No Vacancy (The Aveline Series Book 2)

Chapter 55

PENN

The next day,there was a hustle and bustle happening all over town. When I came down the stairs of Green Gables, people were running around, large vases of flowers were being shuffled from one area to another, and Darcy and Lettie were in the center of it, delegating tasks.

“Lenora, can you run to the bakery and ask Tuck if he can bring those mini pies? I was going to place them on a display on the dessert table,” Lettie said, talking to an older woman.

“You got it,” the woman replied as she headed out the front door.

“Peter, the chairs for the table, can you get those and bring them to the square? The table is being put together now,” Darcy said, holding a notebook and making marks in it. She caught my eye. “Thank God. Penn, I need some muscles. Come with me.”

I followed her lead to a closet in the town building, and she gestured to a large statue in the back corner.

“Can you get him for me? We have a dolly over here to put him on. I can help you.” Her phone rang, and she answered it, clearly flustered and overwhelmed. “Hey, Mom, I need to call you back. I’m going to help Penn grab the Delmar statue.”

She was quiet for a moment, but her eyes grew wide. “No. You can’t be serious. Tell me you’re joking.”

I was watching her eyes flit back and forth, her mind working through whatever it was her mother was telling her. She looked over at me, her hand in a fist, and she silently screamed before she spoke to her mom again in a pleasant voice.

“Well, we don’t want that. I’ll figure it out. It’s okay, Mom. Stop apologizing, you can’t help it.” Darcy’s eyes met mine, and her eyebrows pulled together. “I’ve got it covered. Tell Dad to feel better. Love you.”

“Is everything okay?” I asked, watching her stick her hands at the sides of her head before whipping around, a slow smile creeping across her face.

“Penn. My new buddy. My friend.” She punched my arm playfully like we were old pals before growing serious. “What size clothing do you wear?”

“Why?” I asked, not liking where she was going with this question.

She sighed. “Look, my dad is sick, and he can’t perform. And you just happen to look like you could fit into my dad’s uniform. And before you ask, you don’t have to kiss my mom or anything. There is no kissing in the reenactment at all. But I really need you to say yes because I am at an eleven on a scale of one to ten in the anxiety department, and I could quite possibly have a panic attack at any moment. I might black out even. Do you see why I need you?”

She was talking so fast I could barely understand her. But the last part stuck out and replayed in my ears. “Say it again.”

She eyed me curiously. “All of it? Okay.” She sighed. “My dad is sick—”

I cut her off. “No, just the last part.”

“I am going to have a panic attack?”

“Nope.” I shook my head.

“I might black out?”

“Not that.”

It registered what I was asking, and she rolled her eyes. “I need you.”

“There it was.” I chuckled. “Of course, I mean, if you need me, how could I say no?” I winked, and she rolled her eyes for the second time, grabbing my arm and pulling me out the door.

“I look ridiculous,” I said, trying to straighten out the awkwardly fat tie. “What is this? It’s more like a scarf. Why is it so short?”

Darcy laughed as I tucked in my shirt. “Just button the jacket, and you won’t even see it.”

“The jacket? Where’s the jacket? Because all I see is this long robe-like thing you’ve stuck on me. I feel like Dumbledore.”

She reached over and took the hat from the back of her couch. “Oh, really? You know Dumbledore, but you don’t know Gandolf? Here, don’t forget this.”

“No way. A Charlie Chaplin hat? Why? Maybe Delmar didn’t wear a hat,” I protested.

“Oh, Delmar wore a hat. Didn’t you see the statue?” She plopped it on my head and stood back, surveying me. “Hot damn. You look like Damon Salvatore.”

I scrunched my face. “Should I know who that is?”

“Nope,” she replied as her phone rang, leaving me wondering if that was a compliment or an insult. I was definitely googling Damon Salvatore later.

She answered. “Hey, Mom.” Immediately, her face went white, and she held up her fist again. She scrunched her face, and another silent scream poured out of her before she collected herself again. “No, Mom, I understand. I’m not mad. No, I swear, I’m not mad. I’ll be right over. Love you.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked, feeling ridiculous in my wizard outfit.

She grabbed her keys. “My mom is sick now too, and guess who that leaves to be Catherine?”