Harbor Nights

by Marcia Evanick

  “Afraid so.” Norah snatched one of the fancy little crackers her mother had arranged on a silver serving tray. The cream cheese and chives were a delicious touch. “Why so nervous? It’s not like you haven’t seen Karl nearly every night for weeks.”

  “I’ve never cooked for him before.” Her mother smacked Norah’s hand lightly when she reached for another cracker. “I forgot to ask him if he liked roast beef. I just assumed he did, and now it’s too late. They will be here any minute, and the roast is done.” Joanna looked at her in dawning horror. “Does Ned like roast? He’s not allergic to beef or anything, is he?”

  She chuckled and shook her head. “Mom, relax. Ned eats anything.” Considering the size of the steak he had put away last night, her mother would be better off worrying about whether the roast was big enough. Karl was slimmer and less muscular than Ned, but they were nearly the same height. “I have never seen you put a bad meal on the table yet, and I’m twenty-four.”

  Her mother was a fantastic cook. It was a real shame she hadn’t inherited that particular talent. Her idea of cooking dinner was poking holes in the film top and sliding the frozen meal into the microwave. But as Ned had pointed out last night, she chopped a mean salad.

  “There’s always a first time for something to go wrong.” Joanna lifted the lid of the pot on the back burner and tested the potatoes. “Statistics show it usually happens at the most important meal too.”

  The sound of a motorcycle pulling into the driveway made her mother drop the lid back on the pot. “That’s Karl.”

  “Has he gotten you on the bike yet?” She couldn’t believe her mother was dating a man who not only wore an earring but also rode a Harley. A badass Hog that was the envy of every male in town. Then again, she was having a hard time believing she was having this double dinner date with her mother.

  She felt as if she had stepped into the twilight zone of dating.

  “Of course not.” Her mother wiped her hands on her apron and then took it off. “Could you picture me riding the thing? I wouldn’t even know how.”

  “You just sit there and hold on; that’s it.” She looked her mother up and down. “You would need a new outfit though. Taupe linen and silk clash with Harley black.”

  Her mother ran her fingers through her hair and checked her lipstick in the shine of the toaster. “What kind of outfit would be appropriate?”

  She didn’t know if her mother was really interested in going for a ride or if the thought of shopping for a new outfit was putting that flush in her cheeks. “Jeans, black boots, definitely a black leather jacket, and a cool pair of shades.”

  “Shades?”

  “Sunglasses, Mom.” The doorbell rang before she could tell her mom about the tattoos and the no bra rule.

  Joanna hurried to the door as if it were prom night and her date was ten minutes late. Norah shook her head, popped another cracker into her mouth, and followed. The theme from the Twilight Zone was playing in her head.

  Karl was standing on the doorstep. He was dressed in a lime green and pink Hawaiian shirt that could have blinded someone, and he was holding up two bottles. “I brought the wine. Flowers don’t travel well on the bike.”

  “Two bottles?” Her mother stepped aside, and Karl entered the house.

  “You didn’t tell me what we were having, so I bought a bottle of red and a bottle of white.”

  She saw Ned’s truck pull up in front of the house. “I’ll go meet Ned.” She left her mother and Karl alone and hurried down the walk.

  Ned got out of the truck, opened his arms, and grinned. “Anxious to see me, are you?”

  She wanted to throw herself into his arms and beg him to take her away for the evening. Watching her mother get all flustered and fluttery around Karl was just plain weird. She stopped short of his embrace. With her luck, her mother or his would be looking out the window. Exhibitionism wasn’t her style. “You like roast beef, right?”

  “Sure.” Ned lowered his arms, leaned down, and gave her a quick kiss anyway. “If you cooked it, I’ll eat it.”

  “My mother cooked, and you will enjoy every mouthful.” She loved the way Ned smelled all fresh from the shower. “She’s a nervous wreck over this meal.”

  Ned grinned. “Yes, ma’am. I will compliment her endlessly not only on her cooking abilities but also for having the foresight to bring you into this world.”

