Alaska—the last frontier

The nights are long. The days are cold. And the men are really, really HOT!

Can you think of a better excuse for a trip up North?

Don’t miss the chance to experience some

ALASKAN HEAT,

Jennifer LaBrecque’s new sizzling mini-series:

Northern Exposure (October 2011)

Northern Encounter (November 2011)

Northern Escape (December 2011)

Enjoy the adventure!

Dear Reader,

Welcome back to Good Riddance, Alaska, where everyone is invited to leave behind what troubles them. This small outpost in the Alaskan bush is similar to many towns I discovered when I was lucky enough to visit Alaska years ago.

Nick Hudson is a world traveler who writes a travel blog about places off the beaten path. Sophisticated, yet down-to-earth and sincere, Nick shows up in Good Riddance to cover their pre-Christmas celebration activities. Only he finds far more than he bargained for when he catches a glimpse of Augustina, “Gus”, the Paris-trained chef who owns the local eatery. Nick and Gus learn that though love doesn’t always take the traditional path, it’s always worth savoring …

I hope you enjoy their Northern Escape. Writing these books has definitely made me think about going back …

I love to hear from readers. Please visit me at www.jenniferlabrecque.com.

Happy Holidays!

Jennifer LaBrecque

After a varied career path that included waitress, corporate number cruncher and bug business maven, JENNIFER LABRECQUE has found her true calling writing contemporary romance. Named 2001 Notable New Author of the Year and 2002 winner of the prestigious Maggie Award for Excellence, she is also a two-time RITA® Award finalist. Jennifer lives in suburban Atlanta with a Chihuahua who runs the whole show.

Northern Escape

Jennifer Labrecque

www.millsandboon.co.uk

1

A MOOSE WEARING A SANTA costume and hat, complete with beard, stood next to a Christmas tree adorned with moose ornaments. Where had they found a life-size plush moose? Journalist Nick Hudson looked around the airstrip office, soaking up the atmosphere. He liked Good Riddance, Alaska already. It was just what he’d hoped for and just what his blog readers would eat up. Quirky. Different.

It might be colder than a witch’s tit in a brass bra, the sun had already made its brief appearance for the day, and though it was snowing outside it was cheery and toasty in here. The mingled aromas of fresh-brewed coffee, cinnamon rolls and wood-smoke scented the air.

An assortment of photos covered the wood walls. Lace-trimmed flannel curtains hung at the windows. Two old men with gray beards and baseball caps sat arguing over a chess board next to a potbellied stove. On the television set in the corner, Elvis crooned “Blue Christmas.”

“Okay, Mr. Hudson—”

He turned back to face the woman at the airstrip desk. “Please call me Nick.”

“Okay, and I’m Merrilee.” Before she’d had to field a phone call, she’d introduced herself as Merrilee Danvers Weatherspoon, the airfield and bed-and-breakfast operator, as well as the town founder and mayor.

Nick estimated she was in her mid-to-late-fifties and still carried a surprisingly Southern accent, considering she’d told him she’d been in Alaska for twenty-five years.

“Let’s get you checked in and I’ll show you to your room,” she continued. “We’re delighted you decided to join us for our Chrismoose Winter Festival.” Her warm smile exuded gracious charm.

“I’m excited to be here.”

“Do you know how Chrismoose began?” she asked, clearly eager to relay the story.

“Just in bits and pieces,” he said. A friend of a friend of a friend had mentioned it to Nick, which was why he’d decided to come to cover it in the first place. Juliette, the bush pilot who’d ferried him in from Anchorage, had given him a little more to go on, but he still didn’t have it all straight.

“It’s not real complicated, but it does make a good story,” she said with another smile. “There was a hermit named Chris, no one ever knew his last name, who lived out in the bush. He’d come into town about every four months for supplies. When he did, he kept to himself. He just showed up, got what he needed, and left. About fifteen years ago, when our little town was really starting to grow and expand, it was two days before Christmas and we all about dropped our jaw when Chris came riding into town on a moose.”

“He was riding a moose?”

