Northern Escape

“Take care, Teddy, and feel better,” Gus said before the door closed on the two sisters.

Poor Teddy. Weary, Gus looked around at the empty restaurant. Everything had to be cleaned again and sanitized tonight before she could go to bed. Flu germs and restaurant customers made a bad combination.

She straightened her back and took a deep breath. There was nothing for it but to do it. Sleep was overrated anyway.

Gus was just getting started when the connecting door between her place and the airstrip office opened and Merrilee came in.

“I thought I’d double-check on you.” Merrilee glanced around the empty room. “Where’s Teddy?”

“Sybil and Marcia just picked her up. Teddy has the flu.”

Merrilee shook her head. “That’s not good. Not good at all. You’re gonna have to scrub down the entire place again, aren’t you?”

“Everything has to be cleaned again, including all the place settings because we were both washing dishes tonight.”

Merrilee began to roll up her sleeves. “Then let’s get to it.”

“Merrilee, you can’t—”

“I most certainly can.” Merrilee planted one hand on her hip. “I’m not leaving you to scrub this entire restaurant by yourself. We’ll get it taken care of in no time working together. Now let’s get cracking.”

They’d worked their way through the dining room and moved on to the bar, sharing a tired but companionable silence, when Merrilee spoke up. “You better call Darlene Pritchford first thing in the morning, Gus.”

Darlene had worked at the restaurant off and on for years. She wasn’t as quick as Teddy but she’d always proven a good backup.

Gus shook her head. “I heard yesterday Darlene has the flu.”

Merrilee winced. “I can waitress and bus the tables but I don’t know what to do when it comes to the kitchen. You think Lucky or Mavis could stay over and help with some of the evening stuff?”

That wasn’t an option. She shook her head. She wouldn’t even ask it of her short-order cook who covered breakfast and lunch. “He’s got family in from the lower forty-eight for Chrismoose and the holidays. He’s already going above and beyond by not asking for any time off. I can’t ask him to work extra hours. Mavis is busy with Chrismoose and her grandchildren. I’ll manage.” She wasn’t sure how, but where there was a will, there was a way.

And there were benefits—she’d definitely be flying under Nick Hudson’s radar since she’d be far too busy to do anything else. And exhaustion would hopefully keep at bay the specter of Troy … as well as the allure of Nick.

The following morning Nick rolled out of bed and made short work of showering and shaving. He whistled beneath his breath while he dressed. Crossing to the window affording a view of Main Street, he pulled back the flannel curtain to check out what was going on.

It was still dark outside but that was no surprise in Alaska in the middle of December. Daylight hours ran short but he’d noticed yesterday that the town just rolled along, regardless of the dark. Several pickup trucks were already out on the street. A couple of dogs trotted down the sidewalk behind someone so bundled Nick couldn’t tell if it was a male or female. Light glowed from behind windows and spilled out onto the snow from buildings lining the street.

He’d written his first blog post last night after dinner and checked his email before he headed downstairs. He had plenty of time. Clint Sisnuket had offered to take him out to the native village this morning but he and Clint weren’t meeting up for nearly an hour.

He’d answered what needed addressing and signed out of his email when he decided to run a search on Gus. She’d asked him not to mention her or her establishment so he wouldn’t but that didn’t mean he couldn’t find out about her. He wanted to know more and the internet was a damn good resource.

He typed in her name and hit Enter. Nothing. That was odd. Teddy had clearly said the woman had worked in New York. She should be referenced in some culinary capacity or as staff at some restaurant. He tried changing the spelling of the last name and came up with another blank. It simply made him more determined. He tried her name with key words such as chef, food reviews and culinary arts all coupled with New York.

Not a damn thing. Beginning to get frustrated and more determined than ever, he logged on to a site available to Times staff where anyone who’d ever breathed could be found since it searched a nationwide database of birth records. Bingo. Three Augustina Tippens.

Wait … no bingo. He did some quick math. One of them would be ninety-four if she was still alive. Another was six years old and the last Augustina Tippens was fifty-one.

What the hell? He did a public records search for Good Riddance. She ostensibly owned the restaurant and bar next door, but there was no business license or property deed in her name. There wasn’t even a phone number listed for her in the white pages.

Whoever the hell she was, she wasn’t Augustina Tippens. And she’d made no bones about it last night—she didn’t want him mentioning her or her restaurant in his blog. Curiouser and curiouser.

Nick turned off his computer and headed downstairs. The B and B bedrooms were all located on the second floor above the airstrip office. Merrilee’s voice drifted up the stairs.

