Everybody Knows (Sunnyside #1)

by Jacie Floyd

  “This top has been driving me nuts all day. I couldn’t keep my eyes off you and now to feel you in my hands... Do you know how gorgeous you are?” His lips trailed down her neck to her bare shoulder.

  She took a deep breath and a step back.

  His hands gripped her waist. “What?”

  “You said you had something to talk about.” It took some effort for her to get the words out. “This isn’t talking.”

  “It’s saying a lot to me.” He released her. “But you’re right. Let’s talk.”

  Her hand shook as she brought it to her forehead. “Sure, let’s talk. You’re the one who started with the kissing.”

  “But you liked it.”

  “And your point is?” Pulling a chair out from under the kitchen table, she sat. “Unless I’m mistaken, we’ve been on the brink of kissing several times, but you were the one who always pulled up.”

  He dropped into the chair beside her. A slice of moonlight illuminated the right side of his face and shoulder. “Do you know why?”

  “I guess you don’t want the town to think less of their golden boy.”

  “That’s not it,” he protested but narrowed his eyes. “At least, I don’t think that’s it.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “It’s a long and convoluted story, but the long and the short of it is that this town practically owns me. For the moment.”

  “What? Why?” She propped her chin on the heel of her hand. “How?”

  “For many reasons that have to do with past recriminations, acceptance, forgiveness… all those swirling, eviscerating emotions. But the main reason is that they paid for me to go to medical school.”

  Wow. She hadn’t known that, but it made sense. “That was generous.”

  “Wasn’t it?” A hint of bitterness sliced through the words of agreement. “It was mutually beneficial. They paid for medical school, and I came back here to work for seven years. I was grateful, really grateful, more than grateful, but after a while, I came to feel like I had to do everything they asked for and be everything they wanted. My life is not my own.”

  “And you can’t have a girlfriend of your own choosing?”

  “I probably could, but in order to meet their expectations, it would have to be someone from Sunnyside, and they would still feel like they’d have first right of approval.” He got up to root around in the refrigerator. He came out with two bottles of water and handed one to her.

  “Yeah, I met Claire Willoughby today. I guess anyone you hooked up with would be met with the same kind of reserve she’s had to face.”

  Leaning against the counter, he twisted the cap off his bottle and took a long drink. “Claire’s great, but some of the biddies still don’t like it that Mick brought her back here as a ‘done deal’. They didn’t have time to get used to the idea before Mitch married the love his life.” He held up his hand to ward off her comments. “I know, it was none of their business, but that’s the way they feel. When I first came back here, they were constantly trying to fix me up with someone. They want me to marry a girl from Sunnyside, raise a family in Sunnyside, practice medicine in Sunnyside, do all those things before atrophying of boredom, dying, and being laid to rest in Sunnyside, forever and ever, amen.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Harper was starting to understand the extent of the pressure they exerted over him. “And you don’t want that.”

  “I’m sick of living up to everything they want me to be. I want to travel. I want to practice medicine in places that only expect me to be a good doctor, not anything else.”

  “What’s up this faux relationship with Kate?”

  Zach stared at her before returning to his seat at the table and taking one of her hands in his. “How did you figure that out?”

  “Oh, please. It’s pretty obvious Kate’s gay. What I don’t understand is why other people believe you’re a couple.”

  He shrugged. “They see what they want to see. They want me to date a girl from Sunnyside, and Kate fits the bill. They don’t want to acknowledge that she’s a lesbian, so they pretend to accept the fact that she’s with me. It saves me a lot of blind dates, and it saves Kate from being outed against her will.”

  “How does Rachel fit into it?”

  “As far as Rachel’s concerned, she doesn’t. Kate and Rachel were best friends growing up. Rachel still thinks of Kate as a friend. As long as Rachel can pretend along with everyone else that Kate and I are a couple, she can pretend not to know Kate’s infatuated with her.”

  “That’s a lot of pretending.”

  “There’s more to it than that, but those are the basics.”

  “What’s up with Rachel and Brady?”

  “You picked up on that, too? That’s a really old story. They dated one summer when they were younger, before he was the hound dog he is now. Rachel thought it was serious, but Brady doesn’t want to live in Sunnyside and Rach doesn’t want to live anywhere else. So, stalemate, I guess. And if you don’t think it puts a strain on a friendship when a guy sleeps with another guy’s sister and then breaks her heart, think again.”

  “All of you are whacked, letting this town dictate who you’re with or not with. Relationships are hard enough without all those peripherals. Are you really all right with not having a normal relationship with someone?”

  “That’s the point. I can’t have a normal relationship with someone from Sunnyside. As soon as I ask out someone they think is eligible, they’ll call the church to see what dates are available for the wedding.”

  “And you haven’t, uh, been with someone since you opened your practice?”

  “I didn’t say that. I have normal relationships with women, just not women from here.”

  “Then, what? From where?”

  “I have a friend from medical school,” he said cryptically. “We get together in St. Louis once in a while.”

  Harper squelched a flash of jealousy. “And is this friend a woman?”

  “Yes!”

  “Just checking.” She arched an eyebrow. “Since some people around here are in denial about their sexuality.”

