“Any news on your wedding front, Ellie?” Gus asked.
Ellie’s quiet smile wreathed her face. “Not yet. We are still waiting on the sign.” The entire town had been shocked when Nelson and Ellie had announced their pending marriage and Nelson’s plans to pursue medical school. Nelson, who had been training as a shaman, still followed the ways of waiting on answers through signs. Their wedding sign had yet to appear.
Merrilee was obviously delighted by all the wedding trappings strewn about in the bedroom of the apartment above the restaurant Gus used to run. “That crimson velvet is beautiful on you, Teddy. It really brings out your creamy skin and your blond hair.”
She’d been a little nervous the color might wash her out, but it worked.
“I do like the rich color.” She looked at Gus, the bride-to-be who was also her former employer and friend, who’d flown in from New York two days ago, and smiled. “You did a good job picking out the dresses.”
Gus nodded a happy acknowledgment. “I did, didn’t I? And they look good on both of Nick’s sisters.”
Ellie tucked and pinned one more time. “Okay, now let me unzip you and we’re done.” She tilted her head to one side. “It’s beautiful on you.”
“Thanks.”
It had been a challenge with Gus, Teddy and Merrilee, the matron of honor, in Good Riddance and Nick’s sisters in New York. Plus there was an age range from fifty-nine to twenty-four. Teddy had yet to meet Nick’s family—they’d be flying in later—but she’d seen pictures. Like him, Nick’s sisters had dark hair and startling blue eyes. The dark red would look great on them.
Gus shook her head, looking slightly shell shocked. “I’m not quite sure how it happened but this wedding has escalated to huge.”
Teddy stepped out of the dress, taking care to avoid the straight pins, and reached for her jeans.
“It’s because you’ve got a whole new family to embrace you now, honey,” Merrilee said with an indulgent smile.
Gus leaving Good Riddance had been hard for Merrilee who loved her like a daughter. But plain and simple, Gus had never belonged in Good Riddance.
Teddy might have been raised in Good Riddance but she no longer belonged here, either. She’d lost her own mother at fourteen, and her father had long before left for parts unknown. But she’d been fortunate enough to have her older sister Marcia, who’d provided a loving, stable home environment.
When she was alive, Teddy’s mother had encouraged and nourished Teddy’s dream of being a stage actress. After her mother’s death, Teddy had found a collection of journals her mother had kept. They’d broken her heart.
Cassandra Monroe had forsaken following her dream of being a classical concert pianist to follow Bill Monroe hither and yon only to have him abandon her and their two daughters in Alaska.
After reading her mother’s journals Teddy had grown more determined than ever to make a go of acting, not just for herself but for her mother as well. Teddy had read in the journals that her mother had never wanted Teddy and Marcia to feel as if they were a burden, and it had also just been too painful for Cassandra to talk about the dreams she’d relinquished. So instead of telling her daughters, she’d confined her thoughts to paper and ink.
Working in the restaurant downstairs with Gus for two and a half years, Teddy had set aside every spare penny. Discovering her former fiancé was dead had freed Gus to return to New York.
Lucky, Gus’s former short-order cook, had taken over the running of the restaurant in Good Riddance. But it had been critical Teddy stay for at least a couple of months to smooth the transition and to allow Lucky to find and train someone to take Teddy’s place, as well. She was helping out during Chrismoose but tonight was her final night at the restaurant.
She’d moved into Gus’s apartment above the restaurant to try to get her sister, Marcia, used to the idea of her leaving. Incredibly overprotective of her little sister, Marcia had finally given her blessing on Teddy moving to New York.
She’d begun to wonder if she’d ever leave Good Riddance. Good Riddance was a wonderful place, but it simply wasn’t where she’d fulfill her purpose.
Finally, finally, everything was in place and in a short period of time she’d be gone.
“I can’t wait for everyone to meet Nick’s family,” Gus said. “You guys are going to love them and they’re going to adore everyone here.”
Teddy zipped her jeans and tugged her sweater on over her head.
“I’m looking forward to seeing them again,” Merrilee said. She and her husband, Bull, had flown to New York in early spring to meet Nick’s family.
