddance rather than go back to Atlanta and had started herself quite the thriving nail business over at Curl’s.

“Could I help you with something, Jenna?” She liked Jenna but she was too busy tonight to stand at the counter chatting.

“Um.” Jenna angled herself so she could talk to Gus and watch the doorway. “I just thought I’d tell you since the Ms. Chrismoose Pageant is coming up, I’ll give you a mani/pedi for half price. Seeing as how you’re the reigning Ms. Chrismoose, you want those nails looking nice when you hand off your crown … well, antlers or whatever they are.”

“That’s sweet of you to offer, Jenna—” the woman truly had a big heart “—but I don’t think I’m going to have time and the kitchen’s pretty rough on my nails. Manicures are usually a waste of time for me.”

Jenna looked horrified. “But you can’t hand off your crown with your nails looking like that. Sorry, but your cuticles are a hot mess.” Gus glanced down at her hands. They weren’t bad. Short but clean. Jenna leaned over the counter separating the kitchen from the dining room, and lowered her voice conspiratorially. “I want to keep it quiet because I don’t want the other ladies to think that I have a big advantage over them in the pageant, but I have had some previous pageant experience.”

Gus nodded solemnly. That was no shocker. The perfect makeup and shoulder-length blond hair bespoke a pageant history. “Okay. I’ll keep it quiet.”

“Thanks. So, you just can’t go up there with those nails. And you’ll want to rub a little Vaseline on your teeth beforehand to make ’em shine when you smile.”

When hell froze over. The very thought almost gagged her.

“Thanks for the tip.” It was impossible not to like Jenna—beneath those silicone breasts beat a heart of gold, just like now when she was all wigged out over Gus’s plain nails—but sometimes it was hard not to gape in amazement at some of things that came out of her mouth. Since Jenna seemed in no hurry, Gus started inching her way back to the stove.

The front door opened and Nelson Sisnuket walked in. Nelson qualified as one of Gus’s favorite people in Good Riddance. A native who wore his long, straight hair pulled back in a ponytail, he assisted Dr. Skye Shanahan. On Thursday night’s he emceed karaoke at Gus’s place. Nelson was good people. A shaman-in-training in his clan, there was always a good vibe rolling off of Nelson with his calm demeanor and wry humor.

He looked tired tonight but she knew he and Skye had been swamped with flu patients.

“Okay. Nice chatting with you. See ya, Gus.” Jenna pushed away from the counter and timed it so that she nearly bumped into Nelson. “Oh … hey, Nelson. How’s it going?” The blonde fell into step beside him.

Nelson sent a wave Gus’s way. “It’s going fine. How are you, Jenna?”

Gus double-checked to make sure her mouth wasn’t hanging open. Jenna had been waiting on Nelson? Apparently so. Not that Nelson wasn’t an attractive man—in fact, he was downright handsome—but Gus would’ve never pegged him as Jenna’s type. And poor Jenna, if she was crushing on Nelson, and it looked as if she was, that dead-end street could only lead to heartbreak for her.

Interracial marriage wasn’t widely accepted in Nelson’s clan. His cousin Clint, a guide, had fallen in love with and was engaged to Tessa Bellingham, a white woman, but it had caused quite a stir with his family. Both Clint and Tessa had had to fight for Clint’s grandmother to accept their relationship. That had been one thing, especially since Clint, even though he looked full native, was the product of an interracial marriage and subsequent divorce. But it wasn’t a remote option for Nelson. As a shaman-in-training, it was out of the question for him to date outside his race and Nelson took his tribal responsibilities as sacred duty.

Gus didn’t want to burst Jenna’s bubble, but she’d talk to Jenna in the next day or so and just drop the information out there. Gus was nothing if not practical and in Jenna’s shoes … well, Gus would want to know if she didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell with a particular man.

