“So what changed?”
There was no way she was telling her daughter that her father resented that she was born a girl instead of a boy. That he resented the fact that his wife couldn’t give him any more children. That she couldn’t give him that son he so desperately wanted. Vince and Norah had never been as close and as loving as most fathers and daughters. It hadn’t been Norah’s fault; she had tried. Vince had just never appreciated what he did have because he was too busy regretting what he couldn’t have.
“Life, I guess. In hindsight, your father had all the signs of being a potentially abusive husband from the beginning. He had been raised in a house where the man’s word was law. Your grandmother was a shadow of a woman, and she probably had been abused herself.”
“Just because a person comes from an abusive home doesn’t mean they will become abusive themselves.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t always happen like that.” Joanna wanted to take the pain out of Norah’s voice. She wanted a magic pill or magic words that would make everything better. It wasn’t going to happen. “Your father never became abusive unless he was drinking and drinking heavily.”
The last couple of years of their marriage, Vince had been drunk a lot, but over time, she had become an expert on avoiding him and the arguments.
“How do you have the strength to go into another relationship, Mom? Aren’t you afraid?”
“No, I’m not afraid, Norah. You have to have faith and love.”
“And do you have faith in Karl?”
“Yes, and I’m also in love with him.” She studied her daughter’s reaction, wondering how much she should tell about their relationship and about Karl’s proposal.
Norah grinned. “Does he know?”
“He does now.” She felt like a teenager discussing her boyfriend with her best friend. Norah was not just her daughter; she was also her best friend. Women over forty shouldn’t be giddy, but she was. Love did strange things to people.
“What would you do if Karl changed and became like Dad?”
“Not all men are violent and abusive, sweetie. Only a small percentage are, and I know now that I have the strength to walk away from any relationship that turns abusive.” She reached out and squeezed her daughter’s hand. “Thanks to you.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You did more than you realize.” She gave her daughter a smile that contained every ounce of love she felt. “You have that same strength too, Norah. If you look deep enough inside, you will see that strength and not be afraid.”
“And if a man ever raised his hand to me?”
“Pray you have ugly table lamps that you won’t regret bashing over his head.”
Norah laughed just like Joanna had known she would. “Mom, one of these days, I’m going to go on eBay and see if I can’t locate a lamp just like the one you destroyed. I’ll buy it for your Christmas present.”
“I won’t need it with Karl.” She had never been more certain of anything in her life. “Speaking of Karl, I’ve got to get going.” Joanna stood up and nervously smoothed out her top.
“Go where?” Norah knew her mother had been up to something.
“Karl’s.” Her mother headed into her bedroom and walked back out with a packed tote bag and a dress on a hanger. “I wrote his home phone number and his cell phone number down and put them by the phone in the kitchen, just in case you need to reach me.”
“You’re going to Karl’s now?”
“Yes.” Her mother scooped up Zsa Zsa. “I work until five tomorrow; I’ll be home sometime after that.” Joanna headed for the front door. “Good night.”
Norah slowly got to her feet and stared at the door her mother had just closed behind her. She wondered whether she should run after her mother, demand that she get back into the house, and then ground her or should she just laugh? This role reversal was the pits.
Her mother was a mature woman who was old enough to make her own decisions. Her mother had obviously chosen to spend the night with Karl. She wasn’t even going to think about what they would be doing.
And she had turned down Ned’s invitation to spend the night at his place because she didn’t want her mother thinking about what they would be doing. Well, if her mother was old enough to make her own decisions on where she would be spending the night, so was she.
Norah smiled the entire time as she climbed the stairs, threw some stuff into a bag, and headed for Ned’s.
Fifteen minutes later, she was petting Flipper and taking her bag out of the backseat when Ned stepped off his front porch. “Norah?” Flipper had been her welcoming committee.
“You were expecting someone else?” Now that she was here, she felt a little foolish. Maybe she should have called first to see if the invitation was still open.
A bare chested, barefooted Ned took the bag out of her hand. His worn jeans were tight, low on the hips, and incredibly sexy. “I thought you were staying at your place tonight.”
She closed the door and tried not to blush at being so forward. “You changed your mind?”
Ned leaned down and kissed her. “Never.”
She grinned. “Good.” Ned’s hair was still damp from his shower. He smelled like soap, and he hadn’t bothered to shave. “I’ve missed you,” she called over her shoulder as she followed Flipper and walked toward his house.
“I dropped you off two hours ago.” Ned held the screen door open for her and his dog. “A long two hours.” Ned shut and locked the front door behind them. “What took you so long?” He dropped her overnight bag and tugged her into his arms.
She laughed as he swung her up and headed for the stairs. “Um-m-m . . . Ned?” She nuzzled his stubbled jaw as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on for dear life. “My pajamas are in that bag.”
“You’re not going to need them.” Ned took the steps two at a time and carried her straight into his bedroom.
Norah kept her arms locked around his neck as he lowered her to his bed. Her mouth teased his as she felt the softness of his mattress take their weight. Now this was more like it. While she had loved their night on the ground, there was something to be said for a Posturepedic and clean sheets.
