Everybody Knows (Sunnyside #1) (28 page)

The next morning, Harper woke
up stiff and sore, a combination of the accident two days before and sleeping
on the couch instead of her bed. Well past dawn, rain still pounded the roof,
and Zach hadn’t shown up yet. Would he? Footage of the explosion had dominated
one of the national news channels for most of the night. They reported three
confirmed deaths and at least ten injured. Damages like that would have
required him to stay on duty all night without much time to spare this morning.
He’d be going full bore from one job to another. But she would put on coffee,
just in case he managed to stop by.

Considering running over to the pastry shop, she
decided she wouldn’t risk missing him. She could text and tell him where she
was going. Or she could just sit here and wait. The idea of another public
appearance didn’t sound appealing.

She pulled her grandmother’s afghan over her and
huddled under it. Calliope leaped up on her, circling around until she found
the perfect spot.

Harper gave a double-take as the front door
opened. In came Zach, brushing rain off his hair and shoulders. Good thing he
was leaving. Having him come in the front entrance instead of the back would
have taken some getting used to.

“Oh, God, I’m sorry. The explosion and fire was
worse than anyone would have guessed, and I was elbow-deep the entire night.
Josh finally made me leave so I’d be able to catch my plane, but I don’t have
much time.”

She pulled the afghan more tightly around her. “I
know. It’s okay.”

“Do you want to go with us to the airport? Dad’s
waiting to take me but he would understand if you want to ride along.”

“No, thanks. I don’t want to intrude on your
family time.”
Or make a fool of myself in
public. “
Have you showered, want some breakfast, knock off a quickie?
What?”

Dropping onto the couch, he draped his arm around
her. “I’d love to do all of that, but I can’t. Dad’s probably pacing the floor
and contacting Jimbo for a police escort to get us there on time. I just want
to be here with you for a minute, all right?”

She nodded her head and snuggled into him.

“This isn’t how I wanted to say goodbye.”

She cringed at the word. “Then let’s just don’t,
okay? I’m aware of what’s happening, and I don’t need that word to make it
official. I can say goodbye in about ten different languages, but they’re all
just too depressing.”

He tightened his arm around her. “Then what words
can I use to tell you what you mean to me? How much I adore you? How much I’ll
miss you? How I wish I had met you sooner?”

“Oh, those words are perfect.” Cradling his face
in her hands, she kissed him on the lips, savoring him and memorizing his
taste. Calliope meowed and jumped to the floor. “Drop me a line if you have
time. Call if you have phone service. Live a good and meaningful life and think
of me when you go to bed at night.” Tears inconveniently leaked out of her
eyes.

“I won’t have any choice about that last one.”

She swallowed her grief. “And you don’t have any
choice about leaving now.”

He nodded and stood, taking her with him. She
wished she had dressed, brushed her teeth and combed her hair. She wanted to
look her best as he moved to take a larger place in the world, but he probably
wouldn’t have noticed all that. They kissed, of course, they kissed, shadowing
all the familiar emotions with hints of bittersweet and regrets. She wanted to
give him more than that, Something that would last forever.

“I love you,” she whispered against his lips.

“What?” He pulled his head back. “No, don’t say
that. You know I can’t make any commitments.”

“I love you.” She kissed the palm of his hand and
closed his fingers over it. “My gift to you. Take it with you and keep it
forever. No strings attached. No expectations or promises for tomorrow.”

“Harper.” When he crushed her to him, she felt his
struggle over whether to accept or reject her claim. “I don’t know what to say,
and I’m out of time. I don’t know what happens next, but I’ll never forget
you.”

One last kiss, and he was out the door. Harper’s
heart went with him.

Along with the autumn rain that had started on the
day of Zach’s party, a gloom seemed to have settled over the town. Sunnyside
still reeled from the explosion that had destroyed the grain elevator, taken
several lives, and left several others severely injured. The constant rain was
interfering with the fall harvest. Add Zach’s departure to the mix, and there
were mostly grumpy faces around town.

His healing diplomacy and soothing presence were
sorely missed. The weather, the dismal harvest, the explosion, and Zach’s
relocation were not Harper’s fault. But somehow, because he’d made their
relationship public the same weekend those events occurred, she was punished,
or just ignored, by many Sunnyside residents. Next, they’d be trying to blame
her for the national debt.

As if daily life wasn’t depressing enough, she
tried to set those feelings aside on the day of the library reopening. But she
was afraid a phone call from her father was about to make things worse. It
usually did. He’d never been good at small talk, but it suddenly seemed like he
was trying.

“How do you like your new position?” he asked.

“I love it. How’s your work?”

“Busy. I’ve taken on another new partner, but
there’s always too much to do.”

“That’s the trouble with cardiology, isn’t it? Hearts
keep breaking.”

He cleared his throat like he always did in their
conversations. The serious surgeon either couldn’t tell when she was teasing or
he didn’t know how to respond. “I got a call from some idiot who thought he
could blackmail me.”

She should have guessed. “I’m sorry you were
bothered with that.”

“I told him to stuff it, but then I thought I
should check with you. Do you want me to handle it differently?”

“No, you handled it just right.”

“Do you need help getting rid of him and these
accusations?”

Her heart took a sudden dip. He so seldom invited
himself into her life. “What kind of help?”

“Financial? Legal?”

Ah, yes, the impersonal kind of help he excelled
at. “I’ve got it covered, but thanks for asking.”

“All right then. I have a consultation in a few
minutes but I wanted to let you know your sister’s getting married.”