She understood Jenna’s dilemma, though. Lately, Gus had become very much aware she’d been in a four-year sexual drought. The problem was none of the men in Good Riddance did a thing for her. As much as she liked Good Riddance, and she did, four years later and she still felt something like a fish out of water. And really that was just as well because if you started dating, or to be blunt, sleeping with someone in Good Riddance and things didn’t work out, well it was going to be awkward bumping into one another afterward. And in a town this size, avoiding someone was nearly impossible. Not to mention keeping an affair quiet. Everyone in town would probably know before the act itself was even consummated.

She had placed two plates on the counter for pickup and had turned back to the stove to fill yet another order when the strangest tingling sensation swept over her, through her. She shook her head slightly. Perhaps it was some kind of weird static electricity … Dear God, don’t let her be coming down with the flu. But this didn’t feel like any flu she’d ever had before. She didn’t feel achy, she simply felt tingly.

Behind her Teddy said, “Oh, you made it.”

“I did.” It was a male voice, rich like a mole sauce—dark, but not sweet, with velvety chocolate undertones. A faint shiver chased down her spine.

She knew. Before she even turned around, she knew she’d find Nick Hudson, the man who could wreck her world, on the other side of the counter.

Fixing a smile on her face, she turned … and nearly forgot how to breathe. Of course she recognized him. She’d seen his photos. A little age had settled well on him. His dark hair was shorter than in his photos and laugh lines fanned out from the corners of piercing blue eyes set in his lean, ruggedly handsome face, but he was familiar.

No, she recognized him on another level. Something snapped into place for her. A rush of sexual energy surged through her. She was looking at the man she wanted.

And he was the man she’d sworn to avoid while he was here.

Nick felt as if he’d been slammed in the gut. He wasn’t prepared for the impact of meeting her. He’d thought he was. He’d been sure of it. He was wrong.

He’d caught a glimpse of Gus Tippens earlier and had looked forward to meeting her, but ….

She was an arresting study in black and white and shades in between. Her short hair was so dark it was almost black except for one chunk of pure white. Her eyes tilted slightly at the corners, giving her a faintly exotic look, which was furthered by eyes an unusual shade of gray, almost silver, fringed with dark lashes. But it was her mouth that nearly did him in. She had a perfect bow of a mouth and she wore red lipstick. Beneath her apron, she wore trim black slacks and a white top. More striking than beautiful, something inside him responded in a way he’d never experienced before. It was like stumbling across an orchid in a field of daisies.

Teddy snapped him out of whatever the hell he’d fallen into with an introduction. “Nick, this is Gus Tippens. Gus, Nick Hudson.”

“Hello,” she said, her voice like water flowing over smooth stones. “I’ve certainly heard a lot about you.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Nick said. “I’ve been looking forward to dinner. Your reputation preceded you. It smells great. My parents own a diner in New York so I’ve always appreciated good food and it certainly smells good.” Dammit, he’d already said that. “I’m sure it will be good.”

Okay, he was ready to kick himself in the ass. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d traveled all over the world. For the most part he managed some measure of sophistication but here he was babbling away like a spring brook.

Although she was friendly enough and offered another smile, he sensed a wariness in her. “Your reputation preceded you, as well. I hope you enjoy your meal.” She turned to the other woman, clearly dismissing him. “Teddy, will you please seat Mr. Hudson?”

“Nick. Please call me Nick.”

She nodded, a shimmer of a smile curving her red lips. “As you can guess, we don’t stand on a lot of ceremony here in Good Riddance. Teddy, will you seat Nick?”

“Sure thing. He hung out today with Dalton so he’s going to eat with the crew,” Teddy said. “He just wanted to meet you before he went to the table.”

“You’re in good company, Nick. I hope you enjoy your meal. And now if you’ll excuse me ….” She turned back to her stove.

In the interest of not making a bigger fool of himself than he had up to now, he said to Teddy, “I see Dalton over there. It’s no problem seating myself.”

“Okay. I’ll be right over in a sec to get your drink order.”

