Free Everybody Knows (Sunnyside #1) by Jacie Floyd

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