Confused, her first thought was about Fiona, but
that couldn’t be right. Then she realized he meant
his
daughter. The one who didn’t acknowledge Harper as part of her
family. “Congratulations. When will the wedding be?”

He cleared his throat again. “It was originally
planned for June, but has now been moved up to February. Apparently, matters
need to be expedited.”

Harper was glad he couldn’t see her mouth drop
open. The rightful heiress pregnant? That news must be rocking the castle to
its foundations. “So, you’re planning for two happy events in the coming year.”

“I suppose so.” He didn’t sound happy. “I know you
and Miranda aren’t close, but she’s drawing up the guest list and wanted to
know if you’d like to come.”

“She did?”

Harper pictured him adjusting his collar. “I
suggested it. I don’t want you to feel left out.”

Emotion clogged her throat. “I would probably come
if I’m invited.”

“Thank you. I’m adding your name now. Maybe you’d
could stay for a visit after the ceremony. If you’re not too busy.”

She didn’t even know how to respond. She’d always
wanted his time and attention. Maybe this offer was coming too late, but how
could she refuse?” “I could probably arrange that.”

“Good. I’ll be in touch with the details.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“Good luck with this business about the
photographer. I hope it’s not causing you too much trouble.”

“I’m sure it will work itself out.”

This was her big day, made even bigger by her father’s
cautious phone call. She didn’t have time to ponder the ramifications after
they broke the connection. Pushing in a chair at a computer table in
preparation of the grand reopening, she could only hope this was a good sign.

Although she’d opened the doors to limited usage
before every little detail was complete, the official celebration had been
delayed until the middle of November, when every last light, shelf, book, and
table were in place. Andrew Berkman was scheduled to arrive any minute now, and
Harper couldn’t wait for him to see what they had accomplished.

She stopped at the top of the second-floor
staircase to take in what she had accomplished. The old building had great
bones, but it had been up to her to make its surface shine. And shine it did.
She hoped the town approved of her decisions.

When the doors opened, Harper and her staff lined
the main entrance, greeting the town council, their congressman, the library
board, the county board of education, and all the general public who could cram
themselves into the space. Many of them made a point of ignoring Harper and
making over Myrna and her contributions to the day.

“Everything looks fabulous,” Harper overheard Kate
say to the older woman. “I’m sure you’re happy to have your job back.”

“Are those Bennie’s paintings in the Children’s
Room?” Brianna asked. “Who knew he was so talented? Mother said you’re trying
to arrange for him to have his own showing. Will it be here at the library?
Won’t that be exciting?”

Harper had arranged for those things, but that was
okay. The older librarian was a known quantity to most of them, and Harper was
an outsider. And suddenly, she wasn’t just an outside but a suspicious outsider
as well.

Before the speeches began, the phone in her pocket
beeped with a text. Andrew wanted her to call him. Oh, no. She was hoping the
billionaire’s appearance would overshadow any ill-will that was felt for her.
But if he didn’t arrive, his absence would probably be held against her, too.

“Yes, Andrew?” she said when she reached him.
“Where are you?”

“Stuck in Montreal. There are bad storms up here
and I’m socked in. Sorry, kiddo, but you’ll have to carry on without me. How’s
everything look?”

“Amazing, if I do say so myself.”

“I’m sure it does. Skype me in, okay? And I’ll drop
in sometime next week. I know it won’t be the same, but it’s all I can offer
you right now.”

Not kidding herself about it, his absence took
some of the luster out of the day. Many people who had been warming up to her
before Zach left, gave her the cold shoulder now. The town teens and the girls
from the
What Not To Wear
project all
pretended nothing was amiss, but Harper’s heart carried the weight of
disappointment.

It might have helped if India or Fiona could have
shown up, but they were in the middle of a project in Prague that week. An
enormous bouquet of balloons, books, and flowers conveyed their regrets and
congratulations and resided in a place of honor at the circulation desk.

Feeling let down by the sub-par celebration, her
phone rang as she let herself into her house at the end of the day.

“How was it?” Fiona asked. “Did you get the
bouquet we sent?”

“Thank you so much! It was a lovely gesture and
almost overshadowed the event.”

“Oh, no. Those sticks-in-the-mud. What are they
upset about now?”

Harper juggled her phone from ear to ear as she
removed her coat. “Same old, same old. It’ll pass soon enough. What’s up with
you, girl?”

“I hate to be Debbie Downer, but more bad news I’m
afraid.”

She paused in the act of removing her boots. “Now,
what? There’s nothing wrong with India or Wexley, is there?”

“Nothing like that, but Dad heard from Blaine this
morning.”

“He contacted my father the other day, too.”

Fiona paused before asking, “How do you know?”

“Father called and told me about it himself. He
didn’t even staff it out or write an email. He made an actual phone call.”

“I’ll bet that was weird.”

Weird didn’t begin to describe it, but she was
still processing the conversation. “Totally, but it sounded like he brushed off
Blaine’s demands, and he wasn’t
too
judgmental about my involvement with such a low-life reptile.”

“Well, that snake tried to shake us down for big
bucks, and Dad refused with some pretty colorful language. We just heard from
another source that Blaine sold the photos to a national tabloid. It’s only a
matter of time before they hit the newsstand.”

“I hope that rat-bastard rots in hell.”

“That would be too good for him. I hope a pack of
wild boar rip off his testicles, tear out his entrails, and sever him limb from
limb.”

“That does sound worse.” Harper had to laugh at
the vivid description, but all the while the top of her head threatened to
explode. Many of the Sunnysiders were skeptical of her now, but how many of her
friends would give her the benefit of the doubt and stand with her when they
heard about this?

She worried it would be too damn few.