Ellie carried the dress and they all moved into the open den and kitchen.
“I can’t wait to meet them,” Teddy said. She was thrilled Nick’s family had more than embraced Gus. And once Teddy moved to New York…well, she’d been reassured the Hudsons would take her under their wing, as well.
Merrilee and Ellie settled on the couch while Teddy and Gus moved into the kitchen.
Gus, pulling the gingerbread out of the oven, slanted Teddy an arch glance. “Yeah, well, wait until Nick gets here with his buddy Jared. You’ll be glad to meet him, too.”
Teddy measured out coffee. She’d kept her love life on hold for several years. Her mother was definitely a cautionary tale. It would’ve been far too easy to get caught up in a guy and trade in her dreams and aspirations of being an actress for a ring on her finger and settling in Good Riddance, so she’d simply steered clear of any romantic entanglements. “I’m always up for eye candy. And this guy’s from New York, so…”
“He’s hot. Not as hot as Nick, mind you, but a looker nonetheless.” So she’d said earlier when she was giving them the rundown on Nick’s best friend. Teddy knew he was a recently divorced stockbroker and a workaholic. She also knew his parents were, according to Nick, pretty awful. He’d categorized them as social climbers who found Jared always just short of the mark. Apparently Jared had spent a lot of time at Nick’s house as a teenager. And she knew Nick and Jared met for racquetball once a week.
Teddy added water and turned on the coffeemaker. She was all for checking him out, but she’d draw the line there.
She wasn’t about to be sidetracked by a man at this stage in her life.
2
“WELCOME TO GOOD RIDDANCE, where you can leave behind what troubles you,” the venerated Merrilee Danville Weatherspoon greeted Jared when he entered the tiny air terminal that doubled as a bed-and-breakfast and shared space with the town’s only restaurant. Clad in a pink-and-gray flannel shirt trimmed in lace, she looked younger than he’d expected.
“I’m happy to be here,” Jared said, most sincerely. He’d wanted a change and, by God, this place seemed about as far removed from New York’s relentless hustle and bustle as you could get. Even before Nick had pointed it out on the puddle-jumper flight from Anchorage, Jared had already noted the absence of street lights.
However, even in the surreal twilight that enveloped the land, he could clearly see Good Riddance had only one central street and not a single traffic light. One end of town held a plethora of travel trailers, RVs and even a couple of tents for what must truly be the hardy—or rather fool-hardy—souls, all in town for the Chrismoose festival.
Outside it was cold and rather dark, with a fairly heavy snow falling at four in the afternoon, but inside the “terminal” was reminiscent of some Norman Rockwell wilderness rendering.
A gray-bearded man resided in a rocking chair flanking a chess table next to a pot-bellied stove, apparently engaged in the game by himself. He reminded Jared of some of the old men who hung out in some of the smaller neighborhood parks off the beaten path.
Photos—a haphazard amalgamation of black-and-whites and full-colors, some framed, some not, of people, places and things—covered the timbered walls. Next to the Christmas tree, a full-size plush moose wore a Santa costume. The scents of coffee, hot cocoa, gingerbread and wood smoke hung in the air.
It was a marked contrast to the towering silver tinsel tree outfitted in oversize red ornaments that stood in the lobby of the glass-and-chrome building that housed his office. The homespun charm he found here was a welcome change.
This year he’d elected to forego the tired office winter-holiday party—it was now politically incorrect to refer to it as a Christmas party—where there were actually pools going beforehand as to who would over-indulge and make asses of themselves and who would wind up with who in the coat closet, restroom or break-room. He really didn’t care whether he’d looked like he wasn’t a team player when he’d passed on the party. He no longer gave a flying flip.
Miracle on 34th Street was playing on the TV in the corner. If there were any miracles to be found on 34th Street he’d missed them thus far. Across the room, a man of Native heritage demonstrated flute-carving to a small but rapt group. Being ensconced in so much hominess almost checked Jared’s urge to get a final reading on the Dow via his BlackBerry. Good Riddance was just what the doctor ordered. Nonetheless he went online and pulled up the day’s final figures. A couple of clicks and he had checked individual stocks. Overall, not a bad closing.