Good Man, Dalton Read online

  PRAISE FOR THE BOOKS OF

  KAREN McQUESTION

  “Karen McQuestion just keeps getting better! Hello Love is an enchanting, impossible-to-put-down novel about big hearts and second chances.”

  —Claire Cook, USA Today bestselling author of Must Love Dogs

  “An emotional and engaging novel about family . . .”

  —Delia Ephron on A Scattered Life

  “McQuestion writes with a sharp eye and a sure voice, and as a reader, I was willing to go wherever she wanted to take me. After I finished the book, I thought about how I might describe it to a friend, and I settled on . . . ‘You should read this. It’s good.’”

  —Carolyn Parkhurst on A Scattered Life

  “The plot is fast paced and easy to dive into, making this a quick and exciting read.”

  —School Library Journal on From a Distant Star

  “I devoured it in one sitting!”

  —New York Times bestselling author Lesley Kagen on Edgewood

  “I feel like I’ve been waiting for this book. It’s kind of like all my favorite comic books rolled into one awesome package . . . I’m eagerly awaiting the second book, I’m hooked!”

  —The Kindle Book Review on Edgewood

  “At first glance Favorite is a story of a girl and her family learning to cope with loss. But at some point it morphs into a psychological thriller. It’s an unexpected but welcome turn that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.”

  —Jessica Harrison, Cracking the Cover

  “This story featuring a strong protagonist who has mastered the art of being the new girl will appeal to girls who are fans of this genre.”

  —School Library Journal on Life on Hold

  “This is an adventure that is sure to appeal to both boys and girls, and I can’t wait to read it to my students.”

  —Stacy Romanjuk, fourth-grade teacher at Hart Ransom School in Modesto, California, on Secrets of the Magic Ring

  “An imaginative fable about two witches that should excite young readers.”

  —Kirkus Reviews on Grimm House

  OTHER TITLES BY

  KAREN McQUESTION

  FOR ADULTS

  A Scattered Life

  Easily Amused

  The Long Way Home

  Hello Love

  Half a Heart

  FOR YOUNG ADULTS

  Favorite

  Life on Hold

  From a Distant Star

  THE EDGEWOOD SERIES

  Edgewood (Book One)

  Wanderlust (Book Two)

  Absolution (Book Three)

  Revelation (Book Four)

  FOR CHILDREN

  Celia and the Fairies

  Secrets of the Magic Ring

  Grimm House

  Prince and Popper

  FOR WRITERS

  Write That Novel!: You Know You Want To . . .

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Text copyright © 2019 by Karen McQuestion

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Published by Lake Union Publishing, Seattle

  www.apub.com

  Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Lake Union Publishing are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.

  ISBN-13: 9781542041447

  ISBN-10: 1542041449

  Cover design by Shasti O’Leary Soudant

  For Danielle Marshall

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

  AFTERWORD

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Chardonnay,” the flight attendant said, setting the glass down in front of Greta and smiling pleasantly.

  “Thank you,” Greta whispered, pushing away the urge to ask if it was complimentary. She’d been watching, and thus far no one else had pulled out a credit card, leading her to believe alcoholic beverages were just one of the perks of flying first class.

  She crossed her legs and examined the people around her. Many were in business attire, their eyes on their respective devices, as if some major transaction might go through at any moment and they needed to be ready. The couple across the aisle appeared to be married, the woman sporting a huge diamond on the hand she waved to get the flight attendant’s attention while her husband quietly sipped his bourbon.

  Greta wasn’t deluding herself. She was aware that normally she’d be back in coach, most likely next to a young mother with a fussy baby. She felt like an imposter, an actor portraying the kind of person comfortable flying in the expensive seats. However, only a half an hour in the air, and she’d already decided that first class was definitely the best way to travel from Wisconsin to New York, especially since someone else was paying for it.

  She sipped the wine slowly and shook her head when offered another. She did allow herself a second snack, which she tucked into her purse for later. When the hot towels were delivered, she watched the businessman next to her to see what he’d do, then copied his movements.

  “Pretty luxurious,” Greta said to the man as she wiped her hands and wrists. “This is my first trip to Manhattan.”

  He was a portly gentleman wearing a button-down shirt and a tie loosened at the neck. He responded after handing the towel back to the waiting attendant. “It’s a great city. It can get expensive, though. If you’re planning on shopping, I hope you brought a platinum card.”

  Greta handed her towel back. “I don’t think I’ll have much time for shopping. I landed an internship at the Vanderhaven Corporation, and I’m staying with my cousin’s family.”

