Northern Escape

by Jennifer Labrecque

  “I’ll keep that in mind—” she paused deliberately “—if anyone passing through ever strikes my fancy.”

  5

  NICK HAD THOROUGHLY ENJOYED himself. Merrilee had spent the evening waitressing while Nick had helped in the kitchen, and he and Bull had both worked the bar. Nick liked the mix of music, laughter and conversation all combined with the scents of good food. Even though he’d resented spending all of his summers and holidays working at his folks’ diner, this reminded him it had also been damn good fun.

  The whole place was buzzing with excitement over the late-afternoon fireworks, which had followed Merrilee’s welcoming speech and kicked off the Chrismoose Festival and the upcoming competitions, and he’d met some real characters. It was just the kind of thing that offered the opportunity for him to gather great blog material—far better than if he’d just been sitting out at a table. Clint dropped by to tell him the pageant decorating committee could always use an extra pair of hands. Nick had said he’d be there. Working behind the scenes like that inevitably resulted in good info.

  A little before ten, Gus walked over to the light switch and flicked it off and on a couple of times. “Last call,” she said to Nick with a smile. “It’s better than yelling it.”

  Amazingly, within ten minutes the last customer had settled their bill and Gus locked the front door behind them. Nick watched Gus as she crossed the room. It had been a pleasure to watch her work in the kitchen. There was a passion and intensity to her when she was practicing her craft that he loved to see. It was as if behind a pot or pan, she lost that distance, that guardedness with which she seemed to surround herself. Gus unplugged.

  Now a small frown creased her forehead when she looked at Merrilee.

  “Thank you all for the help tonight. I couldn’t have done it without you.” Gus caught Bull’s eye and gave him a look behind Merrilee’s back that said she’s exhausted, take her home and put her to bed. The older woman did look tired. Gus took Merrilee by the arm, heading toward the airstrip office door. “Goodnight, Bull and Merrilee, and thanks again,” Gus said.

  “But you’ve still got to clean up—”

  Gus shook her head. “You helped last night. You look exhausted—”

  “Thanks a bunch,” Merrilee said.

  “You’re welcome because you do. Go.” Gus stopped at the door and hugged the other woman. “Thank you for everything. You’re a lifesaver.”

  “Are you sure—” Merrilee all but nodded in Nick’s direction while he unabashedly watched the byplay. The two women were undeniably close although there wasn’t a whit of family resemblance between the two of them.

  “I’m sure. Say good night, Merrilee.”

  “Good night, Merrilee,” she parroted. Nick chuckled.

  Merrilee added, “Good night, Nick.” Her look, however, said Buddy, you’d better watch yourself.

  “’Night,” Bull said, giving Gus a nod that said he’d take over from here.

  “Good night,” Nick said.

  The door closed behind her and Gus turned back to face him. Alone. Finally.

  “Thanks again for your help tonight,” she said. He had the impression she was thanking him again simply to have something to say now that it was just the two of them. He was glad she seemed as disconcerted by him as he was by her.

  He walked back toward the kitchen. “I had a good time. Fill me in on your closing routine and I’ll do Teddy’s part.”

  “That’s not necessary.”

  There was no way in hell he’d leave her to clean the entire place by herself. “I know it’s not necessary but I don’t do anything by half measures. If I’m filling in for Teddy, I’m doing what she’d normally do.”

  She glanced back at him over her shoulder as she pulled cleaning supplies out of a small closet, amusement lighting her gray eyes, the customary shadows he’d noticed there gone. “Do you always get your way?”

  “Not always, but often enough.”

  “Often enough for what?”

  “To get used to getting my way when it’s something I really want.”

  And he wanted her.

  SHAKING HER HEAD, she passed him a bucket, rag and disinfectant. “Fine then. You wipe down tables and stack the chair. I’ll finish the kitchen and push the broom.”

