Read Online Northern Escape by Jennifer LaBrecque - Free Book Online Page A

travel.” He shrugged. “She told me it was the job or her and we see what decision I made. It was a good decision.” Gus was most inappropriately relieved he didn’t seem to still be carrying a torch for the woman from his past. “Any close calls on your part?”
    Gus aimed for a casual shrug. She’d found sticking as close to the truth without giving too much detail sufficed. “I was engaged once. It didn’t work out and that was a good decision, too.” That qualified as the understatement of the year.
    â€œBefore you moved here?”
    She turned back to the stove, away from the curiosity in his eyes. “Yes.” She would not think about Troy now or that time.
    He rounded the island to stand behind her, peering over her shoulder into the pot, inhaling. “Smells good.” His shoulder lightly grazed hers and she quivered inside at the brief contact. “Well,” he said, his breath stirring against her hair, “considering the ratio of men to women in Alaska, you can certainly pick and choose.”
    How was she supposed to think with him so close? Thank God, he took a step back. Her hand slightly unsteady, Gus dipped her spoon into the soup pot to taste test. She managed to cobble together a semi-coherent answer. “The problem with living in a town this size is that dating someone is a lot like dating someone at work. If things don’t work out, then you still see them all the time and it can get really sticky.”
    She sipped at the spoon. Something wasn’t quite right in the balance. She grabbed a clean spoon and handed it to Nick. “Tell me what you think.”
    â€œYou really want my opinion?” He looked as if she’d just awarded him a prize.
    â€œYou seem to know your way around a kitchen.”
    He took the spoon from her and continued their conversation. “Then you know the solution to dating someone in town, don’t you?”
    â€œEnlighten me.”
    He tasted and paused. “Maybe a little more oregano?”
    She nodded. That had been her take, as well.
    Nick leaned against the prep counter, crossing hisarms over his chest, heart-thumpingly close. “If it’s too sticky to date the locals, you find someone who’s just passing through.” His voice was low, soft and seductive, and his gaze seemed to devour her mouth. They’d gone from simmer to sear in about sixty seconds.
    â€œI’ll keep that in mind—” she paused deliberately “—if anyone passing through ever strikes my fancy.”

5
    N ICK 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 switchand 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