  “Just don’t overdo it.” She rolled her eyes. Her mother hadn’t been born yesterday.

  Ned glanced over at Karl’s motorcycle, which was sitting in the driveway, and gave a low whistle. “Boy, I wish my mom was dating a guy who rode a Harley.”

  “I’m sure your father would have something to say about that.” She couldn’t believe boys and their toys.

  “Not if he let my father take the Hog on a spin up the coast for a couple of days.” Ned reached for her hand and pulled her closer. “Only kidding.”

  “You better be.” She liked the fact that for all his teasing, Ned had taken this meal with her mom seriously. He was dressed in a nice pair of Dockers and a plaid button-down shirt. There was not a wood chip or speck of sawdust in sight. He had even shaved.

  “My mom would be the one riding it up the coast.” He quickly kissed her again before she could comment. “Did I tell you that you look beautiful tonight?”

  “No.” She stood by the front door and playfully posed. “Feel free.” She had picked up the gold and copper dress yesterday while shopping with Kay and Jill. Tonight, she had paired it up with her gypsy sandals and just about every copper and gold bangle bracelet in her jewelry box. She felt pretty and feminine.

  Ned crowded her against the door. “How upset would your mother be if we missed dinner?”

  She could feel the heat of Ned’s gaze. This was the look Kay and Jill had been talking about yesterday. This was the look she was beginning to love. “Very.”

  Ned’s mouth was playing with her ear. “You smell different tonight.” His lips teased the soft spot below her ear.

  Her knees started to melt, and she leaned in closer to his warmth. Ned knew exactly where to taste to make her want more. “It’s a new perfume; do you like?”

  “What’s it called?” His mouth was doing incredible things to the side of her neck.

  Maybe her mother wouldn’t miss them during dinner. She had Karl to keep her company. “Seductive Embrace.” She had been envious of Kay’s and Jill’s plans for seducing their husbands, so she had bought a little weapon or two of her own. Thong underwear, garter belts, and the see-through black negligée Jill was eyeing were out, but a new fragrance and a Wonderbra seemed reasonable. Ned obviously appreciated her little shopping spree.

  Ned groaned and took a step back. The heat in his gaze was raging brightly. “You like playing with fire, don’t you?”

  The old, naive Norah would have teased him and said yes. Then she would have lit the match herself. Experience had taught her differently. “People who play with fire usually get burnt eventually.”

  The heat in Ned’s gaze cooled. He reached out and tenderly trailed a finger down the line of her jaw. “When do I learn who burnt you, Rose Fairy?”

  She couldn’t tell him. How do you explain to the man you are falling in love with that you are afraid he will turn around one day and become a monster? How could she tell Ned that without killing all that was wonderful and growing between them? She couldn’t. Whatever was happening between Ned and herself was too new. Too fragile. She slowly shook her head and silently begged him to understand.

  Ned frowned but didn’t push the issue. “One day, you are going to have to tell me.”

  She gave a sad little smile. It was nice to know Ned was thinking about a future with her. If there was any chance of a future together, she would have to tell him. “One day.” She reached up on her tippy toes and brushed his mouth with a kiss. “Are you ready for dinner?”

  “With you, anytime.” Ned opened the door, and the delicious smells of dinner cooking and th
e sound of Joanna giggling in the kitchen greeted them both.

  Forty minutes later, she knew why her mother was so smitten with Karl James. The man had a wonderful sense of humor, and he obviously adored her mother. Joanna Stevens hung on his every word, which wasn’t very hard to do considering the stories he told. The man had a way with words.

  “You didn’t,” she gasped as she laughed along with everyone else at the table.

  “Of course I tackled him. The man was running through the Dallas–Fort Worth airport in a chicken suit screaming about the sky falling.” Karl chuckled along with them. “He was scaring the kids and the flight attendants.”

  “Then what happened?” Joanna was so engrossed in the tale that she actually had an elbow on the table.

  “I straddled his back while spitting feathers out of my mouth until airport security finally caught up with us. They hauled him away on one of those golf carts they ride around in.”