It was cold outside and maybe a drink was just what he needed to get himself back on track. “No need to make an extra trip. Whiskey. Neat.”

“Gotcha,” Teddy said.

He made his way across the room to where three couples sat at two rectangular tables put together. The empty seat was on the side that afforded him a clear view of the room … and the kitchen. Once Nick was seated Dalton launched into the round of introductions.

The two native men were cousins. Clint Sisnuket worked as a guide, while Nelson Sisnuket was part of the local healthcare system. There was Dalton’s fiancée, Skye Shanahan, a pretty redhead. Clint was engaged to Tessa Bellingham, the petite blonde next to him who’d just moved to town a couple of weeks ago after visiting to shoot video footage. And the statuesque blonde Jenna Rathburne was also a newbie and also obviously had a thing for Nelson.

“If you can’t remember all the names, no worries,” said Tessa. “We threw a lot at you.”

Nick grinned. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got it.” Teddy walked up and delivered his drink and took dinner orders. Nick had already learned that while a short-order cook worked from a standing menu for breakfast and lunch, dinner was prepared by Gus and she had two offerings to choose from each evening.

“A toast,” Clint said, raising his glass in Nick’s direction. “Welcome to Good Riddance where you get to leave behind what troubles you.”

Everyone clinked glasses and drank.

Skye Shanahan looked across the table to him. “You’re single, Nick?”

Dalton pretended outrage. “Woman, please. I’m sitting right here for crying out loud.”

Skye shook her head even as Nick laughed and answered her question. “Yes. I’m footloose and fancy free.”

Skye exchanged a look with Tessa. “Don’t say we didn’t warn you. I came to fill in for two weeks and here I am.” She held up her hand with a sparkling engagement ring.

Tessa laughed. “Yep. I was only here five days and well …” She also held up her hand with an engagement ring attached.

“Not me,” Jenna said, holding up her bare fingers. “I came with a fiancé, but I dumped him. Hey, if you wind up needing an engagement ring, I can make you a good deal on mine.”

Laughing, Nick deliberately shifted in his seat, playing to his audience. “I’ll consider myself appropriately warned.” He looked into the kitchen again, where Gus, her dark head bent, worked efficiently.

An hour later, after Nick had polished off what was some of the best food he’d ever tasted, Gus left the kitchen and began to make her rounds by the various tables. Crazily his heart began to beat faster the closer she came to their table, and he was increasingly challenged to follow the conversation going on around him. Finally, she stopped by their table. “Hi, guys. How was everything tonight?”

There was a chorus of greats and outstanding. Then she looked directly at him. “Was everything to your liking, Nick?”

The booze and the food had been some of the best he’d ever had. Instinctively he knew she’d probably be the best he’d ever had, as well. Feeling no more in control than when he’d met her earlier, he attempted what he hoped was a charming smile. “The best I ever had.”

Her answering grin rocked through him. “I like hearing that. I also really like my privacy so I’d appreciate you not writing about me or my establishment.” She plucked his bill up from the table and neatly tore it in two. “And tonight was on the house.”

Son of a bitch. She’d been slick with backing him in that corner … and in front of a table full of witnesses.

He’d been intrigued when Teddy had first mentioned she’d moved here from New York. He’d been the other side of interested when he actually met her. Now she fascinated him.

He had to know more about this woman.

3

GUS FLIPPED THE OPEN SIGN TO Closed, ready to sag with exhaustion. They’d been busy and she’d been keyed up all night, even more so once she’d met Nick Hudson. It was as if she had an internal radar screen that kept him within view. She’d known where he was all night. And more than once she’d glanced his way, only to have those blue eyes of his snare her from across the room. Just a look from him and her pulse began to race.

“Thank God, it’s closing time,” she said to Teddy who had begun to turn the chairs upside down on the tables so they could sweep and mop. “I’m dead tired tonight.”

“I’m pretty tired myself,” Teddy said.

