Page 35 of Meet Me in Aveline

He lowered his head. “Nothing. It’s just cool, that’s all.”

I pulled my lips together, feeling proud. “It’s honestly the craziest thing I’ve ever done. I’m just so tired of being perfect all the time. And I figure if I’m going to have to endure the debutante ball then I’m at least going to enjoy the rest of my summer.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Did you just say a debutante ball? Those are real?” Tuck pulled into the parking lot of what looked like a large brick house and put the car into park.

“Unfortunately, yes.”

He scrunched his nose. “Like white gloves and dresses and funny dances where no one touches?”

“That’s the one.” I inhaled deeply, ready to change the subject. “But you can torture me with questions about the ball another day. For now, I need to know why we’re here at this house?”

Tuck turned his attention to the building in front of us and put his hand on the handle of the door. “Let me show you. I think you’re going to really like it.”

We got out of the car, and when we stepped around the front of the brick house, I noticed a sign on the door.

“Green Gables Inn”

I gasped and threw my hands over my mouth. “Green Gables?”

“Yep,” Tuck said as he opened the big wooden door. “This is Aveline’s best bed and breakfast.”

“A bed and breakfast? I’ve always heard about these, but I’ve never actually seen one. Does Aveline have more than one? You said the best.”

“Well, no. We have one, but if we did have more, I am guessing that it would be the best anyway.”

I laughed. “Fair enough. So why is it called Green Gables?” I stepped through the threshold and looked around at the most beautiful woodwork and wallpaper. There was a desk straight across from the door and another large sign that read“Green Gables Inn.”

“Well, I think it started because Aveline sounds a lot like Avonlea. They took that similarity and ran with it. The whole place isAnne of Green Gablesthemed. Every room is decorated from the 19th century and is named after something within the book. There’s The Avonlea, House of Dreams, The Lake of Shining Water, you get the idea.”

My hands were clasped together under my chin and my eyes moved around in awe. An entire house themed afterAnne of Green Gables? This was a dream come true.

I began walking and noticed a dining room with a long grand table and a wall covered with markings. I walked closer to it and noticed it was names that filled the wall, and at the top was Anne + Gilbert. “A lover’s wall?”

Tuck nodded. “Lover’s Lane.”

He was standing close to me, enough that our arms were touching, and we both looked at the wall together. I didn’t recognize any of the names except Teddy, who Tuck had explained was the man from the pet clinic.

Teddy + Lenora.

Kitty + Benjamin.

Poe + Winnie.

Rosie + Jack.

There was also Darcy + Conrad with a giant scratch down the middle and then the same names written again next to it.

Tuck explained that these were names of lovers from all over Aveline. Some of them still living and some who were long gone, all of them—at one point in time—in love enough that they professed it to the town by marking it along the wall of Green Gables.

“It’s beautiful,” I said, admiring the names. I traced my fingers along some of them and noticed Tuck’s name wasn’t anywhere to be found. “Hmm… I don’t see your name anywhere.”

Tuck’s hands were in his pockets. “You won’t.”

“You mean you’ve never written your name on the wall?” I asked, knowing that I was being nosy.

Tuck cleared his throat. “Uh, no.”

“And why not? I’m sure you’ve had girls lining up to write their name next to yours on the wall. I mean, you’re not exactly hard on the eyes.”

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