Harbor Nights by Marcia Evanick

Author:Marcia Evanick [Evanick, Marcia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2014-12-22T16:00:00+00:00

By nine-thirty that night, Norah didn’t know if she had the energy to get up off the couch and head home. She was exhausted. She watched as Ned slowly backed out of the den, partially closing the door behind him. Amanda was finally asleep for the third time that day and hopefully, for the night. The three other kids were crashed in the living room in their assorted sleeping bags, surrounded by a menagerie of stuffed animals.

“How do mothers do this every day?” She had new respect for the mothers of the world. Kay and Jill in particular. The Porter children had been nonstop all day. They had only slowed down long enough to shovel food into their mouths before moving on to the next activity. The boys had been worse than Morgan, and the little girl had been only semi-still while sitting in front of the television or when she had gotten her hair washed and combed earlier. Ned had handled the boys’ bath-time, while she had done Morgan’s with Amanda looking on from her vibrating infant seat.

Ned plopped down on the sofa beside her. “Got me how they do it. Working twelve-hour days placing logs is a vacation compared to this torture.” Ned leaned his head back, gave a hearty sigh, and closed his eyes. A smile curved his mouth.

“You enjoyed yourself; I know you did.” After lunch, Ned had taken all three kids out back to play ball while she sat in the shade cradling Amanda and enjoying the view and the day. She had spent hours watching Ned with the children and had realized how sweet, caring, and loving he had been during every moment. Even when Hunter had given Flipper his cupcake to eat or when Tyler had accidently squirted him with the hose while filling Flipper’s water dish. Whenever Ned touched a child, his voice had been soft and his hands gentle.

She glanced at his big work-roughened hands. Hands that had cradled tiny Morgan’s hands to show her how to catch a ball. Hands that had flipped the burgers on the grill and helped with the boys’ baths. Tender hands that had securely held a squirming, slippery Amanda in her tub, all the while making sure shampoo didn’t drip into her eyes.

Hands, she was positive, that would never strike out and hit a woman. No man could have that much love and tenderness for a baby and then strike out at the woman who had given that child life. Ned was not her father, and her mother was right. Not all men were created equal.

For the first time in well over a year, she felt safe in a man’s company. She felt normal again.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Ned softly said.

She tried not to blush as she met his gaze. Ned had been watching her the whole time she had been staring at his hands. “I was thinking I might not make it up off this couch.”

“If you fall asleep, I’ll throw a blanket over you.

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