  “In handcuffs?” Joanna asked.

  “Nah, they couldn’t fit them around his wrists with the costume on.” Karl popped the last piece of his roll into his mouth. “What I didn’t realize at the time was that some local television station had gotten ahold of the airport security tape and had aired it on the six o’clock news.”

  Karl shook his head. “It must have been a slow news day because stations across America picked it up by the eleven o’clock news. The footage was impressive as I had to make a leaping tackle dive over a row of seats to get him and then feathers began flying everywhere.”

  “You didn’t get hurt, did you?” asked Joanna.

  “Naw. But the next morning I showed up at work, and some clown had that chicken dance song playing at full volume throughout the place.”

  “Ah man. Did they bust on you bad?” Ned had polished off two servings of her mother’s roast beef and lavished her with praise the whole time while doing it. Joanna had basked in the glory.

  “Every chance they got.” Karl smiled. “For about a month straight, someone kept hiding eggs in my desk. Never could figure out who the culprit was.”

  Norah stood up and started to clear the table. Dinner had been great, but the company had been better. She wholeheartedly approved of Karl James dating her mother. She had spent the entire meal checking out Karl, while her mother had not so subtly grilled Ned on everything from his job to his dog. She wouldn’t be surprised if her mother insisted on a DNA sample.

  “Here, I’ll do that.” Her mother tried to take the empty plate from her.

  “I’ll do the dishes, Mom. You cooked.”

  “Nonsense.” Joanna started to clear the other end of the table. “Why don’t you and Ned go take a walk or something. It’s a beautiful evening.”

  “Why don’t you and Karl go for a walk then?” she countered right back. Her mother could be very stubborn about how certain things were done. Messing in her kitchen was the main one. She was fully capable of loading the dishwasher and putting away the leftovers.

  Her mother got that stubborn tilt to her chin. “I want to do it, Norah.”

  “I’ll help her, Norah,” Karl said as he stood up and started to gather up some bowls. The man was smart enough to read the signals right. “You and Ned go take that walk. I hear the harbor is quite gorgeous at night.”

  Ned stood up and reached for her hand. “Come on, Norah; we know when we’re not wanted.” He tugged her into the living room. “Better grab a sweater; it gets chilly once the sun starts to go down.”

  She knew when she was beat. Her mother never could surrender control of the kitchen. “Fine, but I’ll want a chocolate ice cream cone from Bailey’s if you make me walk all the way to the docks.”

  Ned rolled his eyes and winked at Karl. “If you stop complaining, I’ll splurge for a double scoop.”

  “Fine. Let me get a sweater.” She dashed upstairs and heard Karl and Ned both laugh.

  Ned held Norah’s hand as they slowly walked to the end of the dock. “See, isn’t this nice.” The sun had just about set, and Norah had put her sweater on while she was sitting in front of Bailey’s enjoying her double scoop ice cream cone. He had a double scoop of butter pecan, and he’d avoided looking at Norah the entire time she was eating hers. There was something entirely too erotic about Norah licking her way around the cone.

  “It’s perfect.” Norah was staring out into the harbor with its bobbing boats and the orange reflection of the setting sun on the water. “I keep promising myself that one of these days, I am going to get up early, drive to the lighthouse, and just sit there on the cliff watching the sun come up.”

  “Haven’t you ever seen the sunrise?” He couldn’t imagine a better way to start the day. In the construction business, the day started before dawn.

  “Sort of, but only during the winter when it doesn’t get light outside until later. I’m usually standing in front of a window cradling a cup of coffee in my hands and muttering about how cold it is and how warm the bed was.” Norah took a step closer to him.

  Ned moved his body so it blocked most of the ocean breeze from hitting her. Her billowing skirt was wrapping itself around his legs. He could even hear the charms on her ankle bracelet tinkling in the breeze. “You don’t like winter?”