Ned gave her lower lip a gentle, playful nip. “I’ve got to go shave.” He tried removing his weight from on top of her.
She wasn’t letting him up. “No, you don’t.” Her lips nibbled their way across his stubbled jaw. “I like you just the way you are.” She kicked off her sandals and wrapped her legs around his thighs.
Ned groaned as his hips nestled their way between her thighs. “You’re a dangerous woman, Norah.”
The thickness of his arousal pressed against her center and caused moist heat to gather there. “Are you complaining?” Her hands stroked down the smooth, warm skin of his back, and her fingers tunneled their way under the waistband of his jeans.
Ned’s hips jerked against her as he arched his back and moaned, “Never.”
Her lips pressed against his chest as her fingers moved around and tugged at the snap on his jeans. “Know what else was in that bag?” She didn’t want Ned to leave her, but sometimes in life, you don’t get what you want. They needed that protection.
Ned tugged her tank top over her head. “I have some up here.” His mouth skimmed down her throat as his fingers released the front clasp of her bra.
The gentle tugging of his lips on her nipple nearly sent her over the edge. She tried to pull Ned back up into the cradle of her thighs. Their difference in heights was proving to be a challenge, one she was determined to conquer. She arched her back as Ned took her hard nipple into his mouth more fully. “Get them.”
“Them?” Ned chuckled as he released her bud. “You might be giving me more credit than I deserve.”
Her fingers finally released the stubborn snap. “I think you will rise to the occasion.” She trailed a fingernail down the metal zipper and grinned as he instinctively jerked against her hand.
Ned reta
liated by pulling away from her while removing her shorts and panties in one downward swipe. He opened the drawer on the nightstand and took out a box.
She chuckled as Ned dumped the entire box out and then triumphantly held up a gold foil packet. “Think you’re special, don’t you?” The grin on his face stole its way into her heart. She knew Ned was special, very special.
“Nope.” Ned removed his jeans and underwear. “But I do happen to know you’re one very special lady.”
“I am?” In the pale light coming in from the hallway, she watched as he rolled on the condom. Ned was a physically large man, and every inch of him was in proportion to his height and the breadth of his shoulders.
Ned slowly lowered himself on the bed next to her. He gently cupped her chin. “I love you, Norah.” He kissed her lightly. “That makes you one very special woman.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You do?”
Ned frowned and tenderly wiped at the tear rolling down her cheek. “This upsets you?”
She shook her head. “It makes me very happy.” She looked into his brown eyes and saw the truth there. Ned did love her. She wanted to remember this moment, this slice of time for the rest of her life.
“Why?”
“Because I happen to love you back.” She watched as joy and wonder lit Ned’s rugged face. She reached up and scraped a fingernail down his jaw and then outlined his smiling mouth.
He captured her finger. “I really need to shave, Norah. I don’t want to mark you all up.”
“What you really need to do is kiss me.” She snuggled up closer as Ned sucked her finger into his mouth. She felt the pull of his mouth clear down to the junction of her thighs.
Ned grabbed her hand and released her finger. His lips nibbled on the inside of her wrist where her pulse was thudding wildly. “Now that, I can promise you, I’ll do.”
She slid her leg in between his and pressed her thigh against his swollen desire. She liked the contrast between their legs. Hers were smooth from just being shaved, while his were hairy. The jutting of his arousal nudged her stomach. “What else can you promise?”
She had a feeling that Ned was really close to the edge. She was half tempted to see how far she could push him before he tumbled over the ledge.
Ned rolled her onto her back and grinned down at her. “I can promise to make you scream.” He captured both of her hands and raised them above her head. Ned’s mouth trailed down her neck, and rough whiskers nuzzled the valley between her breasts.
She liked this game. She wiggled her hips and laughed with delight. “Betcha you can’t.”
Twenty minutes later, Ned held her close and chuckled softly. Norah was almost asleep. “I do believe I won that bet hands down.”
Norah’s fingers pinched his side.
“Ouch!” He rubbed the spot. “Well, I did.” He couldn’t believe how loud she had screamed when he’d finally allowed her to climax. Of course, there was no way he was admitting that he had been the one who couldn’t hold out another moment longer.
“It’s not polite to point that out to a lady.” Norah turned her back on him, bunched up a pillow, and then buried her face in it.
“A lady wouldn’t have begged me to do those things you wanted me to do.” He pulled her into his arms and grinned as her bare little bottom wiggled against him. Norah had blown him away in more ways than one.
“Cretin.” There was a smile in her voice.
He kissed the back of her neck and chuckled when she squirmed some more. “This cretin has to get up at four in the morning.”
Norah groaned and tried to pull the pillow over her head.
“What time do you want me to set the alarm for you?” His hand stroked the gentle curve of her hip. “I don’t expect you to get up with me.”
“Seven?”
“Seven it is.” His lips nuzzled the back of her neck again just to feel her wiggle. “Help yourself to the shower, food, coffee, and anything else you might want.”
“Where do you keep the family silver?”