  The man looked at her with new eyes, surprised. “The Vanderhaven Corporation?” He nodded approvingly. “Good for you, young lady. You’re off to a great start.”

  She settled back into her wide, comfortable seat and closed her eyes. She could have told him so much more, but she didn�
�t want to sound like she was bragging. Besides, would he even believe that she was related to the Vanderhavens and would be staying with them for the summer? She herself found it hard to believe she would soon be living with Cece Vanderhaven.

  Cece Vanderhaven. A distant cousin and maybe, very soon, a friend.

  The businessman would have heard of Cece, of course. It was likely everyone on the plane knew of her. She was on magazine covers, and her photo was plastered all over the internet. Her social media accounts were called Cece’s World, with no last name required.

  Over the years, Greta had kept a watchful eye on Cece’s images online. She knew her fascination bordered on obsession, but there was just something about Cece that kept drawing her back. Part of it was Cece’s beauty. It didn’t matter whether she was climbing out of limos at charity events or leaving a club at three in the morning; she always looked gorgeous. Always. It defied logic that someone could go through life without a hair out of place, her skin glowing and perfect. And if that wasn’t enough, her professional accomplishments were mind blowing. Cece and Greta were the same age, twenty-three, and Cece was already a big-name fashion designer with her own skin care line and signature fragrance. She’d gone to a university for one semester when she’d quit to start her own company: Firstborn Daughter, Inc.

  Greta admired Cece’s quirky fashion sense. One time Cece had been photographed at a club with black lacquered chopsticks poking out of her messy bun, and the look had inexplicably started a craze. That summer Greta saw chopsticks in women’s hair seemingly everywhere—the cashier at Walgreens, girls at the mall, a host on the Today show, and models in every fashion magazine. When Cece stopped doing it, everyone else did too, because after that, it just looked passé.

  When Cece announced, after a year of living on her own, that she was moving back in with her parents because nothing was more important than family, she spawned a movement of adult children flocking home to their folks. A new hashtag started trending: #FamilyReunited.

  But most intriguing were Cece’s two best friends: Vance, whom she called her gay boyfriend, and Katrina, known as the girl with the megawatt smile. Katrina was also famous for her comical facial expressions and ability to find the levity in every situation. The three of them went everywhere together. The way Vance and Katrina formed a protective circle around Cece was incredible. No one got through them. Greta envied their bond. She had her own friends, of course, but not the kind who wanted to spend every waking moment with her. Those three were so close that Katrina and Vance even lived in an apartment in Cece’s building, just five floors down. “I don’t do anything without them,” Cece once said, her gaze focused off in the distance.

  When Cece did speak in public, Greta noticed that her answers were cryptic. For a while, her catchphrase was “Let me in,” accompanied by a dreamy, searching sort of look. When she first started saying it, the Twitterverse went crazy. Was it sexual innuendo? A secret message to one of her many male admirers? The password to one of the clubs she frequented? Let me in. Three simple words that had everyone buzzing. As it turned out, it was the slogan for her new perfume. When the ad came out, the video went viral as everyone had an aha moment.

  Greta knew there was no middle ground when it came to Cece. People either seemed to love her or hate her. Most found her endlessly fascinating. She’d mastered the art of looking dreamily mysterious.

  For years, Greta’s family had received the Vanderhaven Christmas card, but it wasn’t until she was eight years old that she’d found out they were related. That year the Vanderhavens were photographed at a circus, with Cece in tights and a spangled bodysuit perched up on the trapeze, and her mother and father below, posing with clowns, a fire-eater, and a juggler. Elephants raised on hind legs framed the gathering on either side. This was before Cece’s sister, Brenna, was born, so it had been just the three of them. Greta had picked up the photo from the kitchen table and practically pressed her nose to it, staring at the glamorous little girl in the picture.

  “That poor child,” her mother said, observing her interest. She was at the kitchen island, chopping vegetables for pasta primavera.

  “Who?” Greta still had her eyes on the card, wondering how it would feel to be dressed in such shimmering glory, high up on the trapeze. It had to be wonderful.

  “That little girl. Cece. Her mom said they’re sending her to boarding school next year because it’s just too much trouble to transport her to and from school. Security issues. I can’t even imagine.” She picked up the cutting board and slid the vegetables into a bowl. “I don’t know how a mother could do that. If you went to boarding school next year, I would miss you so much, Greta. I wouldn’t be able to stand it.”

  “You know her mom?” Greta had asked incredulously.

  She nodded. “Of course I know her. Deborah is my cousin.”

