Secrets Everybody Knows (15 page)

Elaine had just finished judging the watermelon eating contest. A couple of women rolled up the plastic tablecloth while Elaine wrote the names of the winners in her notebook.

“Elaine, I need to talk to you,” Johnny said.

“Right–” She looked up and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Now?”

“Yes.” Johnny licked his lips. “You wanted me to say I loved you in the full light of day.”

“Okay.”

“Here it is. The full light of day. I love you.”

Elaine nodded. “Okay,” she said again.

“Is that all you have to say?”

Elaine clutched the notebook to her chest like a shield. “I’m not sure what to say.”

“How about you love him too?” one of the women offered. Johnny looked over Elaine’s shoulder to see who it was. He should have checked that before he spoke. Mrs. Coin. Neighbor of Mrs. Vorac. The biggest gossips in town. Well, they were all going to find out sooner or later.

Elaine looked up at him as if she wasn’t sold on that answer.

Johnny braced himself and took a step closer. “I’m not embarrassed to be with you. I could never believe how lucky I was that you would spend time with me. I never wanted to hurt you.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “I wanted your life to be perfect.”

“I just wanted it to be with you,” Elaine whispered.

Johnny leaned down and kissed her, amazed at how easy it was to do in the middle of the Circle. Right in front of them, the two old women were watching raptly.

“I told you,” Mrs. Vorac said.

“I know,” Mrs. Coin answered.

“I always knew.”

“Yes, you told me.”

Mrs. Vorac sighed. “I’ve been waiting fourteen years for this.”

“Me too,” Elaine whispered, staring up into Johnny’s eyes.

Christa Maurice

For my seventh birthday my brother gave me The Eagles’ Hotel California and I was completely enchanted by the title track. No clue what it meant, but I loved it and my fate was sealed. Unfortunately, as a hard core introvert, performing onstage in any capacity was off the table as a career choice. So I turned to writing and spent many boring college lectures detailing the adventures of Touchstone in the margins of my notebooks. Years later I decided to do something with them and wrote what became Heaven Beside You. These things do tend to get out of control with me. A fun side project that kept me entertained while I was teaching English in Korea turned into a series that I was working on through a stint in Chile, the US and the Middle East. And I’m not slowing down.

When not writing, I like to travel so much that I recently had to have pages added to my passport. I also enjoy eating, reading and listening to music. Often simultaneously.

Also by Christa Maurice

Drawn to the Rhythm Series

Satellite of Love

Heaven Beside You

Twenty Flight Rock

Let Me Be the One

Keep Coming Back to Love

Arden FD Series

Three Alarm Tenant

Struck By Lightning

Spark of Desire

Weaver’s Circle Series

Secrets Everybody Knows

Long Memory

One Ring to Rule

Melody Unchained

Lyrical Press books are published by

Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018

Copyright © 2011 Christa Maurice

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

Lyrical Press and the L logo are trademarks of Kensington Publishing Corp.

First Electronic Edition: February 2011

ISBN-13: 978-1-61650-236-2