He playfully swatted her bottom. “Brat.” He could feel her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “You’ll be here for dinner tomorrow night?” He needed to get up and go downstairs to shut off the lights and let Flipper out one last time. For now, he was content to stay where he was until she fell asleep.
“My mom’s expecting me. Why don’t you come over there for dinner?” Norah gave a big yawn. “About six, six-thirty?”
“I’ll be there.” He still didn’t know why Norah had changed her mind and decided to spend the night. Not that he was complaining. It was going to be a little awkward seeing her mother tomorrow night, but there was no getting around that one.
Joanna Stevens would just have to understand and accept the fact that her daughter was going to be spending an awful lot of nights over here if he had any say in the matter. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if it turned into a permanent arrangement complete with a hall rental and a name change.
Norah looked down at the notepad in her lap and wanted to cry. It wasn’t fair. Her latest assignment was guaranteed to push Ned’s buttons. Ned might accept an attack on his job and livelihood, but he’d come up swinging against an attack on his brother’s dream.
“I take it you didn’t know Matthew Porter wants the property?” Millicent Wyndham frowned.
“No one made me aware of that fact before this interview.” She had to wonder if Thomas Belanger, her boss, had known when he’d assigned her the next topic for her “Views From the Other Side” column. Tom knew she was dating Ned.
“I’m the one who called Thomas and asked for this particular article to be written.” Millicent slowly stroked the Siamese cat lying across her lap. “You’ve done some wonderful columns, Norah. You’re factual and informative, but more importantly, you make people think. The residents of Misty Harbor need to think about not only their future but also the town’s future.”
“So you think having a huge hotel built right next to the lighthouse is a good thing?” She couldn’t believe this. All week long everything between her and Ned had been going great. She’d spent more nights in his bed than in her own. Oh and what nights they had been.
The cat jumped down and stalked away. “I don’t recall saying that.” Millicent carefully poured them each a cup of tea. “Just about every person in town is against the hotel being built. I just want to make sure they fully understand what they might be giving up.” Millicent held up the sterling silver spoon. “Sugar?”
“Two, please.” She glanced down at the blank notepad in her lap. So far, she hadn’t written one word.
Millicent held up the creamer. “It’s real cream, not milk.”
“No, thank you.” The antique silver tea set before them probably cost more than her car. “How about we start from the beginning. How does one go about owning a lighthouse?”
“Working lighthouses, which are getting fewer by the years, are operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Misty Harbor Lighthouse, while it still can work some of the time, isn’t operational. Modern boats are equipped with advanced electronic navigational aids. They don’t require lighthouses to guide them into the harbors.”
“So the lighthouse is just for show?”
“Tourists expect lighthouses on our coast. They hold a lot of sentimental and historical value.” Millicent handed her a porcelain cup and saucer with miniature pink roses all over it that was filled with hot tea. “Back in 1960 when the lighthouse was no longer required, it was given to the town. Problem was that the town couldn’t afford its upkeep. It sits on twenty acres of wild and windy terrain. The town wanted to sell it for the tax revenue it would bring. To prevent it from being destroyed by someone rich enough to tear it down and build a house up there, my late husband, Jefferson, purchased it.”
“So you’ve been paying the property taxes on the land and the lighthouse all these years?” Millicent Wyndham, who appeared to be in her late sixties or early seventies, was Misty Harbor’s town mon
arch. She didn’t appear to be hurting for money, but it still seemed like a lot of expense to her for nothing in return.
“Yes.” Millicent took a sip of tea and then held the cup and saucer elegantly in her hand. “Jefferson and I never had any children of our own. We considered Misty Harbor our child and tended to spoil the residents. A fact I’m now worried about.”
“From what Thomas told me, a hotel chain contacted you and offered to buy the lighthouse and the surrounding acreage.”
“True. I hadn’t considered selling it until I received that letter. Matthew made it known years ago that when I was ready to sell, I was to think of him first.”
“I’m sure it must be worth quite a lot of money.” Twenty acres on the coast of Maine. Her mind had a hard time wrapping itself around all those zeros. “So, why the change of mind after all these years?”
“I’m getting older.” Millicent gave her a polite smile when she began to protest that statement. “I’ll be seventy-four in a couple of months, and no one lives forever.” Millicent placed her almost full cup back on the tray. “Which leaves me with the task of dividing up my worldly possessions and making a will. Since I have no immediate family, it’s only logical that the town will be my major beneficiary.”
“So why not leave the lighthouse to the town?” Made perfect sense to her.
“If I did that, the town would lose out on a big chunk of taxes and be saddled with the added expense of lawn care, maintenance on the building and plowing. It would become a burden.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” She put her cup back on the tray and started taking notes. There definitely was a column here.
“Jefferson and I already donated the land that is now the town square, the huge gazebo, and the playground. Everyone in town gets to enjoy it, and the maintenance and upkeep are figured into the town’s budget. One of the local churches built most of the playground equipment. The volunteer firemen built the gazebo, and they repaint it when it’s needed. Even the Women’s Guild does a lot of the flower planting and gardening.”
Harbor Nights Page 22