  “Oh, I liked it as a kid. Snow days, sledding down hills, and Mom making me hot chocolate with marshmallows floating in it. What wasn’t there to like about it?” Norah leaned into him. “Now, it means getting out of bed earlier so you can dig out the car and scrape the windshield. Then there’s that really fun part—driving on ice surrounded by total morons who are driving either too fast or too slow. There is never a happy medium.”

  He had to laugh with her assessment. She was right on the mark. “You learn to keep the car in the garage, which will eliminate the scraping part, but the rest is pretty accurate.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on top of her head. “We get hit with some pretty nasty storms, but on the coast here, we are actually warmer than the mountains to the west are.”

  “So what you are telling me is that I should be thankful my mother didn’t want to open a hunting lodge out on Bear Mountain, right?”

  “I’m very thankful your mother had a wonderful memory or two about her one trip to the Maine coast when she was first married.” He placed a kiss on top of her head and hugged her closer. He knew it had been Norah’s mom who had wanted to move to Maine as soon as the divorce was final. Norah had done a job search on the Internet, found the position at the Hancock Review, and landed the job with one interview. Finding and then buying the house next to his parents had been fate.

  “Me too.” Norah turned in his arms, reached up, and kissed him.

  He loved her kisses. They stirred his body and his heart. How could one little woman slip into his heart so quickly? He broke the kiss by nipping her tempting lower lip. Norah Stevens was looking for trouble, and his usual iron self-control was slipping. He grabbed her by the waist and spun her in a circle.

  Norah gave a shriek and then laughed as the world went spinning around. “Ned, put me down; I just had ice cream.”

  He could tell by the way her head was thrown back and by the wondrous smile curving her mouth that she wasn’t about to be sick. Norah was enjoying herself. He lowered her to her feet and smiled down at her. “You have to stop kissing me like that.”

  “Why?” Norah’s fingers were tangled in the front of his shirt.

  “You know why.” Ned watched the laughter slowly fade from her face as her fingers released his shirt. “I’m not pressuring you, Norah.” He knew she wasn’t ready to take the next step in their relationship. He just wanted to make sure she knew that he was, but he was willing to wait for her. For now.

  “I know you’re not.” Norah took a step back, reached for his hand, and then started walking back toward solid ground. “What did you think of my column this week?”

  “I still don’t agree with it. Allowing oyster farming in some of the surrounding bays is just asking for trouble.” It was
the first thing he did on Wednesday morning—stop at the local Gas N’ Go and pick up the paper. He sat in the parking lot enjoying a cup of coffee, and reading Norah’s column, “Views From The Other Side.”

  “But it could be a financial windfall to some of the local fishermen, and it will supply food.”

  “What happens when an unusual storm hits those bays and upsets the whole farm industry despite all the precautions you listed nicely and neatly?” Ned looked down at Norah; he couldn’t tell if she was for the oyster farming or against it. As was her style, she hadn’t voiced her opinion in the column at all. Just the facts. “Those oysters will then be in the water. It’s an ecosystem disaster waiting to happen. There’s a reason those oysters aren’t found naturally in those bays, and people can’t go around playing God.”

  “No one said they were playing God.”

  “They didn’t have to, Norah. You can’t just relocate species and expect everyone and everything to live in harmony. It doesn’t work that way.”

  “True.”

  He had a feeling she agreed with him on the subject, but she wasn’t telling. “I have to admit, though, that some of your facts and figures are interesting. But there is still no way those permits will be issued.”

  “Preliminary meeting is next month.”

  “I know, and I’ll be there.” He didn’t make his living from the sea, but he knew this decision would affect everyone. He wasn’t going to let the issue pass just to put a few extra coins in some people’s pockets. “So, are you going to give me a hint about what your column will be on this week? You’re acting awfully secretive about it.”

  “Ah.” Norah looked guilty, but in the fading light, it was hard to tell. “I think I’ll let it surprise you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Ned pulled up in front of Norah’s house and stared at her as she pushed the mower back and forth, cutting neat rows of grass. He had been so mad at her that he had actually seen red this morning. During the course of the day, the color hadn’t faded much.