No Vacancy (The Aveline Series Book 2)

Chapter 42

DARCY

I droppedPenn off at Green Gables and stopped into Aveline Books before heading home. I planned to spend the rest of my evening with the sequel to The Lady’s Courageous Tale, my pajamas, and a couple of leftover rolls. When I stepped inside, Margot was dusting the shelves, getting prepped for closing.

“Hey, Margot. I promise I won’t be long,” I called out to her as I went straight to the aisle full of regency romances.

Aveline Books was small, like most things in Aveline, and the walls that weren’t covered in books were exposed bricks, with a fireplace on one end. The bookstore was one of my favorite places in town, and I’d spent a lot of time on the leather couch in the corner reading during rainy summer days growing up.

Margot looked up from where she was cleaning and smiled. “No problem. Are you looking for The Soldier’s Desperate Tale?”

“Yes! I just finished the first book, and it was so good. You weren’t lying when you said it ended on a cliffhanger, though. I’m so glad you told me the series was already finished, because if I had started that and not been able to get the second book right away, I think I might have died.”

Margot chuckled and met me in the aisle. She moved her finger along the spines of the books until she found the one we were looking for, and she pulled it out. “I always disclose if the series is completed or not. It’s like the number one rule of bookstore owners.”

I followed her to the counter and paid for my book, ready to get home and get started, and as I was leaving, Margot hollered out to me. “Hey, Darcy?”

I turned around, my hand on the door. “Yeah?”

“Are you seeing that new guy? Because if you aren’t, I’d really like to shoot my shot. He is the most handsome man I have ever seen...and I was an extra in the movie Clueless. There were a lot of handsome men in that movie.”

Margot made a point to tell everyone she encountered about her days on Clueless. I pulled my lips in, knowing Margot would be one more reason for Penn to head for the hills. “Go for it, Margot.”

I left the bookstore and headed back home, ready to sink into bed with my book, when Peyton called.

“What are you doing tonight?” she asked.

“Going home and going to bed,” I replied, pulling into my driveway.

Peyton snorted. “Come out with me! It’s been ages since we’ve been out together, and I want to get drunk!”

I groaned, thinking how nice my bed sounded. I had just washed the sheets, and I planned to take a shower and shave my legs before curling up in them. There was nothing better than smooth shaved legs and fresh sheets. Then again, she was right. It had been a long time since I had gone to the bars, and with everything going on, I could use a night to just relax and let loose.

“Okay. The Soldier’s Tale can wait.”

“What?” Peyton asked.

“Nothing,” I replied. “I’ll meet you in twenty minutes.”