Page 69 of Sheltered By Love

I frown at him, feeling once again like I’m not getting the joke.

“Why does Zane hate going so much?”

Levi’s eyes are on the screen again as he answers. “It’s a sort of match making dance. Lots of women come in from all over Maine. All the accommodation in the Bay is booked out,” he says.

“Matchmaking?” I hiss.

His eyes shift to me, and he gives me a quizzical look. “We have an abundance of men living here and not enough women. It’s one of the reasons guys either stay single or move. This gives them a chance to meet someone.”

A sinking feeling is growing as Levi’s grin spreads even wider.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. It’s Zane who has something to be worried about,” he says.

Zane

By four am the wind had died down enough for me to take a break.

After spending all night either removing debris from the roads or rescuing stranded animals, I’ve just finished two hours at the end of a shovel.

The sun is making its first appearance as I assess the damage to Ted Dawson’s property, owner of the Bay’s Bed and Breakfast.

A barrel of a man, with spider veins, and a dislike of exercise, he’s a heart attack waiting to happen.

He shakes his head almost talking to himself. “We’ll have to give it a superficial tidy. Don’t have time for much else. There’s a camera crew wanting to film here. They’ll be arriving in a few days, just in time for the dance,” he says.

I squint at him as I drink his weak-ass coffee. “Weird time to shoot another tourism video.”

He shrugs his rounded shoulders. “It’s a news piece for a local channel. They’re interviewing men of the Bay or some such nonsense. Don’t really care who they are, just that they’ll be bringing their dollars with them.”

Fantastic. Garrett is going to love that. That’s the last thing any of us need.

It’s not the first time a tourism piece has been made highlighting the differences in the numbers of our population.

The ball is an annual event and attracts a lot of single women from all over Maine.

Since its inception ten years ago, it’s become a haven for hen’s nights and gaggles of women who seem to think all unattached men in the vicinity are fair game.

It’s like a feeding frenzy for a lot of drunk women from out of town with no reason to behave themselves.

By the time they stagger home, the bars are near empty, the stores have sold out of overpriced tiny lighthouses, and anyone with an ounce of common sense is pleased to see the back of them.

I was on duty, so I’ve missed the last few, and I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going to get out of going to this one.

“I heard you’re putting yourself on the slab,” he says.

I’m so tired I miss what he’s saying, I rub my aching shoulder and shake my head. “I’m just there to make sure no one gets out of hand,” I say.

“That’s not what your brother said.”

My eye starts to twitch. “Which brother?”

He takes his time answering but seems to enjoy it when he finally puts me out of my misery.

“Not the one you’re hoping I’ll say said it that’s for certain,” he says with a chuckle.

Felicity

Just as I’m pulling the burnt casserole out of the oven, Zane staggers in the backdoor, making both me and Roger jump.

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