  “There’s no question about mine. And the arrangement with my St. Louis friend isn’t so bad, since the women around here don’t trip my trigger. Most of them are my mother’s age or older, or they’re my patients, or I think of them like a sister.”

  “So, where does that leave us?”

  “Here’s where we are.” He leaned over, lifted the bottom of her halter a few inches, and placed a very wet kiss on her tummy before nipping her with his teeth. Wow. Her nipples immediately responded, pebbling sharply against the silk. He looked up at her and smiled, tracing a finger over her breast. “I’ve been thinking about doing that all day.”

  She pressed his hand against her, holding it in place. “I like the way you think.”

  His other hand moved up to join the party. He gently massaged her breasts, sending neutrons of lust spiraling through her body.

  “If you’re interested, we need to figure out what to do about it without the town trying to run you out on a rail.”

  She was so interested that she could hardly think. Standing, she stepped away from his touch to collect her thoughts. “And they would want to do that because...?”

  “You shattered their illusions about me and Kate.”

  “And you don’t believe honesty is the best policy?”

  He drummed his fingers against the table. “I would if it were just me, but not at the risk of ruining your reputation and your chance of success here. Besides the Kate-factor, they wouldn’t be happy about me being with an outsider. And if you think they’re not that friendly now, believe me, it would get a hundred times worse.”

  The truth hurt, but she was an outsider. Crossing her arms, she leaned against the counter. “So, what are you proposing?”

  “What do you think about a short-term, mutually beneficial relationship for the two of us that’s strictly under the town’s radar.
”

  She wasn’t crazy about the secretive nature of his proposal, but another phrase had an even more chilling effect. “Short-term?”

  His gaze shifted away from hers and then back. “When my seven years are up, Josh will be finished with his residency, and I’m leaving the practice in his hands.”

  “Leaving the practice in his hands while you do what?”

  “I’m signing on with Doctors Without Borders.”

  Gaping at him, her mouth dropped open. “Are you leaving without telling them?”

  “Dad and Josh know, but they’ve been sworn to secrecy. Liam probably suspects. I’ll tell the town council and everybody else before it’s time to renew my contract. I’m not leaving the town in a lurch, but I don’t expect them to be happy about my departure.”

  “When will that be?”

  “In the fall.”

  “And until then, you want us to…”

  “Set the night on fire.’ He stood and leaned into her space. With his hips pressing hers against the counter, his interest in her was obvious. “If you’re not comfortable with the idea, forget I asked. But I’ve wanted you since the minute you climbed out of your car and pushed your sunglasses to the top of your head.”

  His hands grazed up her arms and over her shoulders until his fingers burrowed into the hair at the nape of her neck. He planted a row of soft kisses along her neck, revving up her interest and reigniting her desire for him. “The night life here is non-existent. What passes for a social life is a feverish round of bake sales, church socials, and bingo. Or having a beer at the Lucky Dog.” He drifted the hint of a kiss across her lips. “We’ve got lights-out chemistry between us. But I don’t think either one of us wants anything long-term. Do we?”

  Thinking about it, she tucked her hair behind her ear. “No-ooo.”

  “And we don’t want the local citizenry uprising against us. You need them on your side, and my family will still be here long after I’m gone. I don’t want my love life to cause your or them any backlash.”

  When his mouth settled on hers, the kiss was both a question and a promise. He settled into it, taking her with him, heating her up, and asking for so much more. If Harper had never experienced a kiss like that before, and she wanted it. Wanted it to go on and on. Wanted it to cocoon her in a blanket of desire and forgetfulness and enough sheer energy to take her to the moon and back.

  But she was here for a reason. Maybe the reason was to make secret hot-monkey sex with the crazy-hot doctor before he left for parts unknown, and maybe it wasn’t. Maybe she needed to think about it when his hands weren’t all over her breasts and his tongue wasn’t in her mouth. But what the freaking hell? Maybe she shouldn’t overthink it.

  Her hands moved beneath his shirt, preparing to take it over his head first chance she got when his phone blew up.

  “Oh, Christ.” He groaned into her ear. “Not now.” But he retrieved the phone from his pocket, looked at the display, and shook his head. “Yes, now. Sorry, I’ll have to go.”

  Harper wanted to whimper, but she was tougher than that. She slumped against the counter and nodded. “Probably for the best.”

  “Probably not.” He kissed her again to prove his point. “It’ll give you time to think about it, if you need to. But don’t think too long.”

  Zach ducked out the way he came in. Through back alleys and under the cloak of darkness. She hadn’t exactly thrown him out on his ear, but he had left without the end result either one of them had anticipated. His proposition kept her awake all night, her brain whirling with possibilities, both good and bad.

  Was she attracted to him? The answer to that question was easy. More than just yes. Hell, yes.

  Was she opposed to having a relationship with him for the short time he had left in town? Tougher question. Short-term flings weren’t her style, but in this case, maybe she could be convinced.

  Did she like the idea of indulging in a secret affair? A little bit. Clandestine. Secret. Private. Romantic. All of those words held a certain appeal for her. What women didn’t fantasize about being somebody’s secret passion, at least for a little while?

