No Vacancy (The Aveline Series Book 2)

Chapter 4

PENN

“Aren’tyou running out of racer’s names yet?” I asked Darcy as I sat down at their table.

She looked up at me with big, dark eyes—covered with those eyebrows you couldn’t miss—and they were filled with nothing but annoyance. There was not a hint of humor or warmth within them.

She shrugged. “I googled more last night.”

I bit my bottom lip and smirked.

“What?” she asked, but we were interrupted as the waitress came back over with Lettie and Darcy’s food.

“Hey, sugar. You’re the new face that has everyone riled up, aren’t you? I heard all about it from Teeny. She came in here this morning just going on and on about the handsome ‘mystery man’ who ran our Darcy over. She said you were stayin’ at Green Gables in the Lake of Shining Water room. Don’t ask me how she knows that—we don’t really ask how Teeny knows anything—but I have half a notion that it was Rosie or Lenora who told her.”

I only understood about half of what she was saying. I tried to keep my face as straight as possible, giving no indication I found this entire town to be incredibly quirky and invasive, and the waitress paused before continuing again.

“Anyway, you want the special, hon? It’s French toast with berry compote. And some coffee?”

“That sounds really good”—I looked at her name tag—“Jonie. Thank you.”

Jonie walked away, and I glanced toward Darcy again. “So, you were saying?”

Darcy curled her lip. “I don’t know. What was I saying?”

“You were saying you googled some more names last night?”

“Yeah. Surprisingly, I don’t just have an unlimited number of racing names in my memory bank. Shocker, I know.” She took a sip of her coffee.

“Well, what did you come up with?”

“I’m not telling. I’m saving them up,” she replied defiantly.

I nodded, holding back a laugh, and reached for one of the creamer containers on the table. Darcy snatched it from my hand.

“Sorry, were you going to use that?” I asked.

“You can have it when you tell me what is so funny. You keep laughing at me!” She looked over at her friend, who simply shrugged, taking it all in as though she were watching a soap opera unfold.

“I’m not laughing at you. I swear. It’s just…”

Darcy raised her eyebrows and leaned in, awaiting my answer. “Just?”

“It’s just I didn’t realize you were hoping to see me again.”

I heard Lettie snicker, but I kept my eyes on Darcy as I watched her face drop. She looked down at her mug and then looked up again, unfazed.

She scoffed. “And why would you say that?”

I shrugged. “I mean, it’s obvious. You wouldn’t have looked up more names if you weren’t hoping to see me.”

She squinted her eyes. “I simply like to be prepared.”

“You were also thinking of me. At night.”

Darcy rolled her eyes. “You think awfully highly of yourself, don’t you, Dale Earnhardt? What? Do you think that every woman who sees you just waves her bra like a white flag of surrender? ‘Oh, please, Jeff Gordon, I can’t possibly go another minute without being in your presence!’” Darcy took a bite of her breakfast and began chewing furiously. “I’m not giving you this creamer now. Enjoy your black coffee.”

I licked my lips, holding back another grin. She really was like a tiny dog.

She stopped chewing. “You’re still trying not to laugh!”

“No, I swear. I’m sorry. It’s just, you have a little berry sauce, right… here.” I pointed to the corner of my mouth, and she dipped her head, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

“You bug me,” she said when she was finished.

I chuckled slightly. “I’m okay with that.”

Darcy leaned back in her chair. “Oh yeah? And why is that?”

I pulled my lips in a line. “It’s one way of getting you to think about me.”