Gus paused, momentarily distracted from obsessing over Nick Hudson. It was unusual for Teddy to be tired. She was always a bundle of endless energy. For that matter, Gus was too, but she’d been so tense all afternoon and all the emotions around Troy that had come back—it had just exhausted her. Perhaps that was why she’d reacted so strongly to Nick.

In the kitchen, Gus began scrubbing down the stainless steel work surfaces. Teddy was uncharacteristically, but mercifully, quiet. Maybe she’d talked herself out earlier, going on nonstop about Nick.

Four long years. It had been four long years since Troy had totally stalked her, terrorized her to the point she thought she might have a nervous breakdown. Instead, she’d managed to finally get away from him with her life and a shock of white in her once dark hair, thanks to stress-induced alopecia. She’d lost a chunk of her hair and when it had grown back in it was stark white. Every day when she looked in the mirror, it served as a reminder of what could happen when you allowed a man to have control over you.

And for four years she’d not had an ounce, not even a smidgen of sexual attraction for a man. Was it irony, bad karma or just some wicked cosmic joke that one look at Nick Hudson and she’d tripped right into lust mode. Damn it to hell. She’d accomplished what she needed to accomplish tonight and now she just had to stay as far off of his radar as possible.

She ran hot water over a fresh kitchen cloth and began to rinse the area she’d just scrubbed. One look at him had her yearning for the slide of a man’s fingers against her skin, the brush of masculine lips against the inside of her wrist, the back of her knee. Actually that was a lie because it wasn’t just a yearning for any man, it was for that man.

Just because she’d been hard-pressed to think of anything other than what it would be like to kiss him, to wrap her arms around those broad shoulders, to feel the scrape of his whiskers against her neck, her cheek … well, that was all going nowhere because that definitely didn’t constitute staying off his radar. Nope, that would be just plain stupid and Gus didn’t do stupid.

“Gus,” Teddy said from the opening leading to the dining room. Gus glanced up and immediately noticed Teddy’s pallor, accentuated by two bright red spots on her cheeks and her overly bright eyes. “I feel sick.”

Teddy staggered to the sink and promptly threw up. Gus tried not to gag. She’d never been very good at handling someone throwing up. When Teddy finally quit heaving, Gus passed her a towel. Teddy’s teeth began chattering and Gus pressed the back of her hand to Teddy’s face.

“You’re burning up. You’ve got the flu.”

“I don’t think I can drive.”

There was no way she’d let Teddy walk out the door and even try it. “I know you definitely can’t drive. I’ll drive you home.”

Teddy shook her head no, still hanging on to the edge of the stainless steel industrial sink, but adamant nonetheless. “I appreciate it but you’ll grind my gears.” Teddy drove a stick and the one time Gus had tried to drive it had been a disaster. Gus didn’t even own a car anymore. She’d abandoned hers when Bull came for her and she hadn’t needed one since moving to Good Riddance. “Call Marcia. She’ll come get me.”

Teddy lived on the outskirts of town with her older sister, Marcia and Marcia’s girlfriend, Sybil. Their mom had died when Teddy was fourteen and her dad had taken off for parts unknown a year later.

Gus rang Marcia and then bundled Teddy into her coat, gloves and hat. Poor Teddy sat huddled in her coat in a chair near the door while she waited, a bowl close by in case she had to throw up again.

Within minutes Marcia was there, concern for Teddy knitting her brow. “C’mon, baby, let’s get you home.” Marcia looked at Gus as she helped Teddy to her feet. “Sybil’s driving Teddy’s car home.”

Marcia’s demeanor was cool as usual when she spoke to Gus. Marcia blamed Gus for Teddy’s determination to move to New York. And while Gus had never encouraged or discouraged Teddy’s aspirations, she understood Marcia not wanting her only relative to move so far away. Gus was all too familiar with holidays, and regular days, spent without the one you loved most. Despite how she felt about Merrilee, she still ached for her mother, particularly at this time of year.