“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. He’d found an orphan and raised it as a pet. Anyway, here he comes, wearing a Santa costume, riding through the middle of town on a moose with a bag strapped on its back.”

“That must’ve been a sight to see.”

Merrilee led him over to the wall of photographs. There in the midst of the mix was a color photo of a man in a Santa outfit on a moose. It was one of the craziest things Nick had ever seen. He grinned. “That is something else.”

“Yessir, it was. And that bag on the back? Chris had carved wood toys for the children in town. He said he wanted to make sure the kids all had a Christmas, in case Santa couldn’t find us out here. Every year, he’d show up and it wasn’t just the kids who looked forward to it. Then one year Chrismoose day came and went and no Chris and no moose. We had a rough idea where he lived so a few of us drove out to check on him. We found him dead. We figured he’d probably passed a couple of months before. In the spring, when the snow melted, we found the moose dead, too. Because Chris had kept it as a pet and fed it, once Chris was gone it didn’t know how to survive on its own. We never did find out who Chris was or if he had any family. We buried him but thought it was a shame such a wonderful tradition should die with him so our Chrismoose celebration was born. Eventually, it turned into a full-blown winter festival.”

“That’s a great story,” Nick said.

Merrilee looked pleased with his reaction. “It is, isn’t it? Now we draw quite a crowd every year. When you walk around town, you’ll see all the campers and RV’s parked on the outskirts of town. We get folks coming in from as far as five-hundred miles away.”

“Awesome.”

“You’ll find a schedule of events in your bedroom and all the businesses in town have them posted in their window.” A frown wrinkled her forehead. “Unfortunately flu season has hit early and we’ve got a bit of a situation going on. We’re telling everyone to make sure you wash your hands often and keep them away from your face.” She waved her hand in dismissal. “Now enough about that. How far have you traveled to join us? We like to track these things.”

Before he could answer, a door set in the wall beneath a sign that read Welcome to Gus’s opened and a ponytailed blonde came barreling through, only to stop short and gape when she saw him.

“Oh my God. Oh. My. God.” She blinked as if she couldn’t quite believe her eyes. “Are you Nick Hudson?”

Nick laughed. Sometimes people recognized him but it was usually in New York. He certainly hadn’t expected to be pegged in a small Alaskan town. “I am.” He held out his hand. “Pleased to meet you …”

“Teddy. Teddy Monroe.” She shook his hand and then just sort of held on. “I can’t believe you’re here. This is wild.”

Nick gently disengaged his hand from hers.

“Okay. I guess I missed something,” Merrilee said. “I didn’t realize you were famous, Mr. Hudson.”

“Please, call me Nick, and trust me, I’m not famous.”

Teddy Monroe jumped in. “Oh, yes he is. He’s only the most popular travel writer at the New York Times. He travels all over the world and specializes in blogging about places that are off the beaten path. Wow, you’re going to blog about us, aren’t you? This is so cool!”

He grinned at her enthusiasm. “I came for the Chrismoose celebration. I thought it’d make for some interesting articles.”

“Really?” If Nick hadn’t been so used to studying people and reading them, he would’ve missed the flicker of alarm in Merrilee Weatherspoon’s eyes. “The New York Times, huh? That’s impressive.”

“It pays the bills.”

“He’s being modest,” Teddy said. “He started working there right after college—” she looked at Nick for confirmation “—at least that’s what it says on your bio page.”

He nodded. “I was lucky. My parents owned a diner and the travel editor for the Times used to come in. He mentored me, got me an internship while I was in school, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

“I’m not a stalker or anything,” Teddy said. “I just love New York. It’s my goal to move there next year and study acting.”

“Teddy’s our aspiring thespian and quite the New York fan,” Merrilee said.

“Hey, my boss used to live in New York. You might’ve heard of her—she was a chef there before she moved here and took over the restaurant.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the door she’d entered through. “Gus Tippens.”

It struck Nick as charmingly naive that this girl from a town with one street and no stop lights would think he might know one other person in a city of millions.

“New York’s so big,” Ms. Weatherspoon said with a tight smile. “I’d be surprised if Nick had heard of Gus.”

“Her? Gus?”

“Short for Augustina,” Teddy said. “Just like my name is short for Theodora.” She rolled her eyes. “Why my parents had to name me after my grandmother …” She shook her head. “How you stick a baby with a name like Theodora is beyond me.”

“Well, I’m sorry to say I’ve never heard of Gus but I’m looking forward to eating at her restaurant.” His curiosity was piqued. “That sounds like a good story, in fact. You don’t find many Big Apple chefs who move to the Alaskan wilderness and open a restaurant.” It would make a great human interest angle, especially since it was a given some of his readers would recognize Gus’s name or at least the restaurants in the city where she’d worked.

“And she trained in Paris,” Teddy said, as if to ensure he was suitably impressed. He was.

“Did you come over for something in particular, Teddy?” Merrilee said. He had a sense she was uncomfortable with the conversation.

Teddy looked sheepish. “Oh, yeah. Gus wanted me to check if her box of truffles came in on the flight.”

“It sure did.” Merrilee picked up a box from the corner of her desk and passed it to Teddy. “I was going to run them over as soon as I got Nick checked in.”

Teddy backed her way toward the door she’d come through earlier. “Okay, then. I guess I’ll see you tonight at dinner. I mean—not like that. It’s just that, you’ll be eating over here and that’s where I work, you know, at the restaurant.”

Nick was hard-pressed not to laugh but he didn’t want to hurt the young woman’s feelings. “Sure. I’ll see you then.”

She gave a little wave and pushed open the connecting door. For a brief second he caught a glimpse of a dark-haired woman with a shock of white in the front and he felt something of a shock himself. Striking. Arresting.

While the blonde had been nice, she didn’t attract him. But that woman—he assumed she was Gus—well, she was a different story altogether. He was definitely looking forward to dinner tonight.

“We’ve got to figure out something and figure it out fast,” Merrilee said, trying not to panic, pacing back and forth in front of the counter of Bull Swenson’s hardware store. She’d had to bide her time until he’d finished loading the final trim order for the almost-complete new community center.

Normally Merrilee found comfort in the smell of sawdust and lumber, but she wasn’t feeling it now. She was too stinking worried.

Bull stroked his beard, a sure signal his wheels were turning. She’d fallen for Bull like a ton of bricks the first time she’d laid eyes on him twenty-five years ago. They’d been an item ever since.

Bull had repeatedly asked her to marry him and she’d repeatedly turned him down. When she’d left her husband in Georgia, she’d so desperately wanted to escape his cheating and lying ways that she’d packed her RV and driven as far away as she could. The day she’d wound up here, she’d known it was a special place. She’d found where she belonged.

And while she’d vowed to never marry again—and meant it, once had been enough—technically she also couldn’t because her jack-ass husband wouldn’t sign the divorce papers. She’d claimed to be divorced anyway because at first she’d thought it was just a matter of months until Tad relented and signed.

However, months had turned into years and then to confess the lie had become too awkward. Tad had shown up last month and finally signed, but once the truth came out, things just weren’t right between her and Bull. He told her he loved her, but he’d also told her he wouldn’t ask her to marry him again. The asking would be up to her.

She wondered if things would ever be right between them again. But Nick Hudson, with his New York connection and his blog, was far bigger trouble than her and Bull’s strained relationship.

Bull finally spoke. “So, he writes for the New York Times and he’s already said he wants to write about Gus?”

“Yep. All this time and now when she’s starting to feel safe again, to get her life back, this guy could ruin everything for her.” Merrilee rubbed at her temple, feeling sick inside. “What are we going to do? If he finds out the truth …” She couldn’t suppress a shudder. Both Gus and Bull knew her opinion of reporters. They were snakes. Merrilee didn’t trust a journalist as far as she could throw one.

“Where is he now?”

“He’s out with Dalton looking around town. Dalton’s grounded until his plane part comes in—”

“Oh, did Juliette fly him in?”

Merrilee paced back and forth, which she knew drove Bull crazy but she was too anxious to stand still. “Yeah.” Dalton Saunders was the primary pilot who made the runs out of Good Riddance and Juliette Watson filled in when there was overflow or in a pinch like now when Dalton’s plane was out of commission. “Anyway, Dalton stopped by the airstrip so I sent Mr. Hudson off with him. They were getting along like a house afire when they left.”

She’d found that particularly annoying. She didn’t like Nick Hudson. If she was honest, it wasn’t the man himself, more the threat he posed to Gus, but nonetheless she found it galling that Teddy had acted the fool and then Dalton had been chummy. If it was up to Merrilee she’d stick his butt back on the next flight to Anchorage but it was a free country and she, unfortunately, couldn’t run him out on the figurative rail.

She rubbed her fingers over her forehead in a futile attempt to ward off a headache. “I assured her she’d be safe here, Bull. I can’t let her down.”

It had been a terrible time. Gus had been a wreck when she’d arrived in Good Riddance. She’d been engaged to Troy Wenham, son of a prominent New York politician from a long line of prominent politicians. Wealth and power had crowned them minor royalty.

According to Gus, his family had disliked her intensely from the beginning, considering her a gold digger. Troy had become increasingly controlling and Gus had broken the engagement. Infuriated, Troy had refused to accept it.

Merrilee had never pressed for details but she knew Troy had begun stalking Gus. Going to the police had proven useless in the face of his family’s power and influence.

She’d switched jobs and moved. He’d followed her by tracing her credit card usage and he’d threatened that she’d never be free of him.

It had taken careful planning but Lauren Augustina Matthews had dropped off the face of the earth. Troy had never found her here because Merrilee was unknown to him. Even though the story in Good Riddance was that Gus was Merrilee’s niece, she wasn’t. Gus’s mother, Jenny, and Merrilee had been friends since childhood. Jenny had died before Gus and Troy had met.

Merrilee had been honored when Gus had contacted her for help. She’d assured Gus they’d keep her safe and help her start a new life in Good Riddance. But if Nick Hudson blogged about her or her restaurant in the Times all it would take was one sharp-eyed detective, or Troy himself, to put two and two together and once again he’d begin his terror campaign.

“Merrilee, the way I see it, she’s got three choices.” When Bull spoke, she paid attention. He’d spent two years in a Viet Cong prison during Nam. She had no idea what he’d been like before. All she could attest to was he was now a man who considered every angle and said nothing lightly. “We don’t know this guy so trusting him with the truth is risky.” She and Bull were the only ones privy to the real deal.

“We could kill him, but it’s damn hard to get away with anything like that these days, plus he’s just sort of stumbled into a situation, he’s not here with malice.” Bull was dead serious, which was just one of the things she loved about him. He weighed every course of action, even the outrageous ones. “And that leaves us with the third option, which isn’t good, but about the only thing she can do is ask him not to mention her or her restaurant in his posts.”

She rubbed at the throbbing in her right temple. “He’s a journalist. That’s just going to make him want to dig deeper. How much can he find out, do you think?”

Bull cocked his head to one side, considering, stroking his beard. “He’ll probably figure out pretty quickly that’s not her real name. It won’t take much digging to find out I own the restaurant and bar, not her—that’s a matter of public record, even though we’ve kept it quiet. Outside of that, I don’t think there’s much he can find.”

“Why’d he have to turn up?” She was so frustrated with the situation she could scream. “Things were going so well for her.”

Bull shook his head. “Come on, Merrilee. It was just a matter of time. Sooner or later everything comes to a reckoning.” She knew he was referencing the recent showdown with her husband … well, now ex-husband. “Have you talked to her?”

“No. I came over here as soon as I got him out the door. I thought we should strategize first and then talk to Gus together. Although I’m sure she already knows because Teddy was gushing like a geyser.” Teddy was something of a dreamer but Merrilee had never seen her gaga like that.

Bull pushed to his feet. “I’ll put a sign on the door and we’ll head over to Gus’s so we’re all on the same page.”

“Are you sure you’re okay, honey?” Merrilee said as Gus ushered Merrilee and Bull to her apartment door.

She was as okay as she’d been in the last four years. “I’m fine,” she said. “Thanks for coming over. You two have been lifesavers. Good Riddance has been a lifesaver. I hope you know how much you mean to me.” Her look encompassed both of them.

“We do and you know how important you are to us.”

Gus nodded, her throat suddenly clogged with tears. They were as close to family as she had, with her mother dead and her father having checked out of her life when she was a kid. They’d become surrogate parents.

Merrilee caught Gus up in a quick hug. “It’s going to be okay.” She released her and patted her on the shoulder. “Just throw yourself into your work, honey.”

“Shout if you need us,” Bull said, his manner gruff as usual, but the caring in his eyes evident.

“I will.”

They ducked out the side door of her apartment that lead to the outside rather than the stairs from the restaurant. She leaned her head against the door and the old feeling of being Troy’s prey again threatened to swamp her. The truth of the matter was it was never gone, she just managed to hold it at bay most of the time. Regardless of how far she’d run, his shadow was always on her doorstep. The worst was when she went to bed at night, when her mind was no longer busy, when the nightmares could come to her in her sleep. Without a doubt she was stronger for the experience. But he’d scarred her, permanently marked her somewhere deep inside.

She’d never told Merrilee and Bull all of it. She’d never been able to bring herself to talk about coming home and finding her sheets slashed and covered in red paint that looked like blood. And still the police would do nothing. The Wenhams were to New York what the Kennedys were to Massachusetts.

Gus breathed in through her nose, employing the technique she’d learned in yoga years ago and which she now taught on Sunday afternoons for a small group here in Good Riddance. She focused on her inhalation and exhalation, finally managing to center herself.

Feeling calmer, in control, her thoughts turned to Nick Hudson. Her heart had dropped into her stomach when Teddy had come back over to the restaurant, truffle box in hand, dropping the bomb that a reporter from New York was next door. Gus even knew who he was—both she and Troy had loved Nick’s travel pieces. They’d even tentatively tossed around a couple of different places Nick had written about as potential honeymoon destinations.

Nick’s writing had been witty and insightful. Once upon a time, in her previous life in New York, she’d even fancied herself just a little bit in love with him, based on his writing. She’d had the somewhat whimsical notion a person’s writing offered a glimpse into their soul and she’d liked what she’d seen of his. It hadn’t hurt that he was gorgeous to boot, according to pictures of him online and in the paper.

She hadn’t read one of his columns since she’d moved here. What was the point? That life was dead to her. Her passport, her driver’s license were both useless, since they were in her real name. It had been too painful to read his columns or anything related to New York. Instead she’d immersed herself in her new world, thankful she’d found a haven and an opportunity to practice her craft.

Oh, yes, she’d known exactly who he was when Teddy imparted the news. And like an idiot, rather than her instincts of how much danger he posed kicking in, her initial gut reaction had been a frisson of excitement. Anticipation had trailed through her, reminding her she was a woman who’d been more than four years without a man. She’d had date offers since she’d been here but she simply hadn’t been interested. However, one mention of Nick and that silly little crush she’d had years ago had reared its annoying head.

She shook her head. Her best course of action was to fly as far below his radar as possible. And with the influx of people here for the Chrismoose festival, she was going to be so darn busy that should be easy to do.

Squaring her shoulders and pushing away from the door, she headed downstairs. She had a restaurant to run.

2

NICK LAUGHED AS HE DODGED two kids playing a game of ice hockey using broomsticks and a chunk of ice for a puck. Beside him, Dalton Saunders grinned. “Everyone’s pretty jazzed up for the festival. I’m sure it’s nothing compared to New York but this is busy for Good Riddance.”

“I like it. There’s a good energy going on here. I’ve been some places where the people aren’t as friendly and you just don’t feel it.”

“So what do you do when you turn up somewhere and it’s a wash?”

“You think, oh, hell, I should’ve done better homework if I want to keep my job.” Dalton chuckled. “No, seriously, I write it like I find it. I try to find at least one interesting angle to push. But readers want the skinny. Especially since I cover places off the beaten path, the traveler is usually forking over a little extra cash to get there. They want to know what to expect. If I’ve sugar-coated it and it’s a wash when they get there, complaints are going to come in.”

“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.

“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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