  They worked quickly and efficiently, a comfortable silence settling between them. There remained however, a hum of awareness between both of them that was always there, that had been there from the beginning and that had gathered momentum throughout the night.

  When they finished, Gus planted her hands on her hips and looked around as if amazed. “I have to say you’re fast.”

  He crossed the room, letting her see the intent in his eyes, giving her the opportunity to retreat. “Sometimes you’ve got to move fast or an opportunity passes.”

  She stood her ground as he approached. “Is that a fact?”

  “It is.” He stopped in front of her, close enough to smell her scent, but not so close as to crowd her. He felt knotted up inside simply being this near her. “Now, I have a question for you. Since you’re officially off work, would you like to go on a date with me?”

  Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, accentuating the faint tilt at the corners. “Go on a date with you?”

  “Sure. I’ve only got a couple of days here so I don’t have any time to waste.”

  Her look was a mixture of wariness, amusement and banked heat. “What are we going to do on this date?”

  “Get to know one another.” He wanted to kiss her almost as much as he wanted his next breath, maybe more. “I happen to have the inside track on a great place in town that might run after hours. I was thinking a glass of wine and—” he nodded toward the silent jukebox “—maybe a dance or two.”

  She looked away, making it impossible to read her eyes. “And you were thinking when?” Her expression revealed very little. He had no idea whether she thought he was a total fool or not.

  “Maybe half an hour. I’d like to change out of my work clothes.”

  A slow, sensual smile that sent his pulse into overdrive tilted the corners of her lovely mouth. “Forty-five minutes.”

  Hell, he’d wait an hour as long as it meant she’d show up. “Meet me at the bar?”

  A sweet promise flickered in the depths of her eyes. “It’s a date.”

  SHE’D LOST HER MIND. Obviously. Unequivocally. And she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this alive and this energized. God knows, he was the last man she should want and God help her he was the only man she’d wanted in a long, long time.

  Gus stripped out of her work clothes in double time and hopped in the shower. A date. She had a date. She laughed aloud at the sheer elegant lunacy of it. She had a date in her own restaurant after hours in the middle of the Alaskan bush with a man who had the potential to destroy everything she’d carefully built in the last four years. A man she’d barely known twenty-four hours. But Nick was no stranger to her. Spending time with him, working with him tonight… She was fairly certain he was the man she’d glimpsed in his writing.

  Gus toweled off and dove under the counter in her bathroom. Somewhere…she had…where had she put it…had it gone bad…ah, there it was. She opened the perfume. Nope. It hadn’t gone bad at all. She spritzed it behind her ears and, for good measure, down her cleavage. Making short work of the hair and makeup routine, she walked over to her closet.

  Every day in Good Riddance was pretty much more of the same—dark slacks and the shirt du jour. But not tonight. She dug into the back of the closet, past the clothes that had served her well enough for the past four years. Yep, there it was, buried in the back, the quintessential little black dress. She hesitated, her hand on the hanger. The last time she’d worn it, she’d attended a function with Troy.

  Squaring her shoulders, she determinedly pulled it off the hanger. She wouldn’t let Troy keep her from wearing a dress she liked, just as she’d no longer let Troy keep her from going on a date. Sh
e tugged the black jersey and spandex over her head. It still fit like a glove. She turned and twisted in front of the mirror…actually, it fit better than it used to. She slipped on simple jewelry and a pair of low-heeled black shoes she hadn’t worn since she’d worn the dress.

  Downstairs the door creaked open between her place and the airstrip office. When the restaurant was open, with all the noise, you couldn’t really hear it, but when it was quiet like this, there was no missing it.

  She took one final look in the mirror, touched up her lipstick, drew a deep breath and stepped out into the hallway. She opened the door separating her apartment from the stairwell leading to the restaurant and bar. Her knees felt kind of shaky as she went down the stairs.

  She stepped into the restaurant. Nick stood over by the bar. The lights were low, since she’d closed. In the corner, the lights twinkled on the Christmas tree that stood between the front door and the booths lining the wall overlooking Main Street.