  The story that came out was that Cece’s mom and Greta’s mom were close growing up, but then Deborah left Wisconsin and went off to New York to be a model. Within a few weeks, she’d met the extremely wealthy Harry Vanderhaven. They’d seemed like an unlikely couple: she, a young Midwestern girl; he, a ruthless businessman known to crush anyone in his path, but something clicked. They had a whirlwind romance and quickly married.

  Deborah didn’t even get a chance to do much modeling, and she never returned to Wisconsin. Greta’s mom had tried to keep in touch with her, but after a while, the yearly Christmas cards were their only contact. Greta came to look forward to them every Christmas season. After Cece’s younger sister, Brenna, was born, there were four family members, of course, but the cards were just as fantastic. When Brenna was a baby, the scene showed the family unwrapping gifts, opening a box to find Brenna. Another time the family members were depicted in Santa’s workshop, helping the elves make toys. One year they all posed in formal wear, Deborah and the girls in flowing red ball gowns, the father in a tux.

  When she was young, Greta had mentally inserted herself into each annual photo, trying to imagine what it would be like to live that way. She couldn’t even imagine having a life that glamorous.

  After the holidays were over, Greta always asked if she could keep the card, and her mom would shrug and say yes. Her mother didn’t understand her interest. One year she’d pointed to Brenna and said, “That little girl always has such a sad-puppy look, poor thing.” Greta had been too busy looking at Cece to notice, but now that it had been pointed out, she could see that Brenna didn’t appear nearly as thrilled as her big sister. Cece gazed adoringly at the camera while Brenna’s eyes were shifted to one side, as if looking for someone in a crowd. Or searching for a way out.

  Greta’s family had a Christmas card photo of their own, but it was not nearly as impressive. It was always a picture of the four of them in front of their decorated artificial tree, a glowing star up top. Her dad had started a tradition where she and her brother, Travis, each held up a sign. Greta’s always said, “We’re still the Hansens,” and her little brother’s said, “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.” Friends and family who got their cards seemed to find the signs amusing, so every year, even though Greta thought it was somewhat lame, she played along and held up the sign. It made her father happy.

  The internship with the Vanderhavens came about at the suggestion of her university adviser, Mr. Kurtz, who’d recommended a summer internship after graduation. He said, “In some job markets, a business degree from a state university won’t get you too far. The experience gained as an intern would set you apart.”

  “I was going to just look for a job,” she said.

  He shook his head, regarding Greta sadly. “It’s competitive out there. Doing an internship first will give you an edge and might even lead to a job, a better one than you’d get otherwise.”

  “Okay.”

  “What area of business were you leaning toward?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sort of keeping my options open at this point. All I know for sure is that I’d like to do something that makes
the world a better place. You know, not just sales or advertising. And not retail or manufacturing or anything like that.” Greta sensed she was losing him, so she spoke more quickly. “Something that helps people. I’d like to make a difference, you know? Maybe work for a nonprofit or something . . .” Her voice trailed off as his expression deepened in disapproval.

  “Right out of the gate, you might not be able to be so idealistic, especially when applying for an internship,” he said. “The important thing is to get out there and show them what you’re made of. Take some initiative, give them your ideas, do something impressive. This is the time to get yourself noticed.”

  She knew he meant well, but what he didn’t know was that Greta wasn’t usually the taking-initiative type. She had opinions, of course, but found it hard to assert herself. The one exception concerned team projects at school. When a grade was on the line, she found it easy to take charge, breaking the project into parts, assigning each student a job, and checking back with each of them to make sure they had completed their tasks. In other areas of life, though, she found herself falling back and letting others take the lead. But she knew Mr. Kurtz was right. She’d never get ahead in the business world by standing back in the shadows. She mentally vowed to be less shy and more bold going forward.

  “Now is the time to capitalize on your contacts,” he said, his face serious.

  “My contacts?” she asked.

  “Yes, Greta, contacts,” he repeated. “You know, influential people in business or leaders of charitable organizations. Surely you’ve encountered some important people in past jobs, or maybe during your volunteer work?”

  She shook her head. Her volunteer work had been at an animal shelter, cleaning cages and walking dogs. Her past jobs had included a brief stint at the front desk of a local Motel 6 and, after that, working the cash register at Kohl’s department store. The discount was awesome, but she’d never met anyone noteworthy.

  He said, “Surely your parents must have some contacts?”

  She reflected and came up with nothing. Greta’s mother was a dental hygienist, and her dad taught eighth grade. They came home with lots of interesting stories to tell over the dinner table, but that was about it. “Not so much,” she admitted.