Everybody Knows (Sunnyside #1) (6 page)

“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, hell. 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.

“Wait up, Zach.” Hank stepped toward him and, just
like that, it was too late to avoid the man’s questions. “How’s Jason doing?
When I talked to Marcia earlier, she said he was hanging in there.”

Zach skimmed over the details he could discuss
about Jason’s condition, while Harper continued further along the block to inspect
the genuine barber pole outside Vic’s shop and then peer into the window of
Favorites, the local gift store.

While they talked, Maggie Stemple pulled up and
parked on the street. Breaking off his conversation with Hank, Zach got the
stroller out of her trunk while she unstrapped John, Jr., from his car seat. Of
course, she had to ask about Joey, Tommy, and Jason, too. Before her marriage,
she’d lived down the road from Joey and Tommy and used to babysit for them when
Vanessa had her Bunko night with the girls.

“Those tea sets are adorable.” Harper linked her
arm with his as he finally rejoined her.

There she stood in her up-to-the-minute workout
gear, high-tech exercise shoes, tote bag with some kind of designer logo on it,
not to mention her expensive haircut, the epitome of a modern woman-on-the-go
article in Cosmo, and she was looking at children’s tea sets? What was she
doing? “Do you need a tea set?”

She actually appeared to think it over. “I can’t
imagine why I would, but now I know where to get one.”

“Right, Granny Smith, that knowledge will come in
handy. But about breakfast… were you saying you don’t eat pork?”

“No pork.” She shook her head. “No beef. No meat
of any kind.”

“My God, you’re a vegetarian?” He missed a step
and almost tripped on the curb. “This town’s going to love you. You do know
this is farm country, right? And you came here to live?
On purpose
?”

“Of course.” She waved the observation away. “I’m
looking forward to the farmer’s markets, all the fresh, homegrown vegetables,
corn, tomatoes, and whatever else they grow here.”

“Saying you came to farm country to eat farm-fresh
vegetables is like someone saying they’re visiting Iceland because they like
ice.”

“You don’t have fresh vegetables here?”

“Sure, but there’s more to it than that.” He
rubbed the back of his neck where tension pulled like a vise. “The farmers
around Sunnyside grow the best corn, tomatoes, and green beans you’ll ever eat,
but they also raise pigs, cows. and chickens. It’s kind of a symbiotic
relationship, hard to separate the two.”

“You said you sometimes get paid in produce.”

“Yes, but at Dad’s sixtieth birthday party this
weekend, we roasted a pig Pete Latham gave me for removing his wife’s gall
balder last spring. I take what they can give and say thank you. The payment is
just as likely to be a side of beef as a bushel of corn.”

“Fine, I understand other people eat meat. What
does that have to do with me?”

Vegetarian. He’d never considered that. Not like
she was a terrorist or anything. He was fine with it, really. He’d known some
vegetarians when he went to Northwestern, but her dietary preferences wouldn’t
win many friends in Sunnyside. And they weren’t predisposed to be enamored with
her in the first place. If he didn’t count his own self. He was enamored with
her plenty. He hadn’t had two spare minutes to think all night, but when he
had, his thoughts had been all about her.

Zach loved the people of
his hometown, but they didn’t tend to embrace anything outside their own
experience. If they gave Harper a chance, they’d eventually accept her. But
once they heard she was vegetarian, they’d look at her like a cow with two
heads. And he wouldn’t be here long enough to protect her. All he could do now
was warn her that Sunnyside would find her diet unacceptable.

“Harper, listen. The people here grow, cook,
serve, and eat meat. All the people.”

“All the people except me,” she said cheerfully.
“Why would anyone care what I eat?”

“Trust me on this. They’ll care.”

“Aren’t there any other vegetarians in Sunnyside?”

“None that I know of.”

“Then I’m the first. That makes me interesting.
And special.”

“Oh, yeah. That interesting specialness will make
you real well received.” He paused before opening the door to the diner. The sign
on the door read: Sunnyside Up!—Home of the World Famous Breakfast Bowl—Come On
In, Y’all. Beneath the folksy invitation, a faded and peeling decal proclaimed
Mabel Johnson, Proprietor. “You sure you want to eat here? Just breathing the
air permeated with all those breakfast meats could clog your arteries.”

