Harbor Nights by Marcia Evanick

line? Isn’t that against the bylaws or something?”
    Wendell nervously straightened his too tight tie and tugged at the hem of his suit jacket. The buttons were a little tight across his stomach. “I wasn’t trying to pick up Ms. Stevens, as you so ineloquently put it. I was offering to take her for a nice dinner and then to give her a personal tour around town.”
    â€œI’m sure the Chamber values your devotion to your position.” Ned’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “As you can see, Ms. Stevens has other plans for this evening. But I’m sure she appreciates the roses. I happen to know she’s quite partial to them.”
    Norah was getting tired of being treated like she wasn’t even there. She thought about saying something to both men, but she noticed a slight flush on Wendell’s face. She wasn’t sure if he was embarrassed at being caught asking her out or if he was angry. She didn’t want to push the subject either way, and she really didn’t want Wendell Kirby showing back up on her doorstep tomorrow or any other night. Ned obviously didn’t have a problem with people thinking they were dating. She took a step closer to him. “Thank you, Wendell, for the flowers. They’re lovely, and”—she turned to Ned and gave him a smile that she hoped looked secretive and seductive—“this town has made me feel most welcome.”
    Wendell grumbled something under his breath. “Well, I see you two are busy. Again, welcome to Misty Harbor, Ms. Stevens, and if I can be of service to you or your family, please don’t hesitate to call.” With a slight nod to Ned, Wendell turned and walked to his car.
    She stood there and continued smiling at Ned. A moment later, a car door slammed, and an engine started.
    â€œHow long are you going to stand there smiling at me?” Ned’s gaze was following Wendell’s car down the street.
    â€œIs he out of sight yet?”
    â€œHe is now.” Ned turned his attention back to her. “You okay?”
    â€œI’m fine.” She frowned at the roses. “What’s with the men in this town? Either I have them yelling at me, or they give me flowers. Didn’t anyone ever hear of a nice happy medium, or is everyone bipolar?”
    â€œI haven’t yelled or given you flowers,” Ned said.
    â€œNo, you just rescue me from the idiots who do.” She laughed at the absurdity of it all. She’d never had this problem back in Pennsylvania. Maybe it was the long cold winters that made the men in Maine nuts.
    â€œI didn’t think you needed rescuing either time. For being such a little bitty thing, you were holding your own.” Ned’s smile held approval. “I just don’t think it’s right that you are forced to hold your own on your own doorstep.”
    â€œHey, Porter, it’s the twenty-first century. Women don’t like to be referred to as little bitty things .” The man was the size of Paul Bunyan. Every woman was little compared to him.
    â€œPoint taken.” Ned chuckled and then hesitated for a moment before asking, “So would you like to go grab something to eat? Tony’s over in Sullivan has the best pizza in the county.”
    It had to be the most uninspired invitation to dinner she had ever received. So why was she so tempted to go? Ned was good looking, and he was her neighbor’s son and her appointed knight in shining armor. All of which were good reasons to take him up on his offer of pizza. But they weren’t the reasons she was going to accept. Wendell Kirby, and every other man, was.
    When Wendell had gotten that belligerent look on his face, she had realized she couldn’t keep living in fear. She had never used to be afraid of men. That fear was slowly poisoning her against life. She wanted her old life back. She needed to get back the trust her father had shattered, and to do that, she needed