“Teddy’s got the flu and so does Darlene. Lucky’s got family in from out of town so he’s busy and can’t stay for the evening shift. Gus is in a fix. I can pitch in and wait tables but I don’t know what to do in the kitchen.”

Nick entered the room just as Dalton responded, “That bites.”

“Yeah, poor Gus.” She looked over at Nick. “Good morning. How’d you sleep last night?”

Dalton nodded a greeting. “Nick.”

“Good morning,” Nick said, aiming the greeting at both of them. The two older men by the potbellied stove were busy arguing. Nick had a feeling they were nearly permanent fixtures in the airstrip office. “I slept like a log. That’s one comfortable bed.”

“I’m glad to hear it. How about a cup of coffee? Fresh brewed?”

She seemed a little warmer toward him today but he was sure he hadn’t misread her reserve yesterday after Teddy had come over. It was yet another oddity, he noted. And coffee sounded good.

“I’d love a cup. Straight-up black, if you would.”

Merrilee poured the brew into a thick ceramic mug and handed it over. “Thanks,” he said, cupping his hands around the warm cup. “Did I hear you say Teddy’s got the flu?”

Wrinkling her nose, she nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. After the restaurant closed last night, Teddy went home with the upchucks and a fever.”

“That doesn’t sound good.” Nick sipped at the aromatic coffee. Strong and dark, it packed a wallop, just the way he liked it. “So, that leaves Gus shorthanded?”

Merrilee shook her head. “And then some.”

An idea took hold. Actually, it was perfect. He wanted to find out more about her. Gus was shorthanded. He had grown up working in a restaurant. Gus had backed him into a corner last night with her power play. Fine. It was his turn to make her an offer she couldn’t refuse.

Nick said to Merrilee and Dalton. “I’ll be right back. I’ve always wanted the chance to be a knight in shining armor.”

Before they could ask any questions, he turned on his heel and headed across the room. “Morning,” he greeted the couple in the room next to his who had just come downstairs. He was pretty sure it took every ounce of Merrilee Weatherspoon’s self-control not to follow him to see what he was up to. He might’ve just met her but he knew Merrilee liked being in the know.

When he entered the restaurant, Gus was in the kitchen talking to the cook. Lucky? Yeah, that was the guy’s name. The place wasn’t nearly as full as it had been last night, but about three-quarters of the tables were taken and about half the bar seats.

Nick leaned against the counter separating the kitchen from the rest of the room. Gus’s back was to the room as she talked to the cook. This morning she wore dark gray pants with a lighter gray sweater. Rather than being formfitting, her clothes merely hinted at the curves underneath. Nick, however, had no trouble running with that hint.

Lucky nodded his head in Nick’s direction and Gus turned. Faint dark circles were smudged beneath her eyes as if she hadn’t slept well. Once again, wariness glinted in her grey eyes but there was also a glimmer of attraction. Whether she liked it or not, she was drawn to him. And he damn sure was drawn to her. It seemed to stretch between them and bind them together in the restaurant full of people. She could have been the only one present.

“Hello,” she said. “Can I help you?”

“Morning,” he said, saluting both Gus and Lucky with his coffee mug. He plowed ahead without giving her a chance to respond. “I understand Teddy’s got the flu which leaves you shorthanded.”

The wariness increased tenfold, but she nodded nonetheless. Gus Tippens was no dummy. She knew he was up to something. “Yes.”

“I don’t know if you remember but I mentioned last night that my parents own a diner. I grew up working in a restaurant and I know my way around a kitchen and a bar. I’ll be glad to step in for Teddy.”

Lucky smiled, looking damn relieved. “There you go, Gus. Problem solved.”

For a second he caught a glimpse of panic before she banked it. “I can’t let you—”

“No, no, no. I insist. I know how to take orders. As long as I can work it around covering the Chrismoose events, I’m yours.”

She appeared less than thrilled at the prospect.

“I’ll be in the stockroom,” Gus told Lucky as the connecting door closed behind Nick.

“Sure thing, boss,” Lucky said, expertly flipping a pancake.

Gus closed the door behind her. She did some of her best thinking in here. She paced back and forth between the shelves stacked with jars and bottles. How could she refuse his help without looking like a total idiot for turning down assistance she desperately needed?

Then there was the not-so-inconsequential factor that all he had to do was walk in the room and she was all systems go.

She’d known he was behind her earlier, before Lucky had nodded. Gus had felt him as surely as if he had touched her. She’d simply hoped if she pretended she didn’t know he was there he’d go away. Just having him on the other side of the counter set her to simmering. How in the heck was she supposed to work with him in her kitchen?