The way she couldn’t quite refrain from rolling
her eyes at him showed how lightly she took his advice. He’d do what he could
to smooth things over for her, but he couldn’t make it his life’s work to
accompany her to all her meals over the next two years. Hell, he wouldn’t even
be here a few months from now.

“It’s a personal preference,” she said, “not a
mandate for the world—although it would be beneficial if more people embraced
the idea. I’m familiar with the concept of people eating meat, you know. I
didn’t realize vegetarianism would be a big deal for you.”

“It’s not a big deal for
me
.” He’d done his best to warn her. “But it might be for you.”

“I’ll manage.” She reached around him and pulled
open the door.

All the usual suspects were gathered in their
regular spots. Everyone looked up and waved or called out greetings to him,
just as they did every day. Because of the accident last night and his effort
to put the boys back together, there were even some cheers and a smattering of
applause. But that was just the town’s way of showing appreciation for
everything he tried to do for them. Even though he was the one who should feel
grateful. He waved the greeting aside, more embarrassed by it than usual
because of Harper’s wide-eyed reaction.

As was her custom, Lenore hustled out from behind
the counter to seat Zach personally.

“You want a table by the window this morning,
hon?” She steered him toward one, like she always did.

But Harper didn’t need to be put on display. And
the fewer people who knew he was here, the better. Already there had been more
questions about the car wreck than he wanted to field. Lenore, in particular,
never respected his professional boundaries.

“No, thanks. We’ll take this booth.” He led the
new librarian toward the back.

Harper gazed around and took in the ambiance.
Everything about The Sunnyside Up! screamed authentic Fifties diner with its
black-and-white-tile floors and vinyl stools at a long counter holding the
requisite pastry stand filled with pies. He couldn’t wait to hear her
impressions about the place.

Instead of speaking up immediately, she waited
until Lenore moved away to grab water for both of them.

“Wow,” Harper said in a whisper, “if she
genuflects when she approaches you, I’m calling for an exorcism.”

His lips turned up in a reluctant smile. “I
wouldn’t recommend it. She’s a Baptist.”

“Do they think you walk on water?”

“They’re all too aware that I don’t.” He shook his
head ruefully. “But they like me anyway.”

“There’s like and then there’s
like
, buddy. This is more like
adoration. Or worship.”

“It’s nothing like that.” The observation made him
twitch.

He wasn’t surprised to learn that when a seriously
gorgeous woman who looked insubstantial enough to blow away in a high wind
chose to snort in derision, she could do it delicately under her sweet breath.
Or that’s how he’d describe the sound she made.

Lenore returned, placing Zach’s glass in front of
him ever so carefully and sloshing Harper’s across the table. The waitress
pulled a pencil from her bun and an order book from her apron. “Heard you had a
rough night, Zach.”

“I’ve had worse.”

“You sure have, hon.” She patted his shoulder.
“Teenage boys are crazy, all right. When will they learn not to drink and
drive? How’re those three rascals doing?”

“Holding steady.”

“You tell Marcia and Vanessa I’ll send some lunch
up to the waiting room around noon. Have somebody call to let me know how many
people are there.”

“You’ve got a good heart, Lenore.” He loved the
way the town pulled together in an emergency. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.”

“Least I can do for family. Marcia’s mother was my
second or third cousin, you know, and Marcia worked here awhile when she was in
high school. Now, what’ll you have, hon? And don’t say ‘just coffee’ ‘cause
that won’t get you through the day.”

“The number seven.”

“That’ll stick to your ribs like glue.” Lenore
nodded in approval but had been sneaking peeks at Harper out of the corner of her
eye the whole time. “And what about your friend?”

Zach studied Harper, trying to imagine what she
might find acceptable, hoping she didn’t make a fuss when she realized the
limited choices. “Lenore, meet Harper Simmons, our new librarian. Since this is
her first time at the diner, she’ll need a menu.”

“A menu?” Lenore repeated the word like he’d asked
her to donate a kidney. She turned her head toward the counter. “Toss me one of
those menus, will you, Julie? The new librarian doesn’t know what she wants.”