  He looked across the room and literally froze on the spot. “Oh…wow. You are breathtaking.” There was no faking the note of awe in his voice.

  Her heart, which was already racing, really went into overdrive. “Thank you. You don’t clean up too badly yourself.” He’d traded in his jeans and long-sleeved T-shirt for a pair of dress slacks and a button-down shirt.

  He laughed, perhaps a tad self-consciously. “I learned a long time ago, you include one good outfit because you just never know what occasion might come up. So…maybe this is a little strange considering it’s your place, but I was bartending earlier tonight and I’m serving you now. I’ve started a tab so what would you like? Oh, and where did you want to sit?”

  It was all so wacky and kind of crazy and she loved it. “How about at the bar?”

  “Perfect,” he said. His look proclaimed he found her perfect, as well.

  Her knees slightly unsteady, Gus slid onto the bar stool.

  “And what type of libation can I serve you, mademoiselle?”

  “I’ll have a glass of the uncorked pinot noir.”

  “Coming right up.”

  He poured two glasses and joined her at the bar, slipping onto the stool next to hers. Part of her wished he’d left an empty stool between them, a little space. However, the rest of her was glad he was close. Although they weren’t touching, she could almost feel his body heat, feel his energy mingling with hers. For a second his eyes caught and held hers and it was as if everything stilled. “Thank you,” he said softly, all traces of his earlier banter gone, “for agreeing to come out with me tonight.”

  “I’m glad you asked.” And she was, she realized. It was wonderful to feel this sense of anticipation, to feel like a woman.

  His gaze searched hers. “Are you?”

  It was pointless to pretend otherwise or play some coy game when he was only here for such a short time. “Yes.”

  He raised his glass. “To tonight.”

  “To tonight,” she repeated, clinking her glass against his and then sipping. For Gus, that toast brimmed with significance. For tonight, she was putting the past firmly behind her, where it belonged. Tonight was about tonight.

  “How about helping me deejay,” he said. He stood. “Come on, let’s pick out some music on the jukebox.”

  “Okay,” she said, happy to go along with his suggestion. They stood in front of the jukebox, shoulder to shoulder. His scent, one of man, fresh soap and the faint scent of starch clinging to his shirt, was delicious. He braced one hand on the jukebox. She’d noticed his hands in the kitchen earlier—lean, well-shaped with long fingers and short, blunt nails. They went with the rest of him.

  He fed a couple of dollars into the jukebox. “Okay, let’s make some selections.”

  “Do you know how long this thing will play with that much money in there?”

  “I’m hoping for a long date,” he said, his voice teasing but his eyes serious. So was she. This was like a sweet, sweet dream she hadn’t dared to dream. He scanned the playlist. “You’ve got quite a range of music here.”

  “Nelson’s responsible for the selection. When he started as karaoke emcee, he put himself in charge of the jukebox content, which was fine with me.” It was an eclectic range from Patsy Cline to Dean Martin.

  Gus selected a Frank Sinatra number and Nick slanted her a glance. “You’re a fan? He’s one of my favorites.”

  “A boy from New York?”

  His grin was straight-up boyish. “Absolutely.”

  They split the number of selections and went back to the bar, Nick guiding her lightly with his fingertips in the small of her back, which radiated heat throughout her. His touch proved as potent as she’d ever thought it might be.

  Gus sipped at her wine and the conversation gravitated toward music. It turned out they shared similar musical tastes and had seen some of the same performers at New York venues.

  One glass of wine turned into two and the conversation turned to books and movies and food and life in general. Gus found herself laughing and being laughed with. Nick seemed as entertained by her as she was by him and they had an astonishing amount in common. The things they didn’t have in common remained a point of interest to Gus.

  One of Gus’s favorite Sinatra songs came up on the jukebox. Nick held out a hand. “Dance with me?”

