Northern Escape (3 page)

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

 

N
ICK 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 cer
emony 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.

G
US FLIPPED THE
O
PEN 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.

 

T
HE FOLLOWING MORNING
N
ICK
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.”