  But she had to consider the seamier side to it. At what point did the relationship cease being a secret passion and evolve into something less desirable? A fundamental part of her didn’t want to be anybody’s Dirty Little Secret.

  Her mom had been a dirty little secret for her dad one summer. And that relationship had ended with India pregnant and alone while her lover went back to his fiancée and his pre-planned life as if India had never existed.

  And no matter what, Harper didn’t feel like anyone should be ashamed to acknowledge her. Not for any reason. Her behavior should never be subjected to that kind of unflattering light. Her grandmother had always said, “If you’re doing something in secret, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.”

  Although there were really no parallels between Zach and her father, she couldn’t help making the comparison. Two doctors, highly-thought of in their communities and by their peers, ashamed or embarrassed to acknowledge their relationship with her. Zach had his reasons for keeping their relationship under wraps.

  Not the same situation as her mother and father. Not at all.

  She knew in her heart that her desire for Zach would win her over. And the knowledge that the longer she put him off, the less time they’d have together was a powerful motivator.

  The next morning, Zach stopped in to see Harper at the library. On the pretense of showing her some water damage she needed to see in the basement, he managed to get her alone. After he’d kissed her breathless and had her all hot and flustered, he released her. “Well? Have you decided?”

  She nodded. “I’m tempted, but it’s too soon.”

  He reached out toyed with her earlobe, providing just the right amount of stimulation to send heat shooting through her. “Then I’m going to have to convince you.”

  “How will you do that? It will require more than sexual temptation, you know.”

  Taking her by the hand, he led her toward the stairs. As he gestured her to go ahead of him, he pinched her bottom. “I’ll be creative.”

  For most of the next week, Harper’s days were filled with ordinary details and mundane tasks. But her evenings were taken up with Zach’s escalating convincing techniques. Slipping in the back door on respective nights, he wooed her with a peck of perfect peaches, a decadent cream puff, a veggie pizza, and a book on local history. All of these were accompanied by physical and verbal flirtation.

  On the sixth day after his initial proposal, he came through the back door as Harper slid a veggie frittata into the oven for a late dinner. He cuddled an adorable calico kitten against his chest.

  “For me?” She scooped the fluffy ball into her arms as he crossed the kitchen. “How precious.”

  “Just for tonight.” Zach leaned over the cat to kiss Harper hello. “But you have options. You can keep her or give her back to Cora and leave it at that, take her back and pick out one you like better, or return her and borrow one as often as you like.”

  “Cora loans out cats?” Harper rubbed her cheek against the soft fur. “Like a kitty library?”

  “Sometimes. If she likes you. She thinks the cats need outings. If it works out and the borrowers keep them, it narrows down the size of her collection. She sent over some supplies, too. I left them on the screened porch.”

  “Well, how can you take back a cat after its spent the night with you?”

  “That seems to be the root of her theory.”

  “Have you borrowed cats from her before?”

  “Yeah, that’s how Rachel got Cleo. We always had barn cats, but Rachel needed something more civilized for her house.”

  “Where on earth did Cora get a Siamese?”

  “Cats sort of show up at her house. Trust me, she has something for everyone.”

  “Well, this one is adorable. So sweet. Look at that face. What’s her name?”

  “Calliope.”
>
  “Perfect.” Harper rummaged through her cabinets for a small bowl to fill with milk. “What does she eat?”

  “Cats are carnivores, so if you were thinking of keeping her, that might be a problem for you.”

  “Aren’t there vegetarian cat foods?”

  “Probably, but that can be problematic for them. And she’ll still want to treat herself to the occasional bird or rodent, you know. You can’t fight Mother Nature.”

  “What if I don’t let her outside?”

  “That will cut down on her hunting opportunities, but not on her desire to do it.”

  She chuckled as the kitten dipped her nose in the milk. “This might be a moral dilemma.”

  Zach wrapped his arms around Harper from behind and nuzzled her neck. “Those are the best kind.”

  “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

  “Nope, I just thought you’d like having a pet. But Calliope can go back to Cora’s tomorrow if feline dietary preferences bother you.”

  His courtship had been seductive. She’d barely been able to resist the man intent on flirtation and flattery, plying his designs with sensual kisses and heated glances.

  But a man who brought her a kitten? Holy crap. That kind of insight should be against the law. No sensitive woman could resist such emotional enticement.

  She could play this game out only so long. After Harper marveled over the kitten’s every twitch and purr, she sat beside Zach at the kitchen table and shared the frittata. Calliope assumed a position in his lap, and he rubbed soothing circles on the tiny creature’s back. Had any guy ever been so sweet, caring, and adaptable?

  Unable to resist that complicated bundle of gorgeousness another second, she surrendered with a single, simple word. “Okay, I’m convinced. Let’s do it.”

  His hand stopped mid-stroke. Lifting his eyebrows, he looked up with heightened interest. “Just so I don’t misunderstand here, let’s do what? The dishes? The laundry? The down and dirty? Have sex? Go crazy?” Heat flashed through his eyes. “Now? Just like that?”

  Laughing, she loved his eagerness, even though she knew this would not end well for her. “Now or never.”