  She didn’t hesitate. She didn’t think twice. She put her hand in his. “I’d love to.”

  Maybe it was the man, perhaps it was the music, and two glasses of wine at the end of a long day probably didn’t hurt, but Gus felt as if her feet weren’t even touching the ground.

  Held in his arms, against his warmth, his heart beating beneath her cheek, she seemed to float over the wood floor she’d trod uncountable times in the past four years.

  The song ended and they stopped, standing still in the middle of the room. He leaned his forehead against hers, his warm breath gusting against her mouth. “Thank you for coming out with me tonight.”

  Her heart threatened to thump out of her chest. “I had a good time, Nick. I guess we should clean up, though. It’s getting late.”

  He released her but kept her one hand in his and together they crossed to the bar. She washed up the glasses while he wiped down the counter, and then the crazy man insisted on settling his tab.

  While they were cleaning up, the jukebox finished playing the final selection, leaving the room quiet once again.

  She walked him to the door leading to the airstrip and B and B. He took her hands in his. “Come with me tomorrow. I’m helping decorate for the pageant.”

  She should say no. She meant to say no. Instead she said, “Okay.”

  “I can’t remember when I’ve had more fun on a date,” he said, bracketing her shoulders with his hands, his palms and fingers sizzling against her bare skin.

  She barely bit back a sigh, looking up at him instead, and saying, “Me, too.” She simply spoke the truth.

  He released her and for one moment she thought he was going to walk through the door. Disappointment singed her but then he muttered, “Damn” as if he couldn’t help himself. He caught her shoulders once again and his lips sought hers.

  Gus met him halfway. Their kiss was warm, tender and he tasted like wine. He pulled her closer, kissing her deeper, more thoroughly and it was like a spark of lightning hitting underbrush at the end of a four-year drought.

  Fire roared through her. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she moaned into his mouth. She absorbed his answering groan, as he proceeded to kiss her like she’d never been kissed before.

  Finally he pulled away. Their mutually ragged breathing seemed to fill the room’s quiet.

  “If I’m going to leave, I need to leave now,” he said, cutting to the chase.

  He was clearly ready to stay if she issued the invitation. Gus wanted him, but for now it was enough to know he wanted her, too. And there was absolutely no doubt he wanted her. She released him. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  He turned loose of her arms and
stepped back. “Good night, Gus.”

  “Good night, Nick.”

  He brushed his fingers over her cheekbone, as if driven to touch her just once more before he left. “Sweet dreams.”

  For the first time in a long time, she thought she just might. “You, too.”

  He stepped through the door and she closed it behind him. Sighing, she leaned against it and smiled, simply because she couldn’t do otherwise. Her lips were still warm from his, his taste still lingered against her tongue.

  Hands down, it was, quite simply, the most romantic date she’d ever experienced.

  “MERRILEE, YOU NEED TO STAY out of it,” Bull said from behind the hardware counter in his store.

  Merrilee, who’d hardly slept a wink all night despite being exhausted, had headed over to see him as soon as she’d put the coffee on at the office and Jeb and Dwight had shown up.

  Bull simply didn’t understand the workings of a woman. Although he seemed to muddle along well enough at times, he didn’t get it now.

  Merrilee cocked one hand on her hip and stared him down. “Are you hearing what I’m telling you? He was over there until after 2:00 a.m. this morning. You know she closes the place at ten. He came over to the B and B, showered, and then went back over there and didn’t drag in until two.”

  Unperturbed by her outburst, Bull casually picked up a piece of wood and pulled out his knife. “Gus is a grown woman and God knows she’s lived like a damn nun since she moved here.”

  “But him?” Was Merrilee the only one who had any sense when it came to Nick? He was like a snake-oil salesman who’d cast a spell over everyone he’d met, except her. “What is Gus thinking?”

  Wood shavings flew from the edge of the knife as Bull whittled. “She’s probably thinking she’s long overdue some time with a man. Leave the girl alone.”