Damn him. He knew she was desperate, but desperation aside if he’d had a private conversation with her she could’ve turned him down. But no, just as she’d made her request to him last night in front of witnesses, he’d done the same to her this morning. She would look totally unreasonable, especially after Lucky had piped up as to what a great idea it was.

The stockroom door opened and Merrilee poked her head inside. Merrilee knew this was one of her thinking spots. “Lucky said I could find you in here. Mind if I join you?”

“Of course not. Come on in.”

Merrilee stepped into what was becoming a very tight space with the two of them sandwiched in there between the shelves. Beaming, Merrilee announced, “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

And for the second time that morning Gus had an unexpected announcement lobbed her way.

“You’ve done what?” Gus asked, not exactly incredulous, but yes, it was quite a surprise.

“I’ve set you up with Jenna for a manicure/pedicure this morning,” Merrilee said, patting her on the shoulder. “With everything going on, I thought you needed a pick-me-up. And there just aren’t that many opportunities to spoil a woman here.”

It was on the tip of Gus’s tongue to say she didn’t have time and mani/pedis weren’t her thing but then she reconsidered. Merrilee was so excited to be able to do something. She was a woman of action who needed to fix things. There was nothing she could do to get rid of Nick being here. Presenting Gus with this gift was about the only option available to Merrilee and whether Gus had the time to spare or not and regardless if it wasn’t her thing, Gus wasn’t going to rob Merrilee of the one way she felt able to make a difference.

Plus, sometimes you had to go with the flow. Just yesterday Jenna was going on about Gus’s nails and now this. So she pasted on a smile and said, “Thanks, Merrilee. That’s very thoughtful. When is my appointment?”

“Well, that’s the thing. It’s now. So Lucky and Mavis can run the show while you’re gone.” To steal one of Merrilee’s expressions, she looked pleased as punch. “Luellen canceled so Jenna can work you in if you can be there in ten minutes.”

Gus smiled at how happy Merrilee looked, especially considering how miserable she’d been yesterday. “Then I’d better head her way since things are covered here.”

She snagged her gloves, hat and coat.

“I hear you’ve got yourself a helper this evening.” Merrilee snorted in disgust. “He overheard me talking to Dalton and he was over here in a flash and not a ding-dang thing I could do about it. He’s a sneaky snake, that one. I’m sorry, Gus.”

Shrugging into her coat, Gus said, “Don’t worry about it. There was no way to get out of it.” An idea presented itself and Gus offered an evil smile. “But he’ll be sorry.”

“Really?”

She made an executive chef decision. “Oh, yes. He’s got a ton of onions to chop this afternoon.”

Merrilee laughed and then sobered. “Just be careful with him, Gus. He’s dangerous.”

“Yes, I know.” Merrilee would totally fall apart if she only knew just how dangerous, considering Gus had a heck of a time keeping her wits about her when he was around. Of all the men in the last four years, why him? Why now? Why the man who could, with one mention of her or her restaurant, tip Troy off to her whereabouts?

All she knew was he affected her in the most disconcerting way. Yep, Merrilee should be concerned. She tugged on her gloves and hat and they stepped out into the kitchen. “I’m running out for a bit,” she said to Lucky who could care less whether she went or stayed. Understandably, he liked to run his own kitchen during breakfast and lunch. He’d even talked to her about opening his own place in town but he wasn’t sure Good Riddance could support two restaurants and he didn’t want to cut into her business.

Merrilee patted her shoulder again. “Relax and enjoy. God knows you work hard enough.”

“I will and thanks again.” Impulsively she reached over and hugged the older woman.

“You’re welcome, honey.”

Merrilee headed back to the airstrip. With a wave toward Lucky, Gus left through the front door. She stepped out into the morning cold, hoping the walk from her place to Curl’s would help clear her head.

Despite being up late last night cleaning—not nearly as late as it might’ve been without Merrilee’s help—she’d awakened early this morning. She simply couldn’t seem to help herself. Sitting in bed, she’d logged on to her laptop and looked up Nick’s columns for the first time in four years.

He was still an excellent writer. His pieces displayed a wry sense of humor and painted a picture without being too lengthy, and he certainly had an eye for the unusual. Reading his column again made her long for a change of pace, something different. And she felt guilty as hell for even thinking that.

Good Riddance had proved a haven when she’d desperately needed one. Troy had been relentless in pursuing her. And—she could actually think about it now without going into full panic mode—he’d damn near raped her that last time he’d found her. She’d known then it was either take desperate measures to get away from him or one of them was going to die.

She loved the people here, although she’d never allow anyone to get too close. She was happy, but reading Nick’s column made her long for New York’s hustle and bustle. She missed more balanced seasons. She missed the outside world. And God help her, but she’d lain in her bed last night and realized just how much she missed sex.

Sex and travel and New York. The sex she could manage, not that she had yet, but it was doable. However, New York and travel were lost to her. It was too risky because the next time Troy found her, someone was likely to get seriously hurt and most likely she’d be the one who didn’t fare well.

She drew a deep breath. She should be content with the life she had here. It was a good life and a good town. She smiled at the whimsical moose heads mounted on the electric poles. You didn’t find those everywhere.

Good grief, she seriously needed to get out more. She hadn’t seen Tessa’s new sign in front of the video rental/screening room she was pulling together in the center of town. Gus rapped on the glass window and Tessa looked up from where she was cataloging DVD’s on a narrow shelf. Gus pointed to the sign above the door and gave a thumbs-up, mouthing, “Nice.”

Tessa laughed and mouthed back, “Thanks.”

Gus liked Tessa. She was genuine and it was nice to have another woman close to her age in town.

She crossed the street and entered Curl’s Taxidermy & Barber Shop & Beauty Salon & Mortuary. No doubt about it, Curl’s was … unique. Up front were two barber chairs. Over to the left of the chairs, Jenna had set up a small table and on the floor was a foot spa tub. About a dozen bottles of different colored nail polish sat on one corner of the table. The front room was cramped quarters because most of Curl’s business was done in the back. Gus sniffed. Curl’s place always smelled faintly of formaldehyde. Come to think of it, so did Curl.

Donna and Jenna looked up, both greeting her with hellos and smiles.

“I’m almost done with Donna. Can you give me a minute?” Jenna asked.

“Sure thing,” Gus said, shrugging out of her coat. She tossed her coat, gloves and hat in one of the two barber chairs up front and settled in the other.

A side door on the outside led to a large open room. That’s where the dead bodies were delivered, be they human or animal form. Gus would never forget Elmer Watkins keeling over dead at the table within a month of her opening the restaurant. Bull, Dalton, Clint and Nelson had carried Elmer down to Curl’s and put him out on a table in the back next to a table holding a bull moose that had been brought in for taxidermy. Curl had laid Elmer out in the back room in his best overalls and flannel shirt … and had put the bull moose standing at attention next to him, since they’d come in together and the moose hadn’t yet been picked up. Everyone had commented on how natural both of them looked.

No doubt about it, Curl could multitask. Luckily for him, he wasn’t usually required to perform in all his capacities at once.

“Jenna’s a miracle worker,” Donna said. “That last engine job was hell on my hands, even with gloves on. And Perry likes my nails looking nice.”

Once upon a time, pre-Good Riddance, Donna had been Don, star quarterback for his Midwestern college football team. Now Donna ran an engine repair shop across from the doctor’s office. Gus thought it was touching Donna had found love with a prospector named Perry who didn’t seem to mind a bit that Donna’s parts were of the add-on variety.

“Your nails do look better, that’s for sure,” Jenna said to Donna, admiring her handiwork.

“Where’s Curl?” Gus said.

Jenna wrinkled her nose. “He said he was skipping the hen party but actually he has a stuffing that has to be done for Henrietta Winters before Christmas.”

Gus smiled at Jenna’s “stuffing” terminology for Curl’s taxidermy job.

“Okey dokey, that’s got ya, Donna,” Jenna said. “Why don’t you switch places with Gus and give that a few minutes to dry and set before you head out?”

Donna stood. “I can’t. I’ve got to get back ’cause Rusty’s stopping by to talk about a carburetor problem we’ve got to get fixed before the snowmobile races, but I promise I’ll be extra careful.”

The door closed behind Donna and Jenna said, “You can go ahead and take off your boots and socks. Give me just a sec to reset my station.”

“Just tell me when,” Gus said.

She pulled off her shoes and socks, the air in Curl’s cool against her bare feet. Maybe this time with Nick wouldn’t be a bad thing. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. He wasn’t exactly an enemy but … And as to the intense sexual attraction she’d felt for him, well, part of that had to be fueled by four years of abstinence coupled with the fact that once upon a time she’d been fairly infatuated with his writing. The odds were once she spent some time with him, she wouldn’t like the reality of him nearly as much as she’d liked the man she’d created in her head through his work.

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