Everybody Knows (Sunnyside #1)

by Jacie Floyd

  Checking the clock on the stove, she saw it was a little before seven.

  If Zach failed to arrive on time, she’d go out foraging for food on her own again. Last night, she’d tried to embrace the adventure of searching for a restaurant but had ended up feeling a little too much like a stranger in a strange land.

  Looking forward to seeing a familiar face, she smiled and turned as the back door opened behind her. But the figure standing in the kitchen wearing cutoffs and a tank top and wielding a baseball bat wasn’t Zach.

  “Who are you? And what are you doing here?” the newcomer demanded with a flash of jealousy in her eyes. And menace. Although the threat might have derived more from the raised baseball bat than the woman’s expression.

  Harper could only sigh. Obviously, just another Sunnyside native eager to welcome her into town.

  “Right now, I’m looking for something to eat.” She made an effort to remain cool and calm. “You must be Rachel’s neighbor, here to feed the cat.”

  The very tanned and toned woman with really short hair and five ear studs in each ear lowered the bat a fraction. “Maybe I’m security here to check on why there’s a stranger snooping around Rachel’s house.”

  Security, hah! Harper pictured the state of the library. That would be a first for this town.

  But come on. She had to start finding a way to get along with these people. “Fair enough. I’m Harper Simmons, the new librarian.” She tried out a smile but didn’t get one in return. “And you are?”

  “Kate Monroe.” The woman’s suspicious expression remained. “Zach was fixing up his Uncle Ted’s house for you to live in.”

  “It’s not ready yet. Something about the floors. So I needed a place to stay for a few days. He suggested his sister wouldn’t mind if I stayed here since she’s out of town.”

  “Zach suggested it? What about Rachel? Does she know you’re here?”

  The inquisition and the woman’s belligerence sparked a twitch of annoyance. She wasn’t a masked marauder. Or a piece of tainted meat. No matter what Kate suspected. Harper shrugged. “He checked with her. Do you have a problem with this?”

  “No, but you don’t look like a librarian.” Kate sniffed and glared, finally moving to prop the bat against the wall. “And you don’t dress like one.”

  Harper looked down and couldn’t deny it. After much deliberation about the heat and the dirty job ahead of her, she’d decided to start out in workout gear—a bright turquoise power cami and capris. Designer exercise clothes weren’t her choice for meet-the-town-council clothes, but she’d come back here and change into something more appropriate later.

  She’d done nothing more than pull her hair into a ponytail and swipe on some mascara and lip gloss before calling herself ready for the grueling day ahead. If anyone had told her this was how she’d dress for the first day of her new job, she would have denied it. As it was, if her mother ever found out, she’d have a stroke. Or disown Harper. India did not take kindly to exercise clothes outside the gym.

  It might not make her best impression on the people Zach had lined up to whip the library into shape, but it would be the most comfortable way for her to throw herself into the physical labor.

  At least Kate’s was a stereotype she’d heard before, workout clothes or not. Even in Chicago, new acquaintances were surprised to hear what she did for a living. Her looks and wardrobe were a little over the top for library work. Still, never a good idea to have preconceived notions about people based solely on their appearance.

  “Librarians come in all shapes and sizes just like people in every other profession. What is it you do?”

  Kate pulled her finely-toned body up with the rigidness of an iron bar. “I’m the girls’ Phys Ed teacher at the high school.”

  “Ah.” Harper refused to lift an eyebrow. Since she’d just reminded herself about not having preconceived notions, she didn’t want to make any about Kate. But Harper had known a lot of gays and lesbians over the years, and right now, her gaydar was pinging off the charts. “What’s a librarian supposed to look like?”

  “Like Myrna Hopper.” Kate’s chin jutted out. “Now Miss Myrna looked like a real librarian—old, wise, and a little well... frumpy. She wears round wire-rimmed glasses and her hair in a bun.”

  “Of course, she does.” I wear my hair in a bun and round wire-rimmed glasses, too, Harper wanted to say. Sometimes. “I’ve heard of Myrna Hopper. Does she still live in town?”

  “Of course, she does. Where else would she go?”

  “I hope she’ll be willing to share some of her expertise and knowledge on the restorations we’re planning. She’s like a living legend in library science circles.”

  “If she’s such a living legend, why did you take her job?” Kate demanded. “The job she had earned and still wanted.”

  “I didn’t realize I had.” Swallowing her dismay, Harper dropped into a chair at the kitchen table. “I thought she’d retired. Wanted to retire. Wasn’t forced to.”

  Harper had applied online for the position. Since she already lived in Illinois, met the educational requirements, and had some creative ideas for getting the community involved and pumping new life into the facility, Andrew Berkman thought she would be a good fit despite her young age. Maybe because of it.

  Her dream was to bring the Sunnyside library back to its full potential. To make a place for herself here. Win the respect of the townspeople. And more.

  Hopefully Myrna’s continued presence wouldn’t present another setback. Harper hadn’t realized the former librarian had applied for the position, too. The two of them would have to meet soon to determine what role Myrna might want to hold going forward.

  “When the library closed, she was forced into retirement and very-near poverty.” Kate’s tone buzzed like a wasp searching for a place to land. “When she heard about the library grants, she singlehandedly put the proposal together and talked the town council into submitting it. Instead of giving Myrna her job back, Berkman’s foundation hired you.”

  “I’m sorry things worked out that way for her.” Harper meant it. She’d hate it if the job she loved was taken away. “Maybe we can do something about that, but I won’t know until I meet and talk to her. Hopefully, we can put her back to work, if that’s what she wants.”

  “She wants her job back, not a concession from you.” Kate’s hands balled into fists at her sides. “You big-city people always think you know best, but sometimes you don’t.”

  “You’re right.” Antsy from Kate’s continued antagonism, Harper hoped to end the discussion on a positive note. Cleo slinked in and created a distraction by twining herself around Harper’s ankles.

  “Hey, Cleo. How you doing, pretty girl? You hungry?” Kate crouched down and put out her hand for the cat to come. Cleo yawned, turned up her nose and tail and padded out of the kitchen.

  “What was that about? She’s known me for years, and she doesn’t usually take to strangers.”

  Harper shrugged. “I’m good with animals.” And she’d fed the cat the remainder of her cheese quesadillas the night before. A bonding experience that now had Cleo treating her more like a BFF than an intruder.

  “Yeah, tell that to Pippa.” Zach leaned against the door frame, smirking.

  Looking up, she smiled, surprised at how happy and relieved she was to see him again. His slow grin warmed her from head to toe. The long look they exchanged wasn’t anything like the private or intimate moments they’d shared yesterday, but it made her stomach feel squishy.

  Fresh and crisp from the shower, his damp hair curled adorably around the edges. Cargo shorts and a T-shirt that smelled like sunshine and fabric softener hit just the right notes. Except for the circles under his eyes and the exhaustion pulling at the corners of his mouth, no one would guess he’d been up most of the night.

  “Hey, Pippa and I got along just fine.” Harper checked her finger where the little demon had tried to nip her hand. “After she understood I wouldn’t
have run her down in the street.”

  “Uh-huh.” Zach squeezed the back of Kate’s neck, and she turned to him with a genuine look of pleasure. “Hey, darlin’. I didn’t expect to find you here.”

  “Hey, Zach.” Kate’s eager expression turned to one of concern as she looked him over. “You look like you’re on the bad side of a really good party.”

  “I wish. This wasn’t the way I intended Dad’s birthday weekend to end, but I hear everybody else had a good time. Did you enjoy yourself?”

  “You know, I did. You Novaks really do it up right. The food was fabulous. Rachel showed off those cooking skills she learned from your mom, and your dad is the perfect host. He really seemed touched by the big turnout. Thanks for inviting me.”

  “Wouldn’t have a party without you. You’re like family.”

  “Thanks, babe.” Kate slipped her arm around his shoulder in a bracing hug. “If I’d known you were coming back so early, I would have ridden back with you instead of with the Willoughby’s.”

  “I didn’t know it myself. Got the call while you rest of you were down at the lake.”

  Harper shuffled her feet and started wishing she had somewhere else to be. Their conversation seemed surprisingly intimate for two people playing on the same team. Zach gave Harper a smile over Kate’s head, proving he hadn’t forgotten she was there.

  “Were you surprised by Rachel’s guest this morning? I meant to let you know last night that Harper’d be bunking here for a couple of days, but I forgot about it after I got called to the hospital.”

  “Other than coming in prepared to bust her head open like a pumpkin, it was no problem.” The gym teacher nodded at the bat by the door.

  Zach bugged his eyes at Harper to see if she was okay. “She didn’t swing that thing at you, did she?”

  “No, no,” Harper said, oddly eager to defend Kate. “We got it worked out before it came to blows.”

  “Good thing. Kate still swings the meanest bat of any woman on the town softball team.”

  “Meanest bat of anyone, man or woman,” Kate bragged, and Harper recognized a common topic of debate between two old friends.

  “Yeah, right,” he scoffed. “Except for me.”

  “But you haven’t been to many games lately, have you? I bet I can take you now that you’re a little rusty.”

  “You’re on. I’ll be at this week’s game for sure. Promise.” He raised his hand and crossed his heart.

  “Sure, you will, barring any unforeseen emergencies.” Kate clearly doubted him. “Which is unlikely. I heard about the wreck on Slaughter’s Bend last night. I was worried about you.” She rested her hand on his shoulder until he made eye contact.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Dumbass boys. The two Schultzes and Tommy Mathis, right? Sounded pretty bad. How’re they doing?”

  Zach poked around inside the refrigerator, pulled out a bottle of water, twisted off the cap, took a long swig, replaced the cap, returned the bottle to the shelf, and closed the door before answering. Harper would swear the whole maneuver had been nothing but a delaying tactic.

  “So-so,” he finally answered. “Joe and Tommy are banged up. They’ll probably be released today or tomorrow. But Jason’s got internal injuries. Not sure how it will go for him. Marcia and Vanessa are pretty shaken up. All four parents have been up there all night. You might want to lend support today, if you have time.”

  “Will do. It’s just such a shame. Has Pastor Martin been there with them?”

  “Yeah, that helped, but it’ll be a long hard day.”

  Kate considered and then asked, “Did you let Rachel know?”

  “Not yet. I’d like a realistic prognosis before I send for her, but some busybody will probably call her and blab before I get to it. Don’t you be the one to do it, though, okay?”

  “All right, but I’m blaming you if she’s mad I didn’t tell her.”

  He rolled his neck and shoulders. “I can take the heat.”

  His friend took his hand. Giving Harper a sidelong glance, she spoke quietly to Zach. “You sure you’re doing okay?”

  “It’s not about me.” The curt tone didn’t match the shadows in his eyes.

  “It was hard on you, though. Wasn’t it, tough guy?”

  “It’s my job.”

  “Still...”

  He shook his head as if to silence her, and they exchanged a look of communication that was intimate and familiar. It didn’t contain any heat or passion, just worlds of unspoken comfort and understanding.

  Harper realized she would miss having a relationship like that. Only one day away from Chicago, and she missed her friends already. She’d stayed up late last night Skyping with her bestie Nathan, but in the long run, it might be hard to maintain the closeness they’d developed in the last few years. She cleared her throat, and Zach turned his attention to her.

  “You ready to go?” He looked her over, and his eyes sparked a flare of heat.

  “You’re going to wear that to the library?” Kate asked.

  “Why not?” Harper looked down at her super casual and slightly sexy outfit, second-guessing her decision.

  “It gives the wrong vibe.” Zach’s friend cracked her knuckles. “Kind of looks like an open invitation.”

  “An invitation to work out?”

  “For a hard day of, um, Zumba?” Kate looked skeptical. “I don’t think so.”

  Harper’s cheeks reddened. “I’ll change before I go to the council meeting.” She bit her lip and looked to Zach.

  “You look fine.” He waved the discussion away. “You’ve gotten a few surprises since you arrived. No reason you shouldn’t surprise a few people, too.” He hooked an elbow around Kate’s neck for a brotherly hug, kissing her cheek. “See ya later, babe.”

  “Yep, later.” She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge for him to take. “Make sure she doesn’t meet the town council dressed like that. With Bert’s heart condition, he’ll keel right over. You better have your medical bag with you.”

  “You heard her, smart ass. She’s planning to change before the meeting.” Laughing, Zach took Harper by the arm and pulled her toward town when she would have turned in the wrong direction. He tried to take her tote from her, but she kept a firm grip on it. “Tell me the truth. Did Kate give you a hard time?”

  She tensed, but looked up at him without complaint. “Nope.”

  “Good. Sorry I forgot to let her know you were there. She’s a little protective of Rachel... and me. My whole family, really. The Monroes have lived next door to us since I was a little kid. Both families were in and out of one another’s houses so often it felt like communal living sometimes.”

  “That must be nice.”

  “Our parents were best friends in high school. Kate and Rachel have been best friends since pre-school. Her brother and I were best friends for a long time, too.”

  She let an extended moment pass. “Not anymore?”

  “No, he died.”

  Zach could not believe he’d said that. He never mentioned Tyler to anyone outside the family. Never. Everyone in town knew about Ty and the way he’d died and Zach’s involvement, so they didn’t bring it up. Much. Except when they poured their endless sympathy on him and attempted to comfort him when they thought he needed it. Like they’d start doing again now with this latest car crash.

  Hell, sympathy didn’t do him any good. Tyler had died. No comfort to be found in that for Zach.

  “When?”

  “Seventeen years ago.” Seventeen years with the guilt. More than half his life. Not his fault. Everybody knew that. Hell, even he knew that. He told himself so every damn day. But if it wasn’t his fault, then whose was it? The nagging echoes of remorse pinched him at the oddest times.

  “It seems so much more tragic when someone dies young, doesn’t it?”

  “You don’t know the half of it.”

  “You’re right. I don’t. Do you want to talk about it?”

  Well, hel
l. Absolutely not. She’d just uttered his seven least favorite words when they were strung together in that order. If only he weren’t so bone-tired-weary from last night’s nightmare, he wouldn’t have stumbled into this conversation.

  Uncapping the bottle, he took a long swig and shifted his thoughts. The day was shaping up to be another scorcher with temperatures over a hundred. Only seven AM, and he was already sweating. That kind of heat was hardest on his elderly patients. He’d have to remind his office manager to check on the ones who lived alone.

  “No, sorry. This topic isn’t on the table after a hard night and a long day ahead.”

  “Ah, yes. Okay.” She touched her fingers to his hand in a silent show of support. “So, rough night, huh?”

  Damn. Like that was a better topic. “Comes with the territory. I’ll be fine once I get some breakfast and the boys get out of ICU.”

  They’d made it to the town square, and Harper stopped in front of the antique store for a little window shopping. The same breakfront had been in the window for over a year, but Harper wouldn’t know that. “We’re on our way to the diner if that’s all right with you.”

  “Anyplace is fine.” The reply was immediate and agreeable, and he noticed again how easy she was to get along with. “I’m looking forward to some real down-home cooking.”

  “I wasn’t sure you’d be a fan of the local fare. Do you want ham and eggs, biscuits and gravy, pancakes and sausages, bacon and hash browns? I thought you might want something more...elegant, less...greasy.”

  “Elegance isn’t a requirement, but I don’t eat ham, sausage, or bacon.” She crinkled her nose. “And gravy is off the table, too, but I’m game to try any of the other stuff.”

  He looked at her sideways while he pulled her past the hardware store. He waved at Hank, the owner, opening the front door for the start of the day. Hank was Jason Schultz’s great-uncle, and he didn’t want to have to fake